The Warriors enter this Christmas day matchup with the best record in the NBA. A familiar plot, as they entered the playoffs last year in the same position only to be taken down by the Cavs.
Both teams for the most part have rolled through their schedules up to this point, each winning 9 of their last 10. And while the two are tied for a league low of just 2 losses at home this year, the advantage goes to the Cavs as this game will be played in The Land. Not much of a winter wonderland with the lack of snow, but still The Land nonetheless.
Each team has also had their fair share of nights where they seemed reluctant to play much defense, but slightly more reluctant to lose, thus winning solely because of their offensive abilities. I’m not one to complain about a lot of scoring, though.
Cleveland fans may initially not want this game to turn into a 3-point shootout, knowing the nature of the Warriors. But if it does, the Cavs actually have the advantage based on the fact that they are second in the league in threes made, one spot ahead of the Warriors.
There will definitely be a lot of ambition from each team to win and prove something to the other. Especially for Cleveland to show they can handle Golden State’s new “Big 4”. Of course it’s still a regular season game and the result won’t end up meaning much as far as standing go. But the will mean more in terms of confidence going forward and personal rivalries.
Don’t think that the Warriors have forgotten about the jabs taken at them during the Cavs’ Halloween party. Whether or not Klay ever did understood the joke about him being dead is beside the point.
With a replay of Game 7 of the finals being played on ABC on Christmas Eve, I’m sure a few Cavaliers found time out of their busy lives to sit down and relive the game. Maybe even a few Warriors watched the game too as a reminder to fuel the fire.
We can expect this former finals matchup to be a fierce one and possibly set the stage for another finals meeting. No matter what the outcome is, it should be exciting and hopefully high scoring.
From Burning River Basketball we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Go Cavs!
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