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Wow. That game will go down in history for reasons more than one. No one expected such a competitive contest and up until the dying moments of OT it was a back and forth affair. Looking at the key stats, neither team shot particularly well (CLE 3P%: 27, GSW 3P%: 36.1), the Cavs clearly won the rebounding battle (64-42, including 19 offensive) but the Warriors were able to limit their turnovers (8) and get the ball moving (31 assists). Outside of that here were the major takeaways from an unforgettable game one.
Does J.R. Smith Know How To Play Basketball?
J.R. has been done some stupid stuff on and off the court over his 14 years in this league, surely this takes the cake.
Despite relaying to his coach that he thought they were up by one, Smith told reporters otherwise:
That flies in the face not only of what he told Lue but also what he said on court:
You gotta feel for LeBron who you could tell was not only frustrated in the moment:
But following the game too:
Speaking of The King, words cannot do justice the performance he put up in game one.
Holy Shit, LeBron
James continues to defy father time and put up performances that are jaw dropping. LeBron has the ability to make history on a nightly basis, it just might not be enough against a team stacked with four All-Stars; especially when your teammates can’t make a crucial free throw or read the freaking scoreboard.
It’s unfathomable that he can have such an insane performance yet not get the W. A few of his guys didn’t do him and favors and neither did the officiating crew.
Boy, Oh Boy, Those Refs
Was it a charge or block?
In such a heated affair it’s disappointing that an officiating decision became a factor in the outcome of the game. It was even more odd because the rule states you can only go the replay if the defender is in the restricted area, which LeBron wasn’t.
Ultimately the right decision was made, though it shouldn’t have come to that in the first place.
The dying moments of the game saw a heated confrontation between Tristan Thompson and Draymond Green that led to the ejection of Thompson.
Thompson who has been crucial for Cleveland in these playoffs could miss game two and make it even tougher for his team to steal the series.
Finally, these sorts of calls are never made but worth noting:
It was a wild night at the Oracle for Game 1, here’s hoping for more of the same on Sunday.