The Cavs are in a familiar spot -- playing Game 3 of the NBA finals down 2-0. But a lot has changed since the NBA champs pushed the Golden State Warriors to seven games last season. says that winning tonight鈥檚 game is crucial.
鈥淣o team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in NBA history,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n fact, what often happens is when you go down three games to none, you lose game four because the players themselves know it鈥檚 over.鈥�
But Pluto thinks a lot of the same factors as last year are at play this year. He remembers this time last year, when the Cavs were 0-2 in the series and a long-shot to , he predicted the Cavs would win the third game.
鈥淚 looked at the two rosters and thought, 鈥榊ou have LeBron James and they don鈥檛; the Cavs are a much better team at home, and I felt if they could put some pressure on Golden State, they could turn it in their direction. That鈥檚 exactly what happened in Game 3,鈥� he recalls.
What's the same, what's different?
鈥淣ow a lot of those things still apply,鈥� he added. 鈥�(The Warriors) are 14-0 in the post-season. ... They are playing at a much higher level than they were playing a year ago.鈥�
Pluto also notes that LeBron James鈥� has offered one big reason for the Warriors鈥� success so far: joined Golden State this year. Pluto says his physical appearance alone is dominating.
鈥淧hysically, Golden State has a specimen -- an NBA-type body that they didn鈥檛 have last year,鈥� he says. 鈥�(LeBron James) probably thinks that Kevin Durant is the second-best player in the NBA, but he鈥檚 never said that.鈥�
Durant in the mix
Aside from Durant, Pluto is impressed with Golden State鈥檚 lineup, which includes Clay Thompson, Draymon Green and star player Stephen Curry.
鈥淗e鈥檚 so much fun to watch,鈥� Pluto sayes of Curry. 鈥淗e鈥檚 the guy that shoots the ball seemingly from the Golden Gate Bridge and makes them.鈥�
Pluto says that is almost seamless, citing Durant鈥檚 passing skills, his ability to work as a teammate and his success in guarding LeBron James. That鈥檚 also a problem, according to Pluto.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no one to guard Kevin Durant,鈥� he said. 鈥淟eBron could do it, but if you have LeBron chasing him around on defense, what does that do to LeBron?鈥�
Where are the other Cavs?
Wear him out, Pluto answers. And Pluto says the Cavs supporting cast of stars such as J.R. Smith, Tristan Thompson and Kyle Korver -- have not stepped up.
鈥淭hey have almost checked out in this series. They鈥檙e hardly doing anything.鈥� he says. 鈥淲hen you see LeBron huffing and puffing, he鈥檚 wondering 鈥榳here are these other guys?鈥欌��
Pluto says those players are key if the Cavs hope to win tonight.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e the underdog, and you鈥檙e playing at home, you need power from an unexpected source,鈥� he says.
鈥淎nd I have to admit, I was wrong. I thought Golden State would have far more problems working Kevin Durant into things than they did.鈥�
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