Warriors win in finals rematch

Golden State rolls past Cleveland for 129-105 victory in rematch of recent NBA Finals’

CLEVELAND – Six months passed, and this atmosphere looks and feels different.

The poster of Lebron James no longer hangs outside of the Cavaliers’ arena. The arena appeared nearly half-full. And with James’ departure to the Los Angeles Lakers last summer, the Warriors showed in a 129-105 win over the Cavaliers on Wednesday that they no longer view this matchup as an NBA Finals preview.

“It was a little weird,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. “Just tried to keep the energy up and focus on how we were playing.”

If only it were that easy. When the Warriors took the floor, Kevin Durant noticed the lack of cameramen surrounding the court. “It was a circus here during the Finals,” Durant noticed.

That circus surrounding the Warriors and Cavaliers for the last four years. The Warriors won an NBA title in 2015, marking their first title since 1975. The Warriors then squandered a 3-1 Finals series lead in 2016. The Warriors brought Durant on board with Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, resulting in two consecutive championships in 2017 (4-1) and 2018 (4-0).

Since that circus left, the Warriors showed how their latest game against Cleveland could serve as a forgettable regularseason game that causes them to sleepwalk. As Warriors coach Steve Kerr observed, “It felt quiet from what we’re used to for obvious reasons. It’s not the same out there.”

“It’s just different walking