The Golden State Warriors may have had less time to rest before the NBA Finals than the Cleveland Cavaliers but it didn’t seem to matter. There was even the fact that many of the Cavs players delivered a strong performance on Thursday night but in the end, the scoreline was a familiar one to anyone that has looked in on the NBA this season. For all the excitement and drama, the Warriors won again and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Cleveland Cavaliers 89 – Golden State Warriors 104
One of the key turning points of the game was succinctly outlined by LeBron James from the Cavs. The star man pointed out that the Warriors took 45 points from the bench while the Cavs could only take 10 points. The Cavs put up a strong defensive showing against Steph Curry and Klay Thompson but in the end, it was the backup players that made the difference. Of course, it’s a squad game and these players can make a huge difference to the final score.
Warriors have more strength in depth
Shaun Livingston grabbed 20 points for the Warriors while Curry and Thompson could only combine for 20 points. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combined for 66 of the total 89 points picked up by the Cavs and for many people, this is the reason why the Warriors will go on to take the Championship once again.
There is no getting away from the fact that both teams have a truly exceptional talent in their side and the Cavs do have two other great players around James to create a strong forward three, but this is their limit. The rest of the squad pales compared to what the squad of the Warriors can do and at this point, many people are tipping the Warriors to race away with the series.
The Cavaliers deserve better than that but as Thursday night showed, you have to do the business and all players need to play their part.
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