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Intensity on defense the key for Cavaliers

Personally, I would rather see the Indians do it, but I won’t complain if the Cavaliers come through.

Of course, I am referring to the end of the long streak of championship-free major professional sports seasons that Cleveland fans have endured.

With the sports documentary “Believeland” airing recently, the streak of non-title seasons since the Browns’ rout of the Baltimore Colts in the 1964 NFL Championship Game is even a bigger story for most of the national media.

For those of us who have lived it, we tend to believe the streak will end at some time, but are always ready to say, “Wait ’til next year.”

“Believeland” was well done and gave outsiders something of an idea of what we go through each sports season, year after year. It brought back pleasant memories of overachieving teams that couldn’t quite reach the pinnacle, though I thought the Miracle of Richfield Cavalier season in 1975-76 and the Mark Price-Brad Daugherty Cav teams in the early ’90s were given short shrift.

I’ve always taken the stand that as long as the teams I root for are competitive most of the time – and all three major sports franchises in Cleveland have had their stretches of crappy teams – I can live with not winning a championship.

I think I would prefer a consistently good team that didn’t win it all to one that wins a title, then goes into the tank and stinks for the next 10 years or so.

Regardless, this version of the Cavaliers is on the verge of winning a title tonight in Oakland, California, against the Warriors. To finish the deal, they must do what got them here and what won them their three victories in this series – play intense, aggressive, physical defense.

Cleveland’s defense in this series has been good enough to win since the start, but they have ramped it up in the last two games. The Cavs have figured out that the officials are allowing a lot of contact without calling many fouls on drives to the basket.

That worked against the Cavs early in the series as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving continued to be pummelled when they drove and did not get calls. Now, the Cleveland defenders are chasing the Golden State shooters off the 3-point line when possible and attacking the ball when the Warriors drive to the rim.

The injury to Andrew Bogut obviously is a plus for Cleveland. Bogut is a top-notch shot blocker and his absence allows James and Irving more freedom to drive.

But Game 7 tonight will be won on the Cavaliers’ defensive end, and they must bring the same intensity and physicality we’ve seen the last two games in order for them to win.

And if it happens, let’s hope Cleveland fans can show the world we know how to celebrate a winner with class – even though we haven’t had a chance to do so for 52 years.

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