DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum The NBA Finals: Game VII - Return of The King

MrTed...you said some thing about the Cavs deliberately slowing down and then speeding back up...I'm reading an article on ESPN and read this little tidbit and thought about what you said...here is the snippet.

Lue's out-of-timeout sets have been heavy on this trickery. He and James have struck an artful balance between fast and slow, complex and simple, brutal and beautiful.

Damn guys


We're just 1 win away.


I'm not gonna make it to game time.

I'm debating on how early to get down to the Q. Doors open at 6:30. I think 5:30 at the latest to make sure I get good seats to watch on the screen.

If only we could put some of that attitude into Kevin Love!

- GO CAVS!!!!!!

Its brutal Candy...but I have to tell you man...if they cant do it today...I'll be dead before I see a Cleveland championship...

I have a weird feeling of we are going to witness something truly amazing happen. I put a sizable bet down I feel confident not cocky just very confident.

God I cant wait..this is killing me waiting on game time.

Hell I hope the whole team 20

Yes. The whole team needs to play like there is no tomorrow. Tonight is winner takes all, obviously. No timidness, drop those buckets and just kill it tonight.

I gotta get off this thread, it's making me nervous!

They didn't really face adversity at all this season until the playoffs, we have. With luck, RG3's "No pressure, no diamonds" holds up tonight. Hopefully the game is decided by the players rather than the officiating.

I won't make a prediction on the outcome because it's hard to know what the status of Kyrie's foot and Iggy's back will be. You know who I'll be rooting for, though. Mo Williams is my dark horse for unlikely game 7 hero.

It'd be nice if Minnesota Kevin Love showed up 1 time this season. This is a legacy game for him, fair or unfair.

Yep.

He seems like he would be a great guy to know, but on the court? Soft. And if he misses his first shot he seems like he's afraid to shoot the rest of the game. Come on Kevin, it's do or die time: Rise up.

I really think JR needs to be a big threat tonight

7 more hours


I'm gonna be dead when the 4th quarter roles around,

I think this might be my favourite video of all.

Dear sweet baby Jesus... Can we win this game by 40 and please end our long drought of championiships? Amen!

-all Cleveland fans

The biggest thing is that the Cavs need to stay poised. They’re trying to win a game 7 on the home court of a 73 win all-time great team. You cannot let up for a second. Curry and Klay are the greatest shooters to ever play. They want this win badly themselves. No lead is safe in this game. You have to play with the same intensity from beginning to end. It’s going to be exhausting, but it’s the last game. Find whatever energy you have left and use it. Dive for loose balls and win the possessions you have no business in winning.

Cleveland Cavaliers Pregame Scribbles about the pressure being on Golden State -- Terry Pluto

By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
Email the author | Follow on Twitter
on June 19, 2016 at 9:30 AM, updated June 19, 2016 at 9:31 AM

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Scribbles in my Cleveland Cavaliers notebook before Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals vs. the Golden State Warriors in Oracle Arena:

1. Now there's something I didn't expect to write a week ago: Scribbles in my Cavaliers notebook before Game 7. A week ago, the Cavs were down 3-1 in this series preparing to play Game 5 in Oakland on June 13. I thought the series would end right there. But two games and two Cavalier wins later -- it's Game 7.

2. I know I'm rationalizing, but I'm starting to think the Cavs might be in better shape for this game than I originally thought. Golden State coach Steve Kerr is working very hard to keep the pressure off his players. Why? Because they are feeling the pressure of being the first team to blow a 3-1 lead in NBA Finals history.

3. If the Warriors lose, they will always be known as the team that set an NBA record with 73 regular season victories, but squandered a chance to win a second title in a row. It was interesting to read through all the transcripts from Saturday press conferences, lots of good stuff.

4. Kerr said: "Remind yourself we get to play basketball for a living... We get paid a lot. We have fun. There is some heartbreak. There is some joy, and everything in between. It's a pretty good deal. We're among the luckiest people on Earth, win or lose Game 7."

5. More Kerr: "Nothing changes other than what some people write. A big part of being a prominent athlete these days is being able to shrug your shoulders and say: 'Oh, well. Somebody I don't know wrote something bad about me.' It's not the end of the world."

6. More Kerr: "It helps when you've got guys who are grounded and who understand that there's a lot more to life than what somebody writes about your reputation and your legacy and all that stuff."

7. More Kerr: "If you don't feel pressure in a Game 7, you're probably not human. I told our guys that. Of course they're going to feel pressure. Of course there's going to be some anxiety. But how lucky are we to feel that pressure? You could play on a lottery team your whole career and just make a bunch of money and go watch playoffs every year."

8. From Stephen Curry: "I need to play my best game of the year — if not my career — because of what the stakes are... That doesn't mean score 50 points, though. That means controlling the tempo of the game, knowing when I need to push the envelope and doing it within the schemes that we're used to as a team."


9. It's a different sport, but the lesson applies. Former Indians pitcher Orel Hershiser had some outstanding games in the postseason. He told me that it was not about "rising to the occasion." It was about "playing your normal game" in high-pressure situations. The pressure tended to drag others down -- perhaps because they tried to do too much.

10. With that in mind, I love how LeBron James answered a question about this game "defining the legacy of your career." James said one word -- "No."

11. More James: "I came back for a reason. That is to bring a championship to the city of Cleveland, to northeast Ohio and all of Ohio and all Cavaliers fans in the world. That's been one of my goals. But I don't add too much pressure on it. I go out and trust what I've been able to do, the work I've put into it, my teammates have put into it.

12. James refuses to let anyone define him, especially since he left for Miami in 2010. He has become tougher mentally, more mature emotionally. This is his seventh trip to the NBA Finals. He has lost four times. Other than 2011 (his first year with the Heat when they were upset by Dallas), he has not played poorly on a team that should have won The Finals.

13. James should have been the MVP of the 2015 Finals, even though the Cavs lost. And he should be MVP again, regardless of what happens in Game 7. James leads everyone from either team in this series in scoring, rebounding, assists and blocked shots.

14. James is from Akron. He knows the history. That's why he told reporters: "If we win and we take care of business, that's something that our city hasn't had in a very long time. So that's the obvious. You don't need me to sit up here and talk about it."




15. Cavs coach Tryonn Lue: "LeBron is just LeBron being LeBron. We know he's very capable of being special every single night. He's been special for us."

16. More Lue: "I'm just happy and just pleased with our team's composure. We've been resilient, and being down 3-1. (We kept) fighting and continuing to play the right way. Our guys are up for the challenge. So we're just going to enjoy this moment and we're up for the challenge."

17. After six games, the two teams have each scored 610 points. Hard to believe, even all the lopsided scores. But it's 610-610. Dieter Kurtenbach of foxsports.comcame up with a very basic stat that I've missed. When the Cavs have scored 100 in the playoffs, they are 15-0. When they are under 100, they are 0-5. Watch the scoreboard.

18. I like this from Kyrie Irving: "As a competitor, this is what you want to be a part of. I've been very repetitive in saying that, but this is everything that we've all dreamed of. Being in the position that we were down 3-1, and now tying it up and having a chance to play against a great team in Game 7 and for the whole world to be watching."

19. I bet the TV ratings for this game will break records.

20. Prediction? I'm not making one. I wrote a column saying I don't want to hear any excuses from Golden State "when the Cavs win." I'd love to see it. I also can see a way the Cavs will win, especially if Golden State's role players such as Harrison Barnes continue to miss open shots.

21. According to ESPN, most sports books have the Warriors as a 5-point favorite in this game. I'm not surprised. The Cavs are trying to make history.

22. Bottom line: If the Cavs win this game, a strong case can be made that it's the greatest comeback in the history of the NBA Finals. Not just because of being behind 3-1, but due to the team they are facing and where the game is being played. The Warriors lost two regular season games at home in 2015-16. That's 39-2. The Cavs are trying to beat them for the second time in four games at The Oracle.


23. I can't recall the last time I so looked forward to covering an event and I do love the Cavs being underdogs. That would make winning a title even more special.

http://www.cleveland.com/pluto/index...rt_river_index

I agree - I think Lebron needs to have this team ultra focused and he needs to have one of those greatest of all time games tonight

jc

You know how that movie ended, right?

Just as an FYI, for those in Chicago who may not yet have plans, I'm going to be be at O'Donovan's on Irving Park (in the city) watching the game with hopefully some Browns Backers who said they might come up. Either way, it's an Ohio State bar, so should be plenty of CLE love and I confirmed that they'll have the sound on for the finals despite a Cubs game as the same time.

Anyone who can and is interested, come on up.

http://odonovansbar.com/

Cavs are 3-0 when making 10 or more 3's and 0-3 when they don't.

Cavs are 15-0 when scoring 100 and 0-5 when they don't.

Minnesota Kevin Love never showed up for the playoffs either.

Man I just want a win....ugly not even close doesnt matter just win.

Heading out into enemy territory in a bit for pre-game festivities..its our time GO CAVS!!

If it were a home game, I'd love to see some down-to-the-finish Cavs win. Of course, I'd be thrilled with any kind of Cavs win but in Golden State I want to see the Cavs crushing, the fans leaving early, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry pouting with towels on their heads, and Draymond having a hissy fit.

But I'll be very happy if the Cavs can win any way, short of anything where people across the country want to put an asterisk by it.

I'm heading out in a couple of minutes. I'll keep y'all posted how things are at the Q as the night goes.

GO CAVS!

Rocket, if they win could you please record what you can on the celebration purty please..I'd owe you one...if you would kind Sir.

If there is a God...I'll get to see them crying like babies...the wife and I are in full Lebron jersey's Lebron shoes and a Cavs hat...and some bracelets with Just Do It #23.

Man I havent been this excited/nervous about a sporting event in YEARS...GO CAVS!!!

Anyone know what color jerseys the Cavs are wearing tonight??

I remember this from last year

I think they are wearing the black short sleeve jerseys.

Have fun! My son is already down there and he said it is insane!

This is like the longest day ever.

I collect records...I have pulled out a huge stack of albums from various Cleveland bands in my hopes that they will work their mojo to help break the curse. I'm not superstitious but, it certainly wont hurt to have an all Cleveland playlist.

Go Cavs!

Thanks I couldnt find it anywhere, appreciate it.

Candy I remember that...ok have a great night everyone Heading into enemy territory now. If you dont see me post for a week, the CAVS WON and will be trying to recover

Enjoy your evening everyone GO CAVS!!!!

Currently waiting in line to get into the Q. We're allowed to enter in 45 minutes; the amount of people waiting to get in dumbfounds me. You'd think game 7 was in Cleveland with how many people are Downtown.

This city won't sleep tonight if they win.

Agreed. Just win, baby! Hope we rip it up hard. Could be more special than I can imagine. Hope we really take it to them. LBJ . . .this is destiny calling. Love could help us.

Go, Cavs!

Just wow!

Been hearing Can I Get a Witness? all day. Time to put it all out there. Dedicate this win to all the critics.

BELIEVELAND!

Or FB got into a drunken rage and gloriously fought every warriors fan in the stands