Underdog Cavs insist they have plenty of bite for Finals

Both teams have shot over 50 percent in the playoffs, scoring in triple digits in each of the combined 25 games played thus far. James briefly celebrated breaking the record by raising his right index finger to signal No. 1 as he headed down the court while the game continued.

But Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are something else entirely.

Veterans Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala, and David West add plenty of experience while combustible Oakland local Matt Barnes, who joined the team late in the season, could be an X-Factor, with his defence and ability to rile up opponents.

This NBA Finals rubber match between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers has been building up for a while.

The Cavs strolled past the Boston Celtics.

“I think the first thing for me was seeing the excitement on Kyle (Korver’s) and Deron (Williams’) face”, James said. One major prop bet is for NBA Finals MVP, and the Golden State Warriors are favored in this regard too. The teams have a week off after mowing through their respective conferences.

These two teams are on another level of elite.

James weighed in on the constant comparison to Jordan and his desire to create a comparable legacy to the National Basketball Association legend prior to Game 5 on Thursday night – calling it a “personal goal” and explaining that the chase keeps him motivated.

Not to be outdone, the Cavaliers have gone 12-1 in the playoffs and as the two seed, not the one like the Warriors.

That’s maybe the most bittersweet part of the “Let’s go Celtics” chants, these represented the last chance for fans to show their appreciation for this particular group of players, not a superstar among them, who were never meant to win a championship but absolutely won their respect. And the first three of those were against the Yankees. It’s King James’ world in the Eastern Conference, and everyone else is looking up at the throne.

The Warriors have been without coach Steve Kerr for much of the play-offs as he is slowly recovering from surgery to stop a spinal cord fluid leak – Kerr battled through severe pain for much of the past two years after unsuccessful back surgery before it forced him out. Now it’s a legit discussion. But, as James made clear, numbers won’t define how he compares himself to Jordan. Anything he says would be so dissected it would lose any meaning. I know that both sides are relatively exhausted at this point of the season, but that just makes it an even playing field. All that really matters is everyone is on the same page now, not in November.

These teams that have spent much of the post-merger days near the bottom of the standings were the cream of the crop in the 1950s led by star quarterback Graham and innovative coach Paul Brown in Cleveland and Lions Hall of Fame passer Layne and running back Doak Walker.

Then, by making nine of his 15 looks at the basket, including four triples, Irving scored 24 points and assisted on seven other Cavaliers hoops in the closeout win.

So why is the National Basketball Association so top-heavy that it can’t deliver playoffs with any real drama? Despite Warriors having #1 offense, they went 41-53 against the over/under overall, combining the regular season (32-50) and the playoffs (9-3). It’s not often the perceived favorite can walk in with such an underdog mentality.

Both teams have made it to that point, and if Green’s comments are any indication, it should prove to be a fiery, exciting series. No harm in being a little greedy this spring.