Cavs look to benefit from Draymond Green suspension
Fifteen years ago, 76ers guard Allen Iverson, fresh off a corner jumper in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, took two stomping steps over the prone body of a backup Lakers guard named Tyronn Lue.
“At the end of the day, we won” the Finals, Lue, now the Cavaliers’ head coach, said Sunday of being on the wrong end of one of the most embarrassing images in playoffs history.
Lue became the beneficiary Sunday of a similarly humiliating moment when Warriors forward Draymond Green was suspended for Monday night’s Game 5 for swinging his arm at LeBron James’ groin after James had stepped over Green in Friday’s Game 4.
Green’s ban can’t help but improve Cleveland’s odds, long as they still might be, of becoming the first team to win a title after falling behind 3-1 in the NBA Finals.
If the Cavs manage to silence a capacity Oracle Arena crowd Monday, someone else — probably Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson — will be tasked with providing teammates an energetic lift.
Golden State is 11-1 at Oracle this postseason after putting together a 39-2 regular-season home record.