Mike Brown still waiting on Tyronn Lue to pay up overdue bet

When a player gets injured, their teammates can sometimes struggle to find their rhythm or identity without that player, or on the contrary, they can rise up in their absence and become stronger through that adversity.

All this time Brown never wanted the money he earned by beating Lue in a shooting contest when the Cavaliers coach was an National Basketball Association newcomer, yet Golden State’s acting coach – who spent two stints leading Cleveland – joked how Lue can surely afford it these days. Can Durant win his first? The Warriors went 2-5 after that game.

Not a bad strategy, considering the huge role mindset will surely play in this year’s NBA Finals battle. Combined, Los Angeles and Boston have won 33 of 70 possible NBA Finals. Each team stealing the crown one time – the Warriors in 2015 and the Cavaliers in 2016.

“Playing in this league, you can’t take anything for granted”, Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. But there’s also a clear respect level between the clubs as well. It’s the matchup most expected, the matchup most predicted, and probably the matchup the Cavaliers and Warriors wanted as well. At $127 million, they have the highest team payroll in the league, well over the $94 million cap. “Well, the game has changed”, West said. Never. Further, Golden State and Cleveland have each won one of the last two titles, with LeBron and the Cavs overcoming a 3-1 series deficit last season in the process.

The turnaround could be strongly attributed to Curry. He said he considered Durant that player. His determination, his tenacity, and his underdog mentality take over like he has something to prove. “We want to go take back a championship, that’s just the nature of a competitor and I think that’s the mindset of everyone in this organization to go take back what they took from us”. “Just watching him move without the basketball, getting easy baskets off of cuts and splits and when he passes the ball he’s also relocating now”. I know we can play better. Although they split the season series 1-1, Golden State finished with plus 17 in offensive efficiency to go with an average 50 rebounds and 31 assists over two games.

James has help now in the form of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love among others, which could make the third battle between the Cavaliers and Warriors a good one regardless of who is coaching.

As for Games 3 and 4, which we know will happen regardless of results, betting favorites are 10-14-1 ATS (with one pick’em in 2004 finals) and 12-12-1 ATS in Game 4 (with one pick’em in 2004 finals). A big reason why they have had that kind of success is because they are more focused and united than ever. He was a two-time Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year as voted by his peers and has written four books, including “Big Papi”, the New York Times-bestselling memoirs of David Ortiz.

The NBA Playoffs have been about as predictable as an episode of Scooby-Doo, with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors meeting in the finals for the third straight year.

Still, they would like Kerr to regain health and join them in their quest for a second championship in three years.