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/
when cavs played tough defense they got stops and took lead…then they stopped that and also decided to not run an offense
A Love three a moment ago…
https://vine.co/v/iYbLIF3h730
Freaking Kyrie not getting back on D.
this was game where curry and thompson played like shit and Cavs blowing it….unreal
Nobody moving on offense…
All the talk from the Cavs about wanting a rematch just to play like this?
don’t think Warriors are that good, Cavs were lazy on defense and didn’t run any type of offense for long stretches….when other teams bench is going nuts shooting its all on your Defense…Livingston doing whatever he wants
39-5 bench advantage… Might have wanted to play a bit more Channing, no?
This is a bull**** effort from lue
I’m sure this is all Blatt’s fault…Cavs looked unorganized, unprepared and scared tonite….JR disappeared again…might as well put JJ or Dahntay Jones in they can’t be worse and Schumpert not doing much either…Cavs bench non existent
Cavs bench 5 points, gs 37
What a painful way lose. My God.
We get back and have it close, instead of resting LeBron then he keeps him in too long, he gets gassed, and then he rests him and they blow it open.
Warriors have 6 players in double figures… Cavs only have 6 players that have scored
This game getting out of reach, may already be. Hard to see how we come back from down 16 in the fourth at oracle, especially when we briefly took lead in the 3rd
I’m starting to believe that the Cavs just don’t match up well with the Warriors length. Iguodala, Livingston can get their shot easily over the Cavs defenders.
It is a terrible matchup for us. Would much rather have faced Spurs, or Okc
Yep. It’s the worst possible matchup for the Cavs.
Shump and RJ need more run
Lue is not coaching well
13 AST for the Cavs VS 25 for Warriors
So is Lue’s plan to give the Warriors a false sense of security going into Game 2? Cause if the Cavs are gonna get owned by the GSW bench…
this is just bull crap. Freaking livingston, are you kidding???
Really? Every Warriors player has done something they weren’t even capable of before this game. Livingston, Barnes, green, all of them have made shots and double pump layups I have never seen from them ever
12 points for the warriors bench in 3, 5 minutes ? that rate they’ll be making 41 points in a quarter, what the hell
Nonplussed with Lue this game
I can’t fathom why he let Kyrie lead off the 4th quarter wit that lineup
Damn love again, got to finish
Vintage love
Why don’t they put someone at least Livingston’s height on him.. Get JR out of the game and put in Frye
Herculoids putting the hurt on the Cavs for the second Finals in a row.
Shaun Livingston?
39-5 now on bench points.
Steph Livingston
WHEN THE HECK DID LIVINGSTON BECOME MJ???
When last did we get a defensive stop
Good lord Lue!!! Get someone in there to defend Livingston. 2 years in a row he has destroyed us
Problem is, the Cavs really have no one to defend him….same as last year.
Livingston 7-9.like really ?
Livingston killing us
Oh love u got to finish that nice up and under
Who said Livingston would be hitting 4 fadeaway jumpers, this team just cant get ANY stops and cant score at all
Those mid range shots are his shot, shoots a ridiculous percentage on those
Floppy hair goin flop
How did we ever like Andy! He friggin cheats
Lue is playing reactive rather than sticking with what has worked for us so far and it shows
I thought Lue took that timeout to switch the lineup… this isn’t the offense to come back from a 10-12 point lead
Andy for the oscar
Cavs could really use a spark from JR
10 points is not out of reach guys chill…but Lue needs Frye in to spread em out
So little ball movement, so few good shots created. Even after halftime, after quarter breaks, out of timeouts…
The Cavs are getting beat by the Warriors bench. Simply unbelievable.
How did Barbosa got that free on that possession?
Haven’t we learned this lineup sucks?
don’t get why this team reacts like they do against Warriors….there is a fear and trepidation factor…almost intimidation factor….curry and thompson doing nothing yet Warriors up 10…no one is rebounding on team and everyone stands around
Kyrie plus bench lineup to start fourth ENORMOUS mistake by Lue. Lineup didn’t work last series, not gonna work this series.
Yes, big mistake. Don’t know what he was thinking.
Better not see it again this series
That lineup had neither the offense nor the defense to get the job done.
Wtf, i step out for a smoke and they’re up 10?!! Wtf happened?
Man, Kyrie comes back in and ………………………………………. ugh
Cavs not running offense…..dont get it….now game is nearly out of reach…already up 10…sigh
If the Cavs offense is going to be ISO’s most of the time the Cavs are going to get the broom. As simple as that.
Yep. And no surprise, either.
Iggy, Livingston and Barbosa win Finals MVP setting a new standard for bullsh!t
again, bad start to the quarter, our bench has been unable to get stops this game
Love the long step back 2 by kyrie waiters
Gotta love them getting points from scrubs like Barbosa…
Not a fan of this lineup…
Kyie is 5-18, Lebron 7-16
Shhh – narrative is splash bros cold, not cavs
COME IN KYRIE
This is just game 1 and we are doing really good. Didn’t cave when we were down big. Now let’s try and close it.
Not sure if JR is hurt, but he seems once again mentally checked out for the Finals.
We def haven’t run anything to get him his shot. He’s twice as important as kevin love is on offense and defense…should have looked for him in 1st quarter
Hasn’t really had any opportunities tonight.
GSW only have 2 more 3’s than us 7 vs 5 but it feels way more because its been usually wide open.
Come on Cavs just win the 4th quarter by 8
really would like to see frye and rj get some run here
Warriors role players stepping up…outside of Big 3 no one stepping up for Cavs…difference in game
Cavs can learn a few things from this game. I really believe that if they get over whatever mental hang ups they have they can soundly beat this team. But individual guys need to get over themselves and just play
https://twitter.com/NikkiGoelCavs/status/738565672788197376
So Kyrie has played really well, but when he came out we took the lead.
I think they had the lead once before he went out…
Six lead changes late in that quarter, but the Warriors score the final 7 points for a 6-point lead.
LBJ mad at himself I think for settling for jumpers. Got some good rest though from the long replay delay.
Argh. Second short closeout by Shump. Second time. They just let Iggy shoot, and he’s made them pay. CLOSE OUT!
Not great end to that qtr