var $ = jQuery.noConflict(); $(document).ready(function(){ loadrecapdata('0041600401'); });
Wrap-Up -- The problem with facing the Warriors has always been their ability to quickly turn a small lead into a large one. And that’s exactly what they did in Game 1 of the 2017 Finals – transforming a competitive contest at intermission into a second-half blowout.
The Cavaliers and Warriors went toe-to-toe through the first quarter, hinting at the heavyweight battle that was about to unfold. But Golden State opened the gap in the second period and pulled away in the third -- handing the Wine & Gold their worst loss (and first road defeat) of the postseason – a 113-91 decision on Thursday night at Oracle Arena.
In their third Finals matchup with the Warriors, Cleveland has now dropped the first game in each meeting.
Tyronn Lue knew that his squad couldn’t afford to turn the ball over against the high-octane Warriors, but that was easier said than done in Game 1 – with Cleveland committing 20 miscues that led to 21 Golden State points.
”We talked about it before we come into this series, that our best defense is going to be our offense, of taking care of the basketball, not a lot of turnovers,” lamented Lue. “And tonight we had 20, and that's way too many against this team.”
And as familiar as these two teams are with each other come June, there’s a colossal difference between this year’s Dubs and the team Cleveland’s battled against in previous seasons.
”KD” answered LeBron James, succinctly, when asked what the biggest difference between this showdown and the previous two.
Kevin Durant seemed to control the game from the opening tip and after throwing down three essentially uncontested dunks in the first half, the Cavaliers didn’t initially offer much resistance.
When the smoke cleared, the former MVP went on to lead both squads with 38 points – going 14-for-26 from the floor, including 3-of-6 from long-range and 7-of-8 from the stripe – adding eight boards and eight assists in the win.
The Cavaliers were paced by LeBron – who finished with 28 points on 9-for-20 shooting to go with 15 boards, eight assists and a pair of blocks. But James also committed eight of Cleveland’s turnovers, part of the reason Golden State was able to outscore the Cavaliers, 27-9, on the fastbreak.
Kyrie Irving followed up with 24 points, going 10-of-22 from the floor, including 3-of-4 from long-range. But both he and LeBron did most of their damage in the first half.
They weren’t alone in their second-half struggles. The Cavaliers shot just 32 percent in the decisive third quarter and had an even rougher time in the fourth, shooting 28 percent in the period.
The Big Three combine for 77 points as the Cavs fall in Game 1.
”There's no way can you simulate the Warriors offense, so when you come out here, and no matter how greatly prepared you are, you know going against them and being in a game is totally different,” said the four-time All-Star. “So I'm glad that we got Game 1 out of the way. And to have this type of game and have an effort that we put forward, there's definitely some things that are correctable.”
Overall, the Cavaliers made just 13 shots after halftime – netting three more turnovers (8) than assists (5) in the second stanza.
Kevin Love rounded out the Cavaliers in double-figures, tallying his sixth straight double-double with 15 points and a Playoff career-high 21 boards, grabbing five off the offensive glass.
But like many of his teammates, Love struggled to shoot the ball – connecting on just 4-of-13 from the floor. Cleveland’s two other starters didn’t fare any better.
J.R. Smith’s triple to open the game were his only points in Game 1 – going 1-of-4 on the night. Tristan Thompson, who averaged a double-double against Golden State in last year’s finals took the collar on three shots – going scoreless and grabbing just four boards in 22 ineffective minutes.
Off Cleveland’s bench, Richard Jefferson went 3-of-6 from the field for nine points, but Cleveland’s remaining reserves shot a combined 3-of-18 in the loss.
Steph Curry was the only other Warrior in double-figures – finishing with 28 points on 11-for-22 shooting, including 6-of-11 from beyond the arc. Curry also handed out a game-high 10 assists on the night – just five fewer than the Cavaliers posted as a team.
Between the 2017 Playoffs’ two top-scoring teams, neither one shot particularly well in Game 1.
The Cavaliers shot 35 percent from the floor and 36 percent from long-distance; the Warriors, 43 and 36 percent, respectively. But Cleveland’s turnovers and Golden State’s hot-shooting third quarter was the difference on Thursday night in Oakland.
Turning Point -- It’s essential to “stay attached” to the high-powered Warriors – not allowing them to bust an otherwise tight game wide open. But the Cavaliers were unable to keep a lid on Golden State in the third period on Thursday.
Cleveland trailed by just eight – 60-52 – at half, but Durant opened the second scoring with a triple – keying a 13-0 run to start the second half – putting the Cavaliers down three TDs before they knew what hit them.
The Cavs canned back-to-back threes to get themselves back into the flow and when Kyrie Irving scored on a layup with 3:06 to play in the period to cut Golden State’s lead to 12 – 80-68 – it seemed like the Wine and Gold was right back within striking distance.
But Durant and Curry led the Warriors on a 10-0 run from there – and the Cavs would find themselves back down 21 as the third quarter came to a close.
”We just didn’t start that third quarter like we felt we were capable of and needed to,” said Kevin Love. “We said before the series started that they’re a team that’s capable of runs, and they showed that tonight in the third quarter. We kept fighting and fighting, but they never looked back.”
By the Numbers – 18.6, 12.9 … Kevin Love’s scoring and rebounding numbers over his last eight Playoff games – doubling-up in seven of those contests while shooting .465 from the floor, including .519 from long-distance.
Quotable – LeBron James, on Cleveland’s Game 1 loss in Oakland …
”It's great to get the first game up underneath us. We made a lot of mistakes; they capitalized. And we get an opportunity to get a couple days to see what they did and see what we did wrong and how we can be better in Game 2.”
Up Next -- After dropping the Finals opener, both teams will square off again on Sunday night before the series returns to Cleveland for the next two – with Game 3 slated for Wednesday, June 7 and Game 4 going down on Friday, June 9. From there, the Finals go 1-1-1 – with Game 5 on June 12 in Oakland, Game 6 on Thursday night back at The Q and Game 7 the following Sunday night, June 18, on the West Coast, if necessary.