Golden State Warriors/Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 2 Analysis
16 Wins A Ring Writers offer 3 different perspectives on on the NBA Finals, Game 2 results: Warriors 132 — Cavaliers 113
Golden State Analysis by: Rich Condon
What Worked:
When a two-time MVP has a 32 point, 10 rebound, and 11 assist triple-double and isn’t the best player on the court that night, things are going good for your team. Stephen Curry was sensational, but Kevin Durant was otherworldly. Durant was the centerpiece for the Golden State Warriors on both ends of the floor, finishing with 33 points (13–22 from the field, 4–8 from deep), 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 5 blocks. Over the first two games of the Finals, Durant has been the clear cut MVP, highlighted by plays like this:
How do you stop something like that? Although Durant finished with five less points than he tallied in Game One, tonight’s effort was arguably more impressive, as he wasn’t gifted six dunks in this one.
Klay Thompson continued to play phenomenal defense, but he finally broke out of the offensive slump he’s been mired in all postseason. Klay finished with 22 points on 8–12 from the field and 4–7 from deep. He added 7 rebounds and led the Warriors with a +24. Thompson also played a huge role in neutralizing Kyrie Irving, who finished with 19 points on 8–23 shooting.
Ian Clark and Shaun Livingston both chipped in 10 points apiece off the bench and it was a team effort from the Warriors, who were able to push the lead to double-digits several times throughout the course of the game.
Both teams went small fairly early in this one, which, combined with the frenetic pace at which the game was played, benefited the Warriors more than the Cavaliers. As a team, the Warriors went 46–89 from the field (51.7 percent) and 18–43 from deep (41.9). Golden State also took advantage of their free throws, sinking 22–24. Of note, Steph Curry converted on 10 free throws in the first quarter alone. In case you were curious, James Harden led the league in free throw attempts per game in the regular season with 10.9 per game.
Of their 46 made baskets, Golden State assisted on 34 of them. They also won the battle on the glass, out-rebounding the Cavs by a 53–41 margin. Although they weren’t as stifling on defense as they were in Game One, the Warriors still held Cleveland to 45 percent from the field and 27.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Finally, it was great to see Steve Kerr back on the sidelines after missing the last eleven games due to complications from a back surgery two years ago.
Lessons Learned:
Despite the lopsided score, Cleveland actually did an exceptional job in making adjustments between the two games. They forced 20 Golden State turnovers. After not stealing the ball once in Game One, Cleveland swiped the ball 15 times from the Warriors in Game Two.
LeBron James put up his 8th postseason triple-double with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 14 assists. He also cut his turnovers in half from 8 in Game One to 4 in Game Two.
Kevin Love was also phenomenal in Game Two, coming out of the gates strong en route to finishing with 27 points and 7 rebounds.
Draymond Green finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists for Golden State, however, he picked up five fouls and was limited to only 25 minutes on the evening.
Game 3 Adjustments:
There’s no way Golden State would’ve survived a game against Cleveland last year with Draymond being limited to just 25 minutes. The fact they won by 19 with one of the finalists for Defensive Player of the Year forced to ride the pine for a significant amount of time is telling.
Golden State is built to withstand most things that are thrown at them over the course of a basketball game. However, Golden State simply needs to do a better job of taking care of the ball and avoiding bad fouls. Golden State has won by a combined margin of 41 points in the last two games, there’s not much they need to adjust.
Game 3 Prediction:
As mentioned above, Cleveland did a great job in adjusting their game. However, it appears thus far that they don’t have the athleticism to compete with Golden State over the course of 48 minutes.
It doesn’t help Cleveland that Golden State has only lost 1 game since the middle of March and have improved to 29–1 in their last 30 games. With their victory in Game Two, Golden State has set an NBA record winning 14 straight games in the postseason.
If Cleveland were to take a game in the Finals it would be Game Three on their home court. However, Golden State has proven to be too much to handle for every team they’ve faced thus far in the playoffs. Look for them to keep rolling in Game Three.
Cavaliers Analysis by Brendan Vogt
What Worked:
Cleveland has a simple recipe for early success: get LeBron James rolling downhill, and get Kevin Love going early.
James looked aggressive from the tip in game two, and after Kevin Durant bricked the game’s first shot, LeBron received the outlet pass and took it straight to the rim for the game’s first points. That set the tone early, and LeBron took only one jump shot while assisting on three of Love’s four field goals as the two combined for 19 points in the first quarter.
At the end of the first quarter the deficit was similar to game one, but the game itself felt entirely different. Cleveland looked confident, and it felt as if they had a chance if LeBron continued his aggressive approach.
They trailed 40–34 as the second quarter started, but both James and Love started the quarter on the bench. The Warriors lead ballooned to 12 in about two minutes before both players subbed back in.
Cleveland would cut the lead all the way down to three as they headed into the half, but James was simply gassed after his superhuman effort in the first half.
The Warriors have made a habit of wearing their opponents down in the first half, only to step on their throats to start the third. That’s exactly what happened here, and LeBron’s 8th career triple-double in the Finals couldn’t save the Cavs from another blow out.
Lessons Learned:
Kevin Durant is a two-way superstar. He’s long been lauded for his defensive efforts, and his length on the defensive end gave Golden State nightmares in last year’s Western Conference Finals. But he’s taken his defense to another level this year.
His ability to affect shots without fouling is uncanny, and Golden State’s interior defensive held up despite foul trouble for Draymond Green. Durant recorded five blocks and three steals to compliment 33 points and 13 rebounds on 59.1 percent.
He didn’t quite take over this game the same way he did in game one, but his defense was incredible, and it helped the Warriors survive a monster game from the King.
LeBron is the best player in the world, and he just delivered one of the best Finals performances of his life — the Cavs still lost by 19. There is just too much fire power on this Warriors team, and Cleveland needs two things to happen in each and every game just to have a chance: they need Kyrie Irving to ball, and they need the three pointers to fall.
Irving went 8–23 from the field and turned it over 3 times, crippling the Cavs in those few moments they chose to rest Love and James. But, even if Irving had it going, the Cavaliers probably would have fallen short. This team lives and dies by the three. They shot 8-for-29 tonight. That’s your basketball game right there.
Game 3 Adjustments:
Tyronn Lue is trying desperately to find some rest for his stars, but they just can’t survive without James on the floor. It might not be fair to ask James to play all but two minutes of a Finals game, while running the show on offense, and covering Kevin Durant on the other end — check that, it is definitely not fair. It might not even be possible. But it’s Cleveland’s only chance.
Coming into this series it looked like the Cavaliers finally had the right bench to bring to war with Golden State, but so far that’s been far from the case. Channing Frye, Kyle Korver, and Deron Williams combined for 10 points on 3–14 shooting. Iman Shumpert played some solid defense on Durant for a stretch, and he provided a nice spark of the bench with his confident offense. But that confidence quickly devolved into a lack of awareness and Shumpert forced some terrible shots on his way to a 1-for-6 night from the field.
This just isn’t going to work. Love and LeBron have to play more, and they definitely can’t sit at the same time. Frye is a defensive liability and if he’s not hitting shots then he shouldn’t see the floor. Deron Williams was atrocious, and while Cleveland doesn’t have any alternative options for a back up guard, this is the Finals, and an adjustment must be made. He has to see less time, and LeBron’s playmaking ability allows for him to absorb those ball-handling duties.
Tristan Thompson came out flat again and he finished with just six rebounds. This isn’t a strategic adjustment, but rather some digging deep that’s required on Thompson’s end. Stephen Curry had as many offensive boards as Thompson did on Sunday night. There are no excuses for that. He must play better.
If you want to beat the Warriors, then everything needs to go right, but you simply can’t survive if you’re handing them free points. Stephen Curry struggled with his shot tonight, going just 7-for-17, but the Cavs bailed him out by sending him to the line 14 times. He sunk all of those, and finished the night with a 32-point triple double.
Golden State only made one more shot than Cleveland, but they made seven more free throws. That can’t happen in game 3.
Game 3 Prediction:
This year’s Warriors team is obviously better than the previous iterations. They may not have won 73 games in the regular season, but they have yet to even play a close game in these playoffs thanks to the addition of Durant.
But the Cavaliers have to lean back on the fact that they survived a similar onslaught last year. Golden State blew them out in games 1 and 2, and this series might also change as it heads back to Cleveland. It goes without saying that Cleveland can’t overcome a 3–0 deficit, and game 3 has become a must win.
The Warriors are the better team in this series and it isn’t even close. But LeBron James is the best player in the world, and he’s got to be worth at least one win, even in this series. That win will come in game 3 in Cleveland, hopefully.
Neutral Analysis by Tamberlyn Richardson
Why Warriors Won:
A 3-D Dubs effort equaled another victory — Depth/Defense/Durant.
Certainly there are other factors which led to a second straight double digit win (+21 points G1, +19 points G2). But, those three factors resonate.
Fatigue takes a toll over the course of a full game and this is best demonstrated by the production of each teams’ number one option. LeBron James delivered a masterful first half with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists versus Durant’s 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. In the second half LeBron had 11 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists whereas KD had 18 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.
Factor in LeBron can’t guard both Durant and Curry which led to Curry netting 17 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in this segment.
In terms of the Warriors Big 3 (KD/Steph/Klay) versus Cleveland’s Big 3 (LBJ/Irving/Love) the biggest variance occurred in the third quarter. During this frame the Dubs Big 3 tallied 27 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists versus the Cavs Big 3 who produced 20 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Most notably Kyrie Irving delivered just 2 points and an assist in the third quarter.
In the series preview, I earmarked Klay Thompson as the Warriors x-factor. Although Klay’s defense on Irving remains his best asset, his 22 points served as the difference in Game 2.
*see stat chart below for more insights.
Why Cavaliers Lost:
Straight from the tip it was clear the Cavaliers game plan was to be far more physical and aggressive defensively. In the first half although the Warriors took several double digit leads Cleveland was able to either erase them or stay close.
In comparison to their Game 1 effort Cleveland adjusted and flipped many stats around. Two key stand outs were forcing the Warriors into 20 turnovers (up from a record low of 4 in Game 1). Another plus was improved defense as well as better tempo/pace management. The resulting effect was the Warriors had 11 fewer shot attempts than Cleveland. The latter was a huge difference given Golden State took 20 additional shots attempts to the Cavs in Game one.
Digging into the statistics in the two games offers intriguing takeaways:
Let’s look at the improvements — fewer turnovers(check), more aggressive and physical (check/check: highlighted by 15–5 steals), more shots than the Warriors (check), pace/tempo control (mostly a positive check), better bench play (outside of Deron Williams, check).
In the first half the Cavaliers boasted a 36–20 advantage in the paint. And, while Cleveland won this overall battle by 20 the second half highlighted the Dubs adjustment as the variance was 24–20.
Another sign of Golden State’s overall depth is their field goal percentage never dipped throughout the game: 51 percent first half, end game 51.7 percent. Conversely the Cavaliers 50 percent half time mark regressed to 45 percent by game end.
Game 3 Adjustments:
The crazy thing about the Dubs two wins is they still haven’t produced a complete game. Game 1 their defense was stellar while Durant and Curry produced solid 2-way performances. Game 2 showcased a better overall offensive effort, but Curry coughed up the ball repeatedly.
Golden State’s goal in Cleveland should be to channel a complete 2-way effort highlighted by ball movement, controlling pace/tempo and ball management.
As for LeBron and his squad they’ll need to employ the same effort as the first half of Game 2 throughout 48 minutes. Cleveland have to deliver an almost perfect game in order to get back in this series. Further, the Cavs need their Big 3 to contribute throughout the contest.
Tristan Thompson hasn’t delivered an x-factor performance yet. For Cleveland to win — they’ll need the Canadian to dominate the boards, lead the defense and spearhead the Cavs aggression.
But, the one player who has been more of hindrance than help in the series is JR Smith. Reflecting back to 2016, it was Smith who kept Curry at bay on defense and his offensive production (particularly in Game 7) was palpable. This year he’s a shadow of that player. Through two games Smith has 3 points , 2 rebounds and is a cumulative minus -30!
Although the Cavaliers need production from the reserves, unless JR starts producing the Dubs might be celebrating for the second time in the Land.
Game 3 Prediction:
How realistic is it to assume the Cavaliers can win four of the next five games?
Sure, they did it last year, but this is not the same Cavs squad and more importantly this is a far superior Warriors squad. That said, if Cleveland are to make a mark in the series it has to happen in Game 3.
Something tells me Draymond Green will factor in the Land since he’s yet to have a stand out performance.
Dubs take a 3–0 lead in a much closer contested game.
