June 7 vs Warriors

clejgabriele

Wrap-Up – If it’s possible for Cavalier fans to withstand the cardiac stress of more NBA Finals action, that action is coming back to Cleveland with the series tied up at 1-1 following the Wine and Gold’s heart-pounding 95-93 overtime victory on Sunday night at Oracle Arena.

And the hero of that thrilling victory laid out exactly what he expects when it does.

”I've heard our fans pretty loud before,” smiled LeBron James. “A couple instances my first postseason appearance was really loud, and me coming home against the Knicks at the start of the season was pretty good.  But I know we can be much, much louder than any fan base in this league. I know they're getting ready, and I can't wait to see them.”

The four-time MVP continued his historic, heroic run through the 2015 postseason on Sunday night – tallying a game-high 39 points, 16 boards and 11 assists – going 11-of-34 from the floor, 3-of-6 from long-distance and 12-of-16 from the stripe.

James appeared to put the game away with 3:14 to play in regulation when he canned a 28-foot bomb to put Cleveland ahead by 11 – 83-72. But in a series that already indicates that nothing’s going to come easy, the Warriors came storming back -- closing the game on a furious 15-4 run, capped by Stephen Curry’s game-tying finger-roll with eight seconds remaining in the fourth.

As they did in Game 1, the Cavs had a chance to win the game in regulation. But LeBron’s short jumper rattled out and Tristan Thompson’s putback didn’t fall as the buzzer sounded.

The thrills, spills and chills didn’t stop there.

Mirroring Thursday’s overtime period, the Cavaliers hit just a single field goal in the extra-session. But unlike that Game 1 loss, Cleveland went 5-of-6 from the stripe, including a pair of critical free throws by Matthew Dellavedova with 10.1 to play that gave the Cavaliers a one-point edge.

On Golden State’s next possession, Delly blanketed Curry – whose 19-foot attempt traveled only 18 feet. LeBron snagged the airball with 5.5 to play and was fouled – splitting the pair to give Cleveland a precarious two-point advantage.

On the Warriors final possession, Iman Shumpert grabbed his second steal of the extra-session to ice the victory. As the clock ticked down to triple-zeroes, an elated LeBron spiked the ball off the Oracle Arena floor and bear-hugged his teammates, beginning with Dellavdova.

After losing Kevin Love for the season to a separated shoulder in Game 4 of their First Round matchup with Boston, the Cavaliers got more bad news on Friday morning when an MRI revealed that All-Star guard Kyrie Irving would miss the remainder of the playoffs with a fractured left knee cap.

With Irving on the shelf, the shorthanded Cavaliers – who’ve lived by the mantra “next man up” all season – turned to Dellavedova, who’s had quite a historic run of his own this postseason.

The undrafted sophomore guard from Australia didn’t post huge numbers on Sunday – he rarely, if ever, does. But numbers simply can’t define Delly’s game, and that was the case again in Game 2 – finishing with nine points on 3-for-10 shooting, adding five boards, an assist and three steals.

Three of Delly’s five rebounds came in overtime, including a huge offensive board off a James Jones’ miss that led to his clutch free throws late in the period.

”(Dellavedova)'s a courageous kid that plays right,” praised Coach David Blatt following the first Finals win in Cavaliers franchise history. “There was a lot of nonsense swirling around about his style of play. I think anyone that really looks at him objectively and fairly recognizes someone that just plays hard, heartfelt, and tough basketball.”

The numbers that do explain Dellavedova’s contribution come from Golden State’s side of the stat sheet.

On Sunday night, Curry – the league’s reigning MVP – was held to just 19 points, going 5-for-23 from the floor, including 2-of-15 from beyond the arc. Curry finished with six boards and five helpers, but also committed a team-high six miscues. He was 0-for-6 in one-on-one matchups with Cleveland's young guard.

Leading up to the overtime histrionics, the Cavaliers got another strong performance from Timofey Mozgov, who notched his third double-double of the postseason with 17 points and 11 boards – going 5-of-8 from the floor and 7-for-12 from the stripe.

Tristan Thompson had another big rebounding night himself – finishing with 14 points, grabbing exactly half of those off the offensive glass.

Thompson, Mozgov and James combined to grab 41 of Cleveland’s 55 boards. The Cavaliers – who improved to 13-0 this postseason when outrebounding their opponent – did exactly that on Sunday, outdoing Golden State by 10 on the glass.

There were plenty of rebounding opportunities, with neither team shooting particularly well in Game 2. The Cavs shot just 33 percent from the floor, including 33 percent from long-distance. The Warriors, who lead the league in three-point shooting, shot just 23 percent from deep on Sunday. Klay Thompson led Golden State with 34 points, but he and his fellow Splash Brother combined to shoot just 6-for-27 from downtown.

J.R. Smith, who was the only Cavalier reserve to score in Game 1, finished with 13 points before fouling out late in overtime. In Game 2, Smith got some help from James Jones, who drilled a pair of big first-half treys, finishing with eight points and two steals.

Turning Point – Before all the late drama, Golden State looked like it might blow out the wounded Wine and Gold right out of the gate – running out to a 20-12 lead and sending their sold-out crowd into an early frenzy.

But after a Cavaliers timeout, LeBron scored quickly on a well-designed play to spring him for an easy layup. That seemed to ignite the Cavaliers, who proceeded to tie the game at 20-apiece to end the first quarter. The Cavaliers would eventually extend their lead to seven late in the second before the Warriors clawed back to get within a deuce before intermission.

There was still 24 minutes of basketball to play – plus another bonus five-minute period for the second straight game, an NBA Finals first to start the series. But the Wine and Gold weathered Golden State’s first barrage, setting themselves up for the thrilling victory in the second stanza.

By the Numbers – 13 … career postseason triple-doubles for LeBron James, including his second this postseason. The 11-time All-Star has also now posted 56 playoff games in which he’s notched at least 30 points, five boards and five assists. He’s now won at least one road game in 22 straight postseason series.

Quotable – LeBron James, on his squad’s resilience in the Finals …

”If you're looking for us to play sexy, cute basketball, then that's not us. Everything is tough. We're going to come in with an aggressive mindset defensively and offensively. And for us to win a Finals game shooting 32 percent from the field, it's just a testament of how gritty we can be. It has to be that for the rest of the series, no matter how many games it takes.”

Up Next – After Sunday’s white-knuckle win, the Finals shift back to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4 at The Q on Tuesday and Thursday night, respectively. The series returns to Oakland for Game 5 next Sunday and, if necessary back to the North Coast next Tuesday night for Game 6. If the Finals extend to Game 7, the Conference champs will square off on Friday night, June 19, back at Oracle Arena.

wine-and-gold-get-even-in-overtime

Wine and Gold Get Even in Overtime

clejcaione

Q.	Could you talk about the contribution of Dellavedova? 
COACH BLATT:  You know, he did what he has been doing every time that we've put him in that position.  He's a courageous kid that plays right.  There was a lot of nonsense swirling around about his style of play.  I think anyone that really looks at him objectively and fairly recognizes someone that just plays hard, heartfelt, and tough basketball.
Always there for his teammate.  Teammates always there for his team.  And he played big tonight, and we needed him to.

Q.  Do you guys have a master plan to cause us all heart attacks? 
  COACH BLATT:  Well, you know, we are playing a pretty good team, and it's not going to be easy.  I don't know that we'll see any easy games in this series.  I suppose it could happen, but the two teams are really battling and playing the game hard, I think, playing it right.
Today's situation was not all that together different than last game, because they had the last shot to win the game today.

Q.  But could you elaborate about the difference between this game and the last game, the adjustments you guys made? 
  COACH BLATT:  Well, I mean, there is the obvious that suddenly we were in a situation where we had to play without Kyrie.  I thought we were stronger and fresher at the end of the game.  Maybe we did a little bit better job of distributing, not so much distributing the minutes, but spreading them out and giving guys a chance to rest here and there.
  On the other hand, because of the fact that our roster is shorter or our rotation is shorter, we're asking a lot of our guys to be able to play significant minutes and give us what we need them to give us, and they're doing it.
I thought we played well enough to win the last game, too, to be honest with you.  Today the ball just bounced our way at the right time, and that's why today we won and the other day we lost.

Q.  You've mentioned what Matthew was able to accomplish on the court tonight.  But defensively as a team you hold Steph Curry to 5-for-23 shooting, and Delly was on him a lot.  Did you have to do anything to prep him mentally for that challenge, the reigning MVP, defensively? 
  COACH BLATT:  You know, we've got a good game plan in place for how we want to defend.  I think our coaches, all of them, have done a great job helping the guys prepare and know how we want to handle different situations and different players.
  A player of Steph's magnitude is not one that you can really go out there and stop the guy.  What you try to do is make his life difficult and hope that perhaps that particular day he's not making some of the really, really tough shots that he does make.  Because he's a shot maker and a tough shot maker.
And I thought today we kept most of his shots tough, and a lot of them didn't fall.  That's really the only thing.  We just tried to be attached and we tried to be close and tried to disturb.  And fortunately fewer of his tough shots went in.

Q.  You guys had great success feeding on a steady diet to the Warriors in the paint tonight.  26 points, but all of it came in the first half.  Could you talk about what happened the second half?  Was it defensive adjustments that made the difference where the Cavs were not able to be successful again in the second half of the game in that critical part? 
  COACH BLATT:  Yeah, we did go away from it a little bit.  We recognized something else that we wanted to play on, and we played on that.  But baskets aren't coming easy in this series, no matter where you're shooting them from or what you're playing.  And we're playing against a very good defensive team.
Like you said, we had some success, some good success in the first half getting it inside, and much less so in the second, and it's something that we'll look at.

Q.  Mozgov, why didn't he play in the end?  Was that just going small against the Warriors? 
  COACH BLATT:  Well, first of all, Moz played great.  He played extremely well the in first game too.  We played the lineup we thought we needed to play to match up properly with them and at the same time not lose an advantage at the other end.
As you guys know, we've played different lineups and used different lineups throughout the course of the year.  But the lineup to finish the game is one that's been a winning lineup for us, and that's why we played it.

Q.  LeBron didn't have an efficient shooting night, but it seemed like he really willed your team and did a lot of different things for you.  Can you comment on what you thought of his performance tonight? 
  COACH BLATT:  Geez, you'd be hard pressed to find a guy anywhere, anytime -- I can think of a name or two, but that's the whole history of basketball -- that can give you the kind of all-around performance and all-around leadership that LeBron does for his group.
And I think you said it the right way, he really willed his guys to win that game.  That's what a champion does, and obviously he's a champion.

Q.  You're up 11 with 3:00-plus left.  What was going through your mind as that lead was disappearing very rapidly?  What were you saying during the timeouts, and what did you say right before overtime to your players? 
  COACH BLATT:  Well, the people in Israel are up at 6:00 o'clock in the morning.  I've got to give them something to do.  I can't just make it easy.  7 million people watching the game, it's got to be exciting.
  No, really, honestly, the thing is that particularly in this game, the NBA game, nobody's ever out of it unless they're playing badly and have quit.  Obviously Golden State was doing neither.  They were going to make a run at some point.  It came at that stage, and they made plays and they made shots, and their crowd got into it there in the end.
And we had everything -- we had to do everything we could just to hold on, and fortunately we did.

Q.  You spoke to us before the game and spoke of a confidence level within the team.  But as you know, after Game 1 with what happened to Kyrie, a lot of people wrote the Cavs off for this series.  How important is confidence in what happened tonight and going forward for the series? 
  COACH BLATT:  Well, first of all, I told you before the game, all that writing off and underdog title and little chances, that's a good thing.  This team has nothing on their mind but trying to win the championship.  And the fact that Kyrie went down, the fact that Kevin went down earlier has not changed our resolve in any way, has not caused us to look for some particular break or sympathy because it's not coming.  It hasn't come to us all year.  We've dealt with adversity from day one this year.
These situations only make us stronger.  And I thought the guys played a very heartful game tonight.

Q.  What could you say about the defensive effort especially on Stephen Curry? 
  COACH BLATT:  Well, to hold Golden State under a hundred points or under 95 points, you're doing something on defense.  And our guys are really, really, really locked in and defending and making an effort and making multiple efforts on every single play.
  And that is the only way to play against the Warriors, because they're so potent offensively and they can put up points so quickly and in a multitude of ways that you have no choice but to be aware or get beat.
  And I thought we were aware, and I thought we were locked in on almost every play.  That's what it took.

Q.	Your bench just got nine points in Game 1 and got 21 points today.  What do you think about that? 
LEBRON JAMES:  Well, our bench was big for us tonight.  We needed everything that we got from them.  They came in and did an excellent job of contributing offensively and defensively.  They were pretty good.

Q.  LeBron, what is the next day and a half or so going to be like for you thinking about playing an NBA Finals game back in Cleveland? 
  LEBRON JAMES:  Well, it's going to be the same as it has been being out here.  Round-the-clock treatment, get my body, get my mind ready for the game.
I get an opportunity to go home.  I haven't seen my wife, seen my kids in four or five days.  Give them some big hugs, big kisses, and then I'm going to lock back in.  So it's the same thing for me.

Q.  What did you do after the shock of losing Game 1 and the news about Kyrie to get the team's spirits up heading into this game? 
  LEBRON JAMES:  Just letting them understand and telling them about the moment, the moment that we're in, not about the game.  I think the game is such a small thing, when you think about the moment and compare it to the moment.  We have a chance to be a part of history, but it's the small steps that you take to get to that point.
So mentally, physically, just having those guys ready, throwing things in their ears to try to let them understand what this is all about, and they responded very well.

Q.  Have you ever played with a guy like Matthew Dellavedova before?  And what was going through your mind when he was at the free-throw line? 
  LEBRON JAMES:  No, I think he's unique in his own way.  Obviously he's a guy that's been counted out his whole life.  Probably people have been telling him he's too small, he's not fast enough, can't shoot it enough, can't handle it good enough, and he's beat the odds so many times.
The confidence that we have in him allows him to be confident in himself.  He goes out and he just plays his tail off, and when a guy like that does that, he gets great results.

Q.  And about the free throws?
LEBRON JAMES:  Well, he was very calm.  Before you get to the free throws, just to follow up on the missed three by J.J., usually when J.J., J.R. and Mike Miller shoot, we don't rebound, because most of the time they make them.  So for us, for Delly to be able to crash in and get that and go up there and knock two free throws down, that was huge.

Q.  Your coach said that you guys were the underdog and you were written off.  You guys were written off coming into this game.  How much is that a personal motivation for you and how important, how good does it feel to get a rare -- to get a loss -- to get a win in Golden State? 
  LEBRON JAMES:  Well, I mean, I don't need any extra motivation.  I think our guys love it.  Our guys love the fact that we've been counted out and come into the series being an underdog.  They're pretty much saying that especially after Kyrie got hurt and the series was over.  I think our guys are using that as motivation.  I use a little bit of it, but I have a lot of motivation already to just be a part of greatness and be a part of this and be a part of this atmosphere.
My motivation is to make sure my guys are ready and prepared every night we step on the floor.  And I have some other motivation that I won't talk about right now, but I have so many different things to worry about than being an underdog or guys counting us out.

Q.  LeBron, just take us through Delly's performance on Steph Curry.  It's one of Steph's probably worst shooting performances in his career. 
  LEBRON JAMES:  It had everything to do with Delly.  He just kept a body on Steph.  He made Steph work.  He was spectacular, man, defensively.  We needed everything from him.  When Steph shoots the ball, you just automatically think it's going in because he shoots the ball so well.  I mean, he stunned me on one in the fourth quarter where he just took an in-and-out dribble and raised for a three and he nailed it and that wasn't on Delly.
He just did a great job.  Just trying to make it tough on Steph.  That's all you can do.  You make it tough on him.  You get a contest, and you live with the results, and I think Delly did that.

Q.  You've talked about different versions of this team this year.  What is the identity of the team right now, and when did you discover that maybe it could be a grittier team than you had anticipated? 
  LEBRON JAMES:  Yeah, that's what it is, it's the grit squad that we have.  It's not cute at all.  If you're looking for us to play sexy, cute basketball, then that's not us.  That's not us right now.  Everything is tough.  You know, we're going to come in with an aggressive mindset defensively and offensively.
And for us to win a Finals game shooting 32 percent from the field, it's just a testament of how gritty we can be.  It has to be that for the rest of the series, no matter how many games it takes.

Q.  If you go back and look through just at all your games, all your performances, I don't think, especially in the playoffs, you've ever done what you've pulled off personally the last two games.  There are a number of different ways you can answer this, but where is it coming from? 
  LEBRON JAMES:  (Laughing).  It just comes from the work ethic.  When the 20,000-plus fans aren't there and you guys aren't there, I mean, you see it because you're probably with me every day and some of your other guys or some of our other beat writers, you guys see how much work I put into my craft every day, before, after practice.
When you put that much work in there, you live with the results.  For me to be able to go out on the biggest stage and to be able to make plays happen for my teammates is the ultimate feeling for myself.  That's why I take my profession, I take my craft very seriously.

Q.  You mentioned I believe yesterday, you said you could play 41, 42 minutes.  You played well over that tonight and still played -- you were a force each and every minute on the court.  The next question everybody's going to ask is can this continue?  Are you built for this? 
LEBRON JAMES:  Well, am I built for it?  Well, of course I'm built for it (laughing).  I mean, it's a maximum of five games left in the NBA season.  So I'm ready for whatever.

Q.  Just piggybacking on that, two overtime games, 90-something minutes for you.  How much are you feeling it right now?  And did you come into tonight's game with a little bit different edge knowing you didn't have Kyrie to lean on a little? 
LEBRON JAMES:  Did you see how I walked in here?  I'm feeling it.  I'm feeling it right now for sure.  That's why I've got one of the best trainers in the world in Mike Mancias who will make sure I'm ready for Game 3.  We already have started on my rehab.  Already started on my session.  I will get rehab on the plane.  We've got a five-hour flight back home, and we've got all-around-the-clock treatment tomorrow and get ready for Game 3.  I'll be ready.

Q.  Byron Scott used to talk about the injured dog theory; that an injured dog is the most frightening dog.  Do you guys feel like that's where you're at right now? 
  LEBRON JAMES:  I mean, all we can do is go out and play hard.  We're undermanned.  I mean, we're without two All-Stars, and I don't know any other team in this league that would be able to do that, to be able to be without two All-Stars on their team and compete the way we compete and be a force.  So the guys are taking that very personal.
For us mentally we can't allow -- the one thing we can't allow is what everyone is saying about us affect what we need to do out on the floor, because that's just smoke and mirrors of what everybody else says about us or what they think is going to happen with the series.  What truly matters is what we have as a game plan and how we go out and execute it.  That's all that matters.

Q.  LeBron, I think you would prefer not to have to shoot 38 or 34 shots a game.  What's it like for you to play this way and know that you do have to go out there and do this? 
  LEBRON JAMES:  Well, the good thing about tonight, I took 34 shots, but I had my 11 assists.  Once again, I was knocking on the 40 door again.  So they let me score 40 again.  That felt pretty -- I'm happy I'm able to do that in a win.  So just to go out -- I'm not a high-volume shooter.  I've never been in my career.  But things have changed on our team where the shots that Kevin and Kyrie would have has now been placed on myself and the rest of the guys as well.
It's what needs to be done to help our team win.  Am I going to be in the 30s every game or things of that nature?  I'm not sure.  I would not like to.  But if that's what the case has to be to help us win, then I don't have a choice.

Q.  You obviously won four of these, but this is the first Finals win in Cavaliers history.  You obviously are a man of history.  What's this mean to you? 
  LEBRON JAMES:  It means everything.  It means everything to be able to be a part of history and to get this win for this franchise, for our city, for all the Cavs fans all over the world.
  And if I can leave my fans with something, these fans here are pretty loud, pretty good, really good.  I'm looking forward to seeing our fans and I can't wait to see our fans.  I've heard our fans pretty loud before.  A couple instances my first postseason appearance was really loud, and me coming home against the Knicks at the start of the season was pretty good.  But I know we can be much, much louder than any fan base in this league.
  I know they're getting ready, and I can't wait to see them.

Q.	What was your key to stop the best shooter in the NBA tonight? 
MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  I think it's just a team defensive cover.  Everybody has to be alert the whole game because if you lose him for a second, he's going to get a good look.  Even if you play good defense, he's going to hit some tough shots, so you've just got to keep defending him and just make it as hard as possible.

Q.  Delly, as you continue to play well in these Finals in the playoff series, there are a lot of critics and skeptics out there who doubt your game.  Is that a part of the motivation for you to prove them wrong? 
MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  I mean, I don't really pay attention to anything outside of the locker room because none of that stuff really matters.  As for the motivation part, it's the NBA Finals, and if you need to be looking for extra motivation, you probably shouldn't be playing.

Q.  Can you take me through, first of all, you got the offensive rebound, big in traffic.  Then you get two free throws and you nail them.  Hostile environment, everything just rattling in the arena.  Can you describe what that was like and if you've ever felt anything like that before at the line? 
  MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  I mean, that is a classic thing you practice as a kid growing up:  down one, you need to make both free throws.  So I felt like I've been in that situation a million times before.
As for the play, LeBron made a really good pass, and you're going to bet him to make that 99 times out of a hundred, and just crush the boards and it just fell to me.  So I was pretty lucky.

Q.  LeBron said that his confidence and his teammates' confidence in you gives you so much confidence.  What's it like to go against Steph Curry, the MVP, on the biggest stage of all and hold him without a basket, without a point, when you're his primary defender? 
MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  I mean, I think as a team we have a collective confidence that we can still win and still get the job done.  I think we developed that at the end of the Chicago series, and then the Atlanta series.  So I think we have good cohesiveness on offense and especially on the defensive end.

Q.  There were a couple plays that kind of had echoed from previous stuff that you went through this season.  Of course the free throws, you missed the free throws in Philly earlier in the year, and then the loose ball you picked up on the floor, you went through that whole situation in Atlanta and there was a lot of speculation about the way you play the game.  Do you feel like the experience that you've had this year have culminated to allow you to be performing the way you are now? 
MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  I think all of your experiences, this season, last season, at St. Mary's, at the Institute of Sport, growing up in Maryborough, everything, you want to learn from everything that you do and have gone through.  So you just want to continually keep trying to get better.

Q.  Certainly your role changed from Game 1 to Game 2 with Kyrie Irving being injured.  Did your preparation over the last two games change with the assertion of the starting role? 
MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  My preparation didn't really change that much, I just tried to make sure I was really hydrated.  That was probably the main thing.

Q.  You mentioned J.J. being such a great shooter.  You expect him to make that shot, and LeBron even said a lot of times with those kinds of shooters that you guys don't crash the boards because you almost expect it to go in.  So why did you crash there?  What told you -- what instinct told you to crash? 
MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  Time and score, down 1 with -- I'm not even sure how much was left.  But we would have to foul if he didn't make it, so you don't want to leave anything to chance.

Q.  I know that Kyrie left a message on Instagram to encourage you.  Was he able to talk to you in person maybe through a call before the game to talk about how to stay calm and stay positive in the game? 
MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  I spoke to Kyrie when Shum was Facetiming him after his surgery.  Just said what's up to him and hope he has a speedy recovery.  But we're looking forward to hopefully catching up with him when we're back in Cleveland.

Q.  LeBron said Curry's struggles had everything to do with you.  Curry said you played hard and followed the game plan, but nothing particularly special, he just missed shots.  How do you evaluate whether you actually stopped the guy or whether he just didn't have his normal night? 
MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  I mean, I don't think anyone can really stop Steph Curry.  He can get his shot off pretty much whenever he wants and can get hot in a second.  So we'll watch the tape and see what we need to do for Game 3.

Q.  In that, can you talk about that emotion when that shot that Steph Curry took at the end there fell short and you had that fist pump and that emotion going through you? 
MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  I mean, if they hit that, they're up one, and LeBron got the rebound and got to the line, so I was just pretty excited about getting the stop.

Q.  What sort of confidence does this give you now that you have homecourt advantage going into Game 3? 
MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  I mean, we know it's going to be a tough Game 3.  Every game against this team is going to be tough.  So while it's nice to be going back home, yeah, we're still going to have to do it out there on the court and, yeah, get ready to go.

Q.  The funny thing for us in Israel is LeBron just sat here and we haven't heard the name David Blatt mentioned even one time.  And now after becoming the first coach in Cavaliers history to win a game in NBA Finals, how much credit do you think he deserves for this win? 
  MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  Coach Blatt deserves a lot of credit.  We've got a good game plan going into the game, and I'm sure the coaches will continue to make adjustments.  But I think he's done a really good job all year.
Yeah, I enjoy playing for him, and I've learned a lot so far.  So, yeah, looking forward to continuing that.

Q.  It took you a while to break your Finals duck.  It took you to last quarter.  What gave you the confidence to keep shooting and you pulled up big in the last breaks? 
  MATTHEW DELLAVEDOVA:  I think I maybe rushed a couple early on, but I had good looks, they just didn't go down.  But the team and the coaches still had confidence in me and were telling me to look for my shots.  So it was nice to knock a couple down in the end.

Q. It just didn't look like you ever got going offensively except maybe in that last three-minute run in the fourth quarter.  What explains that in your mind?  What happened offensively?  Was it just Cleveland getting a little more physical on every play? 
  COACH KERR:  Yeah, their defense was great.  I think they deserve a lot of credit for the way they played.  They got into the passing lanes.  They took our rhythm away.  Then we've got to do a better job ourselves of trying to create that pace and rhythm.
  We'll look at the tape.  We've got to put our guys in a better position to get good looks.  I thought sometimes you get open shots that aren't rhythm shots, so you're not flowing, you're not playing well, and you haven't created anything offensively.  Then all of a sudden you do get an open look, but you're not in the flow, in the groove.  And I thought there was some of that tonight.
So we've got to do a better job, and, like I said, we'll watch the tape and figure it out.

Q.  Stephen Curry had an unusual game for him tonight.  Could you explain at all what you understand about it?  What happened and why? 
COACH KERR:  It happens.  It happens to everybody, whether you're the MVP or a role player.  Sometimes the shots don't go in.  Sometimes things don't go your way.  Steph will bounce back.  He's a great player.  We'll help him.  We'll try to see if we can get him into a better groove.  But he'll be fine.

Q.  Was it just that he was having an off night or was it the Cavaliers doing something to him? 
COACH KERR:  It's always both.  It's always both.  The defense has a big impact, and I thought their defense was very good.  Then there's other stuff that you have to be able to do to combat that, and we didn't do that.

Q.  Steph was good last game, but he's had a few off nights shooting the ball lately in I think the last four or five games.  Is it just a bad trend at the wrong time or are you seeing anything in particular going on with his shooting? 
  COACH KERR:  No, I'm not seeing anything like that.  I mean, the guy's been phenomenal in the playoffs.  So sometimes the ball doesn't bounce your way, it doesn't go in, it's fine.  You keep playing.
  I've seen it with everybody.  I've seen it with Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan.  It doesn't matter who you are.  Nobody is immune from a tough night.
So Steph has been phenomenal throughout the playoffs.  Doesn't mean he's going to light it up every single night.  So you chalk it up to a bad night and see what you can do to try to free him up and maybe get him some open looks.

Q.  Much was made of Kyrie Irving being out of the series.  Matthew Dellavedova certainly doesn't have the pedigree Kyrie does.  But in this game he played a major role.  Steph didn't hit a shot while he was guarding him on some of those hustle plays.  What kind of impact did you see from Dellavedova and why do you think he was able to play such a role here? 
COACH KERR:  Well, he's a good player.  They won a couple games against Atlanta, the East Finals, without Kyrie, so this was no surprise.  This is what we expected.  Tough game.  Great defensive teams.  Both teams I thought defended like crazy out there.  It was a grind-out, kind of old-school game.  That's the style that it's going to be when you get this deep in the playoffs.  It's rarely a track meet.

Q.  Do you think there is an element that Dellavedova gives them that even a great player like Kyrie does not? 
COACH KERR:  They're different.  It's like anything else.  You replace one guy with another.  Everybody's a little different.  You have strengths, weaknesses, whatever.  So it's all part of it, and you just adapt accordingly, and you move on.

Q.  You sound like you're in a patient mood, and I know this year sometimes you go back and forth between being patient and letting them have it when you need to.  Why are you taking this tactic now? 
  COACH KERR:  How do you know I'm not just being patient with you?  Maybe I did light into them in the locker room.  Look, this is The Finals.  I mean, it's hard.  It's supposed to be hard.  We had a tough night.  So you have to move on.  You've got to learn from it and get better.
And that's what we're going to do.  We were in the same position against Memphis.  Every series is a little different.  It's something you have to work through, look at match-ups, look at things you have to adapt to and adjust to, and you've got to continually get better as you go.  That's our goal.

Q.  Andrew Bogut pretty much invisible offensively tonight.  Just a couple points.  He only took one shot, missed it.  And down the stretch was he benched because they weren't putting Mozgov in?  Or was it vice versa and he was cold and you weren't going to go to him? 
  COACH KERR:  Well, we went to our small group with about three minutes left in the game.  Or maybe it was more than that.  That group was the one that got us into overtime.  So once you get to overtime with a group that's clicking, you generally don't make a move.  So we just stayed with the group that was playing well.

Q.	Steph, did it just feel not great for you shooting-wise all game long?  Is there an explanation for what happened to you with the field goals? 
  STEPHEN CURRY:  No, it didn't feel right, but there is no time to really worry about that.  You've got to keep shooting and try to figure it out.
I don't expect to shoot like this.  I've got to play better, find better shots and be more in a rhythm throughout the course of the game for us to really assert ourselves as a team.  Klay did a great job of keeping us in it all night when our offense was struggling and we still had a chance to win.
So just got to play better, move past this game, and keep the confidence.

Q.  Steph, did you feel like towards the end of regulation that you got something clicking?  Also, did Dellavedova do anything that you didn't expect? 
  STEPHEN CURRY:  No, he played hard and stuck to the game plan.  Early in the game I thought I was a little hesitant when I had an open shot, kind of pausing for a second and then trying to raise up and shoot it, and you just don't get a rhythm that way.
  I was able to get to the paint a little bit more in the second half.  I didn't finish many of them, but I was able to get in there and either make a play or try to -- especially that last shot down the stretch in overtime -- I mean of regulation.
But I'll look at the film and try to figure out exactly what adjustments they made, specifically on ball screens, and I'll be ready for Game 3.

Q.  You said your shot didn't feel right.  What, in particular, didn't feel right?  What didn't seem to be working for you?  And is it just tonight or has it been a few games now that your shot has been off? 
  STEPHEN CURRY:  No, just tonight.  Shots I normally make I knew as soon as they left my hand that they were off.  That doesn't usually happen.  I mean, mechanically I don't know if there is an explanation for it, just didn't have a rhythm and didn't find one the whole game.
I'm not going to let one game kind of alter my confidence.  I know as a team we're not going to let one team alter our belief that we're going to win the series.  So nothing we can do about tonight.  We've got to move on and be ready to play a good team that's ready to go home.

Q.  What do you think that Dellavedova did tonight that really hurt your game?  Would this happen again? 
  STEPHEN CURRY:  Nothing really just besides playing their game plan and playing defense like every pro is supposed to.  Not giving up on any possession.
But I doubt this will happen again, with the adjustments I'll make once I'll look at the film.  And like I said, one game is not going to make me stop shooting or alter my confidence at all.

Q.  Steph, you win an overtime game.  You lose now an overtime game.  Do you look at it like you should be up 2-0 or do you look at it like you almost could be down 0-2? 
  STEPHEN CURRY:  I think both teams are probably thinking we both should be up 2-0.  Shumpert's shot goes in and then tonight happens and they're up 2.  If you look at little play after Draymond made the huge block, Andre gets the loose ball, I can't get my hands down quick enough to catch the pass, and we maybe get to the free-throw line to finish off the game.
  Obviously we're going to look at it as a positive.  We haven't played well offensively in two games.  We've made some plays when it counted and when it mattered to keep ourselves in it or, like we did in Game 1, win the game.  But we haven't really clicked.
You credit their defense.  They've done something that maybe has taken us out of our rhythm, and we have to figure out what that is specifically.  But I think we're still confident.  We still believe that we're going to win the series.

Q.  You were hedging and switching off on LeBron.  What did that do towards the end for the defense for you guys to be more aggressive especially with him out there on the three-point line? 
  STEPHEN CURRY:  That's their bread-and-butter play when they need to try to get a mismatch and need a shot.  They free LeBron up on the perimeter.  They set a 1-3 pick-and-roll, and we knew that coming in.  We had a game plan to attack that play.  They hit two.  Dellavedova hit a three, and to start overtime Shumpert hit a three out of that play that we don't want to give up.
That's something we'll have to figure out before Game 3.  But for the most part, our defense shot 33 percent from the field.  Obviously we were under 100, but we kept them under 100, too, so we can take some positives out of that on our defense, but offensively we've just got to be better.

Q.  Steph, are the Cavaliers the best defensive team you've faced all season? 
  STEPHEN CURRY:  I mean, they're up there.  That's why they're here.  They don't get to The Finals without some sort of defensive presence.  Having that mentality, that's what's going to help you win.  So they have talent on that end.  They hustle.  They work hard, and they have athleticism that helps them in the situation.  So they're a great defensive team.
I think they relied on that, obviously, in the playoffs to get them to this level.  We're a great offensive team when we click, and we've got to get to that point.

Q.  Considering the stakes, Steph, is this about as frustrating a game as perhaps you've had in your career? 
  STEPHEN CURRY:  Yeah, my first Finals appearance and my first Finals loss, so it's definitely tough.  Dealing with the emotions of it and the highs and lows of this game, you try to leave it on the floor because it's a long series and you know we can come back Game 3 and really take control of the series right back.
  But it's frustrating because we're at home.  We're supposed to win.  Once we got into overtime, we had all the confidence in the world that we were going to get it done, but fell a little bit short.
Just got to handle it the right way and get ready for Tuesday.

Q.  With all the injuries the Cavaliers have, I saw you guys attacking Delly.  How are you going to utilize that as an advantage because the Cavaliers are really shorthanded? 
  STEPHEN CURRY:  We have to use our depth and our versatility in whatever lineup we throw out there.  We've got to keep the pace up.  Every game your legs get a little heavier as you go through the series and the amount of effort that you have to put into it.
  You want to rely on the -- we go ten, we could go 11 deep, and we want to use that to our advantage.  The only way we can do it, though, is if we push the pace, push the tempo, and get stops and turn it into offense.  We did it at times tonight, but not for 48 minutes and overtime.

Q.	You got off to a better start today, and as a result you finished with 34 points.  Was that part of the game plan, to get you going early tonight? 
KLAY THOMPSON:  No, I just let the offense come to me and tried to play as aggressive as I can.  But in the end, 34 points is meaningless.

Q.  This game was very different than the last game.  How are you feeling physically coming off of the concussion?  Was the last game tougher for you to get into a rhythm, and do you feel a hundred percent healthy now? 
KLAY THOMPSON:  I feel a hundred percent.  I don't think -- I mean, last game I had some great shots that just didn't go in.  That's just basketball.  But I honestly don't even really remember.  I was just trying to take it one game at a time.

Q.  You got off to a good start shooting the ball, but as a team obviously it was not your guys' night.  How tough was it on this stage to kind of see Steph have a night like he had and just overall the team not be able to get the shots to go down? 
KLAY THOMPSON:  Well, we have all the confidence in the world in Steph.  We know he's going to bounce back with a great night, a few great nights.  Without him we wouldn't have been in the game there at the end.  So this is on no one's shoulders.  It's a collective effort.  It's a team sport, and obviously it really stings right now, but we've been in this situation before and we're not going to let it deflate us.

Q.  You guys did a great job defensively against LeBron.  It seemed like he didn't shoot a high percentage, yet he gets 39, 16, and 11.  Is there anything more you could do against him and how good was he tonight when they needed him? 
  KLAY THOMPSON:  He played really well.  He did a good job finding people.  In the end we put ourselves in a great position to win.  That's why it hurts even more.  I'm really proud of the way we all fought.
There are going to be a lot of what-ifs tonight, and that just comes with basketball, and just got to regroup tomorrow, and we'll be all right.

Q.  Klay, can you assess the impact that Matthew Dellavedova, a guy who doesn't usually play a lot, had on this game? 
KLAY THOMPSON:  He had a good few plays there at the end, some big shots as well.  I forgot to box him out on that last possession where he got the foul, and I'm going to think about that for a long time.  I shouldn't have tracked the ball.  I should have found my man.  So it's tough, but you've got to give him credit.  He made big plays.

Q.  Obviously you exploded tonight.  But what is it about the Cavs' defense that frustrates you so much and stops you in both your first games with under 100 points at the end of regulation? 
  KLAY THOMPSON:  They're a long, athletic team.  They are playing good defense, but I think a lot of it is on us.  We're not playing like ourselves.  We're not moving the ball like we should.  We only had 16 assists.  That's not us, man.  We usually get 20, 25 when we're playing great.
So we've got to move the ball better and trust each other.  But they are playing well on the defensive end.  But it's more on us.  We've got to play with a better rhythm.

Q.  You seem very frustrated.  I understand it was obviously a very hard loss here at home.  Do you think your focus as a group didn't last like it has to?  Are you guys overconfident with all that Kyrie Irving stuff and you didn't start playing the way you guys needed to play tonight? 
  KLAY THOMPSON:  No, I don't think so.  We got off to a great start.  Kyrie being out, it didn't affect us because we know they're still a really good team.  They've won a lot of postseason games without him.
  We played great defense, man.  It's just we've got to play better on the offensive end and trust each other.  It's nobody's fault.  It's a team effort, and we'll bounce back.  We've been in this position before.

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Game Quotes: Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors - June 7

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Listen to Radio Play-by-Play announcer John Michael's Call of the Game during Game Two of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on June 7, 2015. The Cavaliers steal the ball to seal the franchise's first Finals victory and tie the series at 1 with a 95-93 win over the Warriors.

Escucha a la voz en español de los Cavaliers Rafa "El Alcalde" con la narración de la jugada del partido entre Los Cavaliers de Cleveland y Los Warriors de Golden State, en El Oracle Arena  de Okland, CA  el 7 de Junio del 2015. Los Cavs igualaron la serie a 1 juego por bando con victoria de 95-93 en tiempo extra. LeBron James tuvo otro partido de antologia con 39 puntos, 16 rebotes y 11 asistencias. El Rey consiguió así su 5to triple-doble en finales de la NBA. 3 de sus 39 puntos llegaron con su tercer triple de la noche que puso a Los Cavs arriba por 11 en el último cuarto.

call-of-the-game-cavs-at-golden-state-warriors-june-7

Call of the Game: Cavs at Golden State Warriors - June 7

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nba-finals-game-2-watch-party-at-the-q-june-7-2015

NBA Finals, Game 2: Watch Party at The Q – June 7, 2015

Cavs.com

nba-finals-game-2-cavaliers-at-golden-state-warriors-june-7-2015

NBA Finals, Game 2: Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors - June 7, 2015

Hey, Cavalier fans! It’s A.C., checking in from the Bay as the Cavaliers get ready for Game 2 tonight in Oakland. What’s happening?

Right now, the Cavaliers are trying to get their bearings after the loss of Kyrie for the rest of the playoffs. They’ve done it before, but now they’re taking on the league’s top team. It’ll be a tall order.

Situations like these are where playoff experience plays a HUGE role with a team. This is the adversity that LeBron always talks about – keeping a level head, understanding that it’s only one game. You have to go out and you have to perform. You go out and get the job done the next game. And you have to play with a little bit more determination and a little more focus.

With Kyrie going down, we’re going to be shorthanded again. It’s not new to them. But it’s a situation where they have to keep their focus and play tough on both ends – because those guards are hard to handle. You can’t leave them and if you get too tight on them, they can go by you. It’s going to be a tough task, but I think we can do it. J.R., Shump and Delly are all very, very tough defenders.

I was OK with Thursday’s defensive gameplan. I thought Golden State got a few too many easy weakside buckets due to missed assignments or not being in position. The Cavs have to correct that.

Offensively, I just think they have to share the ball more. I don’t think they shared the ball enough. They got into a little too much one-on-one play. Granted, LeBron and Kyrie were scoring, but nobody else was getting into a rhythm. And when we needed guys to have a rhythm, they didn’t have it.

The Cavaliers have proved this postseason that when a guy goes down, they’re able to refocus and pick up the slack. We’ll have to do it again if we’re going to go home, 1-1. You’re going to have guys step up. They’re going to have to re-distribute the points because odds are Delly’s not going to give them 23 points like Kyrie did in Game 1. And that’s why the key is going to be: move the ball; get everybody into an early rhythm.

On Thursday night, our defense kept us in the game. If it wasn’t for that, we would’ve been in trouble. And that’s what we have to rest our hat on now – especially with Kyrie out. We can’t get into a scoring battle with these guys. We have to keep the score under 100 points; we have to be solid defensively.

One of the keys in that respect is going to be Timo. I thought he was outstanding in Game 1. He played more minutes – which I love – and, more importantly, he left his imprint on the game. He was a factor all night. Now, he just needs to get a little tougher. He’s got to learn around that basket, even if you don’t get the dunk, you have to go after the dunk, because that’s how you draw fouls.

In Game 2, what I need to see is a little bit better movement of the ball. And we have to continue to defend, because Golden State is going to be loose on Sunday after getting one game under their belt.

They key is that we have to make them uncomfortable – keep them pressing, keep the crowd out of it. The more we make them uncomfortable, the better chance we have of sending this series back to Cleveland tied up.

And once we get back to Cleveland, this series will be a different story.

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Evening the Score

As-salamu alaykum, Cavalier fans. They call me “Optimist.” Let’s rap.

I have to start today’s column with an apology.

Before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, pitting our beloved Cavaliers against the Golden State’s Warriors, I unleashed 1,759 words of unfettered optimism upon you -- prattling on about Ten Cent Beer Night, El DeBarge’s birthday and Delly’s hijinks atop the War Rig.

For shifting your focus so far from the task at-hand, I hold myself personally responsible for Thursday’s loss. Please accept my apology.

So in today’s all-business column, there will be no celebration of Birthdays (even that of legendary crooner: Steubenville, Ohio’s own Dean Martin1) or mourning of those who Died On This Day and are Still Dead (including Drazen “The Dragon” Petrovic and the great Jim McKay). We’re not going to commemorate the grand opening of Graceland on This Date in 1982 or even celebrate the Feast Day of John the Baptist, who, for some reason, always seemed like a pretty hip saint – mostly because he’s usually portrayed as something of a Biblical surfer dude.

We’re all-business today because the “bat-signal” is burning brightly in the night sky in light of the difficult news that the Wine and Gold received on Saturday morning: that All-Star guard Kyrie Irving would be lost for the remainder of the postseason after suffering a fractured left kneecap in overtime of Cleveland’s eight-point loss at Oracle Arena.

The Cavaliers, who were underdogs before the series began, are now being completely written off.

The narrative says that the Wine and Gold had a good run, but there’s no way they can win it without two-thirds of their “Big Three.” The narrative says that you can’t replace an All-NBA Third Team performer with an undrafted Aussie. It says that even TheBron’s superpowers can’t rescue his hometown team and that Cleveland’s championship drought will continue – possibly for another 51 years.

Well I don’t know about you readers, but this is the time that I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE being a Cavaliers fan and employee. There’s simply no better place to be than where we are with six games remaining in the NBA season – with the odds stacked against us, with the basketball world burying us and with nothing to lose.

But this year’s story is about have an alternate ending – starting with Sunday night’s script-flipping victory at Oracle Arena.

On Sunday night, I don’t think the Cavaliers are going to win. I don’t hope that the Cavaliers are going to win. I guarantee that they’re going to win.

If you own a house or have a substantial nest-egg that you were grooming for your retirement, bet all of it instead on the Wine and Gold in tonight’s Game 2. League rules prohibit me from taking a cut of the winnings, but feel free to thank me on Monday morning.

I don’t have any statistical data to back up Guaranteed Win Night.

Does it make sense that the Wine and Gold would lose Thursday’s game with the East’s top-scoring point guard and win without him? Nope. Is it logical to assume that a Cavaliers bench that was outscored, 34-9, in Game 1 – (and just got thinner with Delly moving into the starting lineup) – will suddenly find some firepower? Not really.

But in these playoffs, the Cavaliers have had a strong rhythm even without Kyrie in the lineup. They’re forced to move the ball more – and that makes them much more dangerous. Swish won’t go 3-for-13 again and Shump will almost certainly exceed his six-point output. Timo looks like a mismatch in the middle and Tristan totally controlled the glass in Game 1.  And I think we all expect Delly to embrace his inner road warrior on Sunday night in Oakland.

And if you superstitious types are concerned that I’m rocking the Elvis Presley Playoff Hair™ again, even after the Cavaliers dropped Thursday’s contest – don’t be. Because I don’t believe in jinxes, curses, hexes, spells, poxes, kisses of death, whammies or double-whammies. (I do, however, recognize il malocchio a.k.a. “the maloik” a.k.a. “the evil eye.” My grandma once told me a former friend of hers put the maloik on her one day after church. Three days later, she got the gout. True story.)

I’m not sure if you readers are joining me as I continue to reshape my playoff coiffe2.

If not, there’s no shame in going with a traditional Playoff Beard™. Delly has a nice one brewing, as does Perk3. (And anything’s better than that of Cavs.com’s lily-livered beat-wiener, Joe Gabriele – whose ridiculously unkempt rally-whiskers prompted Coach Blatt to tell him after Saturday’s practice that he “looked like something out of ‘The Hobbit.’”  Ooof. That can’t be good for his self-esteem.)

So whatever look you’re rocking this postseason, keep it going. Because we’ve got work to do, and we’ve got the guy to get it done.

And before I cut you meatheads loose for the day, I have to say: I lied earlier about not writing about Graceland.  Of course I’m going to write about Graceland!

When the Cavaliers were in Memphis for a March 25 meeting with the Grizzlies, I made the pilgrimage to visit the King’s castle.  I felt that my life-to-date was incomplete, having never visited the “Jungle Room.”

During that morning’s shootaround, TheBron got word that a member of the Cavs family was making a trip to Graceland. With a big smile on his face, the four-time MVP did a spot-on Elvis impression4, belting out the chorus to “All Shook Up” complete with the King of Rock’n’Roll’s signature swivel-hipped dance move.

He seamlessly shifted back into shootaround mode, finished the workout, went back to the hotel, took a nap, then came out and dropped 20, 8 and 5 on the Grizzlies in a 22-point blowout at FedEx Forum later that night.

What’s the point of that story? The point is that TheBron is great at just about everything. He’s even great at being good. And how many people can say that?

But you know what he’s even better at than Elvis impressions? Winning NBA games and, specifically, NBA Championships. That’s what he came home to do.

Steve Kerr is a fantastic coach – voted the Association’s best this past year. But he can’t coach human nature. And after having being pre-coronated NBA Champs by the fawning national media – especially considering Kyrie’s injury – there’s a chance that human nature might prompt Golden State to ease off the accelerator.

The last two times TheBron went down 0-1 in the NBA Finals, his team wound up taking turns making out with the Larry O’Brien Trophy a few games later. And if Matthew McConaughey has taught us anything, it’s that time is a flat circle. So bet against TheBron at your own peril.

The Warriors were the NBA’s best team all season long. They have the top coach and the Most Valuable Player. But the difference between Golden State and Cleveland – as a team and a city – is that they want it, but we need it. And I’m calling for their capitulation to begin on Sunday night.

Enjoy this moment, Cavalier fans! It’ll just make it that much more sweet when we win the Whole Enchilada.

Gird up good and proper for a battle royale on Sunday night in Oakland. And now – more than ever – I need every last one of you to …

the-optimist-heading-into-game-2-of-the-finals

The Optimist Heading into Game 2 of the Finals

The Cavaliers will look to even the series in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Tipoff is at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Cleveland is 6-2 on the roa d in this year’s playoffs, winning five of their six games on the road by at least eight points. Away from home, the Cavs have held their foes to a combined .404 shooting from the field and .261 from beyond the arc.

Overall, the Cavaliers are 12-3 in the playoffs and are giving up 93.6 points, which is the 2nd- lowest of all 16 playoff teams. Cleveland also has the one of the top defensive field goal percentage among all teams in the playoffs at .415 (2nd overall), while allowing the lowest opponent three-point field goal percentage at .288.

The Cavs have won every single game this postseason when they tie or outrebound their opponent (12-0). Cleveland is averaging a +5.9 edge on the glass (46.8-40.9), which is tops in the 2015 NBA Playoffs.

For Golden State, Stephen Curry scored a team-high 26 points to go with eight assists while Klay Thompson had 21 points and hit a playoff career-high 8-of-8 at the foul line.

Golden State’s bench, led by 15 points from Andre Iguodala, outscored Cleveland’s reserves 34-9.

Get into the conversation with other die-hards.

Probable Starters/Status Update*presented by Cleveland Clinic

Status Update: Anderson Varejao, (Left Achilles Tendon Rupture, Out), Kevin Love, (Left Shoulder Dislocation, Out), Kyrie Irving, (Fractured Left Knee Cap, Out)

Warriors: PG - Stephen Curry, SG - Klay Thompson, SF - Harrison Barnes PF - Draymond Green, C - Andrew Bogut

In Game 1 against the Warriors, LeBron James scored a 2015 Playoff-high 44 points, to go along with eight rebounds and a team-high tying six assists in 46 minutes. It was the 4th time in James’ career he’s had at least 44 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a playoff game (5/31/07 vs. DET, 5/26/09 vs. ORL &amp; 5/9/09 vs. ATL).

After pulling down a game-high 15 rebounds (six offensive) in Game 1 against the Warriors, Tristan Thompson has now grabbed double-digit rebounds in eight of the last 10 games. As a starter this postseason (last 10 games), he is averaging 11.8 rebounds, to go along with 10.1 points on .565 shooting from the field, and 1.5 blocks in 38.9 minutes.

Timofey Mozgov was solid in his NBA Finals debut, tallying a playoff career-high tying 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and one block in 33 minutes. In his last five postseason games, Mozgov is averaging 11.8 points on .550 shooting from the field, and 7.4 rebounds in 28.0 minutes.

TV: ABC, ESPN Deportes, Radio: WTAM 1100, 100.7 WMMS, 87.7 FM La Mega, ESPN Radio

Be sure to tune into the hour long #CavsLive pregame show on FOX Sports Ohio starting at 7:00 p.m.

For live in-game updates, follow @cavs, @CavsJoeG, @CavsFredMcLeod, @MrCavalier34, @CavsJMike, @chones22, @FSOAllieOop and @ElalcaldeRafa on Twitter.

After Sunday's game, the series shifts to Cleveland for Game 3 on Tuesday, June 9th at The Q. Tipoff is at 9:00 p.m. ET. View Series Schedule

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GameDay Preview: Game 2 at Golden State Warriors

Presented by:

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