NBA Finals 2018: Warriors vs. Cavaliers Game 1 live blog

[live_blog_entry id=”LBE47″ title=”That’s that” author=”28954″]As has been the case all season, the Golden State Warriors rode a hot five-minute stretch to coast to a double-digit victory. The inevitability of the Warriors repeating as NBA champions has seemingly hung over the entire NBA this year and nowhere has that weight seem heavier than in the Bay Area. Golden State is the ultimate “flip the switch” team and the problem for the rest of the league is that switch is so powerful that even the immortal and Herculean 51-8-8 effort from LeBron James isn’t enough to withstand the storm when it hits.

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The Cavaliers needed to take that in regulation. Once the Warriors got a second chance and an inch of daylight, they broke it open in overtime. LeBron went to a higher plane and put up the sixth 50-point game in Finals history…but it wasn’t enough. I know J.R. Smith messed up that final possession in the fourth, but can anyone tell me why nobody called a timeout? I FEEL LIKE I’M TAKING CRAZY PILLS.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE45″ title=”LeBron deserves better” author=”28120″]The human being part of me feels bad for J.R. Smith. That is a play that will surely haunt him for a long time even though there is no guarantee that the game ends any different. But the guy is a professional playing in his fourth straight NBA Finals. That play cannot happen at all.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE44″ title=”My bad…” author=”24492″]The defining moment of the 2018 NBA Finals, captured forever

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE43″ title=”We’re all thinking it…” author=”24492″]…Joel Embiid said it.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE42″ title=”Analyze this” author=”34159″]Annoying as replay can be in climactic moments of big games, this instance showed its value. It was a very close call, but it appeared clear to me that LeBron was still sliding into position when Durant left his feet and it’s very important to ensure the correct call in a moment like this. That being said, I hated that such a play even happened as relying on Durant isolations has been spotty, and the Warriors turning to it at such a crucial point in the game strikes me as misguided.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE41″ title=”LeBrawn” author=”28120″]Considering the stakes and talent disparity, I am not sure LeBron James has ever played a game as good as tonight.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE40″ title=”The end is nigh” author=”34159″]It’s a brief run, and not over for the Cavaliers, but the combination of Draymond making his first 3 of the game, after starting out 0-3, followed by Curry providing an emphatic 3 after a steal by the Warriors seems decisive — if not mathematically, then at least psychically. The Cavaliers weathered a storm to begin the third quarter; now they need to do it again as the fourth quarter moves towards its end if they want to steal Game 1.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE39″ title=”He’s not a robot” author=”24060″]Leaving Draymond Green all the way open has worked out well for the Cavaliers. Green is 0-3 from beyond the arc, and that help defender sagging off of him has been helpful for Cleveland’s defense, even if the Warriors are still shooting 50 percent from the field.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE38″ title=”Wut?” author=”28120″]It didn’t last very long but Ty Lue just opened the fourth quarter with a lineup of Jordan Clarkson/J.R. Smith/Kyle Korver/Jeff Green/Larry Nance Jr. It is unfathomable that he could possibly think that was a good idea at all. Love or LeBron need to be on the floor at all time for the Cavaliers. This isn’t that hard.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE37″ title=”Still close!” author=”21865″]This is still close enough for a Cavs steal. If they can keep it under five or seven points in the last five minutes, Warriors may do that thing where they aren’t sure whose turn it is to shoot so they give to Quinn Cook. And LeBron just keeps being LeBron, but with less Jordan Clarkson.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE36″ title=”A new third quarter” author=”28954″]Even though Cleveland weathered the storm and only lost the third quarter by six points, the momentum of this game has completely turned in the Warriors favor. Golden State is proving that they don’t need to outscore an opponent by double-digits in order to assert their will on an opponent coming out of halftime. The Warriors are clicking much better than any stretch of play in the first half.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE35″ image=”1457164″ title=”The free throw battle” author=”24060″]A thing the Cavaliers need to keep doing: getting to the line. Cleveland has shot 13 free throws, as opposed to just six for the Warriors. Getting Golden State players into foul trouble while adding easy points is big for Cleveland. It also gives LeBron James a chance to rest, which is no small thing either.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE34″ title=”All the eggs are in this basket” author=”28120″]If the Cavs are going to steal a game in Oakland it sure feels like it will be tonight. LeBron James is putting out another all-time, otherworldly performance and role players are making enough shots to help. If they can’t win this game…

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE33″ title=”Cleveland is no Houston” author=”25669″]You can already see the difference that comes when Golden State plays Cleveland rather than Houston. Guys like JaVale get dusted off, and the Warriors know their passing and movement can win them games where it could not in the last round. Cleveland simply does not dictate style outside of forcing the Warriors to respond to Tristan Thompson’s rebounding. The Warriors understand they can play their game.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE32″ title=”THERD” author=”24492″]Just a reminder that the Warriors have been unstoppable in the third quarter for four straight years, and it’s Curry who usually drives the party bus.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE31″ image=”1457149″ title=”The infamous third quarter” author=”34159″]And so the third quarter onslaught begins as the Warriors fire off a 10-3 run to begin the second half. It is likely that the remainder of the third quarter will decide this game, and it will be interesting to see how resilient the Cavaliers are in the face of it. Will they fold to the seeming inevitability of a massive Warriors run or hunker down defensively and head it off before it becomes insurmountable? Remember what I sad about the first half not seeming that important? This is what I meant.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE30″ title=”Curry is cooking” author=”24060″]Steph Curry is scoring with ease, as he’s got 18 points on just 12 shots, but his playmaking has been crucial for the Warriors as well. Steph has eight assists and no turnovers so far, and he gets just as fired up watching a teammate score as he does when he gets his own buckets. He might actually get more excited about other Warriors getting buckets, honestly.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE29″ title=”Searching for things to feel good about” author=”34159″]If you are a Cavaliers fan, this half has to be both very encouraging and discouraging. LeBron was 9-of-11 for 24 points and even though the team shot only 25 percent from 3, they are still tied at the half. That latter number is bound to increase, which augurs well for the Cavaliers. However, the Warriors’ 3-point percentage from the first half, where they shot merely 33 percent themselves, will likely rise as well. And the areas where Cleveland dominated — most notably on the offensive boards — are bound to even out a little bit moving forward. On the whole, the Cavaliers played well, which is encouraging, but not well enough to get much needed separation from the Warriors, which should certainly worry Northeast Ohio residents as we move into the second half.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE28″ image=”1457137″ title=”All tied up” author=”30695″]Cleveland played as well as they could for most of the first half, shot 53.7 percent from the field, and they’re tied going into halftime. Golden State put together an avalanche of momentum in a three-minute span and caught all the way back up.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE27″ title=”Like clockwork” author=”28954″]The Cavaliers game plan to have LeBron play near perfect basketball and 20 out of the 24 minutes has gotten them all the way to a tie game at halftime.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE26″ title=”Where for art thou Jeff Green?” author=”28120″]It probably doesn’t lead to points anyway because Jeff Green, but J.R. Smith just completely ignored Green wide open in the corner on the Cavs last offensive possession. Cleveland ran some off-ball action that had JaVale McGee literally running in circles confused but J.R. couldn’t help himself and dribbled into traffic allowing him to recover. That plus the Steph 3 is a brutal way to end the half for Cleveland.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE25″ title=”Holding serve” author=”24060″]The Cavaliers are holding up well with LeBron on the bench, considering KD, LeBron, Draymond, and Klay are all on the floor. Even breaking even in those minutes is a huge win for Cleveland. They won that round 7-5 by my count.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE24″ title=”Warriors going deep” author=”34159″]By turning to Patrick McCaw and David West — two players who were used very sparingly in the WCF — Kerr is signaling that he’s more open to deepening his bench than many coaches in his situation would be, as it is very common for rotations to be shortened the deeper a team goes in the Playoffs. Kerr, however, often sticks to his instincts with regards to rotations in a way that strikes me as a bit reckless and, sometimes, harmful. It will be curious to see to what extent Kerr forces his substitutions upon the situation versus letting the situation determine the substitutions. He would be wise to opt for the latter over the former.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE23″ title=”Sacrificial lamb” author=”32707″]Pat McCaw is being thrown into the fire here. He hasn’t played a meaningful minute since March and he’ll be tasked with filling part of Iguodala’s role in Game 1 of the Finals. I’d be surprised if he goes more than five minutes at a time — and he may not even get back in the game after his first stint — but will be curious to see how effective he can be against Cleveland’s wings.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE22″ title=”Saving energy” author=”24060″]LeBron is smartly finding a perfect balance between not doing too much early and keeping Cleveland just slightly in the lead. The more bulldozer drives he has to do to get buckets, the less gas he’ll have in the tank later. Finding open Cavs and sinking jumpers is a lot better of a strategy early on.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE21″ image=”1457112″ title=”Just wait for the third quarter” author=”34159″]One odd consequence of the Warriors’ dominant third quarters is that, watching this game now, everything that happens in the first half — short of a 20-point lead by either team — seems almost insignificant. Thankfully, though, the Warriors do not appear nearly as listless as they did at times throughout the Western Conference Finals, which makes it far less likely that they will have to dig themselves out of a large deficit in the second half.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE20″ title=”A moral victory in the first quarter” author=”24060″]I’m not sure that quarter could have gone much better for Cleveland. LeBron is finding contributions from some of the role players, KD is taking some bad shots, and J.R. Smith is doing things both offensively and defensively! They’re only up one point, but that was an encouraging beginning to the series for the Cavs.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE19″ title=”It’s Clarkson time” author=”21865″]The Warriors are not afraid of any of the Cavs shooters from outside, especially Green and Clarkson. Just letting them shoot without much of a challenge. Green/Clarkson need to make them pay.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE18″ title=”The R in J.R. is for regret” author=”30695″]J.R. Smith getting off to a good start is huge. He’s streaky and Cleveland NEEDS him to have his confidence early in the series to have a shot. Did I really pick the Cavs in 6?

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry title=”Loving Kevin” author=”28120″ id=”LBE17″]I really am enjoying the LeBron James/Kevin Love lob to layup chemistry. It feels like about once a game Love makes a cut at the perfect time and James finds him and leads him with a lob that turns into a tricky reverse. It is a huge credit to Love to consistently be able to finish those plays too as lobs are hard enough to catch and finish in the air, let alone to do it with a reverse layup.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE16″ title=”Switching confusion” author=”32707″]One of the downsides of switching everything like Cleveland is doing is it can create confusion when opponents slip screens, like Jordan Bell did on the possession before that timeout. He never really made solid contact with Tristan Thompson, who was already switched onto Steph Curry, but Kevin Love switched onto Curry anyway, Thompson hesitated, then recovered back to Curry. Two passes later, Bell has an open layup.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE15″ image=”1457100″ title=”Uh oh, Klay…” author=”24060″]Injuries are the worst. If this one to Klay’s knee is anything serious, that will drastically change this series. The Warriors were already deathly short on good wing players with Iguodala out. Steve Kerr will either need to rely on Nick Young, or play more big men, both options that slide the scale back towards Cleveland.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE14″ title=”J.R. Smith is here” author=”28954″]J.R. Smith is making his presence felt early in this series as opposed to last year’s two-Game disappearance. However, it’s not his outside shooting that is having an impact it’s the potential damage that a collision between himself and Klay Thompson mid way through the first quarter. Thompson just got over knee issues from Game 5 during the Western Conference Finals and he clearly was not happy about this latest twist. Golden State still has the requisite fire power to hold off LeBron, but the margin for error shrinks as the injuries to the Hamptons 5 pile up.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE13″ title=”Who’s more rested?” author=”34159″]One thing to keep an eye on this game will be to see how fatigue affects each team. With both teams playing a Game 7 in the previous series, neither the Warriors nor the Cavaliers had many days to rest before the Finals. Also, both teams played short rotations of eight players in their last game. While the Warriors did also play Quinn Cook and Patrick McCaw to make it ten players, but each only played one minute. Considering this, it would not be surprising if the more rested reserves play a large role in deciding the game tonight.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE12″ image=”1457087″ title=”Curry looking aggressive” author=”24060″]Steph Curry scored Golden State’s first six points, and seems aggressive early. Although LeBron is working on cementing his GOAT case, Curry has a lot he could prove this series as well. Finally ending the ridiculous Finals MVP discussion around him would be a nice perk to go along with Steph’s third ring, if the Warriors do what everybody expects and take down Cleveland again.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE11″ title=”Switch everything” author=”28120″]It is early but the Cavaliers are using a very Rockets-like approach. They are switching everything and generating switches that they can attack. Unfortunately for them they do not have the defenders the Rockets did as role players nor the second star that can isolate and score off the dribble on offense so that LeBron James is fresh enough late to bring them home. It makes sense to try but I am curious to see if they have a backup plan or not.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE10″ title=”Will Jeff Green be enough? (Probably not)” author=”28120″]I honestly don’t see any way the Cavaliers can win this series that doesn’t feature an injury to either Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant and even then I don’t know if it would happen. The Warriors just have too much top end talent for the Cavaliers. At the end of the day relying on Jeff Green against the Warriors is something even LeBron James isn’t great enough to overcome. Dubs in 5.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE9″ image=”1416305″ title=”What do the Cavaliers do in the frontcourt?” author=”32707″]I’ll be fascinated to see how Tyronn Lue staggers Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. Both are starting, but many of Cleveland’s best lineup combinations (on paper) feature one or the other. The Cavaliers need Love’s shooting & ability to attack mismatches in the post to have a chance, and Thompson affords them a needed defensive versatility. Those two seem to epitomize the most fundamental flaw of Cleveland’s roster: they have good offensive players and capable defensive players, but very few that are both. The Cavs’ best option might be to toggle between all-offense and all-defense lineups, using Love and Thompson, respectively, as the centers in those groups.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE8″ title=”Swaggy Binks” author=”21865″]This is part four between the Cavaliers and Warriors. In Star Wars terms, it’s Episode I. I feel that’s a proper assessment of this series. Looking forward to Swaggy Binks stealing the show.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE7″ title=”HEDGING BETS” author=”28954″]The thoughts and opinions of Paul Centopani DO NOT reflect those of The Step Back staff

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE6″ title=”HOT PICKZ” author=”30695″]Cavs in 6. I feel like this series is going to be LeBron’s Sistine Chapel. If he wins the title this year, he takes GOAT status and he definitely knows that.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE5″ title=”Will the Warriors get back to passing?” author=”34159″]Much of the discussion during the Western Conference Finals revolved around the Warriors’ penchant to rely on isolation plays instead of their standard offense, which revolves around heavy ball and player movement. Accordingly, their assist percentage dropped drastically from the first two rounds to the Western Conference Finals — from 70 to 53. It will be interesting to see how pass happy the Warriors are tonight, especially considering the absence of Andre Iguodala, who while not posting huge assist numbers, is still much more of a playmaker than, say, Kevon Looney or Nick Young.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE4″ image=”1455975″ title=”Long odds for the Cavaliers” author=”24492″]According to Jacob Goldstein’s projection model, the Cavaliers have just an 11 percent chance of winning the Finals this season. If those long odds aren’t depressing enough, Jacob pointed out in our Nylon Calculus preview that it’s twice as likely that the Warriors sweep as it is that the Cavaliers win it all.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE3″ title=”Must win for the Cavaliers?” author=”24060″]It feels like the Cavaliers need to win this one if they’re going to have any shot to win the series. Not having Andre Iguodala clearly throws off the Warriors, and winning in Oracle Arena would be such a massive statement for Cleveland to make. That third quarter will probably decide the game, unless Golden State has a huge lead by then anyway.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE2″ image=”1457046″ title=”Can the Cavaliers follow the Rockets formula?” author=”24492″]If anyone can duplicate the Houston Rockets strategy of slowing the game and goading the Golden State Warriors into isolation basketball, it’s the Cleveland Cavaliers. No team’s offense played a more similar style to the Rockets than the Cavaliers did during the regular season. Of course, they’d have to replicate what Houston did on defense as well, a tall challenge. But Cleveland’s offense has the right ingredients, in theory.

[/live_blog_entry][live_blog_entry id=”LBE1″ title=”Last minute preview stuff!” author=”24492″]It may seem like, on the fourth time around, we already know everything there is to know about this Finals matchup. Still, our crew has prepared some preview materials if you want some more background:

• Why are the Warriors so dominant in the 3rd quarter?
• Steve Kerr coaches like a role player
• History and facts from the 2018 NBA Finals
• NBA Finals 2k18 Simulation: Warriors vs. Cavaliers IV
• Warriors-Cavaliers win probabilities
• Can the Cavaliers really pull this off?
• Can Jeff Green be the sidekick LeBron needs?

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