CLEVELAND, Ohio -- After getting pushed to seven games in the Western Conference finals, there was some chatter about the Golden State Warriors being vulnerable, that the Houston Rockets might have provided the blueprint to take down the champs.
Only the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't the Rockets. And they don't appear to have the pieces to emulate -- or execute -- that template.
Houston's physical and switching defense, which ranked sixth in the NBA during the regular season, pushed the Warriors out of their comfort zone at times and sent them into more of an isolation approach. That's what the switch-everything defense is designed to do: take away the Warriors' strength and disrupt their free-flowing away-from-the-ball movement.
But it also requires constant communication -- a season-long problem in Cleveland -- along with like-sized players, stingy individual defenders and good habits.
The Cavs were the second-worst defense during the regular season. While they've shown some growth during this playoff run, that's had more to do with their most recent series against the erratic and short-handed Boston Celtics, lifting those numbers into a deceiving realm.
It takes discipline and decisiveness against the surgical Warriors.
Given that, it's tough to see the Cavaliers being able to match the quality of defense Houston showed in last series, one where -- for all their supposed struggles -- the Warriors still had the playoffs' best offense.
The postseason is about matchups. This one isn't favorable for the Cavs.
Kevin Love, the team's second-leading scorer, has struggled against Golden State in the past and will be relied on more than ever after clearing concussion protocol on Thursday. Either that, or he will get knocked out of the rotation, forcing head coach Tyronn Lue to go with a player possessing a different skill set entirely.
Kyle Korver -- who is third in scoring during the postseason, averaging 9.8 points on 44.9 percent from 3-point range -- has been bothered by Golden State's length, athleticism and defensive versatility.
George Hill is playing in his first Finals and it's tough to know what to expect from him given his home/road splits throughout the postseason.
Rodney Hood got booted from the rotation, looking overwhelmed by the physicality and pressure of the moment this time of year.
Without Kyrie Irving, it's tough to see how Cleveland will consistently generate quality offense against the team boasting the postseason's No. 1 defense. Yes, the Warriors have that ranking despite playing against explosive New Orleans and the high-powered Rockets.
The Cavs deserve plenty of praise for getting back to the NBA Finals, overcoming the numerous challenges that led to LeBron James actually doubting Cleveland's chances at one point. That uncertainty truly began last summer with the Irving trade. That loss, while it hasn't prevented them from making another title push, will truly be felt against the Warriors.
Irving tormented Golden State. The stage was never too big. The defender didn't matter. He forced tenacious two-way guard Klay Thompson to expend a bounty of energy trying to slow him down, which sometimes affected Thompson's offense. Irving -- like Houston's James Harden and Chris Paul -- had the necessary one-on-one package to break down Golden State's switch-everything defense.
Even Lue understands what his team is missing going into this series.
"You know that they switch a lot of stuff," Lue said on his conference call Tuesday. "They switch everything actually, so you have to have very good one on one players. You gotta have ball movement, sharp cuts. But Kyrie, you know, with him playing, he allowed us to go one on one against the mismatches and can't nobody stop him one on one. We're gonna miss that but we're just going to have to play a different style of basketball without him being here."
That's what the Cavs are up against. Beating the Warriors once is difficult enough, let alone doing it four times in seven tries. It will take something unforeseen, just as it did in 2016 -- and that title was in the B.K.D (Before Kevin Durant) era -- when Draymond Green's suspension, Andrew Bogut's injury and both the health of Andre Iguodala and Stephen Curry opened the door for Cleveland's historic comeback.
Iguodala's uncertain status provides a glimmer of hope. He's the Warriors' stabilizer on offense, getting the team into sets and settling them down when things get frantic. He's also the Warriors' best LeBron defender. But even that doesn't seem like enough for the Cavaliers.
There's a reason this is considered one of the greatest mismatches in Finals history.
James obviously represents the Cavaliers' best chance. He's capable of making the improbable possible. He will likely look for ways to put Curry through a variety of pick-and-rolls, hoping to attack him, wear him down and perhaps even get him into foul trouble. James should also be aided by Iguodala's absence and Jeff Green's ability to defend Durant for long stretches.
Only James has never won a title without a secondary creator, the piece that sometimes makes even the best defenses look helpless, the piece the Cavaliers lost when Irving requested his trade last summer and the piece that will keep them from making this a competitive series.
Warriors in 5.
Overtime. A controversial reversed call. A fight that led to an ejection. Fifty-one points from an all-time great who still lost. And we thought round four of the Warriors-Cavaliers finals dynasty was going to be boring.
The Golden State Warriors topped the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-114 in overtime in Game 1 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, setting the stage for what looks to be an intense series.
The Cavaliers gained an early lead and had the game tied at 56-56 going into half-time. They then held the normally explosive third-quarter Warriors to a mere six-point lead and levelled the score in the fourth quarter. But the refs reversed a controversial blocking call in the final minute of regulation – sending Kevin Durant to the free-throw line instead of LeBron James.
Officials are permitted to go to replay in the final two minutes of a gameto decide if a defender was in a legal blocking position. However the Cleveland coach, Tyronn Lue, was outraged with the decision to reverse a call in such a crucial game. “It’s never been done, ever in the history of the game,” he said. “It was great, it was epic and [James] did enough to carry this team to a victory ... To do what he did tonight and to come up robbed, it’s just not right.”
Cleveland would not be beaten though and George Hill missed a free throw with seconds left that would have put the Cavaliers one point up. If that wasn’t enough, JR Smith bungled an opportunity to win the game in the final seconds. The veteran failed to take a shot because it appeared he thought the Cavs had the lead when they were merely tied, sending the game into overtime. Smith later denied he had mixed up the score and said he was waiting for his team to call a timeout. When James was pressed repeatedly on the issue in the post-game press conference he simply got up from his seat and walked out.
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“He thought we were up one,” said Lue after the game. “He thought it was over.”
And then we were back to our regularly scheduled programming: the Warriors exploded for 17 points in overtime, and the shaken Cavs were toast. As tempers flared with seconds to go, Tristan Thompson was ejected after the referees said he had elbowed Shaun Livingston in the head. Other players scuffled in the background with James and Stephen Curry exchanging words.
James carried the Cavaliers on both sides of the court, recording the first 50-point game in the finals since Michael Jordan in 1993 and adding eight assists and eight rebounds.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Warriors and Cavaliers confront each other at the end of Game 1. Photograph: Ben Margot/AP
Leading the Warriors’ effort was Curry, who is an early favorite for finals MVP. Curry had 29 points with six rebounds and came through when the team needed him most, scoring their first five points and lobbing a three-pointer to tie it up at half-time. Kevin Durant added 26 points, and the pair teamed up for several highlight-worthy shots, with 15 assists between them. Klay Thompson left for the locker room in the first quarter after colliding with Smith. He was taped up and reentered the game early in the second quarter with seemingly no serious injury, adding 24 points.
NBA (@NBA) Stephen Curry flipped it over his head to Shaun Livingston for tonight's #AssistOfTheNight! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/eVb4yFEkOd
But it wasn’t just offense that decided the game. The Warriors limited turnovers by passing the ball instead of driving to the lane. Green racked up 11 rebounds, his sixth consecutive game grabbing 10 or more. And Warriors rookie Jordan Bell played tough defense and added two rebounds.
NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) This Warriors ball movement 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5xH5yb8ns3
Kevin Love provided James with much needed support, adding 21 points and 13 rebounds. But the rest of the team struggled. Not only did Smith get a lot of heat for seemingly squandering the Cavs’ chance of winning, but he shot only 30% and missed all six of his attempts in the fourth quarter. Jordan Clarkson struggled on the floor, adding only four points.
“The journey’s not over,” said Lue. “Going through the long season and injuries and guys in and out and trades and all the different situations, to end up at the end of the season being one of the two teams left playing, is a big accomplishment.”
The Warriors will spend the next few days preparing for and anticipating any adjustments the Cavaliers make to their game. “They’re really sharp, their staff is sharp, they’ve made a lot of adjustments against us over the years, as we have against them,” the Warriors coach, Steve Kerr, said. “It’s a staff that really understands how to change tactics on the fly, in between games, during games – they’re really good at what they do.”
The Cavaliers return to Oracle Arena to face the Warriors in Game 2 on Sunday. Whether Thursday’s events inspire the Cavaliers or destroy them remains to be seen.
The Warriors are such overwhelming favorites that I also don’t think any of their stars can alter their overall legacies hugely — although I’m sure Stephen Curry will take unjust heat if, for the fourth successive year, he doesn’t win finals M.V.P.
OGWUMIKE: Legacies are often defined by championships, and all of the key players hitting the court for Game 1 of the N.B.A. finals already have at least one ring. But though Durant proved haters wrong by earning finals M.V.P. last year en route to his first title, the pressure is still on him. No matter how hard he tries, his move to the Bay Area made the Warriors shift from being the superheroes of the league to the supervillains. If Golden State loses the N.B.A. finals, Durant can still point to his ring, but most people will still point a finger at him for setting this impossible standard of dominance.
A perfect example of this is the scrutiny Durant received throughout his rather streaky performance during the Western Conference finals. When the Warriors win, everyone wins. But when the Warriors lose, he is the scapegoat.
Now, to the Cavaliers, and this is huge! If the Cavaliers win this series, there is a legitimate case to be made for LeBron James being the greatest player of all time. Given the task at hand and his less-than-worthy band of brothers, taking down this Warriors team would be irrefutable evidence of GOAT-manship. I don’t think Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Kobe Bryant or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could have saved this Cavaliers team from its tumultuous season and survived the Warriors’ “death lineup” to win a championship. This could be epic for the King.
ARATON: If the Cavs lose in the number of games (five) that would make most sense, and LeBron’s finals series record falls to 3-6, Skip Bayless and the League of LeBron Haters will scream that he is no longer fit to wear Michael Jordan’s No. 23 and demand that he surrender it immediately.
Ignore their simplistic cries for attention.
LeBron is more or less playing with house money, with the Warriors’ stars — mostly Curry and Durant — carrying the better-not-lose burden. That is, unless the Cavs get close to the upset, in the way James Harden and the Rockets did, and LeBron comes up very small in the end.
“He thought we were up one,” a frustrated Coach Tyronn Lue said at his postgame news conference.
The enormous mistake wasted what looked like a plum opportunity to steal a road win from a team that has been accused of ruining the game with its sheer dominance since Durant came in as a free agent. It also left James with nothing to show for one of the best games of his career.
Asked what adjustments the Warriors could make to slow down James going forward, Coach Steve Kerr, as he often does, made light of the situation.
“We held back a lot of strategy tonight,” he said to a chorus of laughs. “We’ve got so many things up our sleeves. We’re going to shut them down next game.”
But even with James doing anything he wanted, and Kevin Love looking like a worthy second fiddle as he contributed 21 points and 14 rebounds in his first game since being cleared from the concussion protocol, it still seemed as if the talent-deep Warriors would run away with the game after making their typical second-half adjustments.
Curry tied the game with a buzzer-beating 38-footer at the end of the first half — one of three shots he hit from 29 or more feet away in the half — and a 10-3 run to start the third quarter had the game following a familiar script. Nearly all the hallmarks of a Warriors win were there, including a stat-stuffing line from Green of 13 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks, but James just kept willing his team back, proving that he was not susceptible to the exhaustion that seems to plague so many Golden State opponents in the second half.
The Cavaliers, though, were clearly frustrated after an overturned call in the fourth quarter helped swing the momentum toward Golden State and Smith’s horrible mistake at the end of regulation appeared to cost Cleveland what seemed like near-certain victory.
The overturned call came on what was initially ruled a charge against Durant. After a review, it was determined that James had committed a foul, and Durant’s two free-throws tied the game at 104-104.
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James protested the change, and Coach Tyronn Lue, in his postgame news conference, said such a decision had never been made in the history of the game on a play outside the restricted area.
The overtime reset let the Warriors take a breath and calm down, at which point the defending champions were off to the races.
Durant hit a pair of free throws to start the scoring, Thompson hit a 3-pointer, and Livingston connected on a midrange jumper and a dunk in what would be a 9-0 run, and the Warriors closed the extra period having outscored the Cavaliers, 17-7.
Kerr, who often shows his frustration with players during games, tried to put his team’s struggles in some perspective in light of the victory.
“I thought we were pretty good,” he said. “I didn’t think we were great. I didn’t think we were bad. I think we can play better.”
He added, “But it’s not like we came out there and stunk it up.”
Green was fine with Kerr saying they got by with some luck, because the luck came with a win.
“Sometimes you need a little luck,” Green said when asked to sum up the various odd moments of the game. “You know, it’s good to be lucky sometimes. So I’ll take it.”
While now in a 1-0 hole in the best-of-seven series, Cleveland could be revitalized by the close game, and has a chance to even things up, and steal home court advantage, if they can get a win in Game 2 on Sunday in Oakland. To prevent that, the Warriors must slow down James, which would be much easier if Golden State could get Andre Iguodala back from a bone bruise that has kept him out since Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. He’s slowed down some with age, but Iguodala won the 2015 Finals M.V.P. largely for his work in defending James.
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Here’s how the Warriors won Game 1:
Overtime: Warriors Take the Lead
Kevin Durant got the first two points of overtime on a pair of free-throws, Klay Thompson hit a corner 3-pointer and Shaun Livingston sank a midrange jumper to put Golden State up by seven in overtime, forcing Cleveland to take a timeout. But with the way this game has gone, no one should count the Cavaliers out just yet.
Marc Stein: Let’s not forget that George Hill missed a potential game-winning free throw before J.R. Smith forgot the score and tried to dribble out the clock. But I still can’t believe what J.R. just did. The Cavs are throwing away an absolutely unreal opportunity to steal this Game 1.
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4th Quarter: Missed Free Throw Leads to Overtime
George Hill missed a free-throw that could have given the Cavaliers a lead with 4.7 seconds left and Cleveland’s J.R. Smith failed to get a timeout called with time running out. Smith had the ball with seconds remaining, but apparently believed the Cavaliers were leading instead of tied. We’re headed to overtime.
Both teams are likely frustrated as this game heads to overtime. The Warriors undoubtedly can’t figure out how they were unable to get their typical offensive momentum in the second half and the Cavaliers are looking for answers for how they did not either get a shot off or get a timeout called after George Hill’s missed free-throw. In truth, this overtime is a huge gift for the Warriors, who for all intents and purposes should have lost the game already.
Marc Stein: J.R. Smith has now accounted for a hat trick of gaffes tonight that he might never live down.
4th Quarter: Cavs Refuse to Quit
A two-man show by LeBron James and Kevin Love has the Cavaliers in the lead, 104-102. James has been repeatedly getting to the basket and is up to 47 points after the free-throw, which comes courtesy of a Kevon Looney foul on James’s last basket. Love, who hit his first 3-pointer of the game, is up to 21 points and 14 rebounds, and right now Cleveland is firmly in control of the momentum, with Kevin Durant struggling to hit shots on the other end of the court.
4th Quarter: Warriors Get Hot at the Right Time
It had been a terrible shooting stretch for the Warriors, but they have suddenly woken up. Draymond Green had not been hitting wide-open jumpers in recent games, but the power forward sank a 3-pointer, giving Golden State a lead with just under five minutes to play. After a turnover, Stephen Curry also connected from deep. Suddenly the Warriors are leading the game by six, almost daring the Cavaliers to prove they can rally once again.
Marc Stein: No one is ever going to feel sorry for Golden State when the Warriors have four all-stars. But they surely can’t wait to get Andre Iguodala back. The hosts are rather fortunate to be up six heading into the final 4:37.
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4th Quarter: Cavs Take the Lead
The Cavaliers are now leading 92-91 after LeBron James crossed the 40-point barrier for the eighth time this postseason. With Golden State missing shots and James only looking stronger, this game is wide open.
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4th Quarter: 3-Pointers Pull Cavs Within Reach
After Klay Thompson’s free-throws, the Cavaliers got 3-pointers by Jeff Green and Kyle Korver and it’s suddenly a 1-point game, which prompted Steve Kerr to call a timeout to try to kill Cleveland’s momentum. James has been his typical dominant self, and is the primary reason the Cavaliers are in the game, but the difference between previous series and this one is that his teammates seem to be contributing to the effort in a big way.
Marc Stein: Warriors staffers have been insisting to me for 48 hours that this series would not be the cakewalk that so many of us media know-it-alls have been forecasting. I should have listened. The game is totally being played at Cleveland’s tempo. Say this for all of the Cavs’s flaws: With LeBron leading the way they know how to function in this environment.
4th Quarter: Do Cavs Have Enough to Come Back?
LeBron James had closed the gap to four points with an emphatic dunk, but Kyle Korver got called for a foul on a 3-point attempt by Klay Thompson, and after Thompson sank all three shots the lead is back to seven. The Cavaliers have not wilted at any point, and James continues to do whatever he wants on offense, so this game is far from over.
End of 3rd Quarter: Cavs’ Support Team Steps Up Again
LeBron James spent the last minute of the third quarter getting some rest on the bench and his teammates once again handled themselves well, outscoring the Warriors 3-2 in just over a minute. The fourth quarter is set to begin with Golden State leading 84-78.
Marc Stein: LeBron James has to take a seat on the bench at the end of the third quarter after following up his 11-for-13 start by missing six of eight shots. Was that rest enough to give LeBron gas for a finishing kick? Kevin Love (16 points) is the only other Cav in double figures.
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3rd Quarter: Durant Heating Up for Warriors
Kevin Durant is starting to look comfortable and is up to 19 points, repeatedly pulling up for jumpers that would be impossible for a player without his height. The combination of a few big shots by him, a 3-pointer by Klay Thompson and dunk by Kevon Looney has Golden State up 82-75 with just over a minute left in the third quarter. It’s not exactly the dominance the Warriors showed in the third quarter against Houston, but they are suddenly building a bit of a distance. It will be interesting to see if Cleveland can once again answer the scoring run with one of its own. Thus far they have proved more than capable.
3rd Quarter: Cavaliers Storm Back
The Cavaliers are not falling into the trap of letting Golden State run away with the game. The early 10-3 run by Golden State in the quarter is a thing of the past, with the teams tied 73-73 after LeBron James and Stephen Curry traded 3-pointers. With just under four minutes to play in the third. LeBron James is up to 36 points.
Marc Stein: We’ve played more than half of this third quarter and the Cavaliers are still here to tell about it. Cleveland has slowed the pace nicely: LeBron really is a basketball savant. It’s 68-68 and Oracle Arena is in shock.
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3rd Quarter: JaVale McGee Stays Busy
McGee, who was off to a strong start in the half, got the ball under the basket with no one in front of him. The 7-foot-1 center turned, elevated and seemed to forget to bring the ball up. By the time he thought to it was too late and he had his shot blocked — by the rim. It was a play that could seemingly only happen to McGee, who nevertheless had 4 points in six minutes of work.
Marc Stein: JaVale McGee giveth … and JaVale McGee taketh away. Will leave it to Ben Hoffman to describe what McGee just did there. Because I am struggling for words.
3rd Quarter: Warriors Pick Up Where They Left Off
JaVale McGee started the second half and has instantly made an impact. His hectic defense against LeBron James (it wasn’t pretty) proved effective on one possession and then he scored consecutive baskets on the offensive end. The fan favorite has helped the Warriors start the half on a 10-3 run.
Marc Stein: JaVale McGee — Mr. Vertical Spacing — is having an impact already. Another quality adjustment for Steve Kerr’s coaching ledger.
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Halftime: Curry’s Buzzer-Beater Ties it Up
Stephen Curry got the ball in his hands with just seconds to play in the first half and he launched a 38-footer that would have been a ridiculous attempt from any other player in the N.B.A. but was basically a layup for him. The ball found its home as time expired and the Warriors went into halftime tied with the Cavaliers, 56-56.
If a monster third quarter for Golden State is coming, then Cleveland is in trouble. The Cavaliers were terrific in the first half, getting a typically-gargantuan performance from LeBron James, who had 24 points and 4 assists. They also got 12 points from Kevin Love, and they even outscored the Warriors while James took a short rest. But they are going into halftime having lost what was at one point an 11-point lead, and with the Warriors typically hitting their stride coming out of halftime, that could be a major issue.
Curry has looked as strong or stronger than he ever has in a finals game, with 18 points and six assists, while Kevin Durant has not displayed his typical dominance, with 11 points on 4 of 11 shooting.
Marc Stein: Dare I say LeBron is milking that shot to the face just a touch. But he’s up to 24 points in a near-flawless first half — flawless until the flammable Stephen Curry got loose for a 38-footer at the buzzer. 56-56 all at intermission!
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As Ty Lue noted in his media address Wednesday, Golden State’s favorite quarter is Cleveland’s worst. How the Cavs cope in the first six minutes here is key. The problem: Stephen Curry is already dialed and the third quarter hasn’t started yet.
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2nd Quarter: Green’s Hard Foul Puts James on the Floor
Draymond Green picked up his third personal foul of the game in a hard collision with LeBron James under the basket in which Green’s left hand hit James directly in the face, resulting in James being on the court for a few moments to collect himself. Green received his fourth technical foul of the postseason and headed to the bench.
2nd Quarter: Even With James on the Bench, Cavs Execute
Coach Tyronn Lue clearly had a plan with that timeout. LeBron James came out of the game for a rest with the score 44-40 in Cleveland’s favor. An immediate 3-pointer by George Hill, a steal followed by a Larry Nance Jr. dunk and a midrange shot by Kevin Love had it 51-40 before Klay Thompson ended the run with a 3-pointer. By the time James checked back into the game with 3:07 remaining, Cleveland had outscored Golden State by a score of 7-5 in his absence which is something the Cavaliers are almost never capable of doing.
2nd Quarter: It’s All Offense So Far
The timeout appeared to reset the Warriors, who went on a quick 5-2 run that forced Cleveland to take a timeout of its own. The little burst included Klay Thompson hitting a 26-foot 3-pointer, showing no ill-effects from the collision earlier. LeBron James is up to 20 points already on 8 of 9 shooting and has chipped in with four assists as well.
2nd Quarter: Warriors Have No Answer for LeBron James
The Warriors, trailing by seven points, called a timeout with 7:48 remaining in the quarter. The most notable problem on Golden State’s end is probably Kevin Durant not making an impact, with only 6 points in 13 minutes. But the far bigger problem is Golden State not being able to slow down LeBron James at all without Andre Iguodala out. He has been able to do anything he wants offensively. The Warriors need to do something to break his rhythm because expecting him to wear out like James Harden did in the Western Conference finals is not a good strategy against the tireless James.
Marc Stein: Where is the Golden State defense? Translation: Where is the Golden State focus and effort? The Warriors just held the Houston offensive juggernaut under 100 points in five straight games. But they’re not playing with anything close to the same level of focus. Might they be waiting for the third quarter? (For the record: I am NOT feeling the suit shorts LeBron wore when he strolled into Oracle Arena tonight. And, yes, I secretly dream of writing for the NYT Style section.)
2nd Quarter: Cleveland Winning Battle of the Boards
The early second quarter has been much of the same, with Cleveland continuing to push the ball offensively and make Golden State pay for any missed shot on the other end of the court. The rebounding advantage is currently 13-7 in Cleveland’s favor and they are exerting their size advantages all over the places leading a 5-point lead.
Marc Stein: Feel-out game? LeBron is just feelin’ it. Period. He’s 6 for 7 from the field after finally missing an elbow jumper.
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2nd Quarter: Klay Thompson Returns
Klay Thompson came back to the Warriors’ bench with just over a minute left in the first quarter and the crowd in Oakland exploded in huge cheers for the popular shooting guard. He was back on the court for the start of the second quarter but came up well short on a 3-point attempt.
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End of 1st Quarter: LeBron James, Kevin Love Lead Cavs
Both teams are playing hard on both ends of the court, both are shooting better than 55 percent from the field, and a spirit of competitiveness is alive in Oracle Arena as the Cavaliers have repeatedly been able to answer any basket by the Warriors. At the end of the first quarter they lead, 30-29.
LeBron James leads all scorers with 12 points while Stephen Curry has 11. In a huge development for the Cavaliers, Kevin Love is just behind those leaders with 9 points on 4 of 7 shooting.
The question going forward is if this quick pace is something Cleveland can keep up with all game. Throughout the playoffs, Golden State’s opponents have tended to get worn out in the second half.
Marc Stein: LeBron James has often described Game 1 as his “feel-out game.” But there’s much less need for feeling things out when you’re playing the same team in the finals for the fourth consecutive June. An aggressive James has 12 points after a quarter, and those underdogs from Cleveland just recorded a 30-point opening quarter against the supposed invincibles.
1st Quarter: Cavs Keeping Pace With Warriors
Cleveland has continued to keep pace with Golden State, not letting what could be a backbreaking play, like Nick Young managing to score off an inbound pass with just 1.5 seconds left on the shot clock, break their spirit. They have gotten strong play from Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, supporting LeBron James more than we have seen in the previous few series.
Klay Thompson is being taped with a left lateral contusion on his leg and is expected to be available to return. His being out of the game for any length of time undoubtedly hurts the Golden State offense, but with Stephen Curry in a shooting groove, the length of time Thompson is out will have more of an effect on defense. Young can play better defense than some people may think, but he’s definitely a downgrade from Thompson.
Marc Stein: Lateral leg contusion — NOT words Golden State wants to hear these days when the same injury has sidelined Andre Iguodala for the past five playoff games. But ESPN’s Doris Burke says Klay is expected to return. And Thompson is known for being ultra durable.
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1st Quarter: Klay Thompson to the Locker Room
Klay Thompson has come out of the game after a collision with J.R. Smith with 6:17 left in the first quarter. Smith appeared to slip and, in the process, awkwardly twisted Thompson’s left leg. Thompson is headed back to the locker room to be examined.
Marc Stein: That J.R. Smith takedown of Klay Thompson had some shades of Sergio Ramos vs. Mo Salah in the Champions League final. The intent wasn’t there on J.R.’s part — accidental slip. But it might have the same effect depending on how seriously Thompson is hurt. Smith couldn’t control his footing because of the slip … but he also didn’t exactly have a play on the ball. Another entry in J.R.’s reckless postseason.
1st Quarter: Scoring Comes in Bunches Early
A deep 3-pointer and a driving layup by Stephen Curry, an alley-oop to Kevin Durant and a 16-footer by Klay Thompson had the Golden State offense humming along at a solid clip early in the first quarter, but Cleveland held strong thanks, unsurprisingly, to LeBron James and Kevin Love, and the Cavaliers were leading 15-12 at the game’s first break in action.
Golden State has been aggressive on both ends of the court, forcing a few turnovers, but Cleveland has just pushed the ball steadily toward the basket and has worked to keep the Warriors off their rhythm. Just before the break in action, Golden State was breaking across the court for what would have been a mismatch on offense and Cleveland broke it up with a smart foul. For all of the talk of the mismatch, the veteran Cavaliers do not look the least bit scared so far.
Marc Stein: Let’s see if this pace is something Cleveland can really continue to keep. The Warriors are far better conditioned to run up and down this way. The Cavaliers are humming offensively but they typically flourish in this building when the game is grind-y.
They’re also getting no stops early (as feared).
1st Quarter: First Points Scored by LeBron James
Tristan Thompson won the opening tip over Kevon Looney and the Cavs moved the ball around quite a bit before Kevin Love missed an opening midrange jumper. Golden State lost the ball on a turnover and LeBron James put in a layup for the first two points of Game 1. The 2018 N.B.A. finals are officially underway.
