Golden State Warriors: 5 keys to beating the Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals

The Golden State Warriors are taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals for the third straight championship matchup. Here are five keys to winning the series.

For the first time in NBA playoff history, the same two teams will meet in the Finals for the third consecutive year. In Round 3 of the Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, legacies will be on the line.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson will be looking to prove they can perform in a championship series. LeBron James is striving to prove himself as the G.O.A.T. Draymond Green has last year’s Game 5 suspension to redeem himself for. Kyrie Irving will be on a mission to show last year’s Finals heroics were no fluke. Kevin Durant wants to prove he made the right choice joining the Dubs and finally have something to hold over LeBron’s head.

As boring as the first three rounds of the playoffs have been, this Finals grudge match is going to be riveting television — especially for supporters of the Warriors, who once again enter the series as heavy favorites looking to avenge last year’s defeat after winning an NBA-record 73 games, choking away a 3-1 series lead and then signing KD in the offseason.

Though the Dubs “only” won 67 games this season, they became the first team ever to start the playoffs a perfect 12-0 en route to the Finals. The Cavs, meanwhile, are a near-perfect 12-1. It’s an epic clash of titans that will hopefully make up for the one-sided first three rounds.

The question is, even as the favorites, what must the Warriors do to exact revenge on King James and the Cavs? What will the keys to this championship series be, and who will be the heroes of the series? To answer those questions, here are five keys to the Golden State Warriors beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals.