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12/23/2024 03:14:25 am

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NBA Finals Preview: Golden State Warriors Aiming to Close the Deal in Game 5 to Clinch Second Consecutive Title

Golden State Warriors

(Photo : gettyimages.com) The Dubs currently hold a commanding 3-1 series advantage.


The Golden State Warriors are looking to close out the Cleveland Cavaliers as the 2016 NBA Finals heads back to the Oracle Arena, where they host Game 5 of their best-of-seven series on Monday.


The Dubs currently hold a commanding 3-1 series advantage and is just one win away from claiming their second consecutive NBA crown. The Warriors' spectacular home game win-loss record of 50-3 this season might tilt the chances in their favor as they look to finish off the series Monday night.

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"I just think that it's the NBA Finals," Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr said Sunday. "We're at home. We have a chance to close things out. I don't think we need any more of an edge, any more psychological advantage, anything like that.

"The game gives us all the motivation we need, and the biggest thing for us is to just tweak things a little bit here and there to try to get the right rotations on the floor at the right time. And because of our versatility, I feel like we'll be able to do that."

However, the league's assessment of a Flagrant 1 foul of Draymond Green's Game 4 dust-up with LeBron James somehow will be a factor that could turn the game in the the Cavaliers favor. The Warriors' starting forward has been slapped with a one-game suspension and will miss Monday night's match.

"He's the heart and soul of their team, but we've still got to play," Lue said about Green on Sunday. "His suspension doesn't make us win the game. We've got to go out and win the game and take the game. So it's a big suspension on their end, but we've still got to play."

The Wine and Gold have an uphill task of winning the next three matches of the series ahead of them. Only 10 teams in the league's history have managed to bounce back from being 3-1 down in the playoffs and no ballclub has ever won the title after falling so far behind in the Finals.

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