Cavaliers vs. Warriors: Game 1 Stats and NBA Finals 2015 Game 2 Schedule, Odds
The start of the 2015 NBA Finals was as good as advertised Thursday. The Golden State Warriors outlasted the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-100 in overtime in Game 1, but there is plenty left to be decided in the ultimate series of the season.
Cleveland led for much of the opening contest and had an opportunity to win with the final possession in regulation. It was unable to close things out and couldn't get anything going in the extra session, but with LeBron James playing some of his best basketball, the Cavs are far from out of it.
As preparations begin for Game 2 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, here is a look at a breakdown of the stats and a preview of Sunday's clash.
Notable Game 1 Team Stats
| 41.5% | FG% | 44.3% |
| 29.0% | 3P% | 37.0% |
| 68.4% | FT% | 90.9% |
| 45 | Rebounds | 48 |
| 19 | Assists | 24 |
| 10 | Steals | 8 |
| 5 | Blocks | 5 |
| 11 | Turnovers | 12 |
| 20 | Personal Fouls | 16 |
| 8 | Fast Break Points | 14 |
| 44 | Points in Paint | 40 |
Stats courtesy of NBA.com.
Game 2 Schedule and Odds
| 2 | Sunday, June 7 | 8 p.m. | Cleveland Cavaliers | Golden State Warriors | ABC | GS (-7) |
Odds courtesy of Odds Shark and updated as of June 5.
Game 2 Preview
Cavaliers Player to Watch: Matthew Dellavedova
Point guard Kyrie Irving's play on both ends of the floor enabled the Cavaliers to control much of Game 1, but the complexion of the series may have changed dramatically in overtime as his balky knee buckled, and he was forced to leave the court.
His status is still up in the air for Game 2 and beyond, but the situation isn't promising since the former Duke standout missed Games 2 and 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a knee injury.
According to ESPN's Stephania Bell, Irving believes the injury he suffered Thursday may be something new in addition to what he was already dealing with:
Kyrie also expressed uncertainty regarding his health despite learning that his ACL and MCL are both still intact:
If Irving cannot play in Game 2, then much of the burden will fall on Matthew Dellavedova. LeBron will play the role of point guard for the most part, but the gritty Aussie will have to replace Kyrie's minutes along with Iman Shumpert.
While Dellavedova has raised his profile significantly during the postseason due to his toughness and timely shots, he struggled mightily in nine minutes of play in Game 1 against the Warriors, per Chris Fedor of Northeast Ohio Media Group:
Delly didn't score a single point, and he was an awful minus-13 during his time on the court. In fact, his poor play essentially forced head coach David Blatt to leave Irving in the game for 44 minutes, and the results were potentially disastrous.
If Kyrie sits out Game 2 and Dellavedova plays like he did in Game 1, then it will be nearly impossible for the Cavs to even the series. If the Australian pest is able to channel his form from previous rounds, though, Cleveland could at least give Golden State a run.
Warriors Player to Watch: Marreese Speights
Golden State's roster is stacked with elite talent such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala, but it can be argued that a true unsung hero turned the tide in the team's favor during Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
That unsung hero is center Marreese Speights, who scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds in nine minutes of play. The big man hadn't suited up in eight games due to a calf injury, but he made an instant impact upon his return.
Cleveland had a double-digit lead in the first half; however, Speights was able to sink a couple buckets in a row, and things started to snowball from there. The score was close for the rest of regulation, but Speights was integral in preventing things from getting out of hand early.
It can be argued that Speights is a liability defensively, but his willingness to attack on the offensive end makes him valuable. Even so, ESPN.com's Ethan Strauss didn't expect to see much of him in the NBA Finals:
James and the Cavaliers were unable to take advantage of Speights' defensive deficiencies, and while that could change if his playing time increases, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr seems to know when and how much to use him.
Also, despite the notion that he isn't a great defender, Speights believes he and the Warriors are good enough to slow down LeBron James, per Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group:
However, that wasn't the case in Game 1—King James went off to the tune of 44 points, but Golden State did a nice job against much of LeBron's supporting cast, including J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson.
Cleveland went big for much of Game 1 with Thompson and Timofey Mozgov on the floor, and while the Warriors countered with a smaller lineup at times, the Cavs' commitment to playing two centers means there will be an incentive to use Speights.
If he can provide another efficient performance off the bench in Game 2 like he did in Game 1, then the Warriors should be in excellent shape.
Prediction
The Cavs played well enough to win Game 1—and it was there for the taking—but they were unable to get the job done when things intensified in overtime.
Losing in that fashion had to be fairly demoralizing—especially since a masterful performance by LeBron was squandered. Add in the injury to Irving and it is fair to wonder if the belief in Cleveland's locker room is starting to wane.
Conversely, the Warriors were able to hang in there despite playing suspect basketball for much of the contest, and their big guns—Curry and Thompson—ultimately came through. Their depth was also on full display as 10 players saw the floor and contributed.
Cleveland doesn't have that same luxury, and it could prove to be the biggest difference in the series.
James will do everything possible to put the Cavaliers on his back in Game 2, especially if Irving is out. Unfortunately for the Cavs, that didn't work in Game 1 with the luxury of Kyrie being in the lineup.
With the momentum firmly in Golden State's favor, the team will continue to roll in Game 2 with a 103-93 win to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series.
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