“If we won it would just make so many people I know soooooo happy…”
This message caught my eye as the screen on my phone lit up to signal its arrival. It was sent from a Cleveland native, a friend who cared little about basketball, little about sports, but still felt for her city.
Just hours after a heartbreaking Game 4 loss, her message confirmed to me what I had thought to be true anyway: The city of Cleveland as a whole cared more about this series than I ever would — that even those who didn’t know to whom the term “Splash Brothers” referred to or hadn’t watched a single minute of regular season basketball knew the importance of this series.
And at that moment, the city of Cleveland was grieving.
Now, down 3-1 in the series, the future is grim for Cavaliers fans. What they seek to do has never been done before; no team has ever come back to win the NBA finals when down three games to one. And it isn’t just that simple fact that makes the outlook so bleak for this Cleveland team, but also their repeated tendency to underperform on the road thus far in the playoffs. The chances of even winning the next game inside Oracle Arena seem slim at best. The possibility of yet another championship-less season seems all too real for Cleveland fans at the moment.
Yet I tell all Cleveland fans the same thing that I said to my Cleveland friend: Hold out faith just a little longer. This series is not over yet.
After watching Game 3, and the first half of Game 4, there is no question in my mind that this Cavaliers team can still dig themselves out of this hole.
Cleveland has proven that they can play with, and beat, this Warriors team. They have shown the ability to guard the heralded “Death Lineup” that Golden State dominated with throughout the season. They have been able to contain both Steph and Klay for extended periods of time. They have been able to dominate the boards, play in transition and score on the offensive end.
They just were unable to close out a Game 4 that should have been theirs.
Now, with their team's backs up against the wall, the city of Cleveland will see the true colors of those they so emphatically support. And hopefully, win or lose, they are proud of what they see.