Ohio State Players React to Cleveland Cavaliers' Game 1 NBA Finals Loss

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state of Ohio's quest for a second major championship got off to a rough start on Thursday, with the Golden State Warriors' 108-100 overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The relationship between the Buckeye State's lone pro basketball team and college football's defending national champion Ohio State has been well-documented and only strengthened by the return of Cavs star LeBron James.

So it shouldn't come as a surprise that several members of the Buckeyes roster tuned in to witness what wound up being a historically viewed NBA Finals opening game. With James standing on the sideline for Ohio State's national title win in January, it was the least that the Buckeyes could do, with many players taking to social media to voice both their support of the team and displeasure with the outcome.

Unsurprisingly, it was Ohio State quarterback and Cleveland native Cardale Jones leading the charge.

After entering a public feud with Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah, Jones has become somewhat of a mascot for the Cavaliers throughout their postseason run, continuously tweeting out words of encouragement for his hometown team. That didn't change on Thursday, as the Big Ten title game MVP clearly enjoyed Cleveland's 29-19 first-quarter lead.

As the game wore on, however, the 6'5", 250-pound Jones became more increasingly concerned, thanks in large part to the stellar bench play of the Warriors.

When all was said and done, Jones accepted defeat but still managed to maintain a positive attitude. After all, it is still a seven-game series, and if there's anybody who knows about overcoming the odds, it's the quarterback who went from third string to national champion in the span of just one season. 

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Ezekiel Elliott didn't grow up a Cavs fan like Jones, but that hasn't stopped him from adopting the Eastern Conference champions as his favorite NBA team. More specifically, it's clear the national title game MVP is a big fan of James, who could be seen embracing Elliott in the moments following the Buckeyes' national title victory.

As it became clear that the Cavs wouldn't have enough to hang with Steph Curry and Co. in overtime, the Heisman Trophy front-runner turned his attention to the referees.

It wasn't just the Ohio State players who were locked into Thursday night's game but members of the coaching staff as well. After getting off the clock, the always-excitable Kerry Coombs opted to weigh in on the game, as the Buckeyes cornerbacks coach sent his support to James with a picture.

Although James stole the show from a Cavs perspective with 44 points, point guard Kyrie Irving also put together a strong showing with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists. But perhaps Irving's best play of the night came on the defensive end of the floor, when he blocked a Curry layup attempt toward the end of regulation to give Cleveland one last shot to win the game before it headed to overtime.

The play caught the attention of Buckeyes safety Vonn Bell, who knows a thing or two about breathtaking defensive efforts.

Unfortunately for Cavs fans, Irving would remain at the center of attention for the rest of the night after the third-team All-NBA selection left the arena on crutches following a lower-body injury suffered in overtime.

Somewhat surprisingly, not all Buckeyes appear to be rooting for the Cavs in the Finals. Although, it's worth noting that it's Ohio State wide receiver and California native Mike Thomas who's been leading the anti-Cleveland charge, as he unleashed a slew of tweets directed toward Cavs fans over the course of Game 1.

"

Yeahhhhh Warriors

— Mike Thomas (@Cantguardmike) June 5, 2015"

"

Yall sensitive  #itsjustgame1 remember ? #bosashrugright?

— Mike Thomas (@Cantguardmike) June 5, 2015"

"

Steph Curry been playing all season like he was gone get him a ring this year. Not my fault yall just now getting a chance to see...

— Mike Thomas (@Cantguardmike) June 5, 2015"

Fellow Buckeyes wide receiver Jalin Marshall also made it clear that he was expecting a Golden State win, especially after James missed a would-be go-ahead shot at the end of regulation.

But while his roster may be surprisingly split when it comes to its rooting interests for the Finals, Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer has made it clear—both last night and in the past—that he's pulling for the Wine and Gold.

Game 2 of the NBA Finals tips off at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.