Fansided

NBA Finals: 5 most disrespectful moments from Game 1

By David Austin Bumpus

Jun 1, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) loses the ball while defended by Golden State Warriors forward James Michael McAdoo (20) in the first half of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 1, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) loses the ball while defended by Golden State Warriors forward James Michael McAdoo (20) in the first half of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Game 1 of the NBA Finals was the beginning of the next chapter of a heated rivalry, and no punches were held back by the Warriors in their big win.

This year’s NBA Finals has been hyped to be one of, if not the best of all-time. Between the endless matchup possibilities between some of the league’s best, the trolling storylines and the overall history being made by a third-straight series between two teams in the Finals, there’s plenty to talk about.

Game 1 proved to be just as explosive as everyone had hoped, with massive dunks and huge moments filling the league’s biggest stage. The addition of Kevin Durant to the Warriors roster played the big role that everyone expected it to, Steph Curry returned to his usual form, and LeBron James bounced back pretty well just a day removed from his home in Los Angeles being vandalized with a racial slur.

The whole game, along with this entire series, is living up to expectations, and even the trolling made its way into Game 1. There were plenty of notable moments in the series opener, many coming from the Warriors side during the win. It makes sense for Golden State to get the laughs in Game 1, given the big lead they ended with, along with the revenge factor from all the trolling the Cavaliers pulled after coming back from down 3-1 last year.

To put it all together in one spot, here are some of the best moments where the Warriors showed a bit of a lack of respect to the defending NBA Champion Cavaliers.

5. Steph Curry’s endless 34-footers

These are an everyday occurrence in any Warriors game, but given the stage, it was a requirement to put them on the list.

Steph Curry is notorious for pulling up from literally anywhere he wants on the court, with some serious potential that he’ll drain the bucket with the same ease as if he was going in for a layup. However, in Game 1, it seemed like the two-time MVP was looking to send a message that he was back in his best form, following a disappointing last appearance in Golden State’s seven-game loss to the Cavaliers last year.

Curry went 6-for-11 from deep, and finished with 28 points overall on 11 made field goals on the night, showing he had really returned. Some of the shots ended up a little more celebrated than others (which we’ll get into in a little bit), but overall, it showed that Curry is very ready to take back what he feels is his: another NBA title.

The difference this year, which may be adding to his confidence, is the addition of Kevin Durant to the lineup, which surely gives him an added boost and alleviates some of the pressure that he felt from last year. In the end, it had to play a factor with his ability to get hot from deep early.

Curry surely gets fired up by his hometown crowd, but he was definitely feeling it throughout the game. Whether it was the debut of his actually-not-bad Curry 4’s in the game or the fact that he drilled his usual tunnel shot routine on just the second attempt, Curry will have to keep up the pace to make sure his team doesn’t blow another series lead in this year’s Finals.

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