2016 NBA Playoffs
NBA Finals – Game #2
#1 Cleveland Cavaliers at #1 Golden State Warriors
Warriors Lead Best of Seven Series 1-0
Sunday, June 5, 2016, 8:05 pm Eastern, TV: ABC
Oracle Arena- Oakland, California
Opening Line: Golden State -6 1/2
Current Line: Golden State -6
Opening Total: 206 1/2
Current Total: 208 1/2
Opening Money Line: Warriors -290 / Cavaliers +230
Current Money Line: Warriors -250 / Cavaliers +210
Despite the Splash Brothers both having subpar shooting games in the first game of the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors still beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-89 in the first game of their Finals rematch from last year. The Warriors proved you don’t win 73 games in the regular season just on the strength of two players even if they are Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Cavaliers look to even the series in game two Sunday before the series switches to Cleveland for the next two games.
In game one, Golden State was a 6 point favorite and the total was 211. The Warriors led 52-43 at halftime. Cleveland clawed their way back into the game and actually took a one point lead three times. The Cavs led 68-67 with 2:12 left in the quarter. However, Golden State would close the third quarter on a 7-0 run. The Warriors extended the run with a 14-4 run to start the fourth. Golden State led by as many as 20, and Cleveland would get no closer than 11 points for the rest of the game. The Cavaliers shot 38.1% from the field and the Warriors were 49.4% from the field. Cleveland had a huge edge on the boards 56-43, but they also had 17 turnovers to just 9 for the Warriors.
Curry and Thompson combined for just 20 points on 8/27 shooting. Curry also had 5 of the 9 turnovers for the Warriors. Draymond Green had 16 points for the Warriors The Golden State bench outscored Cleveland’s bench 45-9. Shaun Livingston scored 20 off the bench for the Warriors. Andre Igoudala scored 12 and Leandro Barbosa scored 11. The Cavaliers Big Three of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving scored 66 of the 89 points.
Cleveland is coached by Tyronn Lue, who replaced David Blatt midway though the season. The Cavaliers are the first team in NBA history to make the NBA Finals with two different rookie head coaches in two straight seasons. Cleveland went 57-25 and won the Central Division by 12 games over the Indiana Pacers. Cleveland was the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference and breezed into the Conference Finals by sweeping the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks. The Cavaliers then beat the Toronto Raptors in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavaliers are 46-48-3 ATS and the total is 48-49 this season.
Golden State is coached by Steve Kerr. Kerr won the NBA coach of the year award despite missing almost half the season recovering from back surgery. The Warriors set an NBA record for wins in the regular season with a 73-9 record. They won the Pacific Division by 20 games over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors beat the Houston Rockets in five games in the first round. The Warriors then beat the Portland Trail Blazers in five games in the second round. Two time MVP Stephen Curry suffered knee and ankle injuries in the first round against the Rockets and missed six games in the playoffs. He returned for the last two games against the Blazers and has played ever since. The Warriors came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in seven games in the Western conference Finals. Golden State is the defending NBA Champion. Golden State is 57-41-2 ATS and the total is 52-47-1.
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Cleveland is outscoring teams 107-94 during the playoffs. The Cavaliers are shooting 47.5% from the field including 43.4% from three point range. The Cavaliers make 72.5% of their free throws. Opponents are shooting 45.1% from the field and 34% from three point range. Cleveland averages 43 rebounds per game and opponents average 37.1 per game. The Cavaliers average 22.9 assists, 11.6 turnovers, 7 steals and 3.6 blocks per game. Opponents average 22.9 assists, 12.4 turnovers, 6.1 steals and 3.9 blocks per game.
LeBron James averages 24.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7 assists and 2.21 steals per game in the playoffs. James is playing in his sixth straight NBA Finals something that hasn’t been done since the 1960’s era Celtics. Kyrie Irving averages 24.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Kevin Love averages 17.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. J.R. Smith averages 12 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Channing Frye averages 8.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Richard Jefferson, Tristan Thompson, Matthew Dellevadova, and Iman Shumpert will also get minutes in the rotation.
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Golden State is outscoring teams 111-105 in the playoffs. The Warriors are shooting 46.4% from the field and 40.3% from three point range. Golden State makes 73.4% of their free throws. Opponents are shooting 41.8% from the field and 34.2% from three point range. The Warriors average 44.6 rebounds per game and opponents average 46.6. Golden State averages 25 assists, 14 turnovers, 8.5 steals and 5.4 blocks per game. Opponents average 20.4 assists, 15.1 turnovers, 8.2 steals and 5.1 blocks per game.
Curry averages 26.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Klay Thompson averages 26.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game in the playoffs. Draymond Green averages 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. Shaun Livingston, Harrison Barnes, Andre Igoudala, Marreese Speights, Leandro Barbosa, Andrew Bogut and Ian Clark will also get minutes in the rotation. Kevon Looney is out for the season with a hip injury.
Cleveland is 4-1 ATS after failing to cover and after the opponent scores 100 points or more, 6-2 against Pacific teams, 7-3 after allowing 100 points or more, 5-11 on two days rest, 7-18-1 after a double digit loss, 1-4 in road games, against Western Conference teams and against teams with winning home records, and 0-4 in NBA Finals games. The under is 8-3-1 in this series including 3-0-1 in Oakland.
Golden State is 4-0 ATS at home, in NBA Finals games, overall and against teams with winning records, 4-1 in Sunday games, 5-2 after a double digit win, 35-14-2 against teams with winning road records, 9-4 after failing to cover, 33-16-2 on two days rest, and 2-5 against Eastern Conference teams. The Warriors are 5-1 ATS overall against the Cavaliers and 8-3 in Oakland.
If you are the Cavaliers you can look at game one in two ways. One you did a great job shutting down Curry and Thompson. However, the Cavaliers have to make more shots. I think this game will be a lot closer, and it wouldn’t even surprise me if they earned the split in game two.
