NBA Finals: It’s advantage Golden State

LeBron James knows all too well the Cleveland Cavaliers must win Wednesday in the NBA Finals if they hope to make one of the greatest fightbacks in 70 years of championship history.

Defending champions Golden State, who set an NBA record with 73 regular-season wins, has seized a 2-0 lead over the Cavaliers in the best-of-seven series, winning twice at home by blowout margins to capture momentum.

“It’s a do-or-die game for us,” James said Tuesday. “We can’t afford to go down 0-3 to any team, especially a team that’s 73-9 in the regular season and playing the type of basketball they are. We’re going to come in and give everything we’ve got and leave it on the floor.

“Coming back home and understanding this is our home floor where we’ve played some really good basketball, we can’t afford to go down 0-3. It will be more adversity if we got to that point, which I don’t believe we will.”

The Cavaliers are 7-0 at home in this year’s playoffs after 33 regular-season home triumphs.

Golden State worry about matching Cleveland’s intensity, especially early.

“They are going to come out with a sense of urgency,” Warriors star Stephen Curry said. “We need to have that same mentality because what’s at stake, if we’re able to go up 3-0, that is a great position to be in.”