This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Just as I predicted more than two weeks ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers won Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
In fairness, I should acknowledge having said the Cavs would win the series in six games, but I'm feeling vindicated by Cleveland's merely forcing a Game 7 after the way this series started. LeBron James and the Cavs deserve tremendous credit for getting to this point, after the series seemingly was decided at a couple of checkpoints — after Game 2 in Oakland and after Game 4 in Cleveland.
It gets interesting now. In only the fourth Game 7 of the Finals in more than 20 years, Golden State faces a staggering amount of pressure. The Warriors have allowed Cleveland to hang around this long, and now they have to respond after two straight losses. Otherwise, a team that won an NBA-record 73 games in the regular season will be remembered for the wrong reasons.
If the Warriors lose Game 7 on Sunday night in Oakland, the series would be framed historically as a case of their collapse, as much as a Cleveland comeback.
This has been a weird series, with no game decided by fewer than 11 points. Coaches always say Game 7 is any playoff series is where home-court advantage comes into play, and the Warriors will be favored at Oracle Arena. They're still the best team. But they're wobbling, and the Cavs are good enough to exploit them if the pressure gets to the Warriors.
From a Golden State perspective, Game 7 is all about Stephen Curry. His minor meltdown at the end of Game 6 will be forgotten if he comes through Sunday, but failing to follow through with another championship would tarnish his MVP season.
The Warriors also have to regroup defensively, without Andrew Bogut. Cleveland's offensive performance in the last six quarters, since the former University of Utah center sustained a knee injury, has served to make Bogut appear valuable in his absence. Bogut blocked 10 shots in the 60 minutes he played in the first five games, and the Warriors have missed him lately — in contrast to the last three games of the 2015 Finals, in which he played a total of three minutes.
As for the Cavs, Game 7 is James' showcase. His 41-point efforts in each of the last two games were phenomenal. For anyone else, in any sport, just carrying his team to a Game 7 under these circumstances would be sufficient. But considering how high the standards will always be for this guy, he has to produce another epic showing and give his team a chance to win the city of Cleveland's first sports championship in 52 years.
How's that for a legacy?
Twitter: @tribkurt