Breaks help Warriors take a 1-0 lead
Playoff high by James can’t overcome baffling game by Cavs’ Smith.
OAKLAND, CALIF. — The ending was weird.
The postgame was weird. At least Game 1 of what was supposed to be a lopsided NBA Finals was anything but boring. It had a
little of everything: A player stumbled and buckled Klay Thompson’s knee to send the Warriors’ sharp-shooter limping to the locker room in the opening minutes; let Stephen Curry get loose for a 30-footer at the halftime buzzer; grabbed a rebound in the final seconds of regulation with the score tied and inexplicably ran toward midcourt as if he thought the game was over.
And all that was just J.R. Smith. The opener of this Cl eveland-Golden State series should have been memorable for other reasons — LeBron James scoring a playoff career-high 51 points, the Warriors having three players score at least 24 and Draymond Green nearly getting a tri- ple-double. Instead, this game’s legacy is an overturned charge call late in regulation, Smith’s gaffes, contradictory explanations from Cleveland and hot tempers in the fifinal seconds.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr’s assessment? “Lucky.”
Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue’s assessment? “Robbed.”
Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114, overtime. That’s what the box score says and will forever say, and the
defending champions are now one step closer to winning their third title in four years. Golden State left Oracle Arena relieved. Cleveland left angered. Those emotions will likely remain in place all the way until Game 2 tips off Sunday night.
James wants the Cavs to put it behind them.
“We’ve got to move on,” James said. “This game is over and done with.”
Easier said than done, particularly with two full off days to now deal with, two full off days to replay every thing over and over and over and over and over again.
Let’s be clear: The Warriors aren’t here because of luck. They have a coach who has won 80 percent of his games. They have four All-Stars in the same lineup. They have two NBA MVPs.
But they got every break in Game 1. Every break.
Start in the beginning, when Smith slipped and stumbled into Thompson’s knee. It had all the makings of some sort of knee structural disaster — the hit came from the side, Thompson twisted awkwardly, went down in a heap and was obviously in immediate, intense pain. Thompson limped away to the Warriors’ locker room for evaluation.
He was back in a few minutes. Big break No. 1.
“I’m happy it’s just a muscle that got strained,” Thompson said.
Then came the final seconds of the first half, when Smith went for a steal and wound up leaving Curry wide open. Curry turned, coolly buried a 35-footer as Smith slumped over with his hands on his knees and the teams went into intermission tied. Big break No. 2.
“The Finals, man, anything is liable to happen,” Curry said.
From his perspective, good things.
From Cleveland’s perspective, bad things.
Cleveland led by two in the final minute, poised to steal Game 1, when James stepped up and tried to take a charge against Kevin Durant. Referee Ken Mauer called an offensive foul, but it was overturned after replay review.