The result leaves the Warriors within touching distance of becoming the
first team since the 2010 Los Angeles Lakers to secure titles in
back-to-back seasons.
Cleveland are in dire need of a victory in the third match of the
series to keep their slim hopes of clinching their first NBA crown
alive.
LeBron James will need to elevate the level of his game for Tyronn
Lue’s side to have a chance of completing the remarkable feat against
the reigning champions.
The power forward put the team on his back in the finals last season
due to injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
However, even three 40-point performances were not
enough from the four-time MVP as his team slipped to a 4-2 defeat.
James has struggled to capture his best form in the opening two matches
of the series, notching just 23 and 19 points, underwhelming statistics
for a player of his calibre.
Should the 31-year-old find his range on court once again, the
Cavaliers will have more than a punchers’ chance of hauling in Golden
State’s two-game advantage.
Cleveland will also need Love to make a swift
return from a concussion to take his place in their line-up
for the remaining games.
The 27-year-old failed to match the speed and tenacity of the Warriors
around the court, allowing Curry and Draymond Green to capitalise with
their deadly accuracy.
Love has not lived up to expectations since his
arrival from the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, although he is
more than capable of delivering top-quality displays, having been named
an All-Star three times in his eight-year career.
The Cavaliers were robbed of Irving’s services in the opening match of
the 2015 finals as he sustained a dislocated kneecap in overtime,
ruling him out of action for several months.
The point guard slowly got back to form over the course of the campaign
without finding his peak condition, although he clicked into gear once
the post-season began.
Irving averaged 27.5 points per game in the Cavaliers’ whitewash of the
Detroit Pistons, while he played a crucial role in guiding his team
past the Toronto Raptors in the Conference Finals.
The 24-year-old bested MVP Steph Curry in game one of the championship
finals with 26 points at Oracle Arena, only to see Shaun Livingston
come off the Warriors bench to snatch victory away from Cleveland.
He put in an underwhelming 10-point display in game
two as Curry and Klay Thompson took command of the court, leaving the
Cavaliers staring down the barrel of a second-straight defeat in the
finals.
Lue needs his top three players to deliver over the next two matches to
keep the series alive and put the pressure back on the Warriors.
However, they will have to be flawless to stop Golden State’s pursuit
of a perfect campaign, following their record-breaking 73-9 regular
season record, to ensure that another year does not end in the ultimate
disappointment.
