2017 NBA Finals live streaming: Watch Warriors vs Cavaliers Game 5 online, preview
The Golden State Warriors will attempt to finish off the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals at the Oracle Arena on Monday evening. The Warriors returned home to the Bay Area with a 3-1 series lead after the Cavaliers registered a record-breaking 137-116 triumph in Friday's Game 4.
Though the Cavs would ride the momentum of their historic Game 4 performance in which they scored an NBA Finals-record 49 points in the first quarter, the Warriors would feed off the energy of their home fans in a critical closeout game. Last year, the Warriors returned home to Game 5 with a similar 3-1 lead but were playing without suspended forward Draymond Green and didn't have the luxury of relying on Kevin Durant.
Needless to say, the Warriors can ill afford the risk of returning to Game 6 back at the Quicken Loans Arena with a 3-2 series advantage. They lost the edge in last year's Finals after suffering back-to-back blowout losses in Games 5 and 6 which left them demoralised ahead of Game 7 in their own backyard. Durant wants his teammates to play Warriors basketball and not get overawed by the stage.
"We'll just come and play our game, continue to build on what we've been doing since Day 1 of training camp. (We're) looking forward to going out there and having some fun (Monday). That's the only thing that matters," Durant said after Sunday's practice session, via ESPN.
LeBron James, averaging a triple-double through the first four games, reiterated after Friday's victory that his team never stopped believing despite going down 3-0 in the series. No team in NBA history has bounced back from a 3-0 finals deficit. "Our mindset is to go out there and get one (victory and build from there). We have championship DNA. We showed that tonight. We just kept our composure. We shared the ball, we moved the ball and defensively we were physical. It's one game."
Warriors fans are eagerly hoping to see their team hoist the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy on Monday. No Bay Area-based professional sports team has won a title at home since the Oakland Athletics captured the 1974 World Series championship. In 2015, Stephen Curry & Co. celebrated the championship in Game 6 in Cleveland. Last year, the Cavs did so at the Oracle Arena in Game 7.
If the Cavs steal Monday’s Game 5, the 2017 NBA Finals will return to Cleveland for Thursday’s Game 6. There will be a potential Game 7 next Sunday. Warriors vs Cavs live streaming, 2017 NBA Finals live streaming and NBA Finals Game 2 live streaming info follows.
Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers live stream
How to watch 2017 NBA Finals online
Start time: 9 p.m. (ET), 6 p.m. (PT), 11 a.m. on Tuesday (AEST)
On TV: ABC (USA), ESPN (Australia)
Live Stream: NBA League Pass (Global), WatchESPN (Australia), WatchESPN USA)
