Cavs are two games behind Golden State Warriors. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry have made it hard. But Cleveland will cheer on LeBron James and his team as the game comes to home turf.
Humungous hoardings flashing this message greet you in every second lane of this sleepy city of Ohio. But come Wednesday night, it’s sure to be wide awake as the Cleveland Cavaliers host the Golden State Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
If you’re not already up for it, even cab drivers can help pump in the adrenalin in you a day before the game. “They’ll turn in around,” says one with unabashed confidence.
Down 0-2 in the best-of-seven series, the Cavs desperately need this reassuring feeling over the next two games here if they are to stay alive in the Finals.
And they have reasons to believe that they can, for they’re coming home.
Home and away fixtures in leagues in India have a different context to it. In sports like cricket and football, it gains importance due to factors like overhead conditions and ground familiarity.
In the NBA, none of these counts. But one major factor does: die-hard, devoted, darling fans.
“I was at the gas station this (Tuesday) morning, and this guy just comes up to my window, puts his head into my car and says, ‘we’re going to do this’,” Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson said on Tuesday.
“I was like ‘oh okay, cool’. So I get out of my car and he pulls out of his truck and says, ‘we’re going to be partying on Saturday (after Game 4), don’t you worry’.
“It’s just amazing, the buzz around here and the amount of enjoyment that people have here for the team. And even though we’re down 0-2, this is not a worried town, this is not a p****d off town, this is we’re-going-to-be-there-for-you-guys town’,” Jefferson added.
(Large hoardings supporting the Cleveland Cavaliers greet you in various lanes of Cleveland. Rutvick Mehta/DNA)
Like they were last season. Coming into Game 3 with a ditto scoreline, the Cavs thrashed the Warriors 120-90 to mark the beginning of a remarkable turnaround script, becoming the first team to overcome a 1-3 deficit and win the Finals 4-3.
That victory in the third game was the turning point, and the 20,000-odd fans at the Quicken Loans Arena getting behind their men the catalyst. Stephen Curry knows that too well.
“It taught us that there’s a very thin line between success and failure, especially if you’re playing on the road,” the Golden State Warriors star said on Tuesday. “Usually the home teams have a different spark about them. They might make a few more shots, there might be momentum swings that can be a lot harder to deal with, with 19,000 people going crazy.”
An enclosed, jam-packed arena ensures the players feed off the fans’ positivity and support, with the Cavs having a 31-10 win-loss record at home this season.
“It’s our job to match the energy that the fans bring. I’m sure the Warriors are going to come out with the respect that we’re very good at home, and we need to show that by playing better,” Jefferson said.
At least for that guy at the gas station, isn’t it?
“He made me feel at a lot better,” Jefferson said. “Because at first, I was like who is this weird guy and why is he doing this. But then he just said all that and I was like, ‘okay man, we trust you’.”
Playing today
Finals (Game 3)
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors
Live on Sony Six & Ten 1, 6.30am (Thursday)
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 "Basketball, NBA Finals, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Richard Jefferson, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James")
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