Cleveland Cavaliers earned the right to play in another finals game

The 2016-17 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers will continue on.

The Cleveland Cavaliers played their best game so far during the 2017 NBA Finals tonight. Finally, right? In Game 4, Cleveland had their opportunities to close it out, but failed to do so.

Game 5 was much different. In fact from the start of the game, for obvious reasons, the Cavs needed and were in an altered mindset. If they weren’t, their season would be over right now.

At the end of the night, Cleveland was able to get the win, 137-116. Power forward Tristan Thompson continued to be less than average, but he was really the only true negative seen on Cleveland’s roster.

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As seen on TV and expressed in ESPN’s box score, it was once again the Kyrie Irving and LeBron James show. Irving had 40 points, while James racked up 31, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. As a result, Cleveland is now in a familiar position.

Heading into Game 5, Cleveland is faced again with a 3-1 deficit. The jokes over the past year says it all, but if you recall, the Cavs earned their first win before Game 4 during the 2016 finals.

There was already some momentum building. This year’s win also shares that feeling, but it is different. Will Cleveland actually win four straight? Unfortunately, that is very unlikely, but after seeing a more complete game by the Cavaliers tonight, who is to say otherwise?

Logically, anything could happen, but a 3-1 deficit is still a lot to overcome. As great as it was to not see Cleveland get swept, Golden State was still hanging around in the fourth quarter to a degree before the Cavs pulled away.

If that is not concerning you regarding Cleveland’s realistic chances moving forward, then I wish I could feel the same way. Luckily, we won’t have to hear Golden State’s players speak about the champagne in Cleveland’s locker room.

The Cavs definitely earned this win and the team, along with their fans should celebrate it. However, there is still so much work to be done and a bigger goal still has yet to be claimed.

Game 5 will be Monday night in Oakland, California. Will we see a Game 6? Perhaps. Regardless, Cleveland has their hands full.

Unlike in Game 1, are the necessary adjustments going to be made in-game at the beginning of the week. It they are not, you can kiss any chance of seeing a Game 6 goodbye. Outside of Thompson, everyone in Cleveland’s core has stepped up during the finals. In some aspects, those ways are not seen in the box score, but they have impacted Cleveland’s ability to extend and/or add ot their possessions.

The Cavaliers are not going to stop Warriors’ star Kevin Durant. He will get his numbers. Heading into the next game, the gameplan is going to be changed a bit. Not drastically, but enough to keep Golden State guessing.

Assuming Cleveland can take care of each key detail of that plan, the finals should extend. It will be up to James, Irving, and company to make sure the little details are completed for any chance to extend their series anymore.

Such examples are reducing the number of technical fouls and do not try to outrun the Warriors. That is a battle Cleveland is just not going to win.

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Hopefully another game happens after Monday. After all, Cleveland has dealt with this before, but is the Warriors’ talented roster too much to win more games against? We will soon see.

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