Category: NBA

Durant and Warriors one win away from title

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) passes around Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half of Game 3 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Cleveland, Wednesday, June 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

CLEVELAND, OH — Kevin Durant’s 31 points, including a clutch 3-pointer with 45.3 left in the fourth quarter propelled the Golden State Warriors to within 48 minutes of their second title in three years with a 118-113 win in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Durant signed with Golden State last summer after nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder for an opportunity to finally capture that elusive championship ring that he so desperately seeks.

Trailing by six with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter, Golden State closed out the game on a 11-0 run with Durant scoring 14 points in the final quarter. Golden State tightened up the defense during that stretch, holding Cleveland to 0-for-8 from the floor.

When you combine the 16-1 finish to the regular season, and the NBA-record 15 straight postseason victories (including tonight’s come-from-behind victory), Golden State is 30-1 in their last 31 games. Golden State owns the longest postseason winning streak among the four major professional sports.

That sounds great and all, but that is not the ultimate prize that the Warriors are playing for with a commanding 3-0 lead in hand over the Cavaliers in the best-of-7 NBA Finals.

If the Warriors can close out the series in Friday night’s Game 4, Golden State will become the only team in NBA history to finish the postseason unblemished at 16-0 and denying Cleveland their second-straight championship. Cleveland engineered the greatest comeback in NBA Finals’ history when they stormed back last year and won the title from Golden State after the Warriors claimed a 3-1 lead.

The Warriors haven’t forgotten that sickening feeling of seeing Cleveland celebrating on Golden State’s home floor in Game 7 last year. Cleveland denied Golden State (who also won an NBA-record 73 games) the opportunity of winning back-to-back titles after Golden State won the 2015 NBA Championship over the Cavaliers in six games.

Now, Golden State is looking to return the favor and drive a stake through the Cavaliers’ heart by potentially sweeping them this year. No team has ever come back to win the NBA Finals when trailing 3-0.

Durant finished 10-for-18 from the floor, to go along with 4-for-7 on 3s, and joined Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal as the only players in league history to average 25-plus points per game in their first eight games in the Finals according to ESPN Stats and Information.

Klay Thompson scored 21 of his 30 points in the first half and Stephen Curry finished with 24 for Golden State. Curry finished with six assists, and had 13 of the team’s 44 rebounds out-rebounding Cleveland (37) in the process.

Golden State knocked down a Finals’ record nine 3-pointers in the first quarter. After making a Finals’ record 18-of-43 3-pointers in Game 2, Golden State remained hot on 3s going 16-for-33 in Game 3. Thompson made a team-high six 3s.

Golden State shot 48-percent (40-for-83) from the floor on the night.

Ditto from the free throw line.

As in Game 2 when the Warriors shot 22-for-24  from the free throw line, Golden State hit the replay button and shot 22-for-24 in Game 3.

Cleveland finds themselves on the brink of a sweep after giving Golden State their best punch of the series in Game 3.

LeBron James, who is averaging a triple-double so far in the series, nearly had another triple-double with 39 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. James tied his personal best for points in a Finals half with 27 points, while Kyrie Irving resurfaced his game, scoring 16 of his 38 points in the third quarter.

James and Irving left everything on the court in Game 4 for Cleveland, combining to shoot 31-for-56 from the floor and helped Cleveland out-score Golden State 33-22 in the third quarter, but it still wasn’t enough for a Cavaliers team that shot a 44-percent from the field (40-for-90).

J.R. Smith added 16 points after scoring just three points total in the first two games of the series, while Kevin Love struggled in Game 3 mustering just nine points on 1-for-9 shooting.

Cleveland was an iceberg from the 3-point line, shooting a dismal 12-for-44 (27-percent) on 3s, and allowed Golden State to rack up 29 assists to Cleveland’s 17.

After winning the first two games of the series by a combined 41 points and not yielding a second half lead until Cleveland took a 71-69 in the third quarter, Golden State needed all 48 minutes to outlast Cleveland Wednesday night.

 

 

 

 

Warriors snatch Victory from the jaws of defeat 118-113; It could be all over in game five

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Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) and Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) battle for a loose ball during the second half of Game 3 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Cleveland, Wednesday, June 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Cleveland- The Warriors, leading 2 games to none in the NBA Finals, knowing that Game three of the best-of-seven series was going to be a dogfight, had their work cut out for them. They knew that they lost game three last year, also in Cleveland. They entered the game with a lot of determination to not let that happen again. Last year Cleveland rallied from a 3-1 deficit to stun the Dubs and win the championship. With all of this on their collective mind, the Dubs outscored the Cavs 39-32 in the first quarter. They were hoping to get the jump on the Cavs and stun them. The Cavs, behind the play of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, kept the game close and did not let the Dubs sprint to a big half-time leads. The Cavs won the second quarter 29-28 and trailed by six 67-61 after 24 minutes of play.

In the third quarter, the Cavs took it to the Dubs. The Warriors usually own the third quarter but not on Wednesday night. Kyrie Irving was a force as was LeBron James  The Cavs outscored the Dubs by eleven 33-22 and led 94-89 at the end of the period. The Warriors tried to close the gap, but the Cavs seemed to have an answer for all the challenges. The Warriors’ ace defensive player, Draymond Green, picked up his fourth personal foul early in the quarter and had to leave the game.

The Cavs continued to play well, and the Warriors were not able to stop them on defense. Draymond came back into the game and picked up his fifth personal. One more and he would have to leave the game for good. Draymond did not foul out and he along with Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Steph Curry was able to stop the Cavs’ offense in the last three minutes of the game. The crowd was roaring as the Cavaliers answered every Golden State challenge. If the Dubs made a 3-pointer, Cleveland answered with a three-pointer. The Cavs led 113-107 with less than three minutes to play in the game. Kevin Durant and the Dubs shut the Cleveland offense down and went on an 11-0 run to finish the game and win 118-113 to take a 3-0 lead over Cleveland in the Finals. The Dubs are one game away from their second championship in three years. Keep in mind, no NBA team has ever come back to win the crown after trailing 3-0. The Warriors, however, know that Cleveland came back from a 3-1 deficit last year to win. The Warriors will not lose focus when they meet Friday night in Game Four.

Game Notes and stats- The Warriors extended their winning streak to 15-0 in the finals. If they win on Friday, they will be the first team to go undefeated in the playoffs. Another interesting fact is that the Dubs have won 30 of the last 31 games that they have played.

The Dubs’ big three of Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant all had big games. Klay, who had been in a shooting slump until last Sunday’s game, tallied 30 points. He had 6 rebounds and had to guard Kyrie Irving. As mentioned earlier, Irving was a force as he scored 38 in a losing cause. Klay did his best to contain him, but Irving plays better in Cleveland and averages 10 points per game more when he is on his home court. Kevin Durant ended the game with 31 points, 4 assists, 8 rebounds, and one blocked shot. Durant had 16 in the first half but was shut out for most of the third period. KD Got it going in the fourth quarter, and his three-point shot late in the game put the Dubs ahead for the first time since early in the third period. Curry had a double-double. Steph kicked in with 26 points, 6 assists, and 13 big rebounds. Draymond Green had 8 points, 7 assists, 8 rebounds and he, too, blocked a shot. The Warriors’ bench Led by Andre Iguodala, David West, and Shaun Livingston pitched in with seven, seven, and six respectively.

LeBron James led the Cavs almost had a triple-double. He scored 39 points, with 9 assists, and 11 boards. Kyrie Irving followed with 38. J.R.Smith, who had been ineffective, the first two games of the series, woke up and made five 3-pointers and ended the night with 16 points. Kevin Love had nine points and 13 rebounds. Tristan Thompson was held scoreless, and he has just 8 points in the first three games. He had just three rebounds. Kyle Korver pitched in with 8. The Cavaliers bench as a whole scored just 11 points. The Warriors depth was on display in game three.

The Warriors and Cavs meet Friday night again at the Quicken Arena in Cleveland. Game time is at 6 pm. Fans should watch this game as the Dubs have a chance to make NBA history with a win.

NBA Finals/Golden State Warriors podcast with Jerry Feitelberg: Durant walks out of presser because of air conditioner; LeBron can’t wait at podium for presser walks out

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant speaks at a news conference after Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, June 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

On the NBA Finals/Golden State Warriors Podcast with Jerry (filling for David Zizmor):

During Tuesday’s presser in Cleveland as many of you know Golden State Warriors Kevin Durant got up and walked out because the air conditioner was blowing cold air on him so he got up and ended the presser. You never know what’s on the mind of the players mind and what’s going on with them Durant is pretty non committal. Maybe he got a question that irritated him and the air conditioner was an excellent excuse to bow out of the press conference.

Also during a press conference in Oakland during game two the Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James refused to come up to the podium because he had to wait. LeBron should have done the presser but for whatever reason he had didn’t do the interview and he was asked by ESPN radio a question while trying to leave and LeBron gave ESPN a smart aleck answer. You just never know what kind of answer your going to get from the players but ESPN for example was just trying to do their job.

That’s much more on the NBA Finals podcast with Jerry Feitelberg take a listen below. Dave Zizmor who normally does the NBA Finals podcast took the day off at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Rumor: Kings have a Fox crush; willing to trade two #1 picks to move up in draft

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

by Charlie O. Mallonee

fox

According to a report from Chad Ford of ESPN, the Sacramento Kings really see De’Aaron Fox of Kentucky as their point guard of the future. The Kings have been looking for a point guard they can build around since trading away Isaiah Thomas in 2014 (the Thomas trade was made by the previous basketball operations management).

Fox – a “one and done” star point guard – was a standout at Kentucky for John Calapari averaging 16.7 points per game and 4.6 assists per game. He is a 52-percent shooter from 2-point range but just a 25-percent shooter form 3-point land. To his credit, Fox’s 3-point shooting did improve considerably late in the season and during the NCAA Tournament.

Because of his talent and speed, Fox is most often compared to Kentucky basketball great John Wall now of the Washington Wizards. Who wouldn’t want the next John Wall on your team? However, how many championships has John Wall won? That would be none. He has helped lead his team into the playoffs but the goal is also a ring and a banner.

What is Fox worth?

fox detail

The real question is – how much is too much to give up for a player like Fox? Two number one draft picks is too much for a team like the Kings. They have so many needs and having two lottery picks in the most talented draft in decade is not a situation to be squandered. Sacramento needs depth and they have the chance to add young talent that they can have under team control for years to come.

There are two top rated point guards that will be available when the Kings select at number five if Fox is gone. Dennis Smith out of North Carolina State who averaged 18.1 ppg and 6.2 apg will almost certainly be there, and maybe the most intriguing player in the draft will also be there as well.

18-year old point guard Frank Ntilikina who plays in France and who is the “darling of Europe” will be available. Ntilikina is 6-foot-5 “pass first” point guard. He was the European junior player of the year. At just 18, Ntilikina is not considered NBA ready and he is seen as a high risk/high reward selection, but who doesn’t want a 6-foot-5 point guard?

In order to take one of these two point guards, the Kings might need to select them a little higher than they are currently ranked. There is no problem with that. Sometimes, you have to draft for need instead of just drafting the next best player available. That type of creative thinking would allow the Kings to keep both of their lottery picks.

Why are the Kings so concerned?

fox cal

The Kings are getting nervous because the Lakers are making noise about not taking Ball (would you want to deal with his father?), Philly really needs to think backcourt players, Phoenix has interest in Fox (why they would draft another guard would a mystery but they are the Suns).

The danger for the Kings is they are about to become the Chicago Bears of the NBA Draft. Every team would like to have two lottery picks and might be willing to entertain a deal. Sports professionals everywhere are laughing at the Bears because the 49ers snookered them out of an extra draft pick for nothing. The Kings need to be very careful not to make the very same mistake.

Who can the Kings get with the number 10 pick?

markkanen

The Kings are projected to have some very interesting possible selections at the number 10 spot. Arizona power forward Lauri Markkanen has been projected to be there. He has been labeled as a Ryan Anderson type player. Center/power forward Zach Collins from Gonzaga is seen as a 10 pick. The very talented small forward Justin Jackson from North Carolina could be there at number 10. If Rudy Gay opts out, the Kings will need someone at the three spot. Jonathan Issac out of Florida State is also a possibility.

On June 22, the Sacramento Kings have the opportunity to change the fortunes of the franchise for the next decade. The brain trust in the basketball operations department led by Vlade Divac cannot afford to take a swing and miss. They must hit a home run with both of their lottery draft selections on that franchise changing night.

Warriors do it again beat the Cavs 132-113 to take 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals

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Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, left, is fouled by Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson during the first half of Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, June 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- The Golden State Warriors downed the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-113 in Game Two of the NBA Finals. The Warriors set an NBA record as they won their 14th consecutive game in a row without a loss in the playoffs.  The final score was 132-113 for Golden State. No team in NBA history has ever achieved that feat. In addition, the Warriors are now 29-1 in their last 30 games.

The Dubs, buoyed by the presence of head coach Steve Kerr’s presence on the bench played like a team on a mission to regain the championship they lost last year. The Cavaliers, to their credit, put up quite a fight for two and one-half periods of play but the Dubs were too much offensively and defensively for the Cavs. Steph Curry had his first triple-double of the playoffs, and Kevin Durant pitched in with a double-double. Add to the mix, the return to form by Klay Thompson and the Dubs had the recipe to win the game. The Cavs’ star LeBron James also had a triple-double, but the Cavs were minus 11 when he was on the floor. The Warriors defense clamped down on Kyrie Irving as they held him to just 19 points. Kevin Love had 27. Tristan Thompson had 8, and the rest of the Cavs added just 30.

The Warriors tallied 40 points in the first period. The Cavs replied with 34, but it looked like the Dubs were in control. The Cavs outscored the Dubs 30-27 in the second quarter but never led. The Dubs led 67-64 at the end of the first half, and the Cavs had to believe they had a chance to win as the headed to the locker room for the intermission. The Warriors and Cavs went at it tooth and nail in the second quarter until the Dubs decided to win the game. Steph made LeBron look silly on a play that was on everyone’s highlight reel. Steph, with Lebron guarding him, drove to his right. Steph stopped and made a slight turn driving to his left. LeBron was still guarding him closely. Steph drove right again, then left again, and Lebron had to watch as Steph blew by him and put a layup in with his right hand. Fantastic ball control by Steph Curry. The Dubs finished the quarter leading by 14 and increased the advantage to 22 about halfway through the fourth period. With less than three minutes left in the game, Kerr removed his starters and the second unit finished the game. The Dubs win 132-113.

Game notes and stats- Kevin Durant, who scored 38 points in Game One, finished the night with 33 points, six assists, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots. He was plus 21 when he was on the floor. Klay Thompson played a great game on both ends of the court. He scored 22 points and made 4-3point shots. He was excellent on the defensive end and led the Dubs on defense and was plus 24. Draymond Green was saddled with five fouls but still managed to tally 12 points, 6 assists, and six boards. Steph Curry scored 32, had 10 assists, and 11 rebounds to lead the team to victory. Bench players Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingstone, and Ian Clark all made significant contributions to the Subs’ win.

After the game, KD had this to say:”We turned the ball over too much in the first half. But the second half, I think we settled in, tried to play simple and defensively just tried to contest their shots,”

Steph Curry was obviously elated by the return of Steve Kerr, and he said this about Steve:”He’s been around, the last couple weeks especially, giving us input and giving us what he’s got,” “But having him back on the bench means a lot. We love his presence. We love his voice. And we’re a full group when he’s out here. So that means a lot.”

Kerr made some comments about his return: “I’m going to pull out the `Win one for the Gipper’ speech,” Kerr joked. “`… Maybe get a little teary-eyed. Implore them to win it for me because it’s not important for them to win it for themselves.”

Many people are speculating the Dubs might sweep the series because they played so well the first two games. However, Kerr has to remind them that it’s not over until they win four games and the Warriors all know what happened last year when the Cavs came back from a 3-1 deficit to win the crown.

“Well, it’s been a great run, but none of that matters unless we can finish the job with this series,” Kerr said. “Trust me, we know. It was 2-0 last year, we lost.”-

 

Game three will be played Wednesday night in Cleveland at 6 pm. Game Four will be Friday night also at 6 pm.

Curry and Durant sizzle in Game two to put Warriors up 2-0 in Kerr’s return

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant, center, celebrates with Draymond Green, left, and Klay Thompson during the second half of Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, June 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — Kevin Durant followed up his 38-point, eight-assist and eight-rebound performance from Game 1 with 33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, and Stephen Curry recorded his first career postseason triple-double to help the Golden State Warriors take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals with a 132-113 win in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night in front of another sold out, energetic crowd at Oracle Arena in head coach Steve Kerr’s return to the bench.

Kerr missed the last 11 games of the playoffs dating back to Game 2 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs against the Portland Trailblazers with complications from back surgery nearly two years ago.

“Well, it’s been a great run but none of that matters unless we can finish the job with this series,” Kerr said postgame. “Trust me, we know. It was 2-0 last year, we lost.”

Golden State was in the same position last year, up 2-0, the going up 3-1, before the roof collapsed in on the Warriors’ season and the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history was authored by the Cavaliers, who stole the title in seven games costing the Warriors a chance for the repeat after winning the title in 2015.

In Games 1 and 2 of last year’s Finals, Golden State won both games by a combined 48 points. In the first two games of the Finals this year, the Warriors have defeated Cleveland by a combined 41 points this season according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

But this year is different.

It feels different, especially with Durant, a near-seven-foot scoring machine that has vastly improved defensively in Year 1 with the Warriors.

Durant shot 13-for-22 from the floor and was nearly unstoppable for most of the 41 minutes he was on the court tonight, while Curry scored 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds pulling Golden State within two wins of their second championship in three years.

Durant had five of Golden State’s seven blocks, and three of the team’s five steals.

At 14-0, Golden State is trying to become the first team in league history to go unbeaten on the way to the title. The Warriors currently have the longest postseason win streak in NBA history.

Curry made 7-for-17 from the floor, while connecting on 4-for-11 on 3s, but did most of his damage from the free throw line converting 14-for-14 from the charity stripe in 36 minutes.

The two-time league MVP put on a dribbling display on LeBron James in the third quarter where he drove past the three-time NBA Champion and scored as part of a 16-6 run to close out the quarter and the Warriors never looked back, carrying a 102-88 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Klay Thompson, who had been struggling shooting the ball throughout the postseason but has played superb defense in the previous 13 games, added 22 points on 8-for-12 from the floor to go along with 4-for-7 from behind the three-point line. Thompson added seven rebounds for Golden State, who also shot 18-for-43 on 3s.

Draymond Green had 12 points, six assists and six rebounds, but picked up three personal fouls within the first 11 minutes of the game and only played 25 minutes.

As a team, Golden State shot a blistering 51-percent (46-for-89) from the floor and shot 22-for-24 from the free throw line, while out-rebounding Cleveland 53-41 in the game.

The Cavaliers can hang their hat on the fact that they did force 20 turnovers after only forcing four in Game 1. For a team that didn’t record a single steal in Game 1, Cleveland had four within the game’s first seven minutes before finishing with a 15-5 edge.

“We turned the ball over too much in the first half. But the second half, I think we settled in, tried to play simple and defensively just tried to contest their shots,” Durant said after the game.

Curry had eight of those turnovers and was two away from having a dubious quadruple-double. His 10 first-quarter free throws matched a playoff record for made shots from the stripe in one period shared with Sarunas Marciulionis done on April 28, 1992, at Seattle. It also matched Paul Pierce for most in a Finals quarter according to ESPN Stats and Information.

LeBron James was Cleveland’s best player once again, matching Curry’s triple-double with one of his own, scoring 29 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in 39 minutes. James played spectacular, but appeared gassed in the fourth quarter with fatigue etched on his face.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, James and Curry became just the second opposing players in NBA postseason history to record a triple-double in the same game, joining Lew Alcindor (38 points/23 rebounds/11 assists) and Walt “Clyde” Frazier (10 points/12 rebounds/14 assists), who recorded their performances in Game 2 of the 1970 Eastern Division Finals won by Frazier’s Knicks, 112-111.

Frazier’s Knicks would win that series, 4-1, and go on and win the title defeating, Wilt Chamberlain and the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.

James was 12-for-18 from the floor, while Kevin Love added 27 points and seven rebounds on 12-for-23 shooting.

After 24 points on 10-for-22 shooting for Kyrie Irving in Game 1, Irving managed just 19 points and struggled to find the basket shooting just eight-for-23. Irving was defended aggressively by the Warriors, forcing Irving into taking tough layups and jumpers.

Cleveland shot 45-for-100 (45-percent) from the field for the game, but struggled from 3, shooting just 8-for-29 (27-percent) from deep. The Cavaliers shot 3-for-20 from the three-point line in the first half.

With the series now shifting to Cleveland for Games 3 and 4, the Cavaliers will have to regroup if they want to get any momentum because the Warriors are firmly in the series’ driver seat.

J.R. Smith had zero points as the starting shooting guard, and Kyle Korver led Cleveland’s bench with just eight points, which equaled starting center Tristan Thompson’s offensive output on the night.

Lineup changes for Cleveland could be a possibility, or better yet, should be made. If you’re Cleveland head coach Tyronn Lue, you need to do something to shake up the players.

Cleveland already knows the production that they will get from James, Love and Irving on most nights, but the Cavaliers need to get other players involved or this series could become too much of a mountain to climb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NBA Finals: More from Durant and the defense will go a long way for Warriors’ title hopes

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) in Game 1 of the NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, June 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — The basketball world was on pins and needles for the start of Round Three between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, and both teams lived up to the hype for the majority of Game 1 Thursday night before Kevin Durant and the Warriors took control and ran away with the victory, 113-91.

Durant, who many pundits questioned his decision to join a high-powered Warriors team that had already played in two Finals prior to his arrival, showed out in his first Finals game since 2012 as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder; pouring in a game-high 38 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists to go along with zero turnovers on 14-for-26 shooting from the floor.

Not since the great Michael Jordan during the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz that a player had at least 30 points, five assists, and zero turnovers in a game before Durant’s acts in Game 1 according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

But an epic performance on the NBA’s biggest stage is what we expect from Durant, a former league MVP, is it not?

Golden State already has a two-time league MVP (and the only unanimous MVP in league history) in Stephen Curry, who looks healthier as ever at this time this year than he did in last year’s Finals after adding 28 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds in Game 1, including 6-for-11 on 3s.

Add in Draymond Green (nine points and 11 rebounds), an odds on favorite to take home the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award this season after leading the NBA in steals per game (2.03), to go along with Klay Thompson, who despite shooting under 40-percent from both the floor (36-percent) and from beyond the three-point line (34-percent) during the postseason, was Golden State’s best defender in Game 1 holding would-be scorers to 1-for-12 shooting from the floor as the primary defender.

With all due respect to Harrison Barnes, who had a breakout season in Year 1 for the Mavericks averaging a career-high 19.2 points per game and was a fan favorite for all of Dub Nation, but his no-show during last year’s Finals (most notably in Games 5-7 where he scored just 15 points on 5-for-32 shooting (3-for-15 on 3s) after Golden State had a commanding 3-1 lead in the series still stings Warriors’ fans.

But Durant is clearly the difference-maker and much better upgrade from Barnes this year for the Warriors and will continue to be a huge match-up problem for Cleveland with Game 2 Sunday night at Oracle Arena at 5:00 p.m. PDT on the horizon.

And that’s even with first-ballot hall of famer LeBron James on the other side.

Circle back to Game 1: When Durant was on the floor, the Warriors out-scored Cleveland by 18, and in the 40 minutes that James was on the floor, the Warriors out-scored Cleveland by 22, with much of the damage coming in the second half for Golden State.

I counted at least six times in the first half of Game 1 where Cleveland’s defense just allowed Durant to cruise through the lane like he had a FasTrak embedded in his jersey for easy dunks.

At times in the game, it almost appeared that Cleveland were content on allowing Durant score at will and didn’t want to be burned by Golden State’s shooting.

Golden State shot 45-for-106 (42-percent) from the floor.

Making his NBA record seventh-consecutive Finals appearance, James was Cleveland’s most effective player, finishing with a team-high 28 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists, but made just 9-for-20 from the floor.

If James could’ve recorded two more assists, he would’ve tied Lakers’ legend and NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson for the most triple-doubles in Finals history with eight, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Johnson led Los Angeles to nine Finals appearances and won five championships as the leader of the “Showtime” Lakers of the 1980s. Johnson’s teams were 5-4 in the Finals while James’s teams are just 3-4.

Outside of Kyrie Irving’s 24 points on 10-for-22 shooting from the floor, the defending NBA Champions’ supporting cast came up empty in Game 1.

Kevin Love did have 15 points and a game-high 21 rebounds, but shot just 4-for-13 from the floor.

The Warriors’ bench barely out-scored the Cavaliers’ bench 24-21.

Cleveland can’t let Golden State have their way with them in Game 2 as they did in Game 1  if they have any chance of gaining a split in Oakland before the series shifts to Northeast Ohio for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Friday.

Golden State held the advantage in points-in-the-paint, out-scoring the Cavaliers 56-30 and dominating the fast-break, out-scoring Cleveland 27-9.

As a team, Cleveland shot 30-for-86 (34-percent) from the floor.

The 20 turnovers the Cavaliers committed that led to 21 points for Golden State was a testament to their superb defense they’ve collectively played all season long, forcing teams to shoot a league-low 43-percent from the field and finished tops in turnovers forced per game with 14.8 during the regular season.

In the postseason, Golden State is ratcheting up the defense intensity allowing just 41-percent from the floor through 13 games.

Not surprisingly, Golden State is 13-0 in the postseason this year, three wins from securing their second championship in three years.

Durant will have his fingerprints on the outcome of the Finals, believe that.

Win or lose.

Warriors get off to a good start as they rout the Cavaliers in Game One 113-91

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant dunks against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half of Game 1 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, June 1, 2017. (John G. Mabanglo/Pool Photo via AP)

by Jerry Feitelberg

Oakland- the Warriors, behind Kevin Durant’s fantastic performance in Game One against the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers, led the Dubs to victory 113-91. The Dubs still smarting from losing the crown last season to Cleveland, were focused on shutting down the Cavs offense. They did just that. They knew that LeBron James and Kyrie Irving would be difficult to handle. Those two players did their thing but the Dubs were able to shut down the rest of the Cav’s players.

Durant and Steph Curry did most of the scoring for the Dubs in the first half. The Dubs took a five-point lead after the first 12 minutes of play. The game was close, and there were several ties. However, the Dubs went ahead by three 27-24 when Steph made a 3-point shot. The Warriors never trailed the rest of the way.  They increased the lead to eight at the finish of the first half of play, leading 60-52. KD was a force as he made six dunks and tallied 23 points. Steph followed with 12. Andre Iguodala added seven. The Cavs’ big three of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love scored 19, 18, and 8 respectively. The Warriors recorded 20 assists in the first half and committed just one turnover. The Cavs turned the ball over 12 times.

The Warriors, as they have done so many times this season, started the third period on a 13-0 run. They outscored the Cavs 33-20  to end the third period with a 21-point advantage 93-72. Steph and KD kept coming after the Cavs. The Warriors defense continued to pressure Cleveland. The Cavs could not mount a comeback as the scored just 19 points in the final period of play and took the loss by a final score of 113-91.

Game Notes and Stats- The Warriors became the first team in NBA history to go 13-0 this deep into the playoffs. The Warriors were 12-0 in the Western Conference, and Cleveland breezed through the East with a record of 12-1. The Warriors have to remain focused on a loss to Cleveland this Sunday would give the Cavs home court advantage for the last 5 games of the series. After  the game Steph Curry said this in response about the win and the game coming up Sunday:”focus what’s in front of you. Finish plays around the rim. Our defense was there for 48 minutes. Win one game-look to Sunday and do it again.”

KD led the way with six dunks in the first half, He made some three-pointers, assisted other players, and took down some boards. KD finished the night with 38 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds. “We could have played a lot better than we were tonight but in the Finals, you het a “W”, we’ll take it.” Durant also remarked: (I) Try to play as hard as I can….but it’s not me against the Cavs it’s the Golden State Warriors against the Cleveland Cavaliers.”

Steph Curry finished with a double-double. He had 28 points, 10 assists and 6 boards. No other Warrior was in double figures. Draymond Green had nine, Zaza Pachulia 8, Andre Iguodala 7. The Dubs bench outscored the Cavs bench 24-21. The Cavs’ LeBron James also had a double-double with 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 assists. Kyrie Irving tallied 24, an Kevin Love added 15 points and he took done 21 rebounds.

The Warriors tied a NBA Finals record low with just four turnovers. The Cavs committed 20.

Game One went to the Warriors and the battle betwwen KD and LeBron was fun to watch. Acting head coach Mike Brown had this to say about the two players: “those are two big household names. So we know you guys (the media) and the fans are going to want to see that and pick up on it. I’m sure LeBron thinks he can play better, and you tip your cap off to KD.”

Game two of the series will be at Oracle Arena Sunday night. Game time will be at 5 pm.

Extra Dribbles commentary: Warriors rise up at home to take Game 1 of NBA Finals

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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of Game 1 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, June 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

By Joe Hawkes-Beamon
Sports Radio Service Writer

OAKLAND, Calif — Kevin Durant scored a game-high 38 points and was clearly the best player on the court as Golden State finished tied for an NBA Finals record-low four turnovers in taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 NBA Finals with a 113-91 win Thursday night in Game 1 in front of a sold out Oracle Arena crowd over the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Game 2 is Sunday at 5:00 p.m. PDT back at Oracle Arena on ABC.

This match-up marks the first time in NBA history that two teams have met each other in the Finals in three consecutive seasons.

Durant finished the game 10-of-18 from the floor to go along with eight assists and eight rebounds in his first NBA Finals game since Game 5 of the 2012 series against the Miami Heat as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Miami denied Durant and the Thunder a championship by taking the championship in five games and it took Durant five years to get back to the NBA’s ultimate stage.

Durant and the Warriors got anything they wanted in the paint, outscoring the Cavaliers 56-30 inside. There were times that Cleveland’s defense just parted the seas for a Durant dunk as the defense would collapsed on Golden State’s deadly shooters, allowing Durant to easy access to the basket.

”I think the start of the game, we were a little too anxious and we missed some layups, we gave up some open shots,” Durant said after the game. ”I think we just locked in from the second quarter on.”

Golden State would outscore Cleveland 53-38 in the second half to go along with 31 assists for the game.

Stephen Curry was locked in for Game 1, scoring  28 points with six 3-pointers on 11-of-22 from the field. Curry added 10 assists and six rebounds for a Warriors that improved to 13-0 during the playoffs this year.

LeBron James poured in 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for Cleveland, who had 20 turnovers in Game 1. James’ southern California home was vandalized and had the N-word spray painted on the gate on Wednesday.

“At the end of the day, we had 20 turnovers,” James said. “We got to clean that up.”

James’ teams drop to 1-7 all-time in Game 1s of the NBA Finals.

The Cavaliers’ forward is making his league-record seventh Finals appearance this year.

Kyrie Irving scored 24 points on 10-of-22 shooting from the field, while Kevin Love finished with 15 points and a game-high 21 rebounds. Love shot 4-of-13 from the field.

The Warriors had a 60-52 lead at halftime thanks in large part to the 27-9 fastbreak edge and committing just one turnover in the first half.

Curry’s 14 points in the third quarter prove to be the difference-maker for Golden State Thursday night.

Golden State out-shot Cleveland (42.5-percent to 34.9-percent) for the game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

NBA Finals/Golden State Warriors Game 1 Commentary: Warriors establish why this series could go four or five games

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Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots against Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (34) during the second half of Game 1 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, June 1, 2017. (Kyle Terada/Pool Photo via AP)

by Barbara Mason

It was the night that basketball fans everywhere had been waiting for. It was a week that seemed far longer than only 7 days, more like a lifetime. Fans filed into “Roaracle” Arena for Game One as the Golden State Warriors took on the Cleveland Cavaliers, meeting in the finals for the third time in a row.

It was the expected slow start for both teams as they shook off the nerves that a game of this caliber brings even for the most accomplished athlete. That slow start quickly vanished quickly as neither team was able to establish much of a lead, trading the lead back and forth with each possession. With one quarter in the books, Golden State was leading Cleveland 35-30 and by halftime the Warriors had an eight point lead 60-52. Kevin Durant was tearing up the court with 23 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. Durant had 6 dunks in the half. Steph Curry had 12 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds. LeBron James had 19 points, 4 assists, and 11 rebounds. Kyrie Irving had 17 points, 2 assists, and 1 rebound. Kevin Love was coming up big with 8 points, grabbing 12 rebounds.

Golden State could have put this game away with the 7 turnovers that LeBron James himself committed. The turnover ratio was an amazing 12 to 1 in favor of the Warriors.

The Warriors would start the third quarter with a turnover and it was off to the races for Golden State. The largest lead of the night came with 9:45 left in the third quarter prompting a Cavalier time-out. Golden State came unleashed as the third quarter wore on. Going into the 4th quarter the Warriors were leading 93-72 as they broke this game open. While Klay Thompson and Draymond Green didn’t have a lot of success point wise, their presence alone made them invaluable. The Warriors had to hang on one more quarter to take the first game of this series. The way this team had played through three quarters; they looked unbeatable as they continued to stuff James. They had neutralized “the King.”

The fourth quarter was all Golden State as they took Game One 113-91. Without a doubt Kevin Durant was the best player on the floor finishing with 38 points. If Cleveland cannot protect the ball, it will be a long long series for the Cavaliers. The crucial Game Two will be played on Sunday and the Cavaliers will be looking to steal one at Oracle. Golden State continues their amazing unbeaten streak in the playoffs.