National Basketball Association

The Latest: Sports fans get ready for John Legend at Finals

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 6:34 p.m. ET

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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) The Latest on Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers (all times local):

3:30 p.m.

The highly anticipated NBA Finals rematch between Golden State and Cleveland will get off to a legendary start.

Oscar-winning musician John Legend will kick off Game 1 on Thursday by singing the national anthem. Legend is a frequent attendee of NBA games, often watching courtside with wife Chrissy Teigen.

He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe partnering with Common on the song "Glory" for the film "Selma."

Stephen Curry and the Warriors host LeBron James and the Cavaliers in Game 1 on Thursday night. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers to win the title last season.

Legend also sang "America the Beautiful" before the Super Bowl in 2015.

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2:55 p.m.

Cleveland Browns first-year coach Hue Jackson has Southern California roots and Northern California ties.

But he's backing the Cavaliers in their second straight visit to the NBA Finals.

"I'm 'All In'," said Jackson, using the Cavs' postseason motto. "I hope that for our city that the Cavs can go and get this done. They're well deserving. They play extremely hard, they're well coached. They obviously have some tremendous players led by LeBron and Kyrie and the rest of those guys."

Jackson has become a fixture at Cavs playoff games. And although he will forever be loyal to his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, he's encouraged his players to get behind Cleveland's NBA franchise.

Of course, Cleveland has not had a major pro sports championship since 1964, but Jackson says the Cavs will end that drought.

"They'll get it done," he said. "It's going to be a tough series but they'll get it done."

- Tom Withers in Cleveland

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2:25 p.m.

Draymond Green has no time to talk technicals or consider changing his approach just because he is on the brink of being forced to sit out a game; one flagrant foul away from an automatic suspension and two technicals from being forced to sit.

No, thanks, Green doesn't want to discuss it. Tipoff for Game 1 of the NBA Finals Thursday night is drawing close now.

In mid-May, Green insisted he would do everything he could to keep his mouth shut and cut down on his arguing and technical fouls for the rest of the postseason.

That's a tough task for Golden State's emotional and outspoken swingman.

"I'm aware," Green said of his total, then walked off at the end of Thursday's shootaround.

The Warriors want him to be careful, don't want him changing his muscle-flexing, high-energy style.

"I don't think he's out there thinking about it too much, which we want, because you want him to play freely and play like himself," MVP Stephen Curry said. "There is a fine line to it, but we'll roll with that."