The Cleveland Cavaliers methodically planned for the Golden State Warriors’ high-octane attack but after suffering a crushing loss in Game One of the NBA Finals LeBron James said simulating their offence is impossible.
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The Golden State Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers trilogy continues to deliver the best metered market ratings ever for the NBA Finals on ABC.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors collide in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at the Oracle Arena.
Kerr has been bothered by back problems resulting from last year’s surgery. Set aside the hyped-up Cavs-Dubs rivalry, constant talk of the trilogy, Part III. The pop star provided ample entertainment during the blowout by beefing with the fans, distracting broadcasters and talking trash with Warriors superstar Kevin Durant.
It seems safe to say Durant claimed the first victory in his highly-anticipated matchup with LeBron James, who managed 28 points over 40 minutes of play and finished with minus-22 in efficiency. It just didn’t feel right.
The challenge for Golden State going forward will be to maintain the fiery pace they brought to Game 1 against the Cavs, both at home and on the road.
“I know we’ll play better come Sunday”, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Friday. “Guys got reminded of that, I got reminded of that, against this team you’ve got to go balls out”.
The final outcome was all but a formality by the start of the fourth quarter as the Warriors forged 21 points ahead.
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Not only did the Warriors match a Finals low with just four turnovers, they took Tristan Thompson out of the equation by holding him scoreless. Making matters worse was a lack of scoring help from any of their role players.
They sure look unstoppable lately.
By comparison, Durant and Curry scored a combined 66 points. In Game 1 he was 3-of-13 from the field for six points and he missed all five of his attempts from beyond the arc. “At the end of the day, if you win the last game, you had a great season”.
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“You can not simulate what they bring to the table”, James, whose Cavaliers committed 20 turnovers in the loss, said after the game. “They don’t have a lot of shot blocking on the floor, so when they go small, we can get to the paint and get pretty much anything we want”. Golden State had 11 first-half dunks in all, the most of any team in any Finals half in 20 years, Durant (six) leading the way. If Game 1 is any indication of how the rest of the series will play out, Hayward will have exactly foreseen the outcome. “They got one guy who keeps kicking people in the [groin]”. “It can scare teams at times. Are we giving up runs at the basket?'”
