Hard roads led to Cavs-Warriors IV

Stephen Curry will lead Golden State into a fourth straight NBA Finals vs. Cleveland starting tonight.
Stephen Curry will lead Golden State into a fourth straight NBA Finals vs. Cleveland starting tonight.

OAKLAND, Calif. - The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors were stretched to their limits in the conference finals this time around, leaving little time to recuperate and prepare for their latest NBA Finals showdown.

"Splintered" is how Warriors star Stephen Curry described what he feared could happen in the second quarter of Game 7 at Houston with Golden State pushed to the brink by the Rockets in a thrilling Western showdown. So the Warriors held a serious team chat and got it together at last.

photo Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James follows through on a shot during an NBA basketball practice, Wednesday, May 30, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. The Cavaliers face the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday in Oakland. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

In the Eastern battle, LeBron James willed the Cavs back to the big stage with another spectacular performance as Kevin Love sat out Game 7 against the Celtics in Boston.

"It was a special moment for us," Curry said Wednesday. "... I think that 2 1/2 minutes was a special moment for us, and it should give us great momentum going into the series."

Now both teams find themselves in familiar territory by facing off in a fourth straight NBA Finals - Golden State won the title in 2015 and last year, with the Cavs storming back from a 3-1 deficit in 2016 - just with far less prep time after both faced new, daunting challenges and played furious Game 7s on the road to get back here.

Cavs-Warriors, Act IV is a little bit different, indeed.

But King James stands in the way of a Golden State repeat, just as he did two years ago while spoiling that quest with a Game 7 win on the Warriors' home court, where they have currently won 17 of their past 18 postseason games.

He never counted out Golden State this year.

"Just going against the Warriors in the last three years in the Finals, I kind of figured or thought that they could get it done," James said. "Just because of the 18 of a possible 21 Finals games that I've played against them in the last three years, I figured out that they could make it happen."

The Eastern Conference finals wrapped up Sunday, so James spent a relaxing Memorial Day with family at a barbecue. He isn't ready to make any bold predictions about how great he might be in his eighth straight Finals. But there's no doubt in his mind he will be ready when the ball tips.

"The level that I can play at is to be seen, but the level that I put into the game and put into my craft is who I am," James said. "So numbers and things like that kind of take care of itself. But for me, I understand and I know how much I put into the game. So everything else is OK."

photo Cleveland Cavaliers' J.R. Smith, left, shoots as his teammate LeBron James watches during an NBA basketball practice, Wednesday, May 30, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. The Cavaliers face the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday in Oakland. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

With only two days between games after the Warriors eliminated the Rockets on Monday night, Golden State's Draymond Green is happy to have an opponent he knows so well.

"In recent years we've been kind of having a week off, at most, to prepare for the Finals. It's almost a day to prepare this time," he said. "So it definitely helps knowing the opponent, knowing, obviously, everything stops and starts with LeBron, and trying to do what we can to make things tough on him but also take other guys out of the game."

Both teams face significant injury concerns: Golden State defensive stopper and 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala was ruled out for Game 1 with a bone bruise in his left knee, while Love remains in the NBA's concussion protocol with his status uncertain.

James considers Golden State among the greatest teams ever, and he insists each side has earned this.

So he is ignoring the critics who say this annual matchup might be bad for basketball.

"Teams have had their opportunities to beat the Cavs over the last four years and teams have had opportunities to beat the Warriors over the last four years," James said. "If you want to see somebody else in the postseason then you've got to beat them."

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