Golden State Warriors surge past Cleveland Cavaliers in final regular-season meeting
CLEVELAND — Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr had a sense of what might be coming on Monday evening.
He was willing to look past the Cleveland Cavaliers’ recent scuffles even though they’d lost eight of 11, including back-to-back blowouts in Minnesota and Toronto. It didn’t matter that their 29th-ranked defense was in shambles and they were in the process of integrating an offense-shifting player in Isaiah Thomas. It didn’t even matter that the Warriors hadn’t lost on the road since Nov. 22, a streak that extended to 13 consecutive games, one shy of tying their franchise record.
The history between these two teams — an unprecedented three straight NBA Finals — not to mention the presence of LeBron James, told him as much.
“Sometimes this is the best thing for a team that’s struggling, a rivalry game, get the blood going,” Kerr said.
Kerr was right for the most part as the Cavs competed better than they had in recent weeks, but the Warriors and their third-ranked defense stymied Cleveland late to win 118-108. Down 93-91, the Cavs began the fourth quarter 2-for-17 from the field as the Warriors pulled away. Golden State held the Cavs to just 17 fourth quarter points.
Kevin Durant (32), Steph Curry (23) and Klay Thompson (17) combined for 72 points, and the Warriors logged 31 assists on 41 made field goals. It was a passing clinic, and it showed why any team, let alone just the Cavaliers, need a stout defense to contend with the Warriors.
Despite 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists, LeBron James’ eight turnovers were devastating to the Cavs’ efforts.
Even with the result they wanted and a final message sent ahead of a potential June rematch, Kerr didn’t want to extrapolate on what a January victory in bone-chilling Cleveland might mean.
“Anybody who has been in the league knows that whatever happens now has nothing to do with what happens in June,” Kerr said astutely. But with both Curry and Thomas relatively healthy after each missing the Warriors’ Christmas Day win, it wasn’t difficult to envision another Finals clash.
For a team that had been scorched in recent losses to the Timberwolves and Raptors, the Cavs played with a renewed defensive effort for the first three quarters, holding court after their extended road trip. No two plays encapsulated that effort better than James’ two blocks, the first against Durant and the second against Curry.
More:Cavaliers' lingering issues continue in loss to Warriors
More:LeBron James reflects on Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy
More:Athletes remember Martin Luther King Jr. through tributes on social media
The Cavs entered halftime up 64-57, the beneficiary of 56% shooting while holding the Warriors to 47% from the field. James had 20 at the break, including several alley-oops off Thomas feeds, a testament to the attention defenses will have to pay to the Cavs new point guard once he gets fully acclimated.
The centerpiece of the Cavs’ blockbuster trade this past summer is by no means completely healthy after just five games. Thomas finished with 19 points in 32 minutes but looked stiff at times and didn't have the agility he showed in Boston last season. If these teams meet in June, he’ll also be a defensive liability and a matchup the Warriors can’t wait to exploit. The Cavs tried to hide Thomas on Curry and Thompson which yielded mixed results, but if the Cavs want to compete with the Warriors’ explosive offensive, they have no choice but to live with Thomas’s defense.
James viewed Monday’s matchup with a healthy amount of skepticism, and he wasn’t going to glean much, win or lose.
“No, because IT isn’t where he will be when playoff time hits,” he said earlier on Monday. “We’re not the team that we would like to be when the postseason starts. Playoffs can start tomorrow for them and I think they’d be ready to go. For us, I don’t think we’re ready to go right now.”
NBA photo of the day
