The Biggest Game in Cleveland Cavaliers History
Shaq wants to win a ring for The King. LeBron wants to win one for his hometown, and to start cementing his NBA legacy. Cleveland fans want the Cavs to win one so they can finally break free of whatever has cursed their city since 1964.
It all comes down to Game 6 tonight in Boston.
This game could do one of two things. It could change the landscape of the NBA for the next decade, or it could make Game 7 the biggest game in Cavs history.
The ramifications of this game are immense. If the Cavs do lose, LeBron has his excuse to run off to the bright lights and big city, or the sunny beaches to the south or far west. If the Cavs win, all bets are off and we do it all again on Sunday.
Each team has shown the ability to show up in a big way, and disappear in an even bigger way throughout this series. However, don't look for this one to look anything like the past five games in this series.
Boston knows that this could be the Big Three's last chance to get another shot at the title. Rajon Rondo has plenty of more opportunities, but for Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, this could be it. It looks like this will be their last hurrah.
As for Cleveland, their whole franchise stands in the balance. And if this game is to go horribly awry like the last two, it could be a decade before they get back to the stature they are at today.
All hyperbole aside, this is the most important game in the NBA. The crowds will have the most impact upon a game since the brawl in The Palace in 2004, only we know this going into the game, which will make it all the more exciting, all the more intense, and all the more gut-wrenching.
This is a game that neither team wants to lose. A loss to Cleveland means yet another post-season letdown, and the ever-increasing possibility of a James departure. A loss for Boston means a trip back to Cleveland, where they are sure to face one of the most hostile crowds they have seen this year.
The loss in Game 5 seemed to rip the entitlement away from the Cavs. They no longer believe that they are destined for the re-match against Orlando, and will focus more on the game at hand. And if they don't, it'll be curtains for the James Gang.
So put your lucky socks and underwear on Cavs and Celtics fans; you're in for a long, exciting, excruciating night, as long as zombie Lebron James doesn't make another appearance in this series.
