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4 Stats and Facts to Watch During Game 6 of 2015 NBA Finals

The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers will square off Tuesday night in Game 6 of the 2015 NBA Finals, and there’s no shortage of storylines.

Between LeBron James and Stephen Curry, a handful of individual records could soon be broken. Plus, since Golden State has a storied history of losing, a team-oriented slump could be snapped.

But that’s not all. Check out what else could happen at Quicken Loans Arena when the NBA title is on the line.

1. Stephen Curry’s Pursuit of Three-Point Greatness

The league MVP has already smashed Reggie Miller’s record for three-pointers in a single postseason, but Curry is chasing Danny Green’s record for an NBA Finals series. The shooting guard rained in 27 triples during the 2013 championship round, though the San Antonio Spurs dropped the series to LeBron and the Miami Heat. Curry (22 threes) is certainly capable of breaking the mark, considering he’s already hit seven trifectas twice in this series alone.

Bonus: If Klay Thompson buries three shots beyond the arc, he’ll also pass Miller’s one-time record of 58, which was set in the 2000 postseason.

2. Golden State’s Championship Drought

Way back in 1975, Rick Barry guided the Warriors to an NBA championship. Since then, the franchise has missed the playoffs 29 times, lost in the opening round thrice, the second round six more times and the conference finals once. Golden State’s 40-year drought is the ninth-longest in the league.

Note: Should the Cavaliers win Game 6, they’ll have an opportunity to end their 45-year slump.

3. LeBron James and the Assist Record by a Non-Guard

Courtesy of USA Today Images

Courtesy of USA Today Sports: LeBron isn’t getting the credit he deserves for an all-time great Finals performance.

Critics furiously point at LeBron’s near-career playoff-worst 41.9 field-goal percentage coupled with a career playoff-high 26.9 field goal attempts as evidence that the four-time MVP is selfish—or bad, or something else that doesn’t make sense. Well, according to Basketball-Reference.com, with six assists, James can break Larry Bird’s record for most in a single postseason by a non-guard since 1985. Oh, and LeBron would accomplish it in three fewer games than Bird.

4. A Possible Losing-Team MVP

Speaking of the best player in the world: If the Warriors win, James could become the first player to be selected as the Finals MVP despite playing on the losing team. Jerry West took home the honor in 1969 when his Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Boston Celtics in seven games.

Photo: USA Today Sports

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