Leading the series 1-0, the Warriors will look to defend home court once more when they host the Cavaliers in Game 2 on Sunday.
Warriors vs. CavaliersGame 2Sunday, June 45:00 p.m.Oracle Arena
WATCH: ESPN
RADIO: 95.7 The Game, ESPN RadioMore Listening Options
THE TRILOGY CONTINUES
After defeating Cleveland 113-91 in Game 1 on Thursday, the Warriors will look to defend home court once more when they host the Cavaliers in Game 2 on Sunday. This will be the final game at Oracle Arena before the series transitions back to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Watch the action on ABC, or listen to the call on 95.7 The Game, ESPN Radio and the Warriors Radio Network.
LAST TIME OUT
Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry combined for 66 points and 18 assists as the Dubs took care of business with a 113-91 victory in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Full Recap
MATCHUP AT A GLANCEPlayoff Ranks
GSW
1-0
1st in West
117.9 PPG (1st)
46.1 RPG (2nd)
28.0 APG (1st)
CLE
0-1
2nd in East
114.9 PPG (2nd)
42.9 RPG (T-8th)
21.7 APG (6th)
PROJECTED STARTERS
GSW: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia
CLE: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson
INJURY & ROSTER NOTES
GSW: None. Team Notes
CLE: Edy Tavares (right hand fracture) is out. Team Notes
TURNOVERS
When Durant and Curry are as efficient on offense as they were in Game 1, the Warriors are going to be incredibly tough to beat as it is. But when Golden State limits their turnovers to the degree that they did on Thursday, well, the opposition’s margin for error is diminished even further. The Warriors totaled four turnovers in Game 1 – their fewest in a postseason game in franchise history – which tied the NBA record for fewest turnovers in an NBA Finals game. They committed one turnover in the first quarter and three in the third, going the entire duration of the second and fourth frames without a single miscue. Cleveland, on the other hand, committed 20 turnovers in the loss, establishing the biggest turnover differential in NBA Finals history since turnovers were first recorded in 1970-71. The end result was a 15-point advantage for Golden State in points off turnovers, and while that didn’t prove to be the sole deciding factor in the outcome, it kept the Warriors in the drivers seat all night long. If the Cavaliers hope to even the series in Game 2, they likely can’t permit the turnover margin to be so lopsided.
TEAM PLAYOFF LEADERS
GSW
PTS: Curry (28.5)
REB: Green (8.0)
AST: Green (6.8)
CLE
PTS: James (32.2)
REB: Love (11.1)
AST: James (7.1)
TWO SIDES OF THE COURT
Klay Thompson has yet to get on a hot streak offensively in the playoffs, but that hasn’t come at the expense of his tremendous defense. Thompson totaled six points in Game 1, but limited the Cavs to 1-of-12 shooting from the field when he was the primary defender. Thompson now has an individual defensive rating of 97.0 in the postseason, the second-best mark of any player averaging at least 15 minutes per game in these playoffs (Draymond Green is first at 93.5). “If I get six points a game and it gets us a championship, I’ll do that every year,” Thompson said on Friday. While one would expect his shot to start falling eventually, the fact that Thompson has been able to remain extremely effective on defense has played a major part in Golden State becoming the first team in NBA history to start a postseason with a 13-0 record. Points tend to get the glory in the box score, but as Thompson continues to remind us, there are two sides to every court.