The Cleveland Cavaliers refused to go quietly into the night, beating the Golden State Warriors in Oakland in Game 5 to force the series back to Cleveland. Now they will need to once again play for their postseason lives as they host Golden State on Thursday.
Warriors vs. Cavaliers 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch NBA Finals Game 6 online
After losing Game 5 at home, the Warriors will have another chance to end the series. This time, they will have Draymond Green available.
The story going into Game 5 was Draymond Green's suspension. After an altercation with LeBron James, Green was on the ground and flailed his arm, hitting James in the groin. The two were called for a double foul on the court but the league reviewed the play and gave James a technical foul and Green a Flagrant 1, which pushed him past the limit in the league's point system and netted him a suspension.
Cleveland really took advantage of his absence. As a team they outscored Golden State by 16 points in the paint and 18 in transition. Without Green hounding them on switches and protecting the rim, James and Kyrie Irving went off. They became the first teammates to score over 40 points each in the Finals, and their 82 combined points powered the Cavaliers' offense to a 112-97 win. It was a fantastic performance from the two stars in the biggest game of the season.
The question is, will Cleveland be able to have a repeat performance in Game 6? It's not just that Green will be back -- James and Irving likely won't be as efficient with their scoring either way. Kyrie hit tough shots while James, who was averaging 32 percent on three-pointers during the playoffs, went 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. On the other end of the spectrum, Stephen Curry missed eight of his 10 uncontested shots. If the stars' shooting regresses toward respective normalcy, Cleveland could be in trouble.
That doesn't mean the Warriors have things under control, of course. They will be without Andrew Bogut, who is out with a knee sprain. That could force Steve Kerr to stretch his rotation or play Green exclusively at center, potentially exhausting him. The Cavaliers could also receive boosts from Kevin Love and J.R. Smith. Nothing is determined.
The end of the series, however, is getting nearer. At this time Friday we will either have a 2016 NBA champion or we’ll be getting ready for a definitive Game 7.
How to watch Warriors vs. Cavaliers Game 6
Place: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Time: 9 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Streaming: ABC Live
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Kyrie Irving beats Steph Curry in a game of P-I-G
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