In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the first quarter was competitive and the Golden State Warriors pulled away through the final three. In Game 2, the Cavaliers stayed in the contest, keeping it competitive…until the second half started. That’s when the Warriors onslaught began, maintaining a comfortable lead for the majority of the second half.
Golden State defended Oracle and took a 2-0 lead over Cleveland.
The final score ended up being 132-113 and once again, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant took the game over, combining for 65 points. Many may argue that Curry’s stat line was the most impressive for the Warriors, notching a triple-double with 32 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. However, there are many that would argue on behalf of Kevin Durant, who was a factor in every aspect of the game, finishing with 33 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks, and 3 steals.
The most debilitating part about this game for the Cavaliers isn’t so much that they lost, but they played relatively well through most of the game and still lost. After Game 1, the criticism was an unproductive bench and a multitude of turnovers. Tonight, the bench had a great first half and a sloppy second. They ended up combining for 30 points, 10 better than Game 1. In Game 1, Cleveland was extremely sloppy with the ball, turning it over 20 times. Tonight, they cut that down to 9. 
The Warriors offense was simply too much for the Cavaliers. It was too powerful and thus far, Cleveland doesn’t seem to have enough firepower defensively to stop them nor offensively to simply keep up. Lebron James continued his storied legacy by recording his 8th Finals triple-double, which tied Magic Johnson for most all-time. James finished with 29 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds. Kevin Love added 27 points and 7 rebounds. Kyrie Irving didn’t have a great shooting night at all (8-of-23) but he did finish with 19 points. Other than those three, no one else scored in double figures which is ultimately why they lost this game.
Golden State did shoot well from the 3-point line (41.9 percent), which is almost the same percentage Cleveland shot overall for the game (45.0 percent). More impressively, Golden State’s big four combined for 101 points.
The Warriors just set a record for most playoffs wins in a row with 14 straight. They haven’t lost in the Playoffs and show no signs of slowing down. This may be a case where the Cavs don’t have the offensive power to beat the Warriors four times but a trip to the King’s home may just be the remedy for Cleveland’s woes.
Game 3 will be in Cleveland, OH on Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT.
