Breaking Down the Twitter Buzz Ahead of NBA Finals Game 3
After what some have called the two best opening games in NBA Finals history, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers will both look to gain a crucial 2-1 advantage on Tuesday night in Quicken Loans Arena.
While the in-game product has been incredibly entertaining in this series, there has also been no shortage of compelling storylines that have fans salivating for more after two games.
When the Cavaliers lost Kyrie Irving to a knee injury in Game 1, many were quick to say the series was over. However, in a gritty Game 2 performance, Cleveland proved that claim to be far from accurate.
In Game 3, the "next man up" Cavaliers will look to continue their smothering defense as Stephen Curry will try to regain his shooting touch in a compelling third game.
The exciting series has media and fans buzzing with excitement as everyone waits to see what drama this series will offer next.
LeBron James has been phenomenal early on in the series, carrying the load offensively for Cleveland and putting up jaw-dropping numbers.
It just isn't fair to expect any player to consistently play at the level LeBron has in the first two games. But because of LeBron's greatness, the series is tied and both games have gone to overtime.
Other players like Timofey Mozgov and Game 2 hero Matthew Dellavedova have certainly stepped up, but it seems like James can't let his play slip if the Cavs want to keep home-court advantage through Game 3.
Without Irving, the Cavs don't have the ability to keep up with Golden State when the Warriors offense is in gear. Instead, Cleveland has relied on gritty, hard-nosed, swarming defense to take Golden State out of their rhythm offensively, especially when it has come to slowing down Curry.
The key cog in guarding Curry will be Dellavedova, who forced curry into a 2-15 performance from three-point range in Game 2.
For Golden State, the obvious key to victory is improved shooting from the MVP, but the offensive execution from the rest of the Warriors also has to improve.
Cleveland has done an excellent job getting back on defense in this series, limiting transition points from the Warriors.
If Golden State can't take advantage of fast-break opportunities, they'll have to step up their half-court execution by improving ball movement to take advantage of double-teams on Curry and Klay Thompson outside the three-point line.
It's also critical for Golden State's bigs to keep Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson from continuing to dominate the boards, especially on the offensive end.
The Cavaliers' rebounding has been another important factor in their playoff victories, despite their depleted lineup. If Golden State can find a way to neutralize that rebounding edge, it will make things even tougher for Cleveland to generate offense.
There's no overstating the importance of Game 3 in a 1-1 series. For either team, a 2-1 advantage would be monumental.
But as the underdog, Cleveland needs to be the more desperate team on Tuesday night, as a loss would surrender both momentum and home-court advantage to Golden State.
Even though the Cavaliers have played spectacular defense throughout the playoffs, it's tough to see Curry and the Warriors being that stifled on offense for a second straight game.
A bounce-back effort is certainly in order for the league's most potent offense.
If that's the case, it will be up to the Cavaliers' dominant rebounding and the superhuman play of LeBron James to keep Cleveland in the game with Golden State.
After Games 1 and 2, it'll be tough for the third game to live up to expectations. But this series has done anything but disappoint so far. There's no reason to expect either team to let up in Game 3.
Prediction: Warriors 105, Cavaliers 98
