Live Thread: Cavs @ Warriors, NBA Finals Game 1
2016-06-02
The game is set. The opponents are decided. The 2016 NBA Finals are here.
In one of the most hyped Finals contests in recent memory, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers look to take on the defending champion Golden State Warriors led by Stephen Curry and his entourage of position-less, three-point assassins. What’s at stake in this series? Oh, not much. Just a King looking to reclaim his undisputed throne atop the NBA hierarchy and cement his legacy among the elite of the elite of the elite. Just a downtrodden city and fanbase yearning to break an unimaginable 52-year sports curse. And just the greatest deep shooting threat in history seeking validation for a championship whose legitimacy was questioned by many, the bow on top of what could go down as the single greatest season in the history of the NBA — possibly even all of American sports.
These 2016 Finals are hard to predict. While the Warriors reeled off a record 73 wins in the regular season and survived a 3-1 deficit versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Cavs have displayed one of the most dominant postseason runs with a 12-2 record and an historic margin of victory at 12.6 PPG. Both the Warriors and the Cavs have set the two most prolific three-point shooting records in the regular season (1,077 for Warriors/880 for Cavs) AND postseason (14.4 per game for Cavs/12.5 per game for Warriors). However, the Cavs enter this series as massive underdogs, viewed as a paper tiger that has feasted on weak competition in a lesser playoff field.
Which team holds the advantage? For every mismatch there seems to be a crossmatch, and for every crossmatch exists a crossmismatch (possibly a word?) and vice versa in this series. How will the Cavs hide Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving on defense if the Warriors look to exploit those two? How will the Warriors keep big men like Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli on the court with Love and Channing Frye stretching the floor? Who wins the point guard battle between Irving and Curry? Can the Cavs both play defense and stay hot from beyond the arc? Do the Cavs stay big or go small to match the Warriors’ vaunted “Lineup of Death”? And do the Cavs have a lineup of non-mortality of their own? So many questions to be asked of this series. Tune in at 9:00 EST to find some answers.
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Before you turn your attention to the game, be sure to check out Cavs: the Blog’s fantastic coverage previewing Game 1, including
and Nate Smith’s thoughts on Certainty in sports: https://cavstheblog.com//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////?p=42331
And most importantly, and never forget…
STAY HYPE! GO CAVS!!!
https://www.facebook.com/wearecavsnation/videos/1005196386230853/
i didn’t foresee barbosa being such a tough match up for Delly. And Livingston looks super smooth. Where is his trash offense from the last round?
Dion never let Livingston get going…he’s strong enough to not let him get near the bucket. Unfortunately, Livingston is another favorable matchup for them against the Cavs.
Delly struggles individually with speed, always has. Okc’s length and atleticism probably bothered livingston.
Meh. Hit a couple impossible shots. Not that worried about it.
God they have so many dudes that can create their own shot.
Yep….and also dribble and pass…it’s stupid…
So far GS role players proving they can make shots… but I’d rather have it that way than Klay and Steph going off. Let’s see if they can do it for four quarters.
I officially hate Barbosa
Cavs letting Barbosa beat them… smh
Dude is hitting ridiculous shots. I’m not that worried about it. Cavs have to shoot when open though.
Wish we had livingston still
I just wish the Warriors didn’t have him.
Are you kidding me with that love call? GS does that every play!
Speights was the one holding Love’s arm..
Each and every one…
Going to be impossible to win a game this series with officiating like this.
This is funny… Comical… I don’t know why I’m surprised.
Delly!
https://vine.co/v/iYbeY3JxV1m
Screw these refs
The Warriors are being physical so the Cavs need to be aggressive too
Can we have a Green foul counter on the screen? Absurd …
Welp no fouls on either james attempt
How da hell Lebron aint get a foul on that, come on now man
Defense is ok…our offense somehow looks unprepared. So much prep time and we don’t seem to know what we want to do. Unreal.
LeBron is high intensity.
Dray just arm barring LeBron no call.
Punch him in the nuts while your down in the scrum Lebron.
I like how the refs let LeBron and Draymond play on that one
These refs SUCK…Lebron fouled 4 times on that possession without a call…
CALL THE COD DAMN FOULS!!
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxNjAw/$(KGrHqR,!loFCK8j6yitBQsUcHUqQ!~~60_35.JPG
The Cavaliers actually held the Warriors to 17 points on 18 other possessions but Golden State got 11 after five Cleveland turnovers.
Wth are these Kobe ghostbuster ads
He’s apparently got a cameo in the movie…
That’s gotta be two shots for Kyrie. But thought Cavs played them pretty well defensively. Like Lue’s game plan so far. K-Love playing well.
Lots of layups and shot 54 percent with 9 assists on 12 buckets…
It will be very tough to win this series if they dont call fouls on them on our drives. I hope TLue gets a 25000 dollar fine addressing the issue.
Well that qtr could have been worse considering how many uncontested or poorly contested layups they got.
Don’t think the officiating has been the bad. Cavs have gotten away with some contact and travels. The two out of bounds calls really blow though, especially because you just know it’s going to directly lead to a three, which one did.
Wrong
Lol. Fair enough.
What are you? Some Warriors bandwagon fan who found their way to CtB? TT has been bodily fouled on two separate drives by green.
Down four ain’t bad when you played the quarter five against eight.
So Lebron was fouled a minimum of 6 times with no calls that quarter…Kyrie looked pretty lost on offense except in transition…Love played solid and Frye needs to defend with his hands UP…Hands Down Man Down!!
Shump looks good. So far JR and TT strugglebus
How many Ex-Cavaliers are on this warriors team?
Counting Kerr and Walton?
Yes, I want the total damage.
Five by my count… Kerr, Walton, Livingston, AV, Speights…
The Cavs need to rev up their game on defense.
So Draymond did kick Kyrie in the chest on that flop…
https://vine.co/v/iYbbtpLLq57
Kyrie should have flopped… probably would have been Draymond’s last flagrant…
He really should have….if he had gone full on Marcus Smart on that, Bray prolly gets the foul
Kyrie just looked at him like: WTF, man?
It’s what he does….and besides, ‘everybody does it…’ /s
Kyrie coast to while curry tries to flop and airballs 3!
https://vine.co/v/iYbhVUVwPdn
Cavs turning it over way more than their usual.
They will clean that up. Guys still feeling things out
Do not pass the ball to TT Kyrie. Passed on a wide open jumper
Kyrie fouled… Cavs fouled on every single drive…
I wonder if the Cavs will shoot a single free throw in this game
Ky already shot both of them :)
How does frye not put a hand up on livingston in the lane?
Those Livingston jumpers, like Barnes wide open 3s, are just found money for them. It’s infuriating.
There you go Shump, nothing easy for Curry.
AIIIRRR BAAALLL
Love seeing the players dive for loose balls, loving the hustle so far
Time for some friendly fire on Curry, Andy…
AV now at least a footnote in NBA Playoff history…
I actually like our actions on offense, we’ve been getting open 3s or good looks at the rim. Just need to lock down for defense for 48 minutes. Love the intensity.
ONLY 3 ASSISTS SO FAR —BALL NEEDS MORE ENERGY —-MAN WISH LIVINGSTON WAS COMING OFF OUR BENCH
This is nuts. Warriors getting touch calls, TT hammered twice no call. Refs have blown three possession calls too.
love the hustle from shump…
SHUMP!
https://vine.co/v/iYbh1vHV5wt
I would be 10x more likely to watch a Ghostbusters reboot starring Kobe…
Ghostbusters reboot with those four seems fun.
And as expected the refs are swallowing their whistles against GS
If the Cavs are going to defend like this……
Cavs not hitting from outside…
The Warriors are defending the three so well. There is no space out there. Wow. Would like to see Kyrie drive
That’s what they are going to do all series…Cavs aren’t going to be able to sit out there and take comfy open 3s…
Their d is great. They swarm the ball. Very few of our shots have been uncontested. Lots of their layups have been. Difference.
At least Kyrie didn’t get kicked in the nuts on that Green flop and flail.
Draymond with another foul on TT and not called…
Turnovers killing us.
You mean the uncalled fouls?
What a FREAKING FLOP!
C’MON GUYS KEEP IT TOGETHER —NOT TIME TO MELT DOWN
A donkey could kick the ball toward the basket and it wouldn’t be as ugly as Draymond’s shot.
I don’t mind if they lose to GSW… I just want it to be called honestly… And right now, it’s anything but…
Kyrie has got to make Curry work harder…
on defense…
They are letting Green shoot
Two out of bounds plays miscalled for the warriors…
So Golden State players are now allowed to call the game…
Cavs cannot keep losing people on cuts to bucket
Warriors gettin to much easy shots in the paint
Iggy was out of bounds AND fouled Love. But let’s give the ball to Golden State.
And a bad call on the out of bounds there too..