Warriors to face Cavaliers in third straight NBA Finals Before they opened the playoffs 12-0, before they won 67 regular-season games, before they signed Kevin Durant, the Warriors eyed a singular goal: redeem their loss to Cleveland in the 2016 NBA Finals. [...] after the Cavaliers routed Boston 135-102 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Thursday night, Golden State has that opportunity. In what is their third straight year facing Cleveland on the sport's grandest stage, the Warriors will host LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals next Thursday at Oracle Arena. After the first three rounds of the playoffs were filled with blowouts, a Golden State-Cleveland rematch boasts all the makings of a prime-time matchup: dominant playoff showings, numerous All-Stars and, of course, a compelling narrative. In 2015, the Warriors beat an injury-depleted Cleveland team in six games for their first NBA title in 40 seasons. Last year, after winning an NBA-record 73 regular-season games, Golden State became the first team to squander a 3-1 Finals lead. The only defeat in that span? A 105-99 loss to Utah on April 10, which held minimal significance to the Warriors...