from abc's pregame coverage of game six between the warriors and the cavaliers. let's get to the big story lines coming into game six and it starts with draymond green coming back from the suspension, the hard and soul of the warriors forced to miss game five, watching the dubs loss across the way at the coliseum at the a's game. his rurp tonight could be just what the dubs need to finish off cleveland in these finals. now, draymond's back, but bogut is gone, warriors center andrew bogut hurt his knee in game five, he'll miss the rest of the finals. the only good news is he will not require surgery. he was averaging 12 minute ms. the finals. the warriors are hoping for a happy anniversary on june 16th, exactly one year ago today the warriors beat the cavs in cleveland in game six of the nba finals to win their first championship in 40 long reyears. will history repeat itself 365 days later? we bring in abc 7's mike shumann live at quicken loans arena in

cleveland. and so much focused on draymond green, what is his mind-set and the warriors' mind-set heading into a potential closeout game tonight? >> reporter: well, it's going to be interesting, larry. the only thing more exciting than a game six in the nba finals is a game seven. we hope we don't get to that with a win tonight at the kq. you can almost geurin tea the fans will boo draymond as loud as oracle fans did lebron. in fact, his absence may very well have decided game five. green is so important to this warriors inside presence and the cavs own the paint outscored the warriors 46-30. lebron james 41 points, draymond said he would have made the difference in game five. as a result, the warriors would have been planning another parade in instead of head" back here to cleveland. >> i have a strong belief that if i play game five, we win. but i didn't because i mitt

myself in a situation where i wasn't able to play. being a great team has gotten us this far. so to come back and be a piece of that great team is what i owe to this team. >> great addition having draymond back. he does everything for him. at the same time we can't let you our guard down because draymond is back. we have to go out and win. >> this is game six and he's going to be available and we'll have another opportunity to win a championship. nobody will remember this down the road if we get this done. >> reporter: draymond looked great in warm-ups. he told me he is ready to play. but he's still on that fine line, on the edge if he gets another flagrant foul, you'll be suspended if there is a game seven. so it's going to be interesting to watch and, boy, you could just feel the excitement larry and adonal. these teams are ready to rumble. i'll throw it back to you guys at oracle arena. >> reporter: all right, thanks, shu. that is important. we'll talk more about that, draymond's mind-set and how he's got to play with passion and energy but can't go over the

line. we'll check back with your -- very special night for the abc broadcast crew because of one big addition. let's bring in the big man adonal foyle rg the warriors abass dore and former center. we know what draymond means to the warriors, his presence out on the court. but you know that the cavs, they're going to give him the business. they're going to try to bait him a little bit. he's got to walk a fine line and make sure that he doesn't cross the line and do anything that might jed ar diez his status for a potential game seven. >> oh, you're absolutely right. i think if cleveland, if you're going into this game you're think, we can get under his skin. he has proven to us that we can get under his skin. so they're going to try to do that tonight, as they should. it's up to draymond to understand where that line is and make sure he doesn't cross it. >> how does that work? let's say you're on the cavs. you played center in the nba for about a decade. what did you do specifically to irritate and/or agitate guys and maybe just get them out of their

game a little bit? >> well, the first thing you want to do, you want to make sure that you don't do anything in the same play. you want to wait a play or so. you're going up for a ref bound, and let's say, you know, i'm thinking, you know, you did something to me. so i'm going up for a rebound. i'm thinking i'm just going to go in and just take you out. th that's all legal within the play. >> reporter: nice. nice. i really thought you had more. i thought you had more for me there. i was expecting, you know, to end up actually up against the rail. but draymond plays center in the death lineup as they call it, but steve kerr has other options available to him. ezeli being one, we still don't have the starting lineup so we don't know if he's going at that start in place of bogut. you have vare ajou, spates. how do they fit into the mix and can they collectively bring what boelgt brings? >> yes. bogut only plays about 12 minutes so you have all these

guys. you have ezeli looking for a contract this summer, vare ajou and spates hitting threes. this is an opportunity for these guys to come out and show why they want to be a part of the future of this team. and i think they're going to see this as an opportunity to show everybody what they can do. >> reporter: just a question. would you start -- oh, man! >> sorry, sorry. it felt like we were in the game. >> i'm telling my mama. >> reporter: you okay? you all right? >> i'm okay. we have a good disability policy at dmiz. would you start festus tonight if you were steve kerr? >> i mean, all year when iguodala comes off the bench he's been so amazing. i want to have that option you've got some guarantee of a spot coming off the bench. i would start festus and see what he could give us at the beginning of the game. steve kerr is sure he'll do a lot of different lineups during the course of the game.

>> reporter: we'll bl e back wi more. it promises to get more physical out here. that's what i'm anticipating. it may not farewell for me. i might be out on the disabled list by the time we get to tip-off. let's go back to dan and kristen. >> by the time we get to the thext commerci next commercial, larry. >> no. we need you. stay safe. >> adonal whatever you do with larry, make sure we do it on video so we can share it with our viewers. >> youtube. >> thanks, guys. good stuff. >> as you can see, the countdown clock on your screen right there, we have 24 minutes left to go until abc's game six coverage gets under way from oracle arena. >> we have live team coverage here in the bay area and also in cleveland. we'll go to laura anthony in oakland. >> hey, laura. >> reporter: dan and kristen, as you can see, the arena here is starting to fill up with folks. can awe you hear me? folks here starting to file into the arena.

this is really the best bargain in town, $20 tickets to the watch party here tonight. and besides being able to watch the game with, say, 19,000 of their new friends, these folks are also going to get a show within a show. >> we'll be at full lights and we'll go to 50%. >> reporter: just like their team, the season isn't over for those providing game entertainment at oracle arena. >> the best fanz! >> reporter: including ruby lopez, wufrn of the arena hoechts. >> when they come here, they can feel like they're at the game. we do the intros the same, we have player heads, the pyro, the fireworks if we win. >> we like to give the fans a game experience. >> reporter: amair ra is a co-captain of the warriors dance team. the crowd is unbelievable. fans that don't necessarily get to come to the normal season games or the playoffs so it's an unbelievable atmosphere in here. >> reporter: and though they

love what they do, the warriors entertainment crew hope tonight's game in cleveland is the last of this historic season. >> everyone here is going to is have a great time. everyone is going to leave with fireworks and confetti. that's what i'm pbeltin ingbett >> reporter: here's another big part of the show. this is c.j. sharp playing music throughout the evening. a lot planned for the fans here tonight. and as fun as all of this is, it's also good for the community. part of the proceeds go to the warriors community foundation which, of course, dan and kristen, provides programs for disadvantaged youth throughout the bay area. live at oracle, laura anthony, abc 7 news. >> all right. and they do so much good with that community fund. thanks laura. >> they sure do. if we don't win tonight and the series stretches to game seven, you can see it here in oakland on sunday here on abdz 7. abc success coverage starts at 4:30 p.m. but we're hoping we get it done tonight. >> yes.

we know the warriors are an amazing basketball team. but starting tomorrow, they're museum worthy. >> warriors pride oakland pride, these are pictures from the museum's website. >> and the exhibit will honor last year's championship and this year's record-breaking 73-win season with a signed jersey signed basketball, last year's championship ring and those sneakers worn by some of the sneakers. it will stay on display through the fall. >> cheering on the warriors just got a little more personal hk thanks to a san francisco brewery and its two new beers honoring the splash brothers. >> abc 7 news reporter lyanne melendez joins us with the story of the dubs suds, lie anne? >> reporter: look here, i got a great spot. this is one of those places, one of those go-to places, where people come to enjoy a sporting event event any kind of sporting event. now, this place is going to be

packed right now, a lot of people coming in and all over san francisco bars are getting ready for tonight's game. now, besides this bar, we stopped at the tap room an market street and 15th where they have brewed something special called -- yeah, they're watching themselves on tv and cheering here. they brewed two great specials, one calla mexican lager, el cur and another splash bro. both in honor of the warriors. yep, here's what the owner had to say about that. >> game changing. it's just like the warriors, you know, kind of setting trends in the marketplace, you know. that's what we're trying to do obviously there's other people making these beers so we think we've made a pretty good beer for this style.

>> reporter: at the tap room at 2175 market street, of course, if you want to have some fun here, this pub is the place to be. and i understand that they're giving free beer to people from abc 7 news so dan and kristen, i think i'm staying here. i don't know. what about you? >> i don't know. >> save us a spot at the table. >> she just called me curry. that would be such an honor. thanks. with just now at nine minutes, actually, how many minutes? 19 minutes. sorry. left in the countdown to game six, we have a lot more to get to. >> fresh off his suspension, how will draymond green keep his emotions in check? marc spears will tell us next. and it is all about larry as in larry o'brien, the nba's championship trophy. we'll learn more about larry coming up next. and abc 7 warriors pregame show is just getting started so stay with us.

steve, after winning 73 games, will it be a failure if you do not win this final series? >> you guys can't get to make up that story so whatever you want to write is fine. i'm not going into that. >> reporter: steve kerr not taking the bait as we welcome you back to oracle arena, getting set for the warriors watch party heading into game six in cleveland against the cavaliers. want to thank our good friends at espn for this lovely set. it feels like a four seasons up here actually. i feel like i'm in a hotel. adonal, when we talk about three point shooting, you live by the three, die by the three. and the numbers from game five were horrible. the warriors were 4 of 19 on wide-open threes, wide open, uncontested, and 3 of 21 from downtown in the second half. steph was missing. klay was missing. everybody was missing. how do you correct that? >> well, i think part of it,

you've gohat t games of this series was amazing because they were distributing the ball, passing the ball, getting easy lay-ups. i do think that wht warriors run in the open floor in transition, they tend to hit shots more in rhythm. >> so how do you create that, given that the defense that is swarming steph with double-teams pretty much every time he has the ball in the front court? >> i think part of it is they have to penetrate the ball not knowing if they're going to shoot. you have to create for the next person. i think what happened in the first two games they were creating. you didn't know who was going to make the shot, but they were looking for the opening and seeing what cleveland gave them and taking what was available. i thought they tried to do some hero ball in the last few games, they were trying to make shots. that's not when they're at their best. >> trying to hit home run threes so to speak. >> yeah. >> let's talk about the cavs. we saw a historic performance, lebron james went for 41 in game five and kyrie irving we're talking about legendary numbers here, 41 points, shooting 70%.

the last time that happened in the finals, wilt chamberlain in 1970. how do you slow kai require irving around? he has three straight games with at least 30 points in the finals. >> i think this is more difficult. i thought that what was amazing about that performance is that he wasn't really shooting open shots. he was shooting contested shots over people. sometimes in a game you have to make sure that a guy like that is always with someone on him. but more importantly if you're going to give him 41, you cannot give lebron james 41. >> reporter: you have to pick a manster, right? >> pick one monster. >> reporter: control one. let the other go. we'll be back with predictions later on. but now we want to head back to cleveland. mike shumann with espn's marc spears lnch spears. >> reporter: marc spears from espn, the undefeated website. marc, you've been doing a daily diary with draymond green. how tough was it for him to sit and watch game five? >> well, he sent me a text during the game that just said

"hurting." he took it very hard. understandably so. you don't get final games all the time, and he can't make up for what happened. i mean, if this ends up being detrimental to the warriors and they don't win a championship, this is a game he'll think about the rest of his life. so i'm sure he'll come out with a lot of passion tonight, the right passion. he can't change what happened, and he said, hey, you can be mad at the nba, but it didn't change what happened. so i think he's going to be really hyped and energized but know that if he just blows on somebody right now he could get in trouble for it. >> reporter: and another suspension if he gets another flagrant. >> and i think he'll be fine. he'll be chamnneled in the righ now. when you get rocked like that, a finals game taken away from you, be forced to watch the a's game instead of being at your game, i think it has a good way of shaking you up and making sure even if you get poked, even if you get provoked, you let cooler heads prevail.

>> reporter: andrew bogut out tonight. do they go with their small lineup to start tonight against cleveland? >> that's of a really good question. steve kerr always keep it's close to the vest what he wants to do. i'd probably start out with festus. uf know, if you look at the finals a year ago, they ended it a year ago to the day here. i would -- they started festus at center and bogut didn't do anything. they did just fine. they won a championship. so i would go with that. but i could understand the sexiness of that small lineup, especially the way lebron got going last game. he got going with iguodala starting, right? >> reporter: right. >> i'd go big. >> reporter: and what they're saying this is the biggest game in cleveland franchise history, trying to force a game seven, bring a first championship here in 52 years. what do they come out with? >> oh, the pressure now is back on them. i mean, think are basically just playing the last game. i think you've still got to do that. you've got to just play every game individually. that's what the warriors did

when they came back from 3-1 and beat oak city. so they're trying to take a page out of their book. but the difference is this warriors team which has played roughly 105 games has never lost two games in a row one time. cleveland is trying to did that obviously they're home. they've got the momentum. i don't even want to make a prediction, man. i just want to watch it. >> reporter: i'm with you on that one. >> let's just watch the movie, right? >> reporter: there you go. >> we don't need a review. >> reporter: marc spears the undefeated website, check it out on espn. back to you guys. >> reporter: all right, thanks so much, guys. and a reminder that we'll be tweeting throughout the game. check us out on twitter, shu, myself and adonal. we'll be tweeting our analysis throughout the game and hopefully we'll have some tweets of champagne and confetti. i don't know at the watch party whether they'll drop confetti. you know, they do pretty much everything else here like it's a normal game. we may see that. i think we can live with that here at the watch party.

dan and kristen? >> i bet they will. larry, thanks. >> well, as you can see from the countdown clock on your screen, we have just ten minutes now until abc's game six coverage gets under way. >> let's hear from carolyn tyler who is in cleveland for the game. carol carolyn? >> reporter: i'm hear here in tn zone. it is rocking and rolling and rapping. this is cleveland, of course, the vast majority of the fans are here to see the cavaliers. people do seem to be mellow towards dub nation, though. the deejay cut the music just a short time ago and asked the crowd, who wants to see the warriors lose? of course a big cheer for that. and take a look at what happens when you pick a warriors fan out of the crowd. >> i'm actually from dayton, ohio, but i've been a huge steph curry fan since i was like -- since like ten years ago. >> reporter: so you're proud to

celebrate the warriors? >> i hope it's a good game. i hope they play well. that's what i'm looking for. >> reporter: yeah, they are strangers in a strange land, this place called cleveland. but they brave it, though, because they are remembering that it was exactly one year ago today that the wars yorz clinched that title and all the dub nation fans who came here, those brave souls, are hoping that there will be another cinderella story this year with another chapter and a happy ending. live at the fan zone with mostly cavaliers fans, i'm carolyn tyler, abc 7. >> they seem friendly and pleasant enough, carolyn. >> who wouldn't be friendly to carolyn? >> good point. as you can see from the countdown clock on your screen now, we have eight minutes more until abc's game six coverage gets under way from oracle arena. >> the dubs hope to walk away tonight with the title of the nba championship. >> with the title comes the trophy.

>> designed by tiffany and company, the 16-pound trophy is handcrafted in sterling silver and 24 karat gold. the trophy is supposed to look like a basketball on the edge of a hoop. >> you know, a new trophy is crafted each year and it takes about 80 hours to create. it's named for former commissioner larry o'brien who led the nba from 1975 to 1984 and is also a member of the basketball hall of fame. >> so will the dubs repeat history and win the title in game six? we'll be back with predictions for tonight's game in a moment. >> stay right here as the countdown continues.

>> reporter: a live look once again from cleveland as we see maurice spates getting work in pregame. the warriors could use some buckets from mo buckets, not getting a lot of minutes in the finals. as we count down under six

minutes before coverage of the game. joining the broadcast tonight, this is going to be very special because for the first time, craig sager, the veteran tnt sideline reporter, will be working an nba finals game on abc. the 64-year-old sager is battling leukemia. he already received a bone marrow transplant from his son. he's been going through chemotherapy. in march he revealed his cancer is no longer in remission. doctors estimate he only has a few months to live. i can tell you talking to him last month, he would say he's going to defy the doctors' predictions. sager was in oakland for the warriors/wizards game shortly after that announcement and steph curry called his strength an inspiration during the western conference finals the warriors sold t-shirts with the phrase "sager strong" raising money for the leukemia and lymphoma society. we're a proud sponsor of the walk that raised money to fight blood cancers. shu is in cleveland where he caught up with mike green whole will be working with craig sager

tonight. here he is. >> reporter: mike, your 11th nba finals and we have a little side story here tonight. sideline reporter craig sager who's never done a finals, espn invited him to do the finals here tonight. and just a great story for craig who's battling you leukemia. >> well, there's nobody more admired in the league. i'm talking about players, coaches, broadcasters. he's a special guy. i've had the opportunity, i worked three olympics with him at nbc. and i will tell you there is no better teammate on a broadcast than craig sager. and i know he's thrilled with it. we all have such respect for him. and we're just so blglad he's here. >> reporter: let's talk about the game. cleveland favored by two. they're saying the biggest game in franchise history. what's your feel for tonight's game? >> it's bedictable playoffs eve. i'v been wrong so predicting. i do expect that we're finally going to have a game that goes down to the wire. i really think that. cleveland got so much confidence from that game five win, and obviously golden state with

draymond green back i think we've got a chance for one to go maybe even a buzzer beater. is that too much to ask? >> reporter: but they're without andrew bogut. you get draymond but no bogut. >> the only thing is -- bogut, it hurts but that's a position they're deep at. they don't have another draymond green. they've got a few other guys that can fill the bogut void. >> reporter: mike, appreciate your time. look forward to the broadcast. >> thanks. >> reporter: mike green. back to you guys. >> reporter: shu, thank you. give me your prediction for tonight. >> warriors win in the fourth quarter. >> reporter: quick numbers here, steph in the two finals losses shooting 35% on threes. in the three wins he's shooting 48%. give me the stat line for draymond green. what does draymond have to do tonight in order for the warriors to pull out a victory? -20-10-5. >> reporter: 20 points, 10 boards and 5 assists? >> yes. >> reporter: that's a tall order

but he's up for it. that's it for us. larry biel at the watch party, 19,000 fans will be here. once again, we want to thank our fends at espn. let sage steel know she's not getting the set back! just going to have to fight me for this. dan, kristen, back to you. sage doesn't need it. she doesn't need it. >> thank you so much, larry and adonnell. >> abc's coverage of game six gets under way next. later, join larry and shu for "after the game" with analysis from adonal foyle. >> at 10:00, jimmy kimmel live with oprah, a special he edition of abc 7 news starts at 10:30. >> we have a great lineup and game six coming up. so i hope you enjoy the evening. but we appreciate your time. i'm dan ashley. >> and i'm kristen sze. just checking the countdown clock one more time. only a minute 50. go warriors. >> stay tuned. starts right now.

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