Four-gone conclusion? Cavs-Warriors NBA Finals preview with David Zavac – The Nail in the Coffin, Episode 121
May 31, 2018
The Cavaliers might not recover: While We’re Waiting
June 1, 2018Cleveland Cavaliers 114
Golden State Warriors 124
[Box score]
Cavs trail series, 1-0
Many expected the fourth meeting in back-to-back-to-back-to-back NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors to be boring. The Dubs are just too good and LeBron James can only do so much for the wine and gold, many said.
To say that about Game 1 of this year’s version of the Finals matchup would be an extreme understatement.
LeBron did all he could, but it was the referees and JR Smith who turned the game in the wrong direction late in the fourth quarter.
51/8/8 – LeBron James (somehow) continues to impress us, doesn’t he? Not only did he score a career playoff-best 51 points while notching eight rebounds, eight assists, one block, and one steal, but No. 23 also was a very efficient 19-of-32 from the floor and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. Whether it was getting to the basket, using his mid-range game, or knocking down a few threes, James really did do all he could in order to try and steal Game 1 in Oakland. He’s one of only six players to scored 50-plus points in a Finals game but is the first one to come out on the losing end.1
1 – Along with his 51 points, the King also took one very crucial charge call with 36.4 seconds left. It came with the Cavs holding a 104-102 lead and would have given Cleveland the ball in order to either waste time or start shooting free throws if the Warriors wanted to foul.
33-year-old LeBron James steps in to take a charge in the #NBAFinals
WHAT. A. TIME. #WhateverItTakes vs. #DubNation pic.twitter.com/jH7Xebr5Xc
— Hashtag Basketball (@hashBasketball) June 1, 2018
Oh, wait, that wasn’t a charge? Although James was clearly outside the restricted area, with under two minutes remaining in the game, the referees are allowed to review the play if they have any doubt that the player taking the charge is in the restricted area or not. While reviewing the call, they are also allowed to change it if needed. But let me repeat, the only way it can be reviewed is if the refs have a question of if No. 23 was in the restricted area or not. He clearly wasn’t, but the referees still decided to review the call and then changed it from a charge to a block while doing so, completely changing the game.
The official rule on the reviewed block/charge call. https://t.co/oUKWX8NVyH pic.twitter.com/8SxBdchaKN
— Josh Poloha (@JorshP) June 1, 2018
0 – Although the play should have never really happened if it weren’t for the changed block call, JR Smith grabbing George Hill’s missed free throw and thinking that the Cavs were up one and not tied with just 4.7 seconds left was something, to say the least. He could have put up a shot inside the paint or do whatever he wanted, but due to him believing that the wine and gold were up one, he instead decided to dribble the ball and sprint to halfcourt, therefore sending the game to overtime.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1002396119647715330
2 – Things were heated toward the end of regulation. With James, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson getting into it a little, Tristan Thompson was given a Flagrant-2 by the referees, which turned into an automatic ejection. He got the most of it before leaving the court.
https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1002396586847031296
21/13 – Kevin Love struggled to find his shot at times, but his 21 points and 13 rebounds were solid. Even though he was 9-of-20 from the floor, his 1-of-8 from beyond the arc was what stood out the most. The good news is that even though he couldn’t make as hot from three-point range, the bad news is that if he shot like he always does, the Cavs are up 1-0 in the series.
9/11 – In just 19 minutes, Larry Nance Jr. played very, very well. Whether it was his energy off the bench, offensive rebounding, or seemingly being everywhere, Nance’s nine points and 11 rebounds in his first Finals game was impressive, to say the least. If he can continue to bring that energy and production off the bench that can only turn into good things for the Cavs.
53- 38 – Whether it was their toughness or just the fact that they may have wanted the ball more, Cleveland dominated the boards, outrebounding the Warriors, 53-38. The Cavaliers’ dominance on the glass is due in part to guys such as Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr., and LeBron James.
17 – Jordan Clarkson seemingly had so much potential, yet he has all but disappeared for much of the postseason. His struggles continued Thursday night. The guard was just 2-of-9 from the floor with four points and three rebounds in 17 minutes. The Cavs need a backup guard off the bench, but 17 minutes for Clarkson may have been 17 (or close to) too much. Whether it was his lack of passing or missing a bunch of open shots, Clarkson shouldn’t see the floor the rest of the series unless he (somehow) starts making shots.
36.1 – Cleveland may have allowed the Warriors to score 124 points, but their perimeter defense did well, holding Golden State to make just 13-of-36 shots from long distance, good for a 36.1 percent clip. If they want to upset the Dubs this series, their defense, especially from three-point land, will be crucial.
10-of-37 – The Cavaliers’ struggles from three-point range continued in the opening game of the Finals. Whether it was JR Smith, Kevin Love, Jeff Green, Jordan Clarkson, or Kyle Korver, Cleveland made just 1o-of-27 threes in the game, good for a dismal 27 percent.
Many – It’s not an exact number, but it was hard to keep track of all the bad calls the referees made in Game 1. I’m not much of a “blame the refs” guy, but Thursday night’s performance by the stripes was inexcusable, to say the least. Whether it was the charge-turned-block call or a bunch of others late in the game, this referee crew shouldn’t be allowed to be in the Finals again this summer.
- (Elgin Baylor, Michael Jordan, Rick Barry, Jerry West, Bob Petit are the others. [↩]
