John Riordan, New York
So dominant have been the finalists in the NBA play-offs that the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors will enter tonight's Game One on the back of their longest breaks of the season.
The Warriors are tipped to bridge a 40-year gap but neither team will be short on confidence having swept past their respective opponents in the Conference finals last week.
LeBron James has never faced a stronger #NBAFinals foe than the @warriors http://t.co/qq527gCQ5l pic.twitter.com/aAElkm23e1
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) June 3, 2015
In 1975, the Warriors brushed away the Washington Bullets in the finals but the Bay Area team from Northern California haven't reached this same stage since that victory.
An @espn roundtable to set up Finals Game 1 with @jadande, @mcten, @SherwoodStrauss & @WindhorstESPN? Click away --> http://t.co/0m7vbtkb77
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 3, 2015
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers, who will begin the series away from home, have not made it this far since 2007 during the first stint LeBron James spent in Ohio.
James' first season back at the team where he began his career straight out of highschool has proved fruitful so far with the first Eastern Conference title going to Cleveland in eight years.
Lebron James & the Cleveland Cavaliers are in the house. Look at those fancy shoes! pic.twitter.com/UphHPis5CS
— Jodi Hernandez (@JodiHernandezTV) June 3, 2015
James was involved in the finals this time last year with his previous team, the Miami Heat and having falling to the San Antonio Spurs almost 12 months ago, he and his new team face what is arguably a bigger challenge this time around.
@robinlundberg http://t.co/QhXXZhg1C2 LBJ = too self aware and peeps just hate that - rather see false humility or "strong, silent type"
— f r e e ǝ ǝ ɹ ɟ (@lennytafro) June 3, 2015
Not only are they missing one of the big stars the Cavaliers unit was built around, Kevin Love, but they must find a way to nullify the potent attacking threat posed by the league's Most Valuable Player, Steph Curry.
And all that while the star Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving goes into the first clash battling tendinitis in his left knee, the former Duke University star telling reporters he won’t be 100 percent "unless something miraculous happens".
Our road to the #NBAFinals was quite the journey.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) June 3, 2015
WATCH: http://t.co/QioksNZXZV#ALLinCLE pic.twitter.com/PUrVTfXyVp
Newly installed and first-time head coach Steve Kerr enjoyed a perfect start to his career at Golden State when, spearheaded by the blistering performances of Curry, the team posted a 67-15 win-loss record in the regular season.
In the playoffs, they eliminated the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round and came back from 1-2 down to push past the Memphis Grizzlies in six games in the conference semifinals before dispensing with the Houston Rockets in short order last week.
"I'm pretty proud of everybody that's a part of this journey, and it's going to be a special journey to ride these next two weeks, two or three weeks, to finish off the job," said Curry.
"Obviously, the Bay Area has been waiting 40-plus years. I think it's time."
"It's just focusing on what you need to do." - @matthewdelly #CavsTV [VIDEO]: http://t.co/b1YDtd4tmc #CavsWarriors pic.twitter.com/ynP7pGpwSe
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) June 3, 2015
But the Cavaliers will be coveting the prestigious Larry O'Brien Trophy just as much after several seasons of a lull period caused by the departure of James.
They blitzed the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals to get to this point and, unlike the Warriors, have never won an NBA title so are understandably eager to give the city of Cleveland its first championship in professional sports since their footballing Browns won the National Football League title in 1964.
So far, the Golden State Warriors are 79-18 this season including the Playoffs. #WarriorsNation #BestTeamInTheNBA pic.twitter.com/Dcg65c8WRa
— Warriors Nation (@WarriorNationCP) June 3, 2015
The key areas on the court are of course how the respective coaches decide to defend against the two star players on either team.
James and Irving were the top scoring combination in the entire league but only just edging out Golden States' own attacking duo, Curry and Klay Thompson.
Golden State @warriors vet @andre speaks with the media at his first #NBAFinals. pic.twitter.com/2CBDWEnbLr
— NBA (@NBA) June 3, 2015
In a boost for the Warriors, Thompson passed neurological tests earlier this week and will be fit to play.
Tonight's game begins at just after 2am Irish time and will continue as a best-of-seven format.