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Find out the scoop on the CAVS from award-winning sports writer Bob Finnan.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Game 1: Cavs at Warriors

GAME 1
NBA FINALS
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (1-0) 108, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (0-1) 100, OT
Oracle Arena
Thursday
Radio: WTAM-AM 1100, WMMS-FM 100.7, La Mega-FM 97.7
TV: ABC

1. We'll now enter the Kyrie Irving stage. Will he play? Won't he play? Will he sit out a game or two? He left the arena on crutches with a left knee injury. Coach David Blatt said he didn't collide with another player. It just kind of happened. It's reportedly not a torn ACL. He'll have an MRI on Friday. If I had to guess right now, I'd say he won't play.

2. That means we'll see a lot of Matthew Dellavedova. Like 45 mintues of him. And don't expect him to score anywhere close to 23 points (what Irving scored in Game 1). It could be the difference in this series. Without a healthy Irving, the Cavs weren't going to win any way. They needed his scoring to get past Golden State. Now, if he misses even one game, the Cavs might not be able to recover. 

3. LeBron James was very good in Game 1. He had 44 points, his playoff high this season. But it wasn't enough. He took 38 shots to get those 44 points. Afterward, he said he didn't play a great game. He settled for outside jumpers too much. His shot at the end of regulation was exactly what the Warriors wanted him to take. When he's attacking the basket, he's difficult to defend. Still, had his last-second shot fallen, everyone's feelings would be different today.

4. The Cavs are officially in desperation mode. The news on Irving is depressing enough. But falling behind after Game 1 is a downer. If they fall behind 0-2 against this team, forget it. The Warriors are just too good. 

5. The Warriors got several good performances from their bench players, including Andre Iguodala (15 points) and Marreese Speights (eight points). The Cavs were outscored off the bench, 34-9. All nine points came from JR Smith. None of them came after halftime.

6. If Irving can't play, even more will be heaped on James' shoulders. He'll be asked to run the offense, call some of the plays, executive the game plan and spearhead the defense. I do know he didn't drive the team bus to Oracle Arena tonight, but it's a wonder. 

7. James isn't a guy you'll have to worry about. He's built to perform in games like this. James became the first player in NBA history to average at least 30 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists in a playoff series vs. the Hawks. He could average 40 points against the Warriors and the Cavs might still lose.

8. Delly is big man on campus out here. He's getting a lot of attention since he played at nearby St. Mary's. He'd had a magical run in this postseason so far. He'll need for it to continue. He played just 9:23 tonight and didn't score. Heck, he didn't even take a shot. Now, the Cavs might ask him to start in the biggest game of the season against MVP Stephen Curry. Somehow, that's not fair.

9. The Cavs' defense didn't slow down Golden State's backcourt of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. They combined to score 47 points and pull down 10 rebounds. They got off to a slow start, but finished fast.

10. The Cavs had their seven-game playoff winning streak snapped. They had also won 14 of their last 15 against against the Western Conference. None of that stuff matters now. The Cavs have to win Game 2 to have a chance in this series. The Cavs are now 12-3 overall in the postseason this year.

UP NEXT: Game 2, at Golden State, NBA Finals, June 7, 8 p.m.

STARTERS
SF LeBron James (6-8, 250) vs. Harrison Barnes (6-8, 225)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-10, 238) vs. Draymond Green (6-7, 230)
C Timofey Mozgov (7-1, 250) vs. Andrew Bogut (7-0, 260)
SG Iman Shumpert (6-5, 220) vs. Klay Thompson (6-7, 215)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 193) vs. Stephen Curry (6-3, 190)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, F Kevin Love
Warriors - C Ognjen Kuzmic, G Brandon Rush
OFFICIALS
Monty McCutchen, James Capers, Jason Phillips


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