The Cleveland Cavaliers have taken an unexpected 2-1 lead over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, and are in total control of the series. Here are four things they need to do to win two more games and bring a title to the series of Cleveland:
1) LeBron James needs to continue to dominate
This is a monumental task, but LeBron James HAS to continue putting up historic numbers for Cleveland to be successful. He’s averaging 41 points, 12 rebounds, and 8.3 assists through the first three games of the Finals and is carrying the Cavs on his back. The Warriors have limited his efficiency as he’s shooting just 43/106 in the series, but they haven't been able to lessen his overall impact on the game.
2) Matthew Dellavedova must continue to produce
Matthew Dellavedova has played the best two games of his life in Cleveland's last two victories, stepping up for the injured Kyrie Irving. His defense on Stephen Curry, but his offense has made just as big of a difference. He needs to keep up this level of play for the Cavs to win this series.
3) Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson's defense
Mozgov's rim protection (four blocks in Game 3) and the duo's ability to force Golden State's bigs into numerous turnovers have been key factors in throwing the Warriors' lethal offense off balance. These two have completely shut down the paint and taken Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, and Andrew Bogut completely out of the series, and they need to continue to do so.
4) J.R. Smith has to step up
Smith is averaging 10.7 points per game through the first three games of the Finals, giving the Cavs a positive impact off the bench despite his defensive blunders that also cost Cleveland Game 2. He is the one player left on Cleveland's roster other than LeBron James who can create his own shot, and when Dellavedova's play inevitably starts to return to normal levels, the Cavs will need him to produce one or two 20+ point games.
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