The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are once again the last two teams standing and will face off for the fourth-straight NBA Finals. Golden State holds a 2-1 “series lead” over Cleveland, that being the two championships won by the Bay Area as opposed to the Cavs’ lone championship. But tonight, Cleveland will have a chance to immediately swipe homecourt advantage from Steph Curry and company.
Cleveland is going to try and buck the trend of opening game setbacks. In the last three NBA Finals, the Cavs have gone 0-3 in Game 1’s. To dive even further, their record in the first two games of the series, all played at Oracle Arena, is 1-5. Even more so, LeBron James is 1-7 in NBA Finals played with Cleveland and 5-11 overall. On Thursday night, a victory in Oakland would be absolutely huge for the Cavs.
The Warriors, on the other hand, come into these Finals after one of the more trying series through their four-year run. Golden State’s Western Conference Finals matchup against the Houston Rockets saw the defending champions put into a 3-2 deficit, truly testing their championship pedigree. Strong play mixed with a Chris Paul series-ending injury helped lift them to two-straight wins and a trip back to the familiar setting they’ve grown accustomed to.
This is the first time in any of the four major team sports that two teams have met four consecutive times in the championship of their sport. With that being said, let’s take a look at the three keys to a Cavaliers victory in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals.
1. Protect The Throne- Many have questioned how another NBA Finals loss would affect LeBron James’ legacy. While that thought is silly, it does make you wonder how the King is viewing this matchup.
After willing his team to this position, James could easily be happy with getting this far and just let the chips fall where they may. He could also have a sense of urgency when it comes to winning the 2018 title. But no matter what his thought process is, James has been cool as a cucumber all week long.
“Golden State is one of the best teams I’ve ever played, one of the best teams ever assembled… Then they add Kevin Durant… For me, as a competitor, it’s fun. [h/t Fox 8]” James said during yesterday’s media day.
It’s true, this is James’ biggest test as far as an opposing team’s talent. But after gauging the situation a year prior, it will be interesting how LeBron attacks Game 1.
2. Love’s Back- Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love had been in concussion protocol for five days before finally clearing the protocol on Thursday, just in time for Game 1. Love missed Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston due to being in the protocol. Now, it’s showtime for the Cavs’ second All-Star.
Love has struggled mightily for the majority of this postseason, only averaging 13.9 points per game for Cleveland. That mark is his lowest out of all four playoff runs he’s been with the Cavs for, drawing some concerns on how well Love will matchup against Golden State. And to be honest, it’s fair criticism considering Love’s previous showings against the Warriors when the lights are bright.
This is the first time out of the four years Love has been featured as the second option. He hasn’t really shown that he can handle the weight of that responsibility but time is still on his side. If Love comes out and performs at a high level, however, no one will remember the dog days of this run against Indiana and Boston.
It will be a key early on to see how Love’s flow is. If he’s on, it could mean good things are on the way for the Cavs. If he isn’t on though, Ty Lue should look for Jeff Green or Larry Nance Jr. as quick as possible.
3. Stop Steph- While Kevin Durant is the best player on the Warriors roster, Steph Curry still remains the most important. That can’t be disputed at this point.
It’s been talked about a ton during these playoffs just how fallible Golden State looks when they’re without Curry. The team can still put up some points, the luxury of having three other All-Stars on the floor. But Durant’s scoring total doesn’t really impact the game the way Steph’s does.
Impact basketball is what it’s called. LeBron James said it earlier this postseason and it rings true: two points isn’t just two points.
Breaking your opponent’s metaphorical back is what is meant by that. Someone can go off for thirty-something points and not leave any lasting impact on the contest while another player could gather fifteen points and fifteen rebounds and affect the outcome of the game. It’s what makes Curry such a hard player to guad. He isn’t just scoring on you, he’s taking away your energy and desire to win.
Every little shimmy that goes along with a huge three-pointer or high-arching floater that Steph hits rattles teams because of the way it gets Golden State going. When he’s on, nearly everyone is on. And that doesn’t happen when Durant is the main one leading the Warriors’ charge.
Cleveland will have to pick their poison. If they let Durant go crazy, they’ll still have a shot to steal Game 1. But if Curry goes off, it could be all she wrote sooner than later in this one.
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