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The other Cleveland guys have not been getting it done.
The Cleveland Cavaliers – and, by extension, LeBron James – knew they had to win Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night to even the series and have a realistic chance of beating the star-studded Golden State Warriors.
“Apparently, it was not a distraction”, Kerr said Sunday.
Attles received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday night.
LeBron James scored 29 points, had 14 assists and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Last season, J.R. averaged just under 12 points per game in the playoffs.
The Cavaliers at times played better defensively around the rim in Game 2 than in Game 1.
For Kerr, the victory surely comes with a sigh of relief.
This is the best version of the Warriors the Cavs have faced in the three years they’ve dueled in The Finals.
This very much does not feel like Durant’s fight, and it, at times, does not feel like the Warriors/Cavs rubber match that has been hyped all season. It’s something they never could’ve done with Harrison Barnes, who is the size of a normal small forward.
But Durant’s offense was a sidebar to his terrific defensive night. We’re playing great basketball.
“We’re anxious about the series right now”, he told reporters. There was no settling in with James in the first half or any settling for that matter.
Klay Thompson, resolute in the face of an undeniable shooting slump, breaking out of it with his usual calmness. He scooped up the loose ball, pushed it upcourt and planted a transition 3.
It was one of those “WOW” moments. “We just have to figure out how to be better”. “Yeah, I pushed him”.
That was only the first of Durant’s five blocks. No one needs that.
Love went to the power dribble and soft hook.
A 2-0 series lead guarantees nothing, but would obviously put the Warriors in a good spot.
But Durant wasn’t done. “He was wonderful (in Game 1), and I expect nothing less in the rest of the games”. The highlight of the game came in the second half when he took on LeBron James one-on-one.
“It just speaks volumes to who he is as a player”.
“We have to figure out a way to get him going early”. But we’ve still got to play.
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The big takeaway from Game One was just how much the Cavs played into Golden State’s hands by pushing everything and keeping a frenetic pace throughout the game that gifted the Warriors 106 shots. Kevin Durant (33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists) was brilliant for the second straight game, and Stephen Curry played through some ugly turnovers to chip in the first postseason triple-double of his career (32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds). Add his three steals and Durant delivered a stat-line never seen in National Basketball Association history.
