I'm trying to stay positive when it comes to the Cleveland Cavaliers and their chances to advance to the NBA Finals for the 4th straight year.
However, there's a problem. The numbers game does not add up in the favor of the Wine and Gold. They trail the Celtics 3-2 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals heading into Friday's Game 6.
Jim Donovan laid out the problem during his Channel 3 sports update:
Teams that win Game 5 when a series is tied at 2 goes on to win that series a staggering 83% of the time.
LeBron James looks spent. Maybe he's entitled to be. He's played in 98 games this year when you count regular season and playoffs. James has played nearly 650 minutes in this postseason.
The last time we saw LeBron look as exhausted as he did on Wednesday in Boston might have been Game 6 of the 2015 NBA Finals. James just ran out of steam after leading a Cavs team that was without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
Maybe LeBron find his second wind on Friday. Maybe Ty Lue won't worry so much about when Brad Stevens plays Semi Ojeleye and just puts Kyle Korver in because he can shoot.
Just in case the Cavs fail to come up with a win on Friday or in a Game 7 on Sunday, Jimmy and I talked about what's next. Brace yourselves for six long weeks until the NBA free agency period begins.
However, I am comforted with the fact that at least for now, LeBron James plays on the Cleveland Cavaliers. You're never out of a series.
Watch the Donovan Live Postgame Show in the player above