Thriller night at Quick Loans Arena
Neither the hand of Kevin Love could stop the shot accuracy of Stephen Curry, whose firm hand and eyes located the basket and, from the three-point line, by the time the time out beep was heard, Curry scored another triple that in this final is overcharged with energy. The spicy taste of his game has not liked a bit to Lebron James. The King, along with his knights, could not contain the push of the Warriors who want keep on gilding their state. The suspense of the NBA finals will continue. The series between the Cavs and the Warriors are offering a great show of the best basketball in the world.
In the match both teams displayed a tremendous talent; the Cavs are expected to overcome the disadvantage but turning the final in favor of their team will be hard for the Cavaliers although nothing is impossible, more if you own a star player like Lebron James who since the beginning of the finals has carried the team on his shoulders and does not stop being a leader in every match. Even in this second final match he made several triples.
The Cavs have to beat the Warriors but their technical-tactical approach will have to change, especially when the defensive lines are becoming too open. In the second match the Warriors did what they wanted inside the court taking advantage of the defensive gaps left by the Cleveland boys. Perhaps the concern of stopping the attacks from the perimeter where Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Klay Thomson are dangerous, made them neglect the defense.
On the other hand, if the Cavaliers really want to catch the Warriors between the devil and the deep blue sea they should improve the rebound capture. In the clash last Monday, the Golden State team dominated rebounds of both rings, a fact that left the King with very few opportunities, since he could hardly be assisted.
However, nothing is lost. The Cavaliers already know what is to reborn like Phoenix bird and in 2016 they left the Warriors with the taste of victory, but they did not let them enjoy it.
The Quicken Loans Arena could be something else. Although the series for the Cavs is a bit uncomfortable, at least they will have a chance at home to even the match and try to defeat the Warriors at Oracle Arena.
Now it all depend on whether or not Lebron’s troop supports him, but so far Kevin Love is the only Cavalier who follows him, the rest looks like ghosts or mere spectators inside the court. The statistics do not favor the King; his change players scored fewer points than substitutes. In addition, the fatigue of the monarch of Cleveland is increasingly visible and without him his co-players lose the pace of the game.
As if that were not enough for the Cavs, the press has been handling the possible return of Andre Iguodala to the court. In fact, from the bench he has been very willing, giving guidance and advice and, above all, with lot of encouragement to play. To enter Iguadala to the court the Cavs will have to play with their ten players if they want to defend their basket.
In Cleveland, history could be rewritten. Even coach Steven Kerr said that in Quick Loans Arena everything will be different. Yet, Kerr trusts his boys, who already have the experience of playing in that scenario. He also has two men who are doing their best to take home another title.
The first of them is Stephen Curry, who reached the playoff injured. Step by step he has been recovering his game rhythm and in the second match, he managed to hold the record of triples for finals. He was also vital in assisting and rebounds, these last factors were instrumental in the advantage they had from the first quarter against the Cavaliers. McGee benefited from Curry's passes and assists and finished with a perfect 6 of 6 in court shots. Javala McGee who was a role of supporting actor during the season, surprised with two dunks in the first period, a fact that certainly, the Cavaliers didn’t expect.
Kevin Durant’s performance was also decisive to take the Warriors to finals and in the second match, he showed that Curry is not the only one who “seasons” the dishes served to the King. Durant scored 26 points, grabbed nine rebounds, delivered seven assists and became the shadow of Lebron James for several minutes. Meanwhile, Klay Thompson, despite a left leg injure, scored 20 points.
Now the view in the Quick Loans Arena becomes gloomy. While the Cleveland team will have the advantage to play at home, the Golden State team will land with the best of their army: Draymond Green, extremely valuable on defense, snipers Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, shooter-from-all-lines-of-attack Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala, who will also want to shine in these finals.