Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Keys To Forcing A Game 7
1. Cavs must improve fourth-quarter play
One of the reasons why the fourth quarter is often referred to as “crunch time” is because this is the period where one team can come back from a large deficit to win a game, or where one team turns a close contest into a rout.
In Game 3, the Warriors outscored the Cavs by a 36-24 margin, nearly stealing a game the Cavs should have won easily. And in Game 4, the Cavs trailed by just six points (76-70) heading into the final frame. But thanks to a 27-12 advantage in the fourth quarter, the Warriors turned a tight game into an easy 21-point victory.
Unfortunately for the Cavs, that trend continued in game 5 as well. While they were outscored by just seven points overall (31-24), the defining moments took place during the last five minutes of the period.
During that stretch, the Warriors outscored the Cavs 19-7, with Curry scoring 12 of those points, which included a pair of three-pointers, a layup and four free throws. Being that the Cavs have scored just 60 points in the fourth quarters of the last three contests, they must find a way to improve on that output if they want to prevent the Warriors from celebrating on their home court.
Next: Golden State Warriors: 5 Keys To Closing Out The Finals
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