King James Gospel
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The importance of Cleveland’s Christmas Day game

By Orestis Rantis

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers is defended by Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half in Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 12, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers is defended by Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half in Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 12, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors highlight a terrific slate of NBA games on Christmas Day, but does the game in and of itself hold any importance?

The NBA has always scheduled the calendar so that many exciting games would be played on Christmas Day. Those exciting matchups could include a battle of the favorites, historic rivalries or teams that have a high chance of becoming rivals in the future. This year, there seems to be no exception to this tradition, as the fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers will receive an additional present.

On December 25, NBA fans will have the pleasure to watch a series of jaw-dropping games, perhaps even the best they can watch during the regular season. Many fans can’t wait for the tip-off of games like the Rockets vs. Thunder or the Timberwolves vs. Lakers, but none of these games is the perfect Christmas gift for NBA enthusiasts.

The perfect gift is no other than the matchup featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers traveling to the Pacific coast to take on the Golden State Warriors, in a game that has to be thought of as a preview of the 2018 NBA Finals. These two rivals have met three times during the last three seasons in the NBA Finals, with Golden State outweighing Cleveland 2 to 1 in terms of victories.

Regarding the big game on Monday, though, Cleveland Cavaliers fans received some bittersweet news. While former MVP Stephen Curry will be out for the game, the return of all-star point guard Isaiah Thomas has been further delayed. He will not make his debut against the Warriors like many people thought. Maybe Tyronn Lue chose to further rest him due to the absence of Stephen Curry.

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Therefore, the main story of the game will be King James against Kevin Durant, arguably the two best players on the planet going head to head yet another time. Even though both teams have been severely struck with injuries in this opening stage of the season, games like that are always an indication of what’s coming later.

That particular game could be vital for the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is the first true test of the new Cavaliers team that was assembled this past offseason, in order to beat the Warriors. The additions of Jae Crowder, Jeff Green and Dwyane Wade have all been carefully handpicked in order to match up against the exceptional Golden State offense.

This new formula included guys that are excellent perimeter defenders and have playoff experience, in order to increase Cleveland’s chances against the big offensive 3 of Kevin Durant Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, who are all more than capable to drop 30 points with their shooting.

And even though J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson said there is “no weight” on them for this game against the Warriors, we know they are just trying to be professional about it.

Even though the absence of Stephen Curry will be clear, this game will be far from uninteresting. King James is currently playing the best basketball of his entire career while closing in at 33 years of age. With no actual superstar on his side so far, he has stepped up his game, especially his shooting percentages. To make things relevant, he is shooting a career-high percentage in field goals, free throws, and 3 point shots.

The Warriors are currently on an 11 game winning streak, while the Cleveland Cavaliers have been rolling the past month. It is obvious then that this matchup features the 2 hottest teams in the entire NBA, that have marched over their opponents while missing multiple stars.

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This Christmas Day game might not be as exciting as the previous ones, mainly due to the absence of players like Stephen Curry, Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose, and ultimately Kyrie Irving. It will be, though, a battle of the Titans, the best team in each conference. We will just have to wait and see if it was worth waiting more than 6 months to see these powerhouses compete again on the basketball court.