The Golden State Warriors have built a commanding 2-0 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals.
But this is familiar territory for LeBron James and the Cavs, who overcame a 2-0 deficit in last year's Finals to beat the Warriors in seven games.
Can the Cavs shift momentum as the series moves from Oakland to Cleveland? Here are three questions and a prediction for Game 3 of the NBA Finals:
ABC15 sports director Craig Fouhy:
Let’s face it: The Golden State Warriors look unbeatable right now! For the second straight game, it was Steph Curry and Kevin Durant leading the way for the team from Oakland on Sunday, with Curry coming away with his first career postseason triple-double.
The Cavaliers found themselves in a similar spot last year down two games as the series shifted to Cleveland -- but they managed to rout the Warriors in Game 3 before working their way out of a 3-1 jam and winning the NBA title. That said, this year’s finals feels different, and it has to do with Durant. The Cavs don’t have a single player who can guard him, much less slow him down.
LeBron James can’t do it by himself, and to get a win Wednesday night, he’ll need more than home-court advantage and a bunch of crazy Cavalier fans. He’ll need Kyrie Irving to step up and at least one other guy to come out and surprise the Warriors. Bottom line: I don’t see that happening! Warriors 120, Cavaliers 105.
ABC15 sports anchor Jason Snavely:
After getting handled in Oakland the first two games of the series, the Cavaliers will bounce back and pull off a convincing win on their home floor.
Sound familiar? The first three games of the 2017 Finals will essentially be a carbon copy of 2016, restoring hope to a deflated Cleveland fan base.
The only difference? This year, it's a false hope. The Cavs will take Game 3 with a big night from LeBron, but the Warriors will win the following two, closing the series out in five. Cavaliers 117, Warriors 110.
