NBA Finals Game 1 updates & highlights

Can LeBron actually pull this one off?

The arrival

If LeBron James and the Cavaliers come up short in Game 1, we now know why:

Pregame

The fourth edition of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors Finals are set to begin on Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. This year will be a bit different though.

No longer does LeBron James have Kyrie Irving to lean on to score the ball. As we’ve learned through the first three rounds, the scoring weight has mostly shifted onto him, with varying contributions from Kevin Love, Jeff Green and Kyle Korver.

It’s a big reason why the Warriors are such an overwhelming favorite.

Warriors vs. Cavaliers Game 1

Date: May 31

When: 9 p.m. ET

Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland

TV: ESPN

Stream: WatchESPN

Golden State will be down Andre Iguodala though, who was ruled out Wednesday afternoon. He’s still suffering from a left lateral leg contusion that held him out of the last four games of the Western Conference Finals. For Cleveland, Love was cleared to play hours before the game after entering the concussion protocol following Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

These teams know each other all too well now. So far, they’ve traded championship wins since 2015, with the most exciting series coming a year later after Cleveland overcame a 3-1 deficit.

The odds are stacked against the Cavs to win this one. The talent disparity is so great after Golden State added Kevin Durant.

But nobody can ever feel comfortable ruling out LeBron James.