Durant, Warriors dominant in Game 1
LeBron, Cavs overwhelmed by disciplined Golden State squad in NBA Finals opener
OAKLAND — The negative narrative will always be Kevin Durant came to Golden State to join a slew of all-stars to help pave the way to his first NBA title.
But in Game 1, Durant showed no signs of letting anyone do the earning for him.
With the Cavaliers hell bent on guarding the three-point line, Durant — particularly in the first half — took full advantage in the paint by hitting runners, converting lobs and hammering home far too many uncontested dunks at the rim for any Cleveland fans’ liking as the Warriors set the tone in a 11391 win.
Stephen Curry, who was rather quiet (for him) through the first 24 minutes, came out in the third and got his game going with 14 points in the third quarter alone to stretch an eight-point Warriors lead to 21 after three quarters.
Curry wound up with 28 points and 10 assists.
Durant put up 23 points, six assists and four rebounds in the first half alone on his way to his 38-point night.
He’s still three wins away from that elusive first title, but if the Warriors get it and he continues to play at this kind of level, it’s going to be hard for the Durant detractors to suggest he didn’t do his part to earn it.
LeBron James wasn’t far behind with 19 of his own in the first 24 minutes, but where James had just one other scorer in the Cavs lineup supporting him offensively in Kyrie Irving, Durant had Curry and a much stronger bench on his side.
James wound up with 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in a statistically fine evening of play that you know James won’t be celebrating.
On top of that, the Warriors were ultra protective of the rock throughout the night. In the first half alone, turning the ball over just once while their superior defence forced 12 first-half turnovers by the Cavaliers.
It all added up to an entertaining but not unexpected Game 1 result.
The surprise may have been how dominant Durant was in his first Finals game with the Warriors.
He was a solid 10-for-18 in the first half, finishing up 13-for-25 for 38 points along with eight assists and eight rebounds.
The Cavs were actually successful in limiting the Warriors’ three-point game, holding them to just 10-for-30 from behind the arc.
Klay Thompson was single-handedly responsible for five of those misses as his playoff struggles continued. He was just 3-for-16 from the field for six points.
Thompson, though, was strong on the other end, as were all the Warriors.
The turnover battle told a lot of the tale in one of the more lopsided battles of the night. The four turnovers by the Warriors tied the NBA Finals mark for fewest in a game — by San Antonio in 2013 and Detroit in 2005.
Durant, though, was the story, setting the tone early and then finishing up with a strong fourth quarter to quash any thoughts of a Cleveland comeback.
The Cavs just never seemed comfortable in this one beyond the opening seven or eight minutes.
Once the Warriors determined the Cavs were going to protect the threepoint line at all costs, it just meant open looks inside for Durant.
When the Cavs tried to adjust in the third quarter, the ball just found its way to Curry and he torched them from behind the three-point line with four treys in that frame alone.
The league got as big as 24 points, but was in double digits from the early portion of the third quarter and never did get back below 12.
If there’s a bright spot for the Cavs, it’s that rarely do James’ teams start out the Finals with a win. In fact, Thursday night’s loss was their seventh in eight Finals openers.
The two teams now have two days off before Game 2 on Sunday.