WARRIORS WALTZ TO 2-0
Cavs no match in 33-point rout, face long odds
As the Golden State Warriors readied themselves for Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, there was concern internally about the notion of overconfidence and how it threatened to haunt them.
Game 1 on Thursday had been so easy, so effortless when compared to their Western Conference finals battle against the Oklahoma City Thunder that it would only be natural to let up in the kind of way that might invite trouble from LeBron James & Co. After all, Game 2 bounce-back wins — nine in a row after trailing in a seven-game series since 2009 — were James’ calling card.
So much for that. And, at this rate, so much for the notion of the Cavs dethroning the defending champs.
The Warriors’ 110-77 win put the Cavs in the kind of hole from which few teams have ever found their way out, as they will attempt to become the fourth team of 32 in Finals history to win it all after trailing 2-0. The overall playoff
history is even more daunting, as 244 of 261 teams that trailed 2-0 in a seven-game series have gone on to lose.
And to think, the Warriors barely even needed back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry to get the job done.
Forward Draymond Green, who did his best Curry impression (28 points, five three-pointers) while playing the tough defense for which he’s known, led the way.
But with Curry sitting and celebrating on the Warriors bench for much of the third quarter, Green and a motley crew that included Leandro Barbosa, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson went on a 30-16 run without him that put them up 82-62 entering the fourth.
James (19 points, nine assists, eight rebounds) and the Cavs, who struggled again to penetrate Golden State’s superior switching defense (35.4% shooting), are clearly outmatched here.
Their alleged Big Three was ef- fectively neutralized, as James was mostly contained, Kyrie Irving had 10 points (on 5-for-14 shooting) and forward Kevin Love missed five of seven shots before leaving with concussionlike symptoms in the third quarter.
There will be clarity in the coming days as to whether Love will be able to play in Game 3 on Wednesday, but it mattered little that he wasn’t there Sunday.
The Cavs defense put them in prime position early, as they led 21-19 after the first quarter despite James missing all five of his shots and going scoreless in the first quarter of a Finals game for the first time in his career.
Having held Curry and Thompson to a combined 20 points in Game 1, the Warriors’ dynamic duo had just five points combined to that point (2-for-7 shooting) as Golden State missed 14 of 23 shots and coughed up six turnovers to the Cavs’ one.
Tristan Thompson willed his way to some key early baskets, and Cleveland survived its own shooting woes (8-for-25).