Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals. One for the ages?

Kids who see LeBron as their hometown hero.
Will he, Kyrie and the team drive the city one step closer to its first NBA title?
(image source: LeBron James' Facebook cover photo)

A gutsy win leading to the final game at the Q this season.

This was the best case scenario for the LeBron James-led Cavaliers whose title seems to be long overdue since the franchise drafted "The Chosen One" almost 13 years ago. But the glorious night of staying alive in this series is long gone. Cleveland may be in for another monster performance from the King and his all-star point guard Kyrie few hours from now. But if the basketball gods will not be on their side this time, just like last year's game six, it could be a repeat of the momentous celebration for the Golden State Warriors who won its first championship in 40 years in front of the stunned home crowd.

It has been all over the headlines that no team has come back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. 0-32. It will be noted, however, that two teams were able to give themselves the chance to win it all by tying the series.

Way back in 1951, the higher seed Rochester Royals (now known as the Sacramento Kings) went ablaze by almost sweeping the New York Knickerbockers. They defended their homecourt in convincing fashion then stole a game in New York. But the underdogs turned things around by piling up three consecutive wins decided by slim margins to even things up 3-3. On Game 7, Royals took care of business at home to pull off a four-point win.

The Cavs' current predicament is highly similar to what happened in the 1966 NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics.

With the higher seed Celtics dropping their first game at home, legendary coach Red Auerbach and his superstar center Bill Russel led the team to bounce back by winning three consecutive games. Facing adversity, the Lakers were not yet ready to give up that trophy as they win at Boston to book a Game 6 at home. They eventually forced a Game 7 which was decided by two points culminating the eight consecutive titles for the Celtics dynasty.

Flash forward to the present. As Warriors head coach Steve Kerr put it in Game 5's post-game conference, "I like our position better than theirs." The Cavs may be playing with that homecourt advantage but their backs are still against the wall. The defending champions know that. More importantly, Draymond Green knows that.

Green is set to return after that one-game suspension. Warriors definitely need his all-around contributions not only in the stat sheet but also the intangibles he brings to the court. In his four games this series, he averaged 15 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, one block and one steal in 38 minutes per game, the most minutes for his team.

Talking about minutes per game, James has the highest among the players this series with 40. He is obviously carrying the team on his back though not singlehandedly. His sidekick, Irving, has been phenomenal despite being a newcomer in the big stage. The upcoming Game 6 will only be his seventh game of playing for the Finals in his career. Yet, he shares the same scoring load with LeBron of 28 points a game.

The Cavs know well the tough spot they are in. Nonetheless, head coach Tyronn Lue is convinced that not only his team can win the next game but also the whole series as he said in a press conference. "They know what needs to be done," Lue said.

Will there be a repeat to cap off the Warriors' historic 73-9 record and legendary feat of overcoming a 3-1 deficit in a conference finals? Or will the Cavaliers be the third team to force a Game 7 after being down 3-1 in an NBA Finals?

Legacies are at stake. Reputations are on the line. History will be made.