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3 players who have the most to lose in Game 7

Jason Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Having fought back from a 3-1 deficit, the Cleveland Cavaliers are playing with house money in Game 7.

Richard Jefferson claims that only the Golden State Warriors had something to lose. Having entangled themselves within the fickle Greatest Team of All-Time conversation seven months ago, Golden State's dream season could end with a harrowing and embarrassing finish.

But the same could be said for Cleveland, who sit precariously close to breaking the city's championship drought. To fall short after beating the odds and coming so far would go down as yet another heartbreak for a city all-too familiar with sporting failures.

And as for the players themselves, Game 7 could be a make-or-break game for three key figures in the series.

Draymond Green

The Finals were shaping up as a routine gentleman's sweep until Draymond Green swiped for The King's crown jewels. Green's suspension gave the Cavaliers a second wind, and they've roared back to life.

Green returned for Game 6, but the outcome was yet another rout. Eight points and five fouls in 41 minutes didn't come close to making up for his inexcusable absence. Steve Kerr trusted Green to start at center to anchor the famed Death Lineup but it flopped miserably. Cleveland raced out to a 31-9 start and the Warriors never recovered.

Game 7 offers Green a chance at redemption. With Andrew Bogut injured and Festus Ezeli struggling mightily, Green represents the Warriors' only credible rim protector, and Golden State still needs his playmaking on the other end. Green will need to be at his very best to clear his name.

But if Green comes up short, there will be no sympathy for the chest-thumping, bicep-flexing agitator. The Warriors would have never been in a position to repeat without Green, but that same fire that fuels the team seems to have burned them at the worst time. And if they collapse, Green will bear the weight of a guilty conscience.

Kevin Love

Love was always an awkward piece in the Cavaliers' championship puzzle, and he figures to be a trade candidate regardless of Sunday's outcome.

It's easy to forget that Love played fabulously in the Cavaliers' torrid run through the Eastern Conference. The narrative in the earlier rounds focused on a rejuvenated Love thriving under Tyronn Lue's system. Love buried the Pistons, Hawks, and Raptors under a landslide of threes and finally looked to earn his keep as a member of the Big Three.

But the playoffs are all about matchups, and the Warriors are a nightmare for plodding bigs. It's not entirely Love's fault, but getting outplayed by a 35-year-old journeyman is never a good look.

Love won't see much of the ball given how LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are performing. But if he can make the most of his touches, pose as an inside-out threat, punish the Warriors on switches and power Cleveland's bench units, Love can clear his name after being dragged through the mud.

The Cavaliers are already lethal when Irving and James are scoring - adding Love's talents to the mix would push them over the top. Game 7 could give Love a chance at redemption.

Conversely, if the Cavaliers lose, Love would make for an easy scapegoat. James is tied to Cleveland, and Irving has earned his keep - that leaves Love to take the fall as he so often has.

LeBron James

It's unfortunate that the clear-cut best player of his generation has to face constant ridicule, even after two championships and four MVPs. With virtual omnipotence comes impossible expectations - such is the plight of The Chosen One.

Never mind that James racked up 82 points, 24 rebounds, 18 assists, seven steals, and six blocks on 56 percent shooting in two elimination games to force a deciding Game 7.

The unfair scrutiny will come for James should he fall to 2-5 in the Finals.

Or put it this way: James would be immortalized if he somehow engineered a third straight masterpiece.

If the hometown kid rescues the Cavaliers on the road - from being down 3-1 against one of the best teams of all time - with yet another Herculean effort, what will the haters have left to say?

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