Following two demoralizing losses on the road, the Cleveland Cavaliers will look to regain momentum on their home court as they host their Western Conference foes, the Golden State Warriors, for game three of the 2016 NBA Finals.
The Warriors have received massive contributions from both their starters and their bench showing a well rounded prowess that only strengthens their case as one of the best teams of all time, having finished the regular season with a record 73-9 record. The Cavaliers, on the other hand, have delivered two lopsided performances, having shot under 40 percent in both games at the Oracle Arena while receiving little contribution outside their star players.
Game one
Golden State made a statement, coming out focused in game one of this series, notching a dominant 104-89 win on their home court. What stood out in Golden State’s performance was the outstanding play of their supporting cast who made up for the lackluster shooting of All-Star guards, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Shaun Livingston posted a playoff career-high 20 points off eight of 10 shooting from the field to spark a bench onslaught by the Warriors.
The Warriors bench outscored Cleveland’s 45-10 on 59 percent shooting from the field while Curry and Thompson were held to 11 and nine points respectively. The Cavaliers, opposite of the Warriors, received little to no contribution from players outside Kyrie Irving, who led the team with 26 points, and LeBron James, who added 23. The Cavaliers as a team shot 38 percent from the field, finding no flow throughout a majority of the game as major supporting factors such as J.R. Smith and Channing Frye struggled to get going. The well rounded play of Golden State, whose bench rose up to the occasion, allowed them to propel to a game one victory.
Game two
The Cavaliers likely gave up little hope after the game one loss as they started last year’s finals similarly, bouncing back in game two to obtain a massive road win. Additionally, James was undefeated going into this game on game twos following a game one loss.
Unfortunately for Cleveland, Golden State’s confidence and momentum from game one carried into this Sunday night matchup, and the Warriors handed the Cavaliers an even greater loss, posting a 110-77 win in game two. Golden State blew out Cleveland behind a rounded scoring effort from the entire team as the Warriors shot 54 percent from the field. The team was led by the outstanding performance of Draymond Green, who scored 28 points while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out five assists. Curry and Thompson, who struggled to find their shot in game one, were able to find a groove in this game. Curry dropped 18 points while Thompson scored 17, and both hit four 3-pointers on the night.
Cleveland struggled greatly in all facets of the game only shooting 35 percent from the field, throwing 17 turnovers, getting outrebounded by 12 boards, and allowing Golden State to post such a high point total off very efficient shooting. To add to the demoralizing loss, Kevin Love, who has struggled in this series, has been put under the NBA’s concussion protocol following a hard blow to the head on a rebound attempt. Love was unable to sustain play throughout the game, and had to check out a few minutes into the second half. Cleveland’s bench also struggled to score after having been massive contributors to earlier playoff wins for Cleveland.
Keys for each team
The Warriors should be extremely confident in their incredible play in these finals, especially considering the fight they had to put up against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.The composure and confidence of the team has been a massive contributor to their success, allowing relaxed and comfortable play that falls within their pacing.
To avoid a shift of momentum on the road, the Warriors must simply continue to play the way they are right now. After reaching a near-impossible milestone by obtaining the regular season win record, this Warrior team understands what it takes to perform under the greatest level of pressure, and they must continue to make the Cavaliers play out of their comfort zone. Golden State's outstanding ball movement on offense has allowed everyone to pitch into their success, and they must continue to exploit the gaps in Cleveland’s game that are apparent following the first two games of the series.
Additionally, the help and rotation on defense has caused Cleveland’s offense to fall stagnant, taking away passing options and making the Cavaliers play isolation basketball against one of the best defenses in the league. Golden State must avoid getting flustered by a hungry Cleveland crowd and should remain within their rhythm to avoid a shift in the series.
The Cavaliers must make massive improvements if they hope to bounce back against this Warriors team. Firstly, the team must calm the nerves and settle into their game. There have been multiple instances in the beginning of this series where the nervousness of Cleveland can be spotted in their jittery ball movement and unsteady play.
If Cleveland hopes to have a chance against a calm, cool, and collected Warriors team, they must settle the pace and stop forcing bad offensive positions. Additionally, the ball must move more for Cleveland. The offense has become very stagnant as players like James and Irving are continually playing isolation basketball, causing the offense to freeze and taking away contribution from a talented Cavalier team.
Cleveland’s role players must also step up because if important offensive contributors such as Smith and Frye don’t get better on Wednesday, Cleveland will have no chance of making this series competitive. Defensively, the Cavaliers must challenge Golden State’s screening offense better. With inconsistent switches, the Warriors have managed to find every gap in Cleveland’s defense with efficient and productive screening both for the ball handlers and for cutters.
Additionally, Love's status, which has not yet been determined, will play a pivotal role in Cleveland's chances at a win. Although Love has struggled as of late, he is a key to this team's successful offense. When Love is healthy and locked in, the Cavaliers are difficult to beat. Finally, the Cavaliers must feed off their home crowd. This team is significantly better on their home court, and the players must feed off that energy to stimulate their game.
Game three will be played Wednesday, June 8, at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
UPDATE: Kevin Love has been ruled out for game three for failing to pass the leagues concussion protocol.
