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As the NBA Finals shifts from the Bay Area to Cleveland, there's a feeling of inevitability that this historically great Golden State team is bound to avenge its stunning meltdown from last season. Through two games, they've destroyed Cleveland by a total of 41 points and made the fourth quarter in Games 1 and 2 little more than a glorified practice session for Warriors fans to revel in with the lead firmly in hand.

However, the Cavaliers were down 2-0 last season in the Finals to the Warriors before taking the title in dramatic, seven-game fashion -- even after losing both Games 1 and 2 last season by a combined 48 points. So it's not over. And anyone writing off Cleveland at this point has already forgotten what LeBron James and the Cavs were able to accomplish last season.

It's a must-win Game 3 for the home team, though. So here are five things to be mindful of as a primer for Wednesday's pivotal showdown at Quicken Loans Arena.

Bench production from the Cavaliers

Let's face it, Cleveland knows what it will get from the top of the roster. LeBron is averaging 28.5 points. Kevin Love is averaging 21 points. And Kyrie Irving, despite struggles with consistency, is still giving 21.5 points per game through two games.

It's the role players for Cleveland that is giving the team a disadvantage.

Tristan Thompson was dominant in the Finals last season but has struggled to find his floater around the rim and has been dwarfed on the boards -- an area he typically thrives. And Kyle Korver, who is shooting 17 percent from three this series, still hasn't found his outside shot and has contributed 8 points of production through two games.

Perhaps a shift back to the home floor, a place the Cavs are familiar with, will give those role players the boost they need to feel more comfortable in taking the leap in Game 3. Right now, Cleveland is hamstrung without them giving quality minutes.

Warriors looking to avoid repeating history

You remember that time Golden State blew a 3-1 series lead, right? My bet is that they probably don't want to repeat that trend, or even give themselves a chance of doing so.

The best way of avoiding another meltdown? Destroying the Cavaliers. A 3-0 series lead wouldn't be a title-clincher, but it's equally as demoralizing. No team trailing 0-3 in the NBA Playoffs has ever come back to win a playoff series. And only nine teams have stretched an 0-3 deficit into a seven game series in the history of the league.

Now, it goes without saying that Golden State wants to win. But destroying the Cavs would leave them defeated and battered on the verge of a sweep. A win Wednesday for the Warriors would put them within reach of a perfect NBA playoffs, a feat that has never been done in the NBA.

Pace of play will be critical -- and one Cavaliers must dictate

In the Finals comeback a season ago, Cleveland crawled the ball up the floor with LeBron James and played the game from the halfcourt. They dictated the pace and mucked up the entire series. But that blueprint isn't the same they'll take this time around.

"That's not our game. We don't play slowdown basketball," LeBron James said. He later added: "We have won a lot of games playing the way we play, so we're not going to change."

Cleveland took a surprising approach in Game 2 by playing uptempo and using LeBron as a bowling ball to get to the hoop at every opportunity. His shot chart was a thing of beauty. But the pace is still an area that, in the long run, doesn't exactly favor Cleveland.

In a long laundry list of chores, head coach Ty Lue must determine a happy-medium pace that allows Cleveland to stay within its game and also maintain the consistency throughout the game that they've been lacking. It's no small task for Cleveland, but it's a spot the team is familiar with and has overcome as recently as last season.