NBA Finals 2018: Warriors vs. Cavaliers TV Schedule and Game 1 Live Stream
The fourth installment of the annual NBA Finals clash between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers is here.
The series tips with Thursday's Game 1 at 9 p.m. ET. It will all be televised on ABC and live-streamed via WatchESPN or the ESPN app.
Even though these teams are meeting for the fourth straight year, this bout will be the first of its kind. Never before have the same two teams met in four straight NBA championships. It's also never happened in MLB, the NFL or the NHL, per NBA.com.
So even if you are feeling a little fatigued from the constant matchups, take solace in the fact you're witnessing history.
2018 NBA Finals Schedule
Game 1—Thursday, May 31: Cavaliers at Warriors, 9 p.m. ET
Game 2—Sunday, June 3: Cavaliers at Warriors, 8 p.m. ET
Game 3—Wednesday, June 6: Warriors at Cavaliers, 9 p.m. ET
Game 4—Friday, June 8: Warriors at Cavaliers, 9 p.m. ET
*Game 5—Monday, June 11: Cavaliers at Warriors, 9 p.m. ET
*Game 6—Thursday, June 14: Warriors at Cavaliers, 9 p.m. ET
*Game 7—Sunday, June 17: Cavaliers at Warriors, 8 p.m. ET
*If necessary.
Injury Reports
Two potential key performers—one on each side—are major entries on the injury report before opening tip.
Kevin Love, who became LeBron James' de facto sidekick after Kyrie Irving was traded and Isaiah Thomas fizzled, has been in the league's concussion protocol since Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Love was still in the protocol when Cleveland came to Finals media day, leaving Cavs coach Tyronn Lue to only say "I hope" Love will be available for the opener.
"I'm still not sure," Lue said. "He's going to go do some things today and see how he feels. But he is in the protocol still, so we'll see how he feels."
If he's able to go, Cleveland's head coach said Love will get the start.
That's perhaps not surprising but maybe still interesting. Jeff Green dazzled as a fill-in starter for Game 7 of the East finals, tallying 19 points on 50 percent shooting and eight rebounds. He's also more athletic and versatile on the defensive end, which could make him a better fit for this series.
But maybe Lue thinks Love will hold up well enough defensively to punish the Warriors the other way with rebounding and inside scoring. The stretch big man is producing less than last season, but he's still the clear second option for the Kyrie-less Cavs.
The Warriors have definitive news on 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, and it isn't good.
The team announced the left lateral leg contusion/bone bruise that kept him out of the past four games of the Western Conference finals will sideline him for Game 1 of this series:
"Based on how long it's been and when it happened, I'm not that far away," Iguodala told reporters Wednesday. "Grinding away at the process. Just trying to figure out how to move in general. Making some progress, [but] it's slower than we expected."
While the Warriors have four All-Stars to soften the blow of Iguodala's absence, they will still notice he's gone.
He typically draws their most dangerous defensive assignment and has been the primary LeBron defender in recent championship clashes. Iguodala also settles this team down as a reliable playmaker, and his two-way talents have proved to be the best complements to the four stars.
Series Keys
It's tempting to say as long as Golden State makes it to the arena in one piece, it will be celebrating a third title in four years.
Four NBA.com writers made series predictions, and all four liked the Warriors in five games or fewer. Five ESPN.com scribes carried out the same exercise; four like Golden State in five games, and the other has it winning in seven.
The Warriors have a tremendous talent advantage. They double up the Cavs in perennial MVP candidates (two to one) and All-Stars (four to two). Golden State has a more efficient offense (first to fifth) and a substantially stingier defense (tied for eighth to 29th).
But the Warriors don't always handle being overwhelming favorites well. In their last two outings, they played two of their worst halves all season against a Houston Rockets team missing Chris Paul.
Golden State can usually afford to sleepwalk because its players are so much better than everyone else's. But the Warriors might not have their typical margin for error. If the Cavs can make these methodical affairs—their playoff pace (93.85) is far slower than anyone's regular-season speed—James could punish the Warriors for making too many lackadaisical miscues.
Cleveland's biggest key—other than keeping James upright—is making outside shots.
The Cavs can be an ignitable group from range. They averaged the third-most threes this season (12 per game) and had the highest conversion rate of the top five (37.2 percent).
But they have failed to match either mark this postseason, slipping to ninth in average makes (10.3) and 12th in percentage (33.9).
Cleveland can't afford many off nights from Love, Green, JR Smith, Kyle Korver and George Hill. Given the Golden State's firepower, the Cavs might need at least three of those players catching fire to keep up.
Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball Reference or NBA.com.
