22: It’s been noted that LeBron James has gotten himself motivated throughout the playoffs by watching “The Godfather Trilogy.” So as the families sit down for Game 6, it’s an offer he can’t refuse at The Q.
21: The richest man is the one with the most powerful friends. With Andrew Bogut out for the rest of the season with an injured left knee, the Warriors go with Andre Iguodala back as a starter. They call it strength in numbers.
20: So the question is whether Kevin Love’s second foul in the first 90 seconds that sends him to the bench is really a minus or plus for the Cavaliers?
19: These aren’t the Warriors early that won a record 73 regular season games and built a 3-1 lead in the series. They’re not moving the ball. Too much one-on-one with guys ? Steph Curry and Klay Thompson ? trying to do too much by themselves.
18: Never let anyone know what you are thinking. If the Cavs had the least bit of doubt about what it would take to make history, they’re not showing it.
17: It’s not just that 31-11 marks lowest scoring first quarter of the playoffs by the Warriors, but it looked like they’d all rather be next door with Draymond Green at a baseball game.
16: Can you get me off the hook? For old times sake? Back on the court after he said himself that he cost Golden State a chance to wrap up the championship in Game 5, Green is less like a lightning rod and more of a crutch.
15: Bogut lost for the series, Iguodala goes to the locker room due to tightness in his back. But what’s really ailing is Warriors offense that made just 10 of 43 shots going back to fourth quarter of Game 5.
14: As Iguodala hobbles around the court with an obviously aching back, it means the Warriors have lost the spine of their defense. This strength in numbers stuff is getting stretched to the limit.
13: I can handle things…I’m smart and I want respect. For team that lost Games 1 and 2 by a combined 48 points, LeBron and Kyrie Irving are the two most confident, aggressive players players on the court. But nobody’s having more fun and making more noise than Tristan Thompson at both ends of the floor.
12: Just when he’s rolling with a 13-point quarter and Warriors have crept back to within eight points, Curry tosses up what Kerr called “a 40-footer” that broke momentum. Then he reaches in from behind Irving to pick up his third foul and a two-time MVP just has to be smarter than that.
11: How do you spell bandwagon? Jay-Z and Beyonce.
10: Your enemies always get strong on what you leave behind. Warriors leave behind 29 misses in 44 first half shots and enough chances for the Cavs to pound out 22 points in the paint.
9: It’s a Sicilian message. It means Harrison Barnes’ shot sleeps with the fishes.
8: Everything that has happened starts with the Golden State misses. And there sure have been plenty.
7: Look who is it. Love drops in a corner 3 and has a half dozen points in the third quarter to keep Warriors at arm’s length.
6: LeBron, we’re bigger than U.S. Steel. He’s also ferocious going to the basket, so when James is also knocking down his 3-pointers, too, he might as well be a basketball monopoly.
5: Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. The Warriors are like the ocean ? never turn your back on them. Klay sparks 10 straight to the quarter and with the lead down to 80-71, suddenly you can’t hear the blaring music or the P.A. announcer over the sound of a collective ? GULP! ? inside The Q.
4: And if the Warriors need an inspiration to keep up the fourth quarter fight against long odds, they need only look at the guy inside that gaudy blue jacket ? Craig Sager.
3: He’s pulling up for 3s, attacking the paint, bailing out a bad offensive possession by knocking in 16-footers and he’s making back-breaking put-backs. Can the social media world really keep alive the myth that LeBron is an underachiever? He scored 18 consecutive Cleveland points in the second half finishes with 41 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
2: Of the 32 previous teams to fall behind 3-1 in The Finals, only two of them have forced a seventh game and it hasn’t happened in 50 years. The 1951 New York Knicks actually rallied from 3-0 to tie the Royals, but lost Game 7 at Rochester. The 1966 L.A. Lakers came back from 3-1 to tie, but lost Game 7 at Boston. Home team is 15-3 overall in Finals Game 7.
1: It’s Game 7 on Sunday.
Fran Blinebury has covered the NBA since 1977. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter.
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