Warriors’ Green will be on the court for this Finals Game 5

Sticking with Pachulia at center would show the Warriors are more concerned about countering the Cavaliers than they are about focusing on themselves. He’s lifted his game and helped resuscitate the Cavaliers’ title chances by scoring against anyone the Warriors try. Can they build on that win, and come back again from another Finals’ deficit? Game 4 in Cleveland should serve the Warriors as a nightmarish foreshadowing as to what they could be in for in a game 6 back in Cleveland. In other words, bettors would have to put down $360 to win $100 by wagering on Golden State to win.

“How all of a sudden does a guy get seven threes who has been hitting the three occasionally?”

For the fourth time in two years, Cleveland fought off elimination in the NBA Finals by winning just when it appeared their season was over. “So that wasn’t a good recipe for us to try to get a win and knowing coming into (this next) game that they’re going to try that same game plan”. But then you add, of course, some chatter in there, and that adds some extra motivation.

“We love how aggressive Kyrie has been”, Cavaliers star LeBron James said yesterday.

It’s James with a slam dunk.

In the first two games at Oracle Arena, Irving averaged 21.5 points on 18-of-45 (40 percent) from the field. Yet there isn’t an National Basketball Association player who takes more heat – whether he deserves it or not – than James. Still, the biggest change has been Irving’s incredible shot-making, erasing quality defensive possessions.

It’s nearly expected that James will continue to raise his game, but it’s less certain which Cavs will step up beside him.

Green has been heckled at the Cavs’ Quicken Loans Arena throughout Games 3 and 4.

It clearly bothered the Warriors, and Coach Steve Kerr said so after Game 4. Highly unlikely. Not to say that Game Four was a fluke, since the Cavs are a very, very good team. “We got to continue to move the ball, share the ball”, James said.

But they didn’t have Green then and they have Kevin Durant now, two reasons why the Warriors believe they will finish the job this time.

And it’s all getting to be a bit much for James. One on one, it may be a hard option, but the trend-setting outside shooting of the Warriors doesn’t leave much choice. The tape doesn’t lie. Got to be physical.

In games three and four, just taking into account contested shots, Irving averaged 29.5 points while shooting 58 percent from the field.

A reminder to the high rollers at Oracle: Get back to your seats at the start of the second half. He’s similar to Curry in the sense that when he’s on, the extra layer of pizzazz in his game is absolutely gorgeous. It’s the way to go, but just be cool about it. Follow James’ lead. Zaza frustrated Thompson Durant and Draymond Green are both capable of boxing Thompson out.

So it should come as no surprise that Green has every intention of hoisting that Larry O’Brien trophy on his home court Monday night.

History is on the Cavaliers’ side. After shooting 5-of-17 on 3-pointers as Cleveland dropped the first three games, Irving was 7-of-12 in the victory. Cleveland may not be receiving a thank you card from Golden State anytime soon, but they have an even better gift, a seat in Game 5.

Adams was driven to distraction as much as anyone in the Warriors’ traveling party by the many ways in which Irving rendered his playbook porous. As it stands entering Game 5, he has four technical fouls, so if he winds up racking up three more, he’ll earn an automatic one-game suspension.

Note: Cleveland’s Dahntay Jones only made $27,382 because he was signed just before the final regular season game. If so, advantage Cavaliers.