The 2016 NBA Finals saw one of the biggest collapses in sports history where the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead to the eventual champs, the Cavs. The two teams met for the first time earlier this season on a Christmas Day match-up that would go down as one of the classics. However, it would not be the kind that you want to remember if you're a Warrior's fan.
Golden State kept the lead for a greater part of the game only to have it slowly chipped away during an explosive run made by the Cavs in the fourth quarter. Lead by Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, the Cavs would erase a 14 point deficit in 9 and a half minutes. Kyrie Irving would light the Warriors up for 14 of his 25 points all in the final period, and none more crucial than the go-ahead bucket over Klay Thompson with only 3.4 seconds left on the clock. Complete stats from that game are available on NBA.com.
Kevin Durant would get the ball on the last possession of the Warriors but would be tripped up by Richard Jefferson and would not be able to put a shot up. This questionable end had Warriors fans in an uproar, especially when the league announced that a foul should have been called on Jefferson. The Cavs would go on to win the game, 109-108.
Fast Forward to less than a month later, the Cavaliers and Warriors are set to do battle once more as the Cavs visit Oracle Arena for the first time this season. With the bitter taste of defeat still lingering from losing a 3-1 lead and a 14-point fourth quarter lead, you can expect the Warriors to come out with guns blazing. The Cavs on the other hand are still trying to get their newly acquired 3-point specialist, Kyle Korver, going with the flow of their offense while also dealing with JR Smith's injury as per CBS Sports.
Will the Warriors be able to find redemption and gain some ground as they are currently 0-4 against the Cavs in their last 4 outings, or will King James and Cavs continue to show dominance over their Western Conference Nemesis. This game will have very little bearing on the 82 game record of each team as they are clearly dominating their respective conferences. Look for each team to fight hard to get the win and try to gain a psychological edge over the team they would most likely face in the NBA Finals in June.
