Since losing their first game of the 2018 playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, the Cavaliers have won eight games in a row on their home court.
If they hope to have a chance to win the NBA Finals, that streak will have to be extended to 10.
Trailing 0-2 in the Finals—the same position they were in last year—the Cavs return to Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night, where Cleveland’s offense is 7.9 points per 100 possessions better and their defense is 7.4 per 100 better than when playing on the road.
Last year, Cleveland lost Game 3 on their home floor and lost the Finals in Game 5 in Oakland.
To avoid a similar scenario, Cavs players besides LeBron James (who has averaged 40 points, 10.5 assists, and 8.5 rebounds through two Finals games) will have to step up and make shots.
According to the numbers, there’s a good chance that’ll happen as the Cavaliers shoot 37 percent from three-point range in Cleveland compared to 31 percent on the road, which should mean role players like J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver and George Hill will finally start to give James some desperately needed help.
“It’s going to be a tough task,” said Cleveland forward Jeff Green. “You know, with a team going back home, you look at this and J.R. shot 2-for-9. Some of the shots he missed, he’s going to make those at home. You know, you can go down the list and kind of say that about everyone.”
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