Is This the End of the Cleveland Cavaliers? : NBA Finals
We’re on the verge of seeing history made in the NBA Finals.
No team has ever swept all 16 games under the current postseason format, but the Golden State Warriors are one win away after coming back to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 118-113 Wednesday night.
The Warriors cashed in as 4-point road favorites on the closing line to improve to 15-0 SU and 11-4 ATS in these playoffs. They’re already the first NBA team to win 15 straight postseason games. They’ll go for No. 16 this Friday, tipping off at 9 PM ET on ABC.
Then again, perhaps the Cavaliers will make history by winning Friday night and going on to become the first NBA team to survive a 0-3 deficit in any series. They were down 1-3 before turning the tables on Golden State last year. However, Cleveland was a 2-point favorite in Game 4 of the 2016 NBA Finals. The Cavs are 6.5-point puppies this time around, up from +6 at the open, with a massive total of 229 points at press time.
The Decision Reloaded
Friday’s game could be historic for other reasons if Golden State completes the sweep.
It might be the last time we see LeBron James in a Cavaliers uniform; the rumor mill is churning with speculation of James deciding to leave Cleveland in free agency and take his talents to Los Angeles, either for the Lakers or the Clippers. A return to the Miami Heat is also getting some play, but the hottest takes have James joining Paul George to form another group of “Super Friends” with the Lakers.
Is Kevin Love on his way out, too?
Love could be made the scapegoat if the Cavaliers lose this series – especially if they get swept on Friday. If the Cavs want to keep James from leaving town again, they’ll have to do something to close the gap between themselves and the Warriors. That could mean dealing Love for cap space to sign marquee free agents or sending him to the New York Knicks for Carmelo Anthony in a “challenge” trade.
But first things first. The Cavaliers did play well enough to nearly win Game 3, so there might be some betting value on the defending champs Friday night at +6.5 instead of +4.
History isn’t on Cleveland’s side, though. Teams facing a sweep in the NBA are 8-16 SU and 9-13-1 ATS since the 2013 playoffs. And the Warriors aren’t likely to slack off in Game 4 after what happened to them last year.
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