NBA: Are You Ready for Game 2? LeBron is...

LeBron James

After nearly pulling out a victory in game one at the end of regulation, the shot that was heaved up at the buzzer by guard, Iman Shumpert, rimmed in-and-out, sending the game into overtime. In overtime,  the Cavaliers were outscored 10-to-2, giving the Golden State Warriors an 108-100 victory and a series lead of 1-0.

Game 1 was great. Well, regulation was. In overtime, the Cavaliers struggled to make a shot, Kyrie Irving went down with a knee injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the series and the Warriors caught fire on offense. Now, we're only entering game 2 and the Cavaliers don't have Kevin Love or Kyrie Irving... Only LeBron James of the Cavs' "big three" is left.

There's been a lot of talk about what this series means for James and his legacy. A lot of people believe this could finally get him in Jordan discussion and this could be his "Jordan moment". I won't discuss any LeBron-Jordan comparisons in this article.

Game 2 is sure to be one for the books, if it's anything like the first four quarters of game 1. If it's more like overtime, it'll be a nightmare to watch for anyone that is rooting for Cleveland.

Let's take a look at history for a moment. LeBron James has a career record of 3-2 in game 2 of the NBA Finals. His only game 2 loss came to the hands of the Dallas Mavericks in 2010-2011 when the Mavericks won the series in six games, beating James and the Miami Heat. His career average in game 2 of the finals is 26 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists. With no Irving, it's safe to assume that James will have to elevate his level of play and take his game 2 numbers from GREAT to INCREDIBLE to defeat the league MVP, Stephen Curry and the Warriors.

Of course James isn't playing by himself, he still has players like Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert, and J.R. Smith, who all have the ability to step up and play a crucial role in this team, both, on offense and defense. J.R. Smith is now the second best scoring option with Irving going down in game 1. If he plays like he did in the Chicago and Atlanta series, it'll be a smooth transition. However, if he plays like he did in game 1, the Cavaliers will be even more limited on the offensive end.

If history matters and numbers don't lie, James looks like he'll have a good chance of winning game 2 and could go to Cleveland for game 3 with the series tied 1-1. If neither of those truly matter, it could be a long series for the Cavaliers.

I don't know if winning this series will be what makes his legacy as strong as Michael Jordan's or surpass it, but it is definitely the most important of his career and I believe a victory would help solidify his statues' spot in Cleveland.

Game 2 is scheduled to be played Sunday, June 7 @ 8.00 pm  ET/ 5:00 pm PT on ABC.