CURRY, DUBS IN LOCK STEP
Golden State banishes bitter memories simply by being themselves
WARRIORS 113, CAVALIERS 91
OAKLAND — The announcement came with just inside of two minutes left in the third quarter. Fittingly, Stephen Curry was the sender.
He rebounded a missed LeBron James 3-pointer and four seconds later was pulling up from 28 feet. It was the stereotypical Warriors play — a quick 3-point hoist on a fast break, shots that are supposed to be too carefree when the stakes are so high. For these Warriors, though, it was proof they had found their groove.
His 3-pointer ripped the net. A roar filled Oracle like helium in a balloon. And boy was it loud.
Curry, drunk on energy, started high-stepping. Actually, more like high-kicking. He yelled as he robotically strutted, like a Transformer had taken over his body. Optimus Curry.
The 113-91 win by the Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals was just one win in this riveting best-of-seven series and proof of nothing, really. But if it has any lasting impact, it might be in how the Warriors shook off the nerves, fought through the worry and found themselves.
The third-quarter explosion put away the Cavs. It also underscored the blueprint to beating the LeBrons: Be the Warriors.
For a quarter, it wasn’t about getting revenge on the team they blew a 3-1 lead against — nor about preventing another epic collapse. It wasn’t about fighting against the aura of LeBron, or the ridicule they have endured for the better part of a year on social media and sports talk shows. It wasn’t about legacy, or Halloween parties with R.I.P. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson cookies, or impressing the celebrities sitting courtside.
The Warriors took control of the game, and struck first blood in this series, because they relaxed and started playing their game. They played like they knew they were the superior team, and all they had to do was just be it, do what they normally do.
“We just gotta be ourselves,” Curry told the team before the game. “Don’t worry about any other story line, anything else that doesn’t matter to the game. And we were really, really good in that department at just being ourselves, playing Warriors basketball, knowing that there’s a lot of talent on the floor.
“And that’s our best effort to win a championship — just be ourselves.”
This was the road game that was most ripe for the Cavaliers to take. The Warriors have struggled in series openers all playoffs, rusty from long layoffs after making quick work of their opponents. Add in the extra elements and the Warriors were vulnerable. Until they found themselves.
It took some work to get there. Oracle felt like Game 7. This rematch had been anticipated for months, and the about-to-explode feeling permeated the arena. The usual between- action entertainment and gimmicks fell on deaf ears as the 20,000-plus used timeouts and halftime to breathe. It was necessary because the intensity was palpable.
Warriors fans cheered every play like it was the decider. They gasped with every 3-point hoist. Everyone vented with every foul LeBron drew, sighed from their core with every slithery Kyrie Irving layup. Every play carried the weight of winning lottery numbers.
The uneasiness Warriors fans have felt for a week was clearly shared by their beloved players. The haunt of last year’s epic heartbreak, which weighed on the confidence of Golden State faithful, hovered over the league’s most-loaded team.
It was a nervous first half for the Warriors. They missed layups and bricked open 3-pointers. They passed on transition opportunities, avoiding their usual risky freneticism. Meanwhile, James came out charging, controlling the game. It felt a continuation of the last time they met in The Finals. The result was a mere turnover over the first 24 minutes and 16 more shots than Cleveland.
Still, the Cavaliers were in striking distance. The Warriors led by just eight at the half, close enough to trigger memories of the precariousness from a year ago.
Then the third quarter happened. The Warriors picked up the pace. They whipped the ball around the court. They chucked from deep without hesitation. They screamed. They flexed. They strutted. They made six 3-pointers, four by Curry, and pushed the lead to 24.
And it looked as if Cleveland could do very little to stop it.
The Warriors got a combined 15 points from Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, who together were 6-for-28 from the field. Only Durant and Curry were in double figures. The Warriors still put up 113 points despite shooting just 42.5 percent.
James finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists. Irving put in another 24. Kevin Love had 15. They weren’t great performances, especially considering they combined for 41 percent shooting and 13 turnovers. But they were productive, and it wasn’t close to enough.
The Warriors defense was swarming. They forced 20 turnovers and held the Cavaliers to 34.9 percent shooting. The Warriors’ defense preyed on Cleveland’s fatigue and reliance on one-on-one play. They wore down the LeBrons in the opener.
“You take one of the best teams that we had ever assembled last year,” James said, “and then in the offseason you add a high-powered offensive talent like (KD) and a great basketball IQ like that. That’s what stands out. … We’ve got to figure out how to combat that, which is going to be a tough challenge for us.”
It’s going to take near perfection for the Cavaliers. It’s going to take some plot twists and extracurricular stuff to even things out. And the way the Warriors can prevent that is to just be who they are.