Sunday’s six-pack
Over/under win totals for college football teams this fall:
— Purdue 2.5, over -$125
— Notre Dame 7.5, under -$120
— Oregon 7.5, over -$125
— Penn State, 10
— Rice 3.5, over -$120
— Ohio State 10.5, over -$120
***********************************
Sunday’s List of 13: Random thoughts on a spring Sunday……
13) Edinson Volquez was in a nasty-looking collision while covering first base in the first inning Saturday- it was the first batter of the game. Who knew he would go on to no-hit Arizona, in a very gutty performance- he walked only two batters in a 3-0 Miami win. Impressive.
Volquez threw 98 pitches, the first no-hitter with less than 100 pitches since Philip Humber’s perfect game five years ago.
12) Scalpers in Nashville were charging very high prices for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals, the first NHL finals game in Predators’ history; as of 2pm Saturday, cheapest seat in the sold-out house was being scalped for $1,200.
11) Phil Mickelson is skipping the US Open to attend his daughter’s high school graduation. His daughter is giving the commencement address at her graduation— she is going to college at Brown University in the fall, which is a long way from her San Diego home.
10) Wish they’d put the World Series of Poker back on ESPN; the events have started out in Las Vegas already— watching poker was lot better than most of the drivel ESPN has on now during late night and daytime hours.
9) There is actually a movie called I Spit on Your Grave, which must’ve done well at the box office, since they’ve made two sequels. Think I’ll pass on all three of them.
8) Aaron Rodgers’ last 18 games against the Vikings: (12-6 W-L record); he’s thrown 40 TD’s with only six INT’s.
7) Good news for people who watch baseball on the dish; Hawk Harrelson is retiring— he will work White Sox games on Sunday next year, but otherwise, Jason Benetti will be the voice of the White Sox, which is great news, because Benetti is really good and Harrelson isn’t— he is the old guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn.
I liked The Hawk when he worked Red Sox games on WSBK in the late 70’s/early 80’s, but now he crabs about the umpires and yearns for the good ol’ days way too much.
6) Last year in the NFL, Bucs’ WR Mike Evans was targeted 39 times on passes of 20+ yards, most in the league. Next-highest were TY Hilton (33) and Terrell Pryor (32).
5) If you pinch-run in a game, it doesn’t count as a game played, unless you stay in the game. So if Cal Ripken had just pinch-run in a game during his great streak, it would’ve ended the streak. If you pinch-hit, the streak is extended, but not if you pinch-run.
4) Albert Pujols made his 600th home run a big one– he hit a grand slam in the 4th inning Saturday night, giving the Angels a 7-1 lead.
Pujols is just the 9th big leaguer to hit 600 home runs.
A 30-ish fan in LF bleachers caught Pujols’ grand slam; they put him on TV for half an inning, but the guy seemed like he was hyperventilating he was so excited- he didn’t have a lot to say. Wonder if he was thinking about what he was going to ask Pujols for, in exchange for the 600th home run baseball.
Two innings later, Angels unveiled the Pujols 600th home run bobblehead they’re giving away on July 1st. I’d ask for one of those, for a start.
3) Garrett Cole is the Pirates’ best pitcher; they’re 6-6 in his starts this year, but a closer look shows that if you bet the Pirates in a “first 5 innings” bet in his starts, you’d be 1-9-2- they’ve led only one of his 12 starts after five innings. Was very surprised to see that.
2) Red Sox entered Saturday hitting .213 as a team when they have two strikes on them; that is the best two-strike batting average of any major league team. Important for pitchers to get ahead in the count.
1) Friday afternoon, former big leaguer Luis Gonzalez helped pull a woman from a car that was in an accident and was next to another car that was in flames. Good for him.
Gonzalez got the game-winning hit in the clinching game of the 2001 World Series for the Diamondbacks.
Over/under win totals for college football teams this fall:
— Purdue 2.5, over -$125
— Notre Dame 7.5, under -$120
— Oregon 7.5, over -$125
— Penn State, 10
— Rice 3.5, over -$120
— Ohio State 10.5, over -$120
***********************************
Sunday’s List of 13: Random thoughts on a spring Sunday……
13) Edinson Volquez was in a nasty-looking collision while covering first base in the first inning Saturday- it was the first batter of the game. Who knew he would go on to no-hit Arizona, in a very gutty performance- he walked only two batters in a 3-0 Miami win. Impressive.
Volquez threw 98 pitches, the first no-hitter with less than 100 pitches since Philip Humber’s perfect game five years ago.
12) Scalpers in Nashville were charging very high prices for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup finals, the first NHL finals game in Predators’ history; as of 2pm Saturday, cheapest seat in the sold-out house was being scalped for $1,200.
11) Phil Mickelson is skipping the US Open to attend his daughter’s high school graduation. His daughter is giving the commencement address at her graduation— she is going to college at Brown University in the fall, which is a long way from her San Diego home.
10) Wish they’d put the World Series of Poker back on ESPN; the events have started out in Las Vegas already— watching poker was lot better than most of the drivel ESPN has on now during late night and daytime hours.
9) There is actually a movie called I Spit on Your Grave, which must’ve done well at the box office, since they’ve made two sequels. Think I’ll pass on all three of them.
8) Aaron Rodgers’ last 18 games against the Vikings: (12-6 W-L record); he’s thrown 40 TD’s with only six INT’s.
7) Good news for people who watch baseball on the dish; Hawk Harrelson is retiring— he will work White Sox games on Sunday next year, but otherwise, Jason Benetti will be the voice of the White Sox, which is great news, because Benetti is really good and Harrelson isn’t— he is the old guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn.
I liked The Hawk when he worked Red Sox games on WSBK in the late 70’s/early 80’s, but now he crabs about the umpires and yearns for the good ol’ days way too much.
6) Last year in the NFL, Bucs’ WR Mike Evans was targeted 39 times on passes of 20+ yards, most in the league. Next-highest were TY Hilton (33) and Terrell Pryor (32).
5) If you pinch-run in a game, it doesn’t count as a game played, unless you stay in the game. So if Cal Ripken had just pinch-run in a game during his great streak, it would’ve ended the streak. If you pinch-hit, the streak is extended, but not if you pinch-run.
4) Albert Pujols made his 600th home run a big one– he hit a grand slam in the 4th inning Saturday night, giving the Angels a 7-1 lead.
Pujols is just the 9th big leaguer to hit 600 home runs.
A 30-ish fan in LF bleachers caught Pujols’ grand slam; they put him on TV for half an inning, but the guy seemed like he was hyperventilating he was so excited- he didn’t have a lot to say. Wonder if he was thinking about what he was going to ask Pujols for, in exchange for the 600th home run baseball.
Two innings later, Angels unveiled the Pujols 600th home run bobblehead they’re giving away on July 1st. I’d ask for one of those, for a start.
3) Garrett Cole is the Pirates’ best pitcher; they’re 6-6 in his starts this year, but a closer look shows that if you bet the Pirates in a “first 5 innings” bet in his starts, you’d be 1-9-2- they’ve led only one of his 12 starts after five innings. Was very surprised to see that.
2) Red Sox entered Saturday hitting .213 as a team when they have two strikes on them; that is the best two-strike batting average of any major league team. Important for pitchers to get ahead in the count.
1) Friday afternoon, former big leaguer Luis Gonzalez helped pull a woman from a car that was in an accident and was next to another car that was in flames. Good for him.
Gonzalez got the game-winning hit in the clinching game of the 2001 World Series for the Diamondbacks.
NBA Finals Game 2 Preview
June 3, 2017
NBA Finals - Game 2
No. 2 Cleveland at No. 1 Golden State (ABC, 8 p.m. ET)
Complaints over the NBA playoffs not being competitive got no reprieve on Thursday. The opening quarter of Finals Game 1 was riveting, but Golden State covered as a first-half favorite and then put a 1-0 series lead in its pocket with a 33-20 third-quarter edge fueled by a 13-0 start after action tipped for the break.
Both teams threw down spectacular dunks and dished out deft passes. Only one turned the ball over and failed to consistently play lockdown defense, forfeiting any chance of keeping things interesting.
The Warriors beat the Cavs 113-91 and were never seriously challenged after Kevin Durant ended a run that had cut their lead to 80-68 with under three minutes left in the third by draining a jumper that restored order.
Trust that the stretch of basketball the Cavs focus most on in preparation for Game 2 will be those three minutes where they went on an 8-2 run to threaten to make it a game again. Richard Jefferson was in there and created opportunities. Kevin Love mixed it up and battled on the offensive boards to generate second chances. Things slowed down some and Stephen Curry threw the ball away twice, making half of the four miscues the Warriors committed in tying an NBA Finals record for fewest turnovers.
Love was essentially the center looking to defend Zaza Pachulia in a group that had LeBron James and Jefferson at the forwards and Irving and J.R. Smith at the guards. While you'll likely see that group take the floor at some point, keep in mind Draymond Green wasn't in the game for that stretch.
One of the most impressive things about Game 1 for Golden State was that it was able to survive the periods where the Defensive Player of the Year candidate who doubles as its emotional leader was off the floor due to foul trouble. Green ended up a plus-12, while the player who best helped atone for his absences, Andre Iguodala, ended up a plus-14. Both make James work for every inch whenever they're out there, often bottling Cleveland up.
James' pick-and-rolls and perhaps more of those involving Kyrie Irving will likely be the Cavs' weapon of choice in Game 2, but Golden State simply doesn't allow for a halfcourt game due to the pace of its offense. The Warriors are going to scoot, which means the Cavs will have to either get stops to disrupt their rhythm or get into their own sets faster in an effort to hang with the pace.
Jefferson can serve as the primary defender on Durant, taking some of the burden off James, but that seems like a temporary fix. At this point, those who went in on Durant as Finals MVP (2/1) are sitting pretty as the clubhouse leaders since it doesn't appear like the Cavs have a decent answer for him.
Constant double-teams will create wide-open opportunities, but Cleveland may indeed have to sell out defensively and force Klay Thompson, Green and Iguodala to beat them from the perimeter with those clean looks. That group went 2-for-11 in Game 1, highlighted by Iggy's make on his lone attempt to close out the first quarter.
Durant set the tone by not settling for jumpers and attacking every time there was even the hint of a window. He used the respect for his shot to buy attention and used his pump fake to immediately dash towards the bucket with his wide strides. He scored 38 and shot 3-for-6 from 3-point range, while Stephen Curry added 28 points and 10 assists while making 6-for-11 from beyond the arc.
It should definitely be disconcerting that Thompson and Green combined to shoot 1-for-10 and the Warriors still won by 22. Ian Clark came off the bench and missed all three great opportunities. Golden State shot 12-for-33 (36.4 percent), which is a clip that the Cavs would live with in every game of the series, yet the aggressiveness with which Durant and others attacked the rim, selflessly passing it when drawing defenders carved up their interior defense.
Although they only had him for one possession this season, the Cavs missed ex-Warrior Andrew Bogut, who they signed once he accepted a buyout. Bogut was injured immediately and no Plan B featuring the likes of Larry Sanders and Edy Tavares. Channing Frye didn't even get off the bench.
The Warriors dished out 31 assists and forced 20 turnovers while holding Cleveland to 35 percent. Defensively, it's not likely they'll have a better game. Durant's six dunks were a career-high.
It will be interesting to see what side bettors line up on since the Cavs are likely to get a better effort from the likes of Tristan Thompson, whose excellent postseason show met with turmoil in a scoreless performance over 22-plus minutes where he managed just three rebounds and was neutralized. There's also the angle that James is well-versed in rebounding from early deficits.
"LeBron has struggled to win NBA Finals openers in his career, falling to 1-7 following the blowout loss in Game 1," said VegasInsider.com NBA expert Kevin Rogers. "However, his teams have found a way to rebound in Game 2’s of the NBA Finals by winning four of the past five. Granted, the only loss came in last year’s Finals to Golden State, but that was an anomaly as James’ teams are 3-1 on the road in his last four Game 2’s in the NBA Finals, including an overtime win at Golden State in 2015."
The Warriors won Game 2 last year 110-77 despite Cleveland succeeding in slowing down tempo, winning the first 12 minutes 21-19. The Cavs were held to 33 points after halftime that night and come off an opener where they managed to score just 39 after the break. The total, as a result, was never threatened.
Despite a high-scoring first quarter that saw a combined 65 points posted, the game turned very sloppy and wound up easily going ‘under’ the closing number of 225.
For Game 2, oddsmakers sent out an opener of 222 ½ and that number is now listed as low as 220 ½ at a few betting shops.
VegasInsider.com NBA analyst Chris David leaned to the ‘under’ on Thursday and believes we’ll see that trend continue in Game 2.
He explained, “Golden State’s defense is overshadowed by the juggernaut of its offense but it’s the main reason why the team has gone 13-0 in the playoffs. The Cavaliers were completely shut down for 3 ½ quarters on Thursday and the lone bright spot for Cleveland came in the first when Draymond Green was yanked five minutes into the game after picking up his second foul. After he left, the Cavs scored 22 points and finished with 30 in the quarter. For the rest of the game, Cleveland couldn’t break 22 in a quarter and a lot of that had to with Green, Thompson and Iguodala.”
“I don’t see that changing and while some pundits believe the Cavaliers will get going on Sunday, I would disagree. If Tyronn Lue wants to avoid a sweep, he needs to slow the game down, bleed the clock and hope his team is still within striking distance come the fourth quarter. It’s easier said than done against Golden State but that’s the recipe for success. Over the last two finals, Cleveland held Golden State to 93.5 PPG in its six wins and the ‘under’ went 5-1 in those games. Meanwhile, Golden State has gone 8-1 in its last nine playoff games against Cleveland when scoring triple digits. Even though the number has dropped, I would lean to the ‘under’ in Game 2 and I would also play the Cavaliers team total ‘under’ (106 ½) as well.”
Including the result from Game 1, the ‘under’ has gone 7-5-1 in the last 13 postseason meetings between these teams.
June 3, 2017
NBA Finals - Game 2
No. 2 Cleveland at No. 1 Golden State (ABC, 8 p.m. ET)
Complaints over the NBA playoffs not being competitive got no reprieve on Thursday. The opening quarter of Finals Game 1 was riveting, but Golden State covered as a first-half favorite and then put a 1-0 series lead in its pocket with a 33-20 third-quarter edge fueled by a 13-0 start after action tipped for the break.
Both teams threw down spectacular dunks and dished out deft passes. Only one turned the ball over and failed to consistently play lockdown defense, forfeiting any chance of keeping things interesting.
The Warriors beat the Cavs 113-91 and were never seriously challenged after Kevin Durant ended a run that had cut their lead to 80-68 with under three minutes left in the third by draining a jumper that restored order.
Trust that the stretch of basketball the Cavs focus most on in preparation for Game 2 will be those three minutes where they went on an 8-2 run to threaten to make it a game again. Richard Jefferson was in there and created opportunities. Kevin Love mixed it up and battled on the offensive boards to generate second chances. Things slowed down some and Stephen Curry threw the ball away twice, making half of the four miscues the Warriors committed in tying an NBA Finals record for fewest turnovers.
Love was essentially the center looking to defend Zaza Pachulia in a group that had LeBron James and Jefferson at the forwards and Irving and J.R. Smith at the guards. While you'll likely see that group take the floor at some point, keep in mind Draymond Green wasn't in the game for that stretch.
One of the most impressive things about Game 1 for Golden State was that it was able to survive the periods where the Defensive Player of the Year candidate who doubles as its emotional leader was off the floor due to foul trouble. Green ended up a plus-12, while the player who best helped atone for his absences, Andre Iguodala, ended up a plus-14. Both make James work for every inch whenever they're out there, often bottling Cleveland up.
James' pick-and-rolls and perhaps more of those involving Kyrie Irving will likely be the Cavs' weapon of choice in Game 2, but Golden State simply doesn't allow for a halfcourt game due to the pace of its offense. The Warriors are going to scoot, which means the Cavs will have to either get stops to disrupt their rhythm or get into their own sets faster in an effort to hang with the pace.
Jefferson can serve as the primary defender on Durant, taking some of the burden off James, but that seems like a temporary fix. At this point, those who went in on Durant as Finals MVP (2/1) are sitting pretty as the clubhouse leaders since it doesn't appear like the Cavs have a decent answer for him.
Constant double-teams will create wide-open opportunities, but Cleveland may indeed have to sell out defensively and force Klay Thompson, Green and Iguodala to beat them from the perimeter with those clean looks. That group went 2-for-11 in Game 1, highlighted by Iggy's make on his lone attempt to close out the first quarter.
Durant set the tone by not settling for jumpers and attacking every time there was even the hint of a window. He used the respect for his shot to buy attention and used his pump fake to immediately dash towards the bucket with his wide strides. He scored 38 and shot 3-for-6 from 3-point range, while Stephen Curry added 28 points and 10 assists while making 6-for-11 from beyond the arc.
It should definitely be disconcerting that Thompson and Green combined to shoot 1-for-10 and the Warriors still won by 22. Ian Clark came off the bench and missed all three great opportunities. Golden State shot 12-for-33 (36.4 percent), which is a clip that the Cavs would live with in every game of the series, yet the aggressiveness with which Durant and others attacked the rim, selflessly passing it when drawing defenders carved up their interior defense.
Although they only had him for one possession this season, the Cavs missed ex-Warrior Andrew Bogut, who they signed once he accepted a buyout. Bogut was injured immediately and no Plan B featuring the likes of Larry Sanders and Edy Tavares. Channing Frye didn't even get off the bench.
The Warriors dished out 31 assists and forced 20 turnovers while holding Cleveland to 35 percent. Defensively, it's not likely they'll have a better game. Durant's six dunks were a career-high.
It will be interesting to see what side bettors line up on since the Cavs are likely to get a better effort from the likes of Tristan Thompson, whose excellent postseason show met with turmoil in a scoreless performance over 22-plus minutes where he managed just three rebounds and was neutralized. There's also the angle that James is well-versed in rebounding from early deficits.
"LeBron has struggled to win NBA Finals openers in his career, falling to 1-7 following the blowout loss in Game 1," said VegasInsider.com NBA expert Kevin Rogers. "However, his teams have found a way to rebound in Game 2’s of the NBA Finals by winning four of the past five. Granted, the only loss came in last year’s Finals to Golden State, but that was an anomaly as James’ teams are 3-1 on the road in his last four Game 2’s in the NBA Finals, including an overtime win at Golden State in 2015."
The Warriors won Game 2 last year 110-77 despite Cleveland succeeding in slowing down tempo, winning the first 12 minutes 21-19. The Cavs were held to 33 points after halftime that night and come off an opener where they managed to score just 39 after the break. The total, as a result, was never threatened.
Despite a high-scoring first quarter that saw a combined 65 points posted, the game turned very sloppy and wound up easily going ‘under’ the closing number of 225.
For Game 2, oddsmakers sent out an opener of 222 ½ and that number is now listed as low as 220 ½ at a few betting shops.
VegasInsider.com NBA analyst Chris David leaned to the ‘under’ on Thursday and believes we’ll see that trend continue in Game 2.
He explained, “Golden State’s defense is overshadowed by the juggernaut of its offense but it’s the main reason why the team has gone 13-0 in the playoffs. The Cavaliers were completely shut down for 3 ½ quarters on Thursday and the lone bright spot for Cleveland came in the first when Draymond Green was yanked five minutes into the game after picking up his second foul. After he left, the Cavs scored 22 points and finished with 30 in the quarter. For the rest of the game, Cleveland couldn’t break 22 in a quarter and a lot of that had to with Green, Thompson and Iguodala.”
“I don’t see that changing and while some pundits believe the Cavaliers will get going on Sunday, I would disagree. If Tyronn Lue wants to avoid a sweep, he needs to slow the game down, bleed the clock and hope his team is still within striking distance come the fourth quarter. It’s easier said than done against Golden State but that’s the recipe for success. Over the last two finals, Cleveland held Golden State to 93.5 PPG in its six wins and the ‘under’ went 5-1 in those games. Meanwhile, Golden State has gone 8-1 in its last nine playoff games against Cleveland when scoring triple digits. Even though the number has dropped, I would lean to the ‘under’ in Game 2 and I would also play the Cavaliers team total ‘under’ (106 ½) as well.”
Including the result from Game 1, the ‘under’ has gone 7-5-1 in the last 13 postseason meetings between these teams.
Thompson makes up for slump on D
June 3, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) The Golden State Warriors won't worry about how many shots Klay Thompson misses as long as he keep preventing his opponent from making them on the other end of the floor.
Golden State's other Splash Brother has made far more brick sounds than swishes so far this postseason but it's work on the defensive end that has stood out most and been a major factor in the Warriors leading Cleveland 1-0 in the NBA Finals after three straight series sweeps to open the postseason.
''The most important thing is the way he's defending,'' teammate Draymond Green said. ''We have enough guys who can score on this team that if one guy can't get it going, we can go other places. Then our ball movement and our flow allows everyone else to get baskets as well. We're not just going to say, `Oh, man, we really need to get Klay going.'''
With the addition this season of another potent scorer alongside Stephen Curry in Kevin Durant has made Thompson's offensive production a little less important than it has been in past years.
But his defense is still as crucial as he is the rare player equally adept at controlling ball-handling point guards, chasing shooters around screens and matching up with bigger players in the post.
''We've always known he's been really good on the ball,'' teammate Andre Iguodala said. ''He's grown and stepped up and been a better player off the ball, not turning his back on the ball. He's turned his weaknesses into strengths defensively, which weren't many. ... I've seen him grow in front of my eyes to be more than just a shooter and become a great all-around player.''
Thompson's defensive prowess was evident in Golden State's 113-91 victory in Game 1 on Thursday night when Cavaliers players shot 1 for 12 when Thompson was the primary defender, according to ESPN. The only make came when Kyrie Irving hit an off-balance 3-pointer while getting fouled as Thompson contested 10 of those 12 shots.
Thompson spent the night matched up at various times against LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith and thrived in all of those situations.
''I'm just trying to play possession by possession,'' Thompson said. ''But it's something I did take notice after the game. I was happy with my performance on that side of the ball, being locked in defensively. It didn't matter who I was guarding, I was trying to make it tough on them just to get a good look.''
The other end of the court has been more of a challenge this postseason for Thompson, who has posted two of the top seven 3-point seasons in NBA history the past two seasons and is a 42 percent shooter for his career from long range.
But Thompson is shooting just 36.6 percent from the floor in the playoffs after a 3-for-16 performance in Game 1 against the Cavaliers. Among players who have taken at least 100 shots this postseason, only Boston's Marcus Smart and Utah's Rodney Hood have been worse.
''That's not a big deal at all,'' Thompson said. ''If I score six points a game and it gets us four wins and an NBA championship, I can do that every year.''
Thompson still puts fear in opponents, who still believe he could break out of this slump any time.
''He's one of the best shooters we have ever seen,'' Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. ''For him to be in a slump is crazy. ... I don't believe that. A guy like that is never slumping.''
The poor shooting doesn't mean Thompson hasn't been effective as evidenced by his plus-178 rating that trails only Curry, Green and James this postseason.
And it doesn't mean the Warriors will stop feeding him in hopes he will find his stroke soon as evidenced by his 16 shot attempts in Game 1.
''If he's not making shots, he's still a respected shooter and nobody's going to give him open shots if he starts to miss,'' Durant said. ''So we know the gravity he pulls when he's out there, and his movement off of the ball is one of the main reasons why we're a good team. And his defense is the reason why we we're one of the best defensive teams in the league as well. So when he's not shooting the ball, that doesn't take him out of his game, that doesn't lower his confidence.''
June 3, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) The Golden State Warriors won't worry about how many shots Klay Thompson misses as long as he keep preventing his opponent from making them on the other end of the floor.
Golden State's other Splash Brother has made far more brick sounds than swishes so far this postseason but it's work on the defensive end that has stood out most and been a major factor in the Warriors leading Cleveland 1-0 in the NBA Finals after three straight series sweeps to open the postseason.
''The most important thing is the way he's defending,'' teammate Draymond Green said. ''We have enough guys who can score on this team that if one guy can't get it going, we can go other places. Then our ball movement and our flow allows everyone else to get baskets as well. We're not just going to say, `Oh, man, we really need to get Klay going.'''
With the addition this season of another potent scorer alongside Stephen Curry in Kevin Durant has made Thompson's offensive production a little less important than it has been in past years.
But his defense is still as crucial as he is the rare player equally adept at controlling ball-handling point guards, chasing shooters around screens and matching up with bigger players in the post.
''We've always known he's been really good on the ball,'' teammate Andre Iguodala said. ''He's grown and stepped up and been a better player off the ball, not turning his back on the ball. He's turned his weaknesses into strengths defensively, which weren't many. ... I've seen him grow in front of my eyes to be more than just a shooter and become a great all-around player.''
Thompson's defensive prowess was evident in Golden State's 113-91 victory in Game 1 on Thursday night when Cavaliers players shot 1 for 12 when Thompson was the primary defender, according to ESPN. The only make came when Kyrie Irving hit an off-balance 3-pointer while getting fouled as Thompson contested 10 of those 12 shots.
Thompson spent the night matched up at various times against LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith and thrived in all of those situations.
''I'm just trying to play possession by possession,'' Thompson said. ''But it's something I did take notice after the game. I was happy with my performance on that side of the ball, being locked in defensively. It didn't matter who I was guarding, I was trying to make it tough on them just to get a good look.''
The other end of the court has been more of a challenge this postseason for Thompson, who has posted two of the top seven 3-point seasons in NBA history the past two seasons and is a 42 percent shooter for his career from long range.
But Thompson is shooting just 36.6 percent from the floor in the playoffs after a 3-for-16 performance in Game 1 against the Cavaliers. Among players who have taken at least 100 shots this postseason, only Boston's Marcus Smart and Utah's Rodney Hood have been worse.
''That's not a big deal at all,'' Thompson said. ''If I score six points a game and it gets us four wins and an NBA championship, I can do that every year.''
Thompson still puts fear in opponents, who still believe he could break out of this slump any time.
''He's one of the best shooters we have ever seen,'' Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. ''For him to be in a slump is crazy. ... I don't believe that. A guy like that is never slumping.''
The poor shooting doesn't mean Thompson hasn't been effective as evidenced by his plus-178 rating that trails only Curry, Green and James this postseason.
And it doesn't mean the Warriors will stop feeding him in hopes he will find his stroke soon as evidenced by his 16 shot attempts in Game 1.
''If he's not making shots, he's still a respected shooter and nobody's going to give him open shots if he starts to miss,'' Durant said. ''So we know the gravity he pulls when he's out there, and his movement off of the ball is one of the main reasons why we're a good team. And his defense is the reason why we we're one of the best defensive teams in the league as well. So when he's not shooting the ball, that doesn't take him out of his game, that doesn't lower his confidence.''
Cavs try to adjust on both ends after Game 1 beating
June 3, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Tyronn Lue has a new No. 1 priority for LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals: Stop the ball. First and foremost, then make sure Golden State's sharpshooters have a hand in their face.
Translation: Do anything and everything possible to stop Kevin Durant from driving through the paint and dunking at will with nobody even around him.
''Well, I'm pretty sure that won't happen tomorrow,'' Durant said with a grin Saturday. ''They will be way more physical. They're going to be way more aggressive in the pick-and-roll on the offensive end and defensively. They're going to try to get their 3-point shooters going and rebound the ball. They're going to try to get more offensive rebounds. They're just going to muck the game up and be physical.''
That's the plan for the defending champions Sunday night and will be key if they want to even the best-of-seven series and look respectable after the Warriors whipped them 113-91 Thursday night.
Durant scored 38 points and dunked easily, six times in the first half alone and many of which he went untouched to the rim.
''We can't let Durant get easy baskets like that,'' Lue said as his team practiced at Warriors headquarters amid a media frenzy. ''With him being probably one of the best scorers in the NBA, you can't give guys like that easy opportunities at the basket.''
Taking care of the ball will be equally important after that became a major problem in the opener for Cleveland, which committed 20 turnovers in an uncharacteristically sloppy game.
The 13-0 Warriors are on a roll and matched a Finals low with only four turnovers, and if Klay Thompson finds his shooting touch at last it could be another tough day on defense for the Cavs. They want to get physical, contest shots, somehow find a way to get Golden State out of its groove.
''Effort, effort, yep,'' Kyrie Irving said matter-of-factly. ''And our ability to make sure that when we're mismatched in transition, that the only thing that matters is stopping the basketball and settling down in the half court, then we match up from there.''
Durant and Curry combined for 66 points and 18 assists, moving the Warriors three straight wins from becoming the first team to go unbeaten on the way to a title.
Not that they're discussing it. While Cleveland searches for the right adjustments, Golden State's roster of perfectionists believes it can play far better still with KD and Steph leading the way, or any of the others who are capable of getting hot in a hurry.
''It's going to be a wrestling match down there, and you have to keep it going and make it tough for them and just try to wear them out,'' said Cavs center Tristan Thompson, held scoreless in the opener.
The Warriors are plenty confident even if Cleveland closes out on the perimeter. Both teams were slow getting started offensively after long layoffs: nine days for Golden State, six for the Cavs.
Cleveland shot 11 for 31 from long range and the Warriors 12 of 33. But Golden State hit 9 for 20 from deep in the second half on the way to 106 total shots - a jaw-dropping 20 more than the Cavs - while attacking at every chance when Cleveland just couldn't keep up with Steph and KD.
Draymond Green loved watching Durant do his thing with ease down the middle in his first Finals game for Golden State.
''Going into the game I know what their game plan is, and it's to take the 3 away,'' Green said. ''Now to say that you're going to get that many open lanes, you can't forecast that. You can't go into the game saying, `Oh, KD is going to have six driving lanes to the rim and where don't get touched and he dunks. You just can't forecast that.''
James, in his seventh straight Finals, has a remarkable run of having won at least one game on the road in 29 straight postseason series. On Sunday, King James will try to make it 30.
''We had a lot of unforced turnovers. Some of them were from aggression,'' James said. ''I had two charges, that's aggression. I can take those. But also had some when I got caught in the air and tried to make some skip passes and they were able to pick them off. Those are like pick sixes. That's like throwing the ball to Deion Sanders. Most of the time it's going to be a touchdown going the other way.''
June 3, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Tyronn Lue has a new No. 1 priority for LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals: Stop the ball. First and foremost, then make sure Golden State's sharpshooters have a hand in their face.
Translation: Do anything and everything possible to stop Kevin Durant from driving through the paint and dunking at will with nobody even around him.
''Well, I'm pretty sure that won't happen tomorrow,'' Durant said with a grin Saturday. ''They will be way more physical. They're going to be way more aggressive in the pick-and-roll on the offensive end and defensively. They're going to try to get their 3-point shooters going and rebound the ball. They're going to try to get more offensive rebounds. They're just going to muck the game up and be physical.''
That's the plan for the defending champions Sunday night and will be key if they want to even the best-of-seven series and look respectable after the Warriors whipped them 113-91 Thursday night.
Durant scored 38 points and dunked easily, six times in the first half alone and many of which he went untouched to the rim.
''We can't let Durant get easy baskets like that,'' Lue said as his team practiced at Warriors headquarters amid a media frenzy. ''With him being probably one of the best scorers in the NBA, you can't give guys like that easy opportunities at the basket.''
Taking care of the ball will be equally important after that became a major problem in the opener for Cleveland, which committed 20 turnovers in an uncharacteristically sloppy game.
The 13-0 Warriors are on a roll and matched a Finals low with only four turnovers, and if Klay Thompson finds his shooting touch at last it could be another tough day on defense for the Cavs. They want to get physical, contest shots, somehow find a way to get Golden State out of its groove.
''Effort, effort, yep,'' Kyrie Irving said matter-of-factly. ''And our ability to make sure that when we're mismatched in transition, that the only thing that matters is stopping the basketball and settling down in the half court, then we match up from there.''
Durant and Curry combined for 66 points and 18 assists, moving the Warriors three straight wins from becoming the first team to go unbeaten on the way to a title.
Not that they're discussing it. While Cleveland searches for the right adjustments, Golden State's roster of perfectionists believes it can play far better still with KD and Steph leading the way, or any of the others who are capable of getting hot in a hurry.
''It's going to be a wrestling match down there, and you have to keep it going and make it tough for them and just try to wear them out,'' said Cavs center Tristan Thompson, held scoreless in the opener.
The Warriors are plenty confident even if Cleveland closes out on the perimeter. Both teams were slow getting started offensively after long layoffs: nine days for Golden State, six for the Cavs.
Cleveland shot 11 for 31 from long range and the Warriors 12 of 33. But Golden State hit 9 for 20 from deep in the second half on the way to 106 total shots - a jaw-dropping 20 more than the Cavs - while attacking at every chance when Cleveland just couldn't keep up with Steph and KD.
Draymond Green loved watching Durant do his thing with ease down the middle in his first Finals game for Golden State.
''Going into the game I know what their game plan is, and it's to take the 3 away,'' Green said. ''Now to say that you're going to get that many open lanes, you can't forecast that. You can't go into the game saying, `Oh, KD is going to have six driving lanes to the rim and where don't get touched and he dunks. You just can't forecast that.''
James, in his seventh straight Finals, has a remarkable run of having won at least one game on the road in 29 straight postseason series. On Sunday, King James will try to make it 30.
''We had a lot of unforced turnovers. Some of them were from aggression,'' James said. ''I had two charges, that's aggression. I can take those. But also had some when I got caught in the air and tried to make some skip passes and they were able to pick them off. Those are like pick sixes. That's like throwing the ball to Deion Sanders. Most of the time it's going to be a touchdown going the other way.''
Game 2 Props - Best Bets
June 3, 2017
The 2017 NBA Finals continues Sunday with Game 2 between the Cavaliers and Warriors from Oracle Arena. If you’re hesitant to back the side or total for the second installment in this series, then we suggest you take a closer look at the available player props.
With a little bit of luck, our trio of NBA experts produced a 6-3 overall record for Game 1 and those winners produced over five units of profit.
Game 1 Results
Chris David: 3-0 (+500)
Kevin Rogers: 1-2 (-135)
Tony Mejia: 2-1 (+285)
Based on a five-unit bankroll, their top props are listed for Game 2 below.
Odds & Props provided by Sportsbook.ag
Chris David
2 Units – Over Kyrie Irving Total Points 26 (-105)
Even though he’s been better at home in this year’s postseason, I believe Irving is the only Cleveland player with a distinct advantage over the Golden State defense and I’m including LeBron. He matched up with the athleticism of the Warriors and led the Cavaliers with 22 attempts from the field while finishing with 24 points and he hardly played in the fourth quarter. Defensively, he’s not a great player but he can finish above the rim and I would expect him to be even more aggressive on Sunday. He only took one free throw attempt which came on a chuck from 3-point land. That number should increase in Game 2 and his point total will as well.
1.5 Units – Under Kyle Korver Total Points 6.5 (-120)
I rode the Korver ‘under’ in the opener and I’m going to come back with it on Sunday after he put up a bagel in Game 1. He finished 0-for-3 from the field and all of his attempts were from 3-point land. I was a little surprised that he saw 20 minutes of action in Game 1 but the contest got out of hand and the reserves were deservingly used. Barring another blowout, his minutes should decrease and his ability to get a clean look versus this defense will again be difficult. In 14 games in this year’s playoffs, Korver has eclipsed this number (6.5) just five times and I’m expecting it to go ‘under’ again.
1.5 Units – Under Klay Thompson Total Points 17 (-115)
Playing the ‘due’ factor in betting can tear your bankroll to shreds and for those of you expecting Klay Thompson to get going, I wish you luck. He’s one of the best shooters in the game but he’s in a serious funk and Golden State can afford to live without his offense, as long as his defense is at a high level. He’s only averaging 13.8 PPG in the playoffs and he’s managed to tie or eclipse this number (17) just four times in 13 playoff games and all of those results took place outside of the Bay Area. I would expect his struggles to continue Sunday but look for a breakout at Cleveland.
Kevin Rogers
2 Units - Under Kevin Durant Total Points 29.5 (-110)
It's seem to easy to go against what Durant accomplished in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Durant stepped up in his Golden State Finals debut by scoring 38 points, with many of those points coming on easy dunks. Discounting Game 2 of the first round against Portland since he sat out, in three other playoff games in which he scored at least 30 points, he scored 18 or fewer twice in the following game.
2 Units - Over Tristan Thompson Total Points + Rebounds Over 17.5 (-120)
Thompson was non-existent in Game 1 for Cleveland by not registering a point and pulling down only four rebounds in 22 minutes of action. The forward posted three double-doubles in last year's Finals, while not putting together consecutive single-digit scoring performances.
1 Unit - Under Kevin Love Total 3-Point Attempts 6.5 (Even)
Love hoisted up six three-point attempts in the Game 1 loss, knocking down three treys. The key to this number staying 'under' the total is Cleveland being competitive so Love isn't just throwing up three-pointers in a blowout. In last year's Finals, Love never attempted more than five three-pointers in any of the seven games against the Warriors.
Tony Mejia
2 Units – Over Kyrie Irving Total Points + Rebounds + Assists 34 (-105)
The Cavs will likely call for LeBron to expend more energy on the defensive end, which means there should be more opportunities for Irving to be the offensive catalyst. One of the better iso players in the league, expect him to be heavily involved creating shots and should also be featured heavily in pick-ad-rolls. He'll scoop up a few rebounds to aid the cause and should be even more productive than he was in a solid performance in the series opener.
2 Units – Over Richard Jefferson Total Points + Rebounds 9 (-120)
The Cavs made a bit of a run in the second half when he entered the fray to take some pressure off James by defending Durant. It would be surprising not to see him again get extended minutes, so we should see him put together a productive Game 2 where he'll hit the boards and be challenged to keep the Warriors defense honest by taking his clean looks and getting into the paint.
1 Unit – Over Klay Thompson Total Points 17 (-115)
Despite an 0-for-5 night from 3-point range, Thompson remained locked in defensively and didn't allow his 3-for-16 shooting to factor into the other parts of his game. Because of the adjustments that the Cavs will have to make on their end to limit Durant and Curry, he's going to have to remain aggressive and take his looks. All it takes him is one make to get warm. Thompson has averaged just 13.8 points this postseason, but averaged over 22 during the regular season. Look for a strong bounce-back game where he reaches the 20-point mark for the first time since May 8, when the Dubs closed out Utah.
June 3, 2017
The 2017 NBA Finals continues Sunday with Game 2 between the Cavaliers and Warriors from Oracle Arena. If you’re hesitant to back the side or total for the second installment in this series, then we suggest you take a closer look at the available player props.
With a little bit of luck, our trio of NBA experts produced a 6-3 overall record for Game 1 and those winners produced over five units of profit.
Game 1 Results
Chris David: 3-0 (+500)
Kevin Rogers: 1-2 (-135)
Tony Mejia: 2-1 (+285)
Based on a five-unit bankroll, their top props are listed for Game 2 below.
Odds & Props provided by Sportsbook.ag
Chris David
2 Units – Over Kyrie Irving Total Points 26 (-105)
Even though he’s been better at home in this year’s postseason, I believe Irving is the only Cleveland player with a distinct advantage over the Golden State defense and I’m including LeBron. He matched up with the athleticism of the Warriors and led the Cavaliers with 22 attempts from the field while finishing with 24 points and he hardly played in the fourth quarter. Defensively, he’s not a great player but he can finish above the rim and I would expect him to be even more aggressive on Sunday. He only took one free throw attempt which came on a chuck from 3-point land. That number should increase in Game 2 and his point total will as well.
1.5 Units – Under Kyle Korver Total Points 6.5 (-120)
I rode the Korver ‘under’ in the opener and I’m going to come back with it on Sunday after he put up a bagel in Game 1. He finished 0-for-3 from the field and all of his attempts were from 3-point land. I was a little surprised that he saw 20 minutes of action in Game 1 but the contest got out of hand and the reserves were deservingly used. Barring another blowout, his minutes should decrease and his ability to get a clean look versus this defense will again be difficult. In 14 games in this year’s playoffs, Korver has eclipsed this number (6.5) just five times and I’m expecting it to go ‘under’ again.
1.5 Units – Under Klay Thompson Total Points 17 (-115)
Playing the ‘due’ factor in betting can tear your bankroll to shreds and for those of you expecting Klay Thompson to get going, I wish you luck. He’s one of the best shooters in the game but he’s in a serious funk and Golden State can afford to live without his offense, as long as his defense is at a high level. He’s only averaging 13.8 PPG in the playoffs and he’s managed to tie or eclipse this number (17) just four times in 13 playoff games and all of those results took place outside of the Bay Area. I would expect his struggles to continue Sunday but look for a breakout at Cleveland.
Kevin Rogers
2 Units - Under Kevin Durant Total Points 29.5 (-110)
It's seem to easy to go against what Durant accomplished in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Durant stepped up in his Golden State Finals debut by scoring 38 points, with many of those points coming on easy dunks. Discounting Game 2 of the first round against Portland since he sat out, in three other playoff games in which he scored at least 30 points, he scored 18 or fewer twice in the following game.
2 Units - Over Tristan Thompson Total Points + Rebounds Over 17.5 (-120)
Thompson was non-existent in Game 1 for Cleveland by not registering a point and pulling down only four rebounds in 22 minutes of action. The forward posted three double-doubles in last year's Finals, while not putting together consecutive single-digit scoring performances.
1 Unit - Under Kevin Love Total 3-Point Attempts 6.5 (Even)
Love hoisted up six three-point attempts in the Game 1 loss, knocking down three treys. The key to this number staying 'under' the total is Cleveland being competitive so Love isn't just throwing up three-pointers in a blowout. In last year's Finals, Love never attempted more than five three-pointers in any of the seven games against the Warriors.
Tony Mejia
2 Units – Over Kyrie Irving Total Points + Rebounds + Assists 34 (-105)
The Cavs will likely call for LeBron to expend more energy on the defensive end, which means there should be more opportunities for Irving to be the offensive catalyst. One of the better iso players in the league, expect him to be heavily involved creating shots and should also be featured heavily in pick-ad-rolls. He'll scoop up a few rebounds to aid the cause and should be even more productive than he was in a solid performance in the series opener.
2 Units – Over Richard Jefferson Total Points + Rebounds 9 (-120)
The Cavs made a bit of a run in the second half when he entered the fray to take some pressure off James by defending Durant. It would be surprising not to see him again get extended minutes, so we should see him put together a productive Game 2 where he'll hit the boards and be challenged to keep the Warriors defense honest by taking his clean looks and getting into the paint.
1 Unit – Over Klay Thompson Total Points 17 (-115)
Despite an 0-for-5 night from 3-point range, Thompson remained locked in defensively and didn't allow his 3-for-16 shooting to factor into the other parts of his game. Because of the adjustments that the Cavs will have to make on their end to limit Durant and Curry, he's going to have to remain aggressive and take his looks. All it takes him is one make to get warm. Thompson has averaged just 13.8 points this postseason, but averaged over 22 during the regular season. Look for a strong bounce-back game where he reaches the 20-point mark for the first time since May 8, when the Dubs closed out Utah.
Sunday's NBA Finals Game 2 Betting Preview: Cavaliers at Warriors
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors (-8.5, 220.5)
Warriors lead series 1-0
The Golden State Warriors sent a harsh message to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and will try to take a 2-0 lead in the series when they host Game 2 on Sunday. The Warriors thrashed the Cavaliers 113-91 in Thursday's opener as Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry had little trouble navigating the Cleveland defense.
Durant is making his first Finals appearance since losing to LeBron James and the Miami Heat as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012, and he certainly looked right at home in his return trip with 38 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and zero turnovers in the win. "To have a game like that when he's playing that way, it's tough to beat," Golden State forward Draymond Green told reporters. "Thirty-eight, eight, eight, zero turnovers? I mean that's -- we're real tough to beat when he's doing that. ... We're going to seek him out, get him the ball, and guys got to defend him. He was amazing (in Game 1), and I expect nothing less in the rest of the games." The Cavaliers lost Game 1 at Golden State last spring and fell down 3-1 before coming back to win the series, and James is not panicking. "Just get focused on Game 2," James told reporters. "We made a lot of mistakes. There's nothing really needs to be said. We know we're capable of playing a lot better. We didn't play as well as we know we're capable of, so we look forward to the next one."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC
LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as 8-point home chalk for Game 2 and, was bet up as high as 9 until fading down half-point to 8.5. The total sit the betting board as 221.5 and has dropped down to 220.5.
WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Quality teams off a blowout loss normally bounce back in the next game, but that was not the case last year. Cleveland lost Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals by 15 points at Golden State last season and then the Cavaliers lost Game 2 by 33 points. Despite that, Cleveland won Game 3 by 30 points and overcame a 3-1 series deficit to still win the championship. It will be interesting to see if history repeats itself this year. Golden State is a different team now with Kevin Durant on board. The betting market does not think Cleveland will bounce back in Game 2 on Sunday night. The line is a full basket higher than Game 1." - Covers Expert Steve Merril.
INJURY REPORT:
Cavaliers - C Edy. Tavares (Out For Season, hand)
Warriors - SF Kevon Looney (Out Indefinitely, hip)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (63-33 SU, 44-48-4 ATS, 56-39-1 O/U): Cleveland imported talent during the regular season in an effort to get James the help he desired but point guard Deron Williams, shooting guard Kyle Korver and power forward Derrick Williams combined to go scoreless on 0-of-9 shooting off the bench in Game 1. James contributed 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists but also committed eight of the team's 20 turnovers. "I know we will play better," Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters. "When we're not making shots and they get off in transition off of rebounds and stuff like that, they're tough to guard. So, I know we can play better. We will play better."
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (80-15 SU, 49-43-3 ATS, 41-54-0 O/U): Golden State committed just four turnovers in the romp and pulled away easily despite All-Stars Green (3-of-12) and Klay Thompson (3-of-16, 0-of-5 from 3-point range) enduring tough shooting nights in the opener. Durant (14-of-26) and Curry (11-of-22, 10 assists) picked up the scoring slack while the team defensive effort held Cleveland to 34.9 percent shooting. "Our defensive effort allowed us to work through that struggle on the offensive end and keep a lead and just build the flow up," Curry said during an ESPN interview. "As the game went on we got more comfortable, shots started to fall and the ball was hopping, and that's the formula for us to be successful against this Cavs team. We have to defend, try to make it tough, knowing they have great scorers."
TRENDS:
* Cavaliers are 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. Western Conference.
* Warriors are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 9-1-2 in the last 12 meetings in Golden State.
* Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
CONSENSUS: 54 percent of users are siding with the road underdog Cleveland Cavaliers and 62 percent are on the Over.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors (-8.5, 220.5)
Warriors lead series 1-0
The Golden State Warriors sent a harsh message to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and will try to take a 2-0 lead in the series when they host Game 2 on Sunday. The Warriors thrashed the Cavaliers 113-91 in Thursday's opener as Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry had little trouble navigating the Cleveland defense.
Durant is making his first Finals appearance since losing to LeBron James and the Miami Heat as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012, and he certainly looked right at home in his return trip with 38 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and zero turnovers in the win. "To have a game like that when he's playing that way, it's tough to beat," Golden State forward Draymond Green told reporters. "Thirty-eight, eight, eight, zero turnovers? I mean that's -- we're real tough to beat when he's doing that. ... We're going to seek him out, get him the ball, and guys got to defend him. He was amazing (in Game 1), and I expect nothing less in the rest of the games." The Cavaliers lost Game 1 at Golden State last spring and fell down 3-1 before coming back to win the series, and James is not panicking. "Just get focused on Game 2," James told reporters. "We made a lot of mistakes. There's nothing really needs to be said. We know we're capable of playing a lot better. We didn't play as well as we know we're capable of, so we look forward to the next one."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC
LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as 8-point home chalk for Game 2 and, was bet up as high as 9 until fading down half-point to 8.5. The total sit the betting board as 221.5 and has dropped down to 220.5.
WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Quality teams off a blowout loss normally bounce back in the next game, but that was not the case last year. Cleveland lost Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals by 15 points at Golden State last season and then the Cavaliers lost Game 2 by 33 points. Despite that, Cleveland won Game 3 by 30 points and overcame a 3-1 series deficit to still win the championship. It will be interesting to see if history repeats itself this year. Golden State is a different team now with Kevin Durant on board. The betting market does not think Cleveland will bounce back in Game 2 on Sunday night. The line is a full basket higher than Game 1." - Covers Expert Steve Merril.
INJURY REPORT:
Cavaliers - C Edy. Tavares (Out For Season, hand)
Warriors - SF Kevon Looney (Out Indefinitely, hip)
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (63-33 SU, 44-48-4 ATS, 56-39-1 O/U): Cleveland imported talent during the regular season in an effort to get James the help he desired but point guard Deron Williams, shooting guard Kyle Korver and power forward Derrick Williams combined to go scoreless on 0-of-9 shooting off the bench in Game 1. James contributed 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists but also committed eight of the team's 20 turnovers. "I know we will play better," Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters. "When we're not making shots and they get off in transition off of rebounds and stuff like that, they're tough to guard. So, I know we can play better. We will play better."
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (80-15 SU, 49-43-3 ATS, 41-54-0 O/U): Golden State committed just four turnovers in the romp and pulled away easily despite All-Stars Green (3-of-12) and Klay Thompson (3-of-16, 0-of-5 from 3-point range) enduring tough shooting nights in the opener. Durant (14-of-26) and Curry (11-of-22, 10 assists) picked up the scoring slack while the team defensive effort held Cleveland to 34.9 percent shooting. "Our defensive effort allowed us to work through that struggle on the offensive end and keep a lead and just build the flow up," Curry said during an ESPN interview. "As the game went on we got more comfortable, shots started to fall and the ball was hopping, and that's the formula for us to be successful against this Cavs team. We have to defend, try to make it tough, knowing they have great scorers."
TRENDS:
* Cavaliers are 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. Western Conference.
* Warriors are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
* Under is 9-1-2 in the last 12 meetings in Golden State.
* Home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
CONSENSUS: 54 percent of users are siding with the road underdog Cleveland Cavaliers and 62 percent are on the Over.
NBA
Dunkel
Sunday, June 4
Cleveland @ Golden State
Game 703-704
June 4, 2017 @ 8:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
134.258
Golden State
137.320
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 3
229
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 9
220 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+9); Over
NBA
Long Sheet
Sunday, June 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLEVELAND (63 - 33) at GOLDEN STATE (80 - 15) - 6/4/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in road games after a non-conference game this season.
CLEVELAND is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
CLEVELAND is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 107-88 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 30-21 ATS (+6.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 100-84 ATS (+7.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 86-64 ATS (+15.6 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 40-24 ATS (+13.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 54-33 ATS (+17.7 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when leading in a playoff series this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 33-23 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 64-48 ATS (+11.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 11-9 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 12-8 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
13 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NBA
Sunday, June 4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland's last 7 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Cleveland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Dunkel
Sunday, June 4
Cleveland @ Golden State
Game 703-704
June 4, 2017 @ 8:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
134.258
Golden State
137.320
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 3
229
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Golden State
by 9
220 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(+9); Over
NBA
Long Sheet
Sunday, June 4
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLEVELAND (63 - 33) at GOLDEN STATE (80 - 15) - 6/4/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 5-13 ATS (-9.3 Units) in road games after a non-conference game this season.
CLEVELAND is 3-13 ATS (-11.3 Units) in road games in non-conference games this season.
CLEVELAND is 8-18 ATS (-11.8 Units) after a loss by 10 points or more over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 107-88 ATS (+10.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 30-21 ATS (+6.9 Units) when the total is greater than or equal to 220 this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 100-84 ATS (+7.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 86-64 ATS (+15.6 Units) in home games over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 40-24 ATS (+13.6 Units) after a non-conference game over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 54-33 ATS (+17.7 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) when leading in a playoff series this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 33-23 ATS (+7.7 Units) after a win by 10 points or more this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 64-48 ATS (+11.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 27-15 ATS (+10.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 18-8 ATS (+9.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 24-13 ATS (+9.7 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 22-11 ATS (+9.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 11-9 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 12-8 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
13 of 18 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
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NBA
Sunday, June 4
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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
CLEVELAND vs. GOLDEN STATE
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland's last 7 games when playing on the road against Golden State
Cleveland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Curry, Durant lead Warriors in Game 2 rout
June 4, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Stephen Curry dribbled every which way and beat LeBron James to the rim in a move reminiscent of his recent MVP magic, and the Golden State Warriors grabbed a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals by downing the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-113 Sunday night in coach Steve Kerr's return to the sideline after a six-week absence.
Their leader and reigning NBA Coach of the Year back on the bench at last, Curry and Kevin Durant tag-teamed the Warriors within two victories of another championship. Curry recorded his first career postseason triple-double with 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, while Durant contributed 33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists while moving two wins from his first ring.
Golden State improved to 14-0 this postseason to keep alive a chance of becoming the first group to go unbeaten all the way to a title.
James was equally spectacular with his own triple-double of 29 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds, but yet again didn't get nearly enough help to keep up with Golden State's depth despite Kevin Love's 27 points and 19 from Kyrie Irving.
Klay Thompson emerged from a postseason-long shooting funk to score 22 points with four 3-pointers while playing more stellar defense and pulling down seven rebounds for the Warriors, who shot 18 for 43 from deep.
The best-of-seven series now shifts to Cleveland for two games, with Game 3 Wednesday.
June 4, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Stephen Curry dribbled every which way and beat LeBron James to the rim in a move reminiscent of his recent MVP magic, and the Golden State Warriors grabbed a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals by downing the Cleveland Cavaliers 132-113 Sunday night in coach Steve Kerr's return to the sideline after a six-week absence.
Their leader and reigning NBA Coach of the Year back on the bench at last, Curry and Kevin Durant tag-teamed the Warriors within two victories of another championship. Curry recorded his first career postseason triple-double with 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, while Durant contributed 33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists while moving two wins from his first ring.
Golden State improved to 14-0 this postseason to keep alive a chance of becoming the first group to go unbeaten all the way to a title.
James was equally spectacular with his own triple-double of 29 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds, but yet again didn't get nearly enough help to keep up with Golden State's depth despite Kevin Love's 27 points and 19 from Kyrie Irving.
Klay Thompson emerged from a postseason-long shooting funk to score 22 points with four 3-pointers while playing more stellar defense and pulling down seven rebounds for the Warriors, who shot 18 for 43 from deep.
The best-of-seven series now shifts to Cleveland for two games, with Game 3 Wednesday.
LeBron's brilliance not enough in Game 2
June 4, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) LeBron James has been brilliant in the first two games of the NBA Finals, which still have been lopsided losses for his Cleveland Cavaliers.
While James has delivered - he had a triple-double Sunday night in Game 2 - it hasn't been nearly enough against the superstar-laden Golden State Warriors.
Kevin Love provided a needed scoring boost in Game 2 after Kyrie Irving did the same in Game 1 but almost no one else came through, sending the Cavs to a 132-113 loss and an 0-2 series deficit.
Unless that changes quickly, Cavs-Warriors III could end up being a much shorter series than the first two editions of the Finals trilogy that the teams split. Game 3 is Wednesday in Cleveland where the Cavs will look to regain the magic that helped them overcome deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 in last year's Finals.
James had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists to tie Magic Johnson's record with his eighth career Finals triple-double but expended so much energy that he had a hard time getting to the rim in the second half when he often seemed to settle for jumpers.
He was even seen huffing and puffing as he went to the bench at one point in the third quarter.
Love gave the Cavs a needed second offensive threat with 27 points but against a team filled with a pair of former MVPs in Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, two other 2017 All-Stars in Draymond Green and Klay Thompson and several role players who have made key contributions, it wasn't been nearly enough.
Cleveland's third star, point guard Kyrie Irving, struggled offensively with a 8-for-23 shooting night, fellow starters Tristan Thompson (eight points, four rebounds) and J.R. Smith (scoreless) were invisible again and no one on the bench stepped up leaving King James helpless for much of the night.
Thompson's lack of production has been particularly glaring considering how big a role he played the past two seasons, averaging a double-double in the Finals each of those years. He hadn't reached double figures in points or rebounds this year in the first two games combined.
James and Love combined to make 24 of 41 shots, while the rest of the team shot just 36 percent with only Irving even reaching double-figures. In the 113-91 loss in Game 1, Thompson and Smith combined to make one basket and the Cavs got 25 percent shooting outside of James and Irving.
Midseason acquisitions Kyle Korver and Deron Williams have failed to make their anticipated impact, with Williams being held scoreless through two games while Korver followed up a zero-point opener with eight points but has been a liability defensively.
June 4, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) LeBron James has been brilliant in the first two games of the NBA Finals, which still have been lopsided losses for his Cleveland Cavaliers.
While James has delivered - he had a triple-double Sunday night in Game 2 - it hasn't been nearly enough against the superstar-laden Golden State Warriors.
Kevin Love provided a needed scoring boost in Game 2 after Kyrie Irving did the same in Game 1 but almost no one else came through, sending the Cavs to a 132-113 loss and an 0-2 series deficit.
Unless that changes quickly, Cavs-Warriors III could end up being a much shorter series than the first two editions of the Finals trilogy that the teams split. Game 3 is Wednesday in Cleveland where the Cavs will look to regain the magic that helped them overcome deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 in last year's Finals.
James had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists to tie Magic Johnson's record with his eighth career Finals triple-double but expended so much energy that he had a hard time getting to the rim in the second half when he often seemed to settle for jumpers.
He was even seen huffing and puffing as he went to the bench at one point in the third quarter.
Love gave the Cavs a needed second offensive threat with 27 points but against a team filled with a pair of former MVPs in Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, two other 2017 All-Stars in Draymond Green and Klay Thompson and several role players who have made key contributions, it wasn't been nearly enough.
Cleveland's third star, point guard Kyrie Irving, struggled offensively with a 8-for-23 shooting night, fellow starters Tristan Thompson (eight points, four rebounds) and J.R. Smith (scoreless) were invisible again and no one on the bench stepped up leaving King James helpless for much of the night.
Thompson's lack of production has been particularly glaring considering how big a role he played the past two seasons, averaging a double-double in the Finals each of those years. He hadn't reached double figures in points or rebounds this year in the first two games combined.
James and Love combined to make 24 of 41 shots, while the rest of the team shot just 36 percent with only Irving even reaching double-figures. In the 113-91 loss in Game 1, Thompson and Smith combined to make one basket and the Cavs got 25 percent shooting outside of James and Irving.
Midseason acquisitions Kyle Korver and Deron Williams have failed to make their anticipated impact, with Williams being held scoreless through two games while Korver followed up a zero-point opener with eight points but has been a liability defensively.
Warriors coach Kerr returns for Game 2
June 4, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr announced about an hour before Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night that he not only was returning to the bench for the game, but also, he hoped, for the rest of the best-of-seven series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kerr remained in the locker room during Game 1 of the Finals while continuing to deal with pain from a spinal-fluid leak in his back that resulted from multiple surgeries in recent years.
"I'm feeling more like I did at the end of the regular season," insisted Kerr, who said he made the decision to return to the bench earlier in the day. "The intention is tonight and the rest of the series. I wouldn't be in this if I was thinking just one game."
The 51-year-old was on the bench for the first two games of the Warriors' opening-round series against Portland, but turned over the reins to assistant Mike Brown for the remainder of the Trail Blazers series, as well as the four-game sweeps over the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals and San Antonio Spurs in the Western finals.
The Warriors went into Sunday's game with a 13-0 record in the postseason.
Fighting the same back pain, Kerr also missed the first 43 games of the 2015-16 regular season, with assistant Luke Walton compiling a 39-4 record in his absence.
June 4, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr announced about an hour before Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night that he not only was returning to the bench for the game, but also, he hoped, for the rest of the best-of-seven series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kerr remained in the locker room during Game 1 of the Finals while continuing to deal with pain from a spinal-fluid leak in his back that resulted from multiple surgeries in recent years.
"I'm feeling more like I did at the end of the regular season," insisted Kerr, who said he made the decision to return to the bench earlier in the day. "The intention is tonight and the rest of the series. I wouldn't be in this if I was thinking just one game."
The 51-year-old was on the bench for the first two games of the Warriors' opening-round series against Portland, but turned over the reins to assistant Mike Brown for the remainder of the Trail Blazers series, as well as the four-game sweeps over the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals and San Antonio Spurs in the Western finals.
The Warriors went into Sunday's game with a 13-0 record in the postseason.
Fighting the same back pain, Kerr also missed the first 43 games of the 2015-16 regular season, with assistant Luke Walton compiling a 39-4 record in his absence.
The Latest: Cavs' Lue glad Kerr back on Warriors' sideline
June 4, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) The Latest on Game 2 of the NBA Finals (all times local):
7:40 p.m.
Stephen Curry had a triple double with 33 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, Kevin Durant scored 33 and the Golden State Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals with a 132-113 victory in Game 2 on Sunday night.
The big nights from the former MVPs made coach Steve Kerr a winner in his return to the bench after a more than six-week absence following complications from back surgery.
This marks the second straight year Golden State won the first two games of the Finals. Cleveland rallied to win last year's series in seven games.
LeBron James had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists to tie Magic Johnson's record with his eighth career Finals triple-double.
It was just the second time in NBA playoff history two players had triple-doubles in the same game. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) and Walt Frazier did it in 1970.
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7:25 p.m.
Stephen Curry, he's got a triple-double with 30 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
Kevin Durant, he's up to 31 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five blocks so far in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
But Sunday's biggest key for Golden State might be this: Klay Thompson looks like himself again.
Thompson is 8 for 12 from the field, 4 for 7 from 3-point range, and he has 22 points as the Warriors have built a 121-99 lead nearing the midpoint of the fourth quarter.
Thompson shot 3 for 16 in Game 1.
A quick note on Curry: It's his eighth triple-double, and first in the postseason. The Warriors are 7-0 in previous games when Curry had a triple-double.
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7:10 p.m.
LeBron James has another NBA Finals triple-double.
Golden State is in full control of Game 2 anyway.
Stephen Curry is 14 for 14 from the line and has 27 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, Kevin Durant has 24 points and the Warriors lead Cleveland 102-88 going into the fourth quarter.
A potential issue for the Warriors down the stretch: Draymond Green has five fouls.
Klay Thompson has bounced back in a big way, scoring 17 so far for Golden State.
James has 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds - his eighth Finals triple-double, tying Magic Johnson's NBA record.
James' teams are 4-3 in his previous Finals triple-double nights. He had one for Miami in 2011, another in 2012 and two in 2013. He then had two for Cleveland in 2015, one last year and his Sunday one is No. 8.
Kevin Love has 24 for the Cavs, who were outscored 35-24 in the third.
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6:45 p.m.
Golden State is up by double digits again, 83-73 after the first 3 minutes of the third quarter in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
A big sequence got the Warriors there: Kevin Love made a 3-pointer to get Cleveland within five, but Draymond Green answered with a 3 for the Warriors and then Stephen Curry sliced his way through LeBron James and Love for a layup.
Curry is up to 22 points for the Warriors, with seven already in the third quarter. LeBron James is up to 20 points, 11 assists and six rebounds for the Cavaliers.
The Warriors are shooting 55 percent so far. Golden State has won 106 consecutive games when shooting better than 50 percent, a streak going back to November 2014.
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6:20 p.m.
Going back to last season, nine of the last 11 games between Golden State and Cleveland have been decided by double digits.
This one is looking much different.
It's halftime of Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and Golden State leads Cleveland 67-64. The Warriors led by as many as 12 points, but LeBron James has been his usual outstanding self in the first two quarters.
James has 18 points, 10 assists and six rebounds already. Kevin Love has 15 and Kyrie Irving scored 10 for Cleveland.
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant both have 15 points for the Warriors. Curry didn't score in the second quarter, however. And the Warriors have 13 turnovers already, which the Cavs have turned into 17 points.
This is only the fifth Finals game - and the first since 1967 - where both teams had at least 64 points at the half.
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6:10 p.m.
Draymond Green is back, after three first-quarter fouls.
It's a bold move by Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who's in his first game back after an 11-game absence with health issues. Kerr returned Green to the lineup by the midpoint of the second quarter, and with Cleveland steadily cutting into what was a double-digit Golden State lead.
The Warriors lead 59-56 with 3 minutes left in the half.
Kevin Love and LeBron James have combined for 27 for the Cavaliers. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry have 28 for the Warriors, but Curry is also up to six turnovers. That's two more than the Warriors had as a team in Game 1.
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5:45 p.m.
Golden State has committed twice as many turnovers already in Game 2 of the NBA Finals than it did in the entirety of Game 1 - eight so far in this game, four in all of the series opener on Thursday.
Doesn't matter. The Warriors lead Cleveland 40-34 after the first quarter.
Stephen Curry has tied Paul Pierce's NBA Finals record with 10 free throws made in a quarter. Curry leads everybody with 15 points, and the Warriors became the sixth team in Finals history to score at least 40 points in an opening quarter.
LeBron James has 10 points and five assists to lead Cleveland.
The Cavaliers led 9-3 early, before the Warriors went on a 23-7 run to take what was a 26-16 lead.
James has been attacking early and often, with dunks, layups and a strong three-point play after taking what essentially was a tackle attempt from JaVale McGee on a drive and scoring anyway.
---
5:25 p.m.
LeBron James is attacking. And Game 2 of the NBA Finals is starting like a 100-meter dash.
It was Cleveland 14, Golden State 13 after just the first 4:13 of the first quarter. The Cavaliers said they wanted to play at a faster pace, and James is setting the tone by getting to the rim four times already.
Kevin Love started 4 for 4 for the Cavs, but was briefly shaken up and seemed to be favoring his left side.
The best early sign for the Cavaliers: They made their first five shots - three by Love, the other two by a driving-and-attacking James.
The best early sign for the Warriors: Klay Thompson, who was 3 for 16 in Game 1, connected on two consecutive possessions.
---
5:10 p.m.
Here we go: Game 2 of the NBA Finals has started.
There are no changes to the starting lineups from Game 1 for either team, which is not a surprise.
For Cleveland, it's LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith. For Golden state, it's Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia.
Coach Steve Kerr has returned to the Warriors' bench Sunday after missing the last 11 games while dealing with complications following back surgeries, and naturally got a huge roar from the Golden State faithful at Oracle Arena when introduced. Kerr's picture was shown on the videoboard as the fans stood and cheered.
A 2-0 series lead guarantees nothing, but would obviously put the Warriors in a good spot. The only teams to rally from 2-0 down in The Finals are Boston (over the L.A. Lakers) in 1969, Portland (over Philadelphia) in 1977, Miami (over Dallas) in 2006 ... and of course, Cleveland over the Warriors last season.
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4:45 p.m.
There are some impressive streaks that merit some mention going into Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Golden State is trying for its 14th consecutive postseason victory, which would tie the longest such streak in any of the four major U.S. pro sports. The Pittsburgh Penguins won 14 in a row during their 1992 and 1993 runs in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
LeBron James, meanwhile, is trying to win a road game for the 30th consecutive series, spanning his time with Cleveland, Miami and Cleveland again.
This is the 41st playoff series for James. His teams have won at least one road game in 37 of the first 40, with the lone exceptions being the 2007 NBA Finals (against San Antonio), the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals (against Boston) and the 2009 East finals (against Orlando).
James enters Game 2 against Golden State having been part of 58 road playoff wins. Only Tim Duncan (63) and Robert Horry (61) have more.
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4:25 p.m.
Former Warriors coach Al Attles was honored for his longevity and influence before Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Attles played for the Warriors in some of the franchise's most memorable games, including Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point masterpiece in 1962. He coached the Warriors to their first championship since moving West in 1975 and watched as a team ambassador as Golden State captured its first title since then two years ago.
Attles received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday night. Hubie Brown also was honored as a co-recipient.
The 80-year-old Attles, who is wrapping up his 57th season with the Warriors, owns the longest active streak with one team in the NBA.
Dallas Coach Rick Carlisle presented Attles his award - named for the late Hall of Fame Pistons coach - on behalf of the National Basketball Coaches Association.
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3:55
It's Comeback Night at Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is back. And so are Cleveland's black jerseys.
Even though Cleveland star LeBron James is no fan of the short-sleeved look, it is one that works for the Cavs. They wore the black shirts while winning Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year, and will try the look again Sunday against Golden State.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue says he wasn't even aware of the team's uniform scheme for Game 2, though noted, ''they love those jerseys. But we've still got to play. It doesn't make a difference what jersey you wear.''
The Cavs went with a more basketball-traditional look, donning navy uniforms for their Game 1 loss.
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3:40 p.m.
Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue says it's good to have Golden State coach Steve Kerr back on the sideline for the NBA Finals.
Kerr announced before Game 2 on Sunday that he is returning to the sideline the first time since the first round of the playoffs against Portland. The Warriors had been 11-0 under acting coach Mike Brown with Kerr out with complications following back surgeries.
Lue says he had texted with Kerr during the playoffs to send his best wishes while Kerr missed the previous 11 games following complications from back surgeries.
The Cleveland coach says Kerr is someone he respected even before he started coaching and is glad Golden State has its leader back.
June 4, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) The Latest on Game 2 of the NBA Finals (all times local):
7:40 p.m.
Stephen Curry had a triple double with 33 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, Kevin Durant scored 33 and the Golden State Warriors took a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals with a 132-113 victory in Game 2 on Sunday night.
The big nights from the former MVPs made coach Steve Kerr a winner in his return to the bench after a more than six-week absence following complications from back surgery.
This marks the second straight year Golden State won the first two games of the Finals. Cleveland rallied to win last year's series in seven games.
LeBron James had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists to tie Magic Johnson's record with his eighth career Finals triple-double.
It was just the second time in NBA playoff history two players had triple-doubles in the same game. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) and Walt Frazier did it in 1970.
---
7:25 p.m.
Stephen Curry, he's got a triple-double with 30 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
Kevin Durant, he's up to 31 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five blocks so far in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
But Sunday's biggest key for Golden State might be this: Klay Thompson looks like himself again.
Thompson is 8 for 12 from the field, 4 for 7 from 3-point range, and he has 22 points as the Warriors have built a 121-99 lead nearing the midpoint of the fourth quarter.
Thompson shot 3 for 16 in Game 1.
A quick note on Curry: It's his eighth triple-double, and first in the postseason. The Warriors are 7-0 in previous games when Curry had a triple-double.
---
7:10 p.m.
LeBron James has another NBA Finals triple-double.
Golden State is in full control of Game 2 anyway.
Stephen Curry is 14 for 14 from the line and has 27 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, Kevin Durant has 24 points and the Warriors lead Cleveland 102-88 going into the fourth quarter.
A potential issue for the Warriors down the stretch: Draymond Green has five fouls.
Klay Thompson has bounced back in a big way, scoring 17 so far for Golden State.
James has 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds - his eighth Finals triple-double, tying Magic Johnson's NBA record.
James' teams are 4-3 in his previous Finals triple-double nights. He had one for Miami in 2011, another in 2012 and two in 2013. He then had two for Cleveland in 2015, one last year and his Sunday one is No. 8.
Kevin Love has 24 for the Cavs, who were outscored 35-24 in the third.
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6:45 p.m.
Golden State is up by double digits again, 83-73 after the first 3 minutes of the third quarter in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
A big sequence got the Warriors there: Kevin Love made a 3-pointer to get Cleveland within five, but Draymond Green answered with a 3 for the Warriors and then Stephen Curry sliced his way through LeBron James and Love for a layup.
Curry is up to 22 points for the Warriors, with seven already in the third quarter. LeBron James is up to 20 points, 11 assists and six rebounds for the Cavaliers.
The Warriors are shooting 55 percent so far. Golden State has won 106 consecutive games when shooting better than 50 percent, a streak going back to November 2014.
---
6:20 p.m.
Going back to last season, nine of the last 11 games between Golden State and Cleveland have been decided by double digits.
This one is looking much different.
It's halftime of Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and Golden State leads Cleveland 67-64. The Warriors led by as many as 12 points, but LeBron James has been his usual outstanding self in the first two quarters.
James has 18 points, 10 assists and six rebounds already. Kevin Love has 15 and Kyrie Irving scored 10 for Cleveland.
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant both have 15 points for the Warriors. Curry didn't score in the second quarter, however. And the Warriors have 13 turnovers already, which the Cavs have turned into 17 points.
This is only the fifth Finals game - and the first since 1967 - where both teams had at least 64 points at the half.
---
6:10 p.m.
Draymond Green is back, after three first-quarter fouls.
It's a bold move by Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who's in his first game back after an 11-game absence with health issues. Kerr returned Green to the lineup by the midpoint of the second quarter, and with Cleveland steadily cutting into what was a double-digit Golden State lead.
The Warriors lead 59-56 with 3 minutes left in the half.
Kevin Love and LeBron James have combined for 27 for the Cavaliers. Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry have 28 for the Warriors, but Curry is also up to six turnovers. That's two more than the Warriors had as a team in Game 1.
---
5:45 p.m.
Golden State has committed twice as many turnovers already in Game 2 of the NBA Finals than it did in the entirety of Game 1 - eight so far in this game, four in all of the series opener on Thursday.
Doesn't matter. The Warriors lead Cleveland 40-34 after the first quarter.
Stephen Curry has tied Paul Pierce's NBA Finals record with 10 free throws made in a quarter. Curry leads everybody with 15 points, and the Warriors became the sixth team in Finals history to score at least 40 points in an opening quarter.
LeBron James has 10 points and five assists to lead Cleveland.
The Cavaliers led 9-3 early, before the Warriors went on a 23-7 run to take what was a 26-16 lead.
James has been attacking early and often, with dunks, layups and a strong three-point play after taking what essentially was a tackle attempt from JaVale McGee on a drive and scoring anyway.
---
5:25 p.m.
LeBron James is attacking. And Game 2 of the NBA Finals is starting like a 100-meter dash.
It was Cleveland 14, Golden State 13 after just the first 4:13 of the first quarter. The Cavaliers said they wanted to play at a faster pace, and James is setting the tone by getting to the rim four times already.
Kevin Love started 4 for 4 for the Cavs, but was briefly shaken up and seemed to be favoring his left side.
The best early sign for the Cavaliers: They made their first five shots - three by Love, the other two by a driving-and-attacking James.
The best early sign for the Warriors: Klay Thompson, who was 3 for 16 in Game 1, connected on two consecutive possessions.
---
5:10 p.m.
Here we go: Game 2 of the NBA Finals has started.
There are no changes to the starting lineups from Game 1 for either team, which is not a surprise.
For Cleveland, it's LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith. For Golden state, it's Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia.
Coach Steve Kerr has returned to the Warriors' bench Sunday after missing the last 11 games while dealing with complications following back surgeries, and naturally got a huge roar from the Golden State faithful at Oracle Arena when introduced. Kerr's picture was shown on the videoboard as the fans stood and cheered.
A 2-0 series lead guarantees nothing, but would obviously put the Warriors in a good spot. The only teams to rally from 2-0 down in The Finals are Boston (over the L.A. Lakers) in 1969, Portland (over Philadelphia) in 1977, Miami (over Dallas) in 2006 ... and of course, Cleveland over the Warriors last season.
---
4:45 p.m.
There are some impressive streaks that merit some mention going into Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Golden State is trying for its 14th consecutive postseason victory, which would tie the longest such streak in any of the four major U.S. pro sports. The Pittsburgh Penguins won 14 in a row during their 1992 and 1993 runs in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
LeBron James, meanwhile, is trying to win a road game for the 30th consecutive series, spanning his time with Cleveland, Miami and Cleveland again.
This is the 41st playoff series for James. His teams have won at least one road game in 37 of the first 40, with the lone exceptions being the 2007 NBA Finals (against San Antonio), the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals (against Boston) and the 2009 East finals (against Orlando).
James enters Game 2 against Golden State having been part of 58 road playoff wins. Only Tim Duncan (63) and Robert Horry (61) have more.
---
4:25 p.m.
Former Warriors coach Al Attles was honored for his longevity and influence before Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Attles played for the Warriors in some of the franchise's most memorable games, including Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point masterpiece in 1962. He coached the Warriors to their first championship since moving West in 1975 and watched as a team ambassador as Golden State captured its first title since then two years ago.
Attles received the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday night. Hubie Brown also was honored as a co-recipient.
The 80-year-old Attles, who is wrapping up his 57th season with the Warriors, owns the longest active streak with one team in the NBA.
Dallas Coach Rick Carlisle presented Attles his award - named for the late Hall of Fame Pistons coach - on behalf of the National Basketball Coaches Association.
---
3:55
It's Comeback Night at Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is back. And so are Cleveland's black jerseys.
Even though Cleveland star LeBron James is no fan of the short-sleeved look, it is one that works for the Cavs. They wore the black shirts while winning Game 7 of the NBA Finals last year, and will try the look again Sunday against Golden State.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue says he wasn't even aware of the team's uniform scheme for Game 2, though noted, ''they love those jerseys. But we've still got to play. It doesn't make a difference what jersey you wear.''
The Cavs went with a more basketball-traditional look, donning navy uniforms for their Game 1 loss.
---
3:40 p.m.
Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue says it's good to have Golden State coach Steve Kerr back on the sideline for the NBA Finals.
Kerr announced before Game 2 on Sunday that he is returning to the sideline the first time since the first round of the playoffs against Portland. The Warriors had been 11-0 under acting coach Mike Brown with Kerr out with complications following back surgeries.
Lue says he had texted with Kerr during the playoffs to send his best wishes while Kerr missed the previous 11 games following complications from back surgeries.
The Cleveland coach says Kerr is someone he respected even before he started coaching and is glad Golden State has its leader back.
Monday’s six-pack
Some more season win total over/unders for college football teams:
— Maryland 3, over -$120
— Memphis 8.5, under -$120
— Middle Tennessee 7.5, under -$120
— Ole Miss 5.5
— Navy 7, under -$125
— Nebraska 7, under -$120
*****************************
Monday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend…….
13) Rockies-Padres game Sunday afternoon; FOX/San Diego had hot dog eating champ Joey Chestnut in the booth for a half-inning with Don Orsillo/Mark Grant, which was an invitation for high comedy. They asked the hot dog champ about wolfing down buns soaked in water, they asked about his cholesterol and his general health. It was actually interesting.
12) Speaking of the Padres, they’ve scored at least one run in the first inning in 7 of their last 14 road games, but haven’t scored a first inning run in their last 18 home games.
11) You watch these college baseball national tournament games, and you see pitchers throw too many pitches and you wonder how closely big league teams monitor all this when it comes to who they do or do not draft on June 12. Some teams prefer drafting high school pitchers because it simply takes that out of the equation— it also generally takes high school kids longer to get to the big leagues than college kids, because obviously, they’re younger.
10) University of Houston hosted a regional this weekend; their pitchers’ mound is jet black, very distinctive in appearance. Almost looks like blacktop on a playground.
9) By the way, in college baseball they throw the four pitches for an intentional walk. Far as I know, in high school ball where I live here in upstate NY, they haven’t had to throw the four pitches on an intentional walk for a long time.
8) Cincinnati Reds homered in their last 15 games, their longest such streak since May, 2010.
7) Nevada sportsbooks made a $10.5M profit booking baseball games in April, their 2nd-best baseball month ever— none of it was mine!!!
6) Miami Marlins have never had a player hit for the cycle; San Diego Padres have never had a pitcher throw a no-hitter, but back in the day, Padres had a pitcher named Clay Kirby who had a no-hitter thru eight innings, but he had given up a run and with San Diego trailing 1-0, they hit for Kirby in the bottom of the 8th inning. The reliever gave up a hit in the ninth inning.
5) Speaking of the Marlins, Edinson Volquez’ no-hitter Saturday was the first complete game for Miami in 480 games, dating back to June 3, 2014.
4) Justin Verlander left Sunday’s start in the third inning with a tight groin muscle. Detroit won the game on a Justin Upton walk-off homer.
3) Mets lost the series finale in their last nine home series.
2) Warriors 132, Cavaliers 113— Golden State is 14-0 in playoffs; the NBA has a problem on its hands, because these games are unwatchable. Washington Generals give the Globetrotters better competition. Cleveland was +11 in turnovers in this game and still lost by 19.
1) QB Malik Zaire transfers from Notre Dame to Florida; as a grad transfer, he is eligible to play immediately, but having missed spring practice, doubtful he would start right away.
Some more season win total over/unders for college football teams:
— Maryland 3, over -$120
— Memphis 8.5, under -$120
— Middle Tennessee 7.5, under -$120
— Ole Miss 5.5
— Navy 7, under -$125
— Nebraska 7, under -$120
*****************************
Monday’s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports weekend…….
13) Rockies-Padres game Sunday afternoon; FOX/San Diego had hot dog eating champ Joey Chestnut in the booth for a half-inning with Don Orsillo/Mark Grant, which was an invitation for high comedy. They asked the hot dog champ about wolfing down buns soaked in water, they asked about his cholesterol and his general health. It was actually interesting.
12) Speaking of the Padres, they’ve scored at least one run in the first inning in 7 of their last 14 road games, but haven’t scored a first inning run in their last 18 home games.
11) You watch these college baseball national tournament games, and you see pitchers throw too many pitches and you wonder how closely big league teams monitor all this when it comes to who they do or do not draft on June 12. Some teams prefer drafting high school pitchers because it simply takes that out of the equation— it also generally takes high school kids longer to get to the big leagues than college kids, because obviously, they’re younger.
10) University of Houston hosted a regional this weekend; their pitchers’ mound is jet black, very distinctive in appearance. Almost looks like blacktop on a playground.
9) By the way, in college baseball they throw the four pitches for an intentional walk. Far as I know, in high school ball where I live here in upstate NY, they haven’t had to throw the four pitches on an intentional walk for a long time.
8) Cincinnati Reds homered in their last 15 games, their longest such streak since May, 2010.
7) Nevada sportsbooks made a $10.5M profit booking baseball games in April, their 2nd-best baseball month ever— none of it was mine!!!
6) Miami Marlins have never had a player hit for the cycle; San Diego Padres have never had a pitcher throw a no-hitter, but back in the day, Padres had a pitcher named Clay Kirby who had a no-hitter thru eight innings, but he had given up a run and with San Diego trailing 1-0, they hit for Kirby in the bottom of the 8th inning. The reliever gave up a hit in the ninth inning.
5) Speaking of the Marlins, Edinson Volquez’ no-hitter Saturday was the first complete game for Miami in 480 games, dating back to June 3, 2014.
4) Justin Verlander left Sunday’s start in the third inning with a tight groin muscle. Detroit won the game on a Justin Upton walk-off homer.
3) Mets lost the series finale in their last nine home series.
2) Warriors 132, Cavaliers 113— Golden State is 14-0 in playoffs; the NBA has a problem on its hands, because these games are unwatchable. Washington Generals give the Globetrotters better competition. Cleveland was +11 in turnovers in this game and still lost by 19.
1) QB Malik Zaire transfers from Notre Dame to Florida; as a grad transfer, he is eligible to play immediately, but having missed spring practice, doubtful he would start right away.
NBA knowledge
Game 3
Warriors dominated first two Finals games, winning by 22-19 points; Cleveland was even +11 in turnovers in Game 2 and lost by 19, after being -16 in TO’s in Game 1. Golden State is 14-0 in playoffs, 6-0 on road, also covering all six road games— they won their last three games with Cleveland, by 35-22-19 points. Last four series games stayed under the total; under is 7-2-1 in last 10 series tilts. Warriors lost three of last four visits to Cleveland, with lone win in Game 4 of LY’s Finals. Over is 5-1 in Warriors’ last six games. Cavaliers are 5-1 at home in playoffs (2-4 vs spread, all as favorites)- five of those six games went over.
NBA Finals
Cleveland-Golden State
GState 113-91, U225
GState 132-113, O222
Game 3
Warriors dominated first two Finals games, winning by 22-19 points; Cleveland was even +11 in turnovers in Game 2 and lost by 19, after being -16 in TO’s in Game 1. Golden State is 14-0 in playoffs, 6-0 on road, also covering all six road games— they won their last three games with Cleveland, by 35-22-19 points. Last four series games stayed under the total; under is 7-2-1 in last 10 series tilts. Warriors lost three of last four visits to Cleveland, with lone win in Game 4 of LY’s Finals. Over is 5-1 in Warriors’ last six games. Cavaliers are 5-1 at home in playoffs (2-4 vs spread, all as favorites)- five of those six games went over.
NBA Finals
Cleveland-Golden State
GState 113-91, U225
GState 132-113, O222
Cavs ignore last year's comeback after another 0-2 hole
June 5, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are headed home in a familiar spot after the first two games of the NBA Finals.
Rather than reach back to last year's championship comeback for a confidence boost, James' focus is on figuring out what Cleveland must do to change its fortunes against a Warriors team that is fresher and far more dangerous this year, thanks to the addition of Kevin Durant.
''They're a different team,'' James said following a 132-113 loss in Game 2 on Sunday night that put Cleveland in an 0-2 hole.
That's been quite evident through two games. Durant leads all players with 71 points the first two games - six more than the player he replaced in the lineup, Harrison Barnes, scored in seven games a year ago.
Durant's scoring has taken pressure off Stephen Curry and allowed the Warriors to withstand Cleveland runs so well that they haven't trailed after the first quarter in either game.
A healthy Curry followed up a 28-point Game 1 with his first postseason triple-double on Sunday with 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. He looks more like a two-time MVP than the hobbled player he was in last year's Finals.
Klay Thompson shook off a shooting slump to score 22 points and the Warriors pulled away late for another lopsided win.
''They play well at home,'' Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. ''They won their first two games like they're supposed to. Coming to a tough environment, we knew it was going to be tough, but they won the first two games. We get a chance to go home now to our home crowd where we play well, also.''
The Cavs began to turn things around last year after being outscored by 48 points in the first two losses in Oakland - seven more than this year. They split the two games at home before reeling off three straight wins to become the fourth team to win the title after losing the first two games.
''They're going keep to coming, man,'' Curry said. ''There is a lot of work for us left to do. And you got to expect them to play, obviously, better at home. And we're going to need to play better to win on the road.''
What was so discouraging for the Cavs is that they played better in Game 2 but the result didn't really change. They went to a smaller lineup that contributed to Golden State committing 20 turnovers a game after tying a Finals record with four.
The offense picked up thanks to 27 points from Kevin Love and the Cavs scored 22 more points than in the opener in a faster-paced game, but that also helped the Warriors improve their shooting from 43 percent to 52 percent as Cleveland had a weaker defensive on the floor.
''We definitely have a sense of what they're capable of, and we felt like a lot of times tonight we played better basketball,'' Love said. ''But they're a team you cannot - you can't let them go on runs.''
The key one came late in the third quarter after Cleveland cut the deficit to four points. The Warriors followed with a 16-4 run that included 3-pointers from Curry and Thompson, a three-point play from Durant in transition and four points from Shaun Livingston.
''That's what they do,'' James said. ''That's what Golden State does. If you make a mistake - like I said, we had a turnover, it came from me, and then we had a miscue and the floods opened again.''
The first two games have shown a stark difference in depth. While James has thrived so far and had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists to tie Magic Johnson's record with his eighth career Finals triple-double Sunday, he hasn't gotten nearly enough help.
Kyrie Irving scored 24 points in the opener and Love had a big day in Game 2, but starters Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith have been nearly invisible and the bench has offered little help.
The Warriors, on the other hand, have gotten key contributions from their four All-Stars: Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, as well as from players like Livingston, Andre Iguodala and Zaza Pachulia at times to set an NBA record with 14 straight postseason wins.
But after being so close last year and falling short, the Warriors know how difficult the next two will be.
''It's human nature to let your guard down, human nature, 2-0, everybody in the world `It's over, it's over,''' Livingston said. ''No, it's not over. We saw what happened last year. We've been here. The guys that were here last year understand it's the hardest thing to do is to try to close out a series and we've got two more games to go. We need to take that mentality to Cleveland.''
June 5, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are headed home in a familiar spot after the first two games of the NBA Finals.
Rather than reach back to last year's championship comeback for a confidence boost, James' focus is on figuring out what Cleveland must do to change its fortunes against a Warriors team that is fresher and far more dangerous this year, thanks to the addition of Kevin Durant.
''They're a different team,'' James said following a 132-113 loss in Game 2 on Sunday night that put Cleveland in an 0-2 hole.
That's been quite evident through two games. Durant leads all players with 71 points the first two games - six more than the player he replaced in the lineup, Harrison Barnes, scored in seven games a year ago.
Durant's scoring has taken pressure off Stephen Curry and allowed the Warriors to withstand Cleveland runs so well that they haven't trailed after the first quarter in either game.
A healthy Curry followed up a 28-point Game 1 with his first postseason triple-double on Sunday with 32 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. He looks more like a two-time MVP than the hobbled player he was in last year's Finals.
Klay Thompson shook off a shooting slump to score 22 points and the Warriors pulled away late for another lopsided win.
''They play well at home,'' Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. ''They won their first two games like they're supposed to. Coming to a tough environment, we knew it was going to be tough, but they won the first two games. We get a chance to go home now to our home crowd where we play well, also.''
The Cavs began to turn things around last year after being outscored by 48 points in the first two losses in Oakland - seven more than this year. They split the two games at home before reeling off three straight wins to become the fourth team to win the title after losing the first two games.
''They're going keep to coming, man,'' Curry said. ''There is a lot of work for us left to do. And you got to expect them to play, obviously, better at home. And we're going to need to play better to win on the road.''
What was so discouraging for the Cavs is that they played better in Game 2 but the result didn't really change. They went to a smaller lineup that contributed to Golden State committing 20 turnovers a game after tying a Finals record with four.
The offense picked up thanks to 27 points from Kevin Love and the Cavs scored 22 more points than in the opener in a faster-paced game, but that also helped the Warriors improve their shooting from 43 percent to 52 percent as Cleveland had a weaker defensive on the floor.
''We definitely have a sense of what they're capable of, and we felt like a lot of times tonight we played better basketball,'' Love said. ''But they're a team you cannot - you can't let them go on runs.''
The key one came late in the third quarter after Cleveland cut the deficit to four points. The Warriors followed with a 16-4 run that included 3-pointers from Curry and Thompson, a three-point play from Durant in transition and four points from Shaun Livingston.
''That's what they do,'' James said. ''That's what Golden State does. If you make a mistake - like I said, we had a turnover, it came from me, and then we had a miscue and the floods opened again.''
The first two games have shown a stark difference in depth. While James has thrived so far and had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists to tie Magic Johnson's record with his eighth career Finals triple-double Sunday, he hasn't gotten nearly enough help.
Kyrie Irving scored 24 points in the opener and Love had a big day in Game 2, but starters Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith have been nearly invisible and the bench has offered little help.
The Warriors, on the other hand, have gotten key contributions from their four All-Stars: Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, as well as from players like Livingston, Andre Iguodala and Zaza Pachulia at times to set an NBA record with 14 straight postseason wins.
But after being so close last year and falling short, the Warriors know how difficult the next two will be.
''It's human nature to let your guard down, human nature, 2-0, everybody in the world `It's over, it's over,''' Livingston said. ''No, it's not over. We saw what happened last year. We've been here. The guys that were here last year understand it's the hardest thing to do is to try to close out a series and we've got two more games to go. We need to take that mentality to Cleveland.''
Durant halfway to title, Finals MVP
June 5, 2017
Future Hall of Famer turned ESPN/ABC analyst Paul Pierce took a lot of grief after declaring Kevin Durant the best player in the world after Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Had he simply said, he's the best player of the world this month, so far, he would've been spot on. In helping build a 2-0 series lead, Durant is outplaying everyone, including LeBron James, who is currently averaging a triple-double (28.5 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 11.0 apg) and had one before the third quarter was over on Sunday. The King is shooting 55 percent.
Durant, shooting 56 percent, is averaging 35.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists. After a shaky opening where he clearly demonstrated some nerves in his first Finals game since 2012, he's dominated the series.
So, yes, at this point, Durant is having the best June of anyone in the sport. That's the goal. It's why guys lace them up. He's having the most impact at the right time. Those who went in on Durant as Finals MVP (2/1) like I advised pre-series are sitting pretty as the clubhouse leaders since it doesn't appear that the Cavs have a decent answer for him.
Currently, he's a 2-to-7 favorite in the latest Finals MVP odds from Sportsbook.ag. Coming in, due to expectations and public sentiment, he had the most to lose.
As the only one of the All-Stars in these Finals who hasn't experienced the feeling of holding a Larry O'Brien Trophy and soaking in its powers, Durant had the most to gain too.
Stephen Curry has been brilliant himself in atoning for a rough 2016 Finals where he was out there playing through a knee injury, but he's committed the majority of Golden State's turnovers and has disrupted their rhythm the few times they've looked out of sync. Although his makes have often been backbreakers and there isn't really such a thing as an ill-advised shot as far as he's concerned, he's missed opportunities to ride Durant and Thompson as the hot hand.
He also hasn't impacted the game on the defensive end against Cleveland the way this offseason's most polarizing acquisition has managed to.
Having joined the team that led the league in defensive efficiency prior to his arrival, Durant has risen to the occasion to ensure no drop-off. His five blocks in Game 2 carried an air of defiance. He's made LeBron look silly on multiple occasions. Twice, Durant made blocks on one end and immediately turned them into scoring opportunities. Showcasing his ridiculous skills, he made a pull-up 3-pointer on one and an impossibly acrobatic driving layup on another.
When he came into the league as the final draft pick in Seattle Supersonics history and won Rookie of the Year, Durant's desire to dominate was clearly visible. GM Sam Presti often told me how his competitive stood out, how impressive his work ethic and killer instinct was.
Over the course of a decade, he won an MVP but reached the championship round once, so the thought of the 6-foot-11 guard surpassing LeBron in his own era never came to fruition. The two even met as the top individual matchup highlighting the '12 Finals, and while Durant dominated and was fantastic in averaging 30.6 point, James' Miami Heat won the series 4-1 after dropping the opener.
Because of his departure from Oklahoma City and the uproar it created due to the "if you can't beat them, join 'em" vibe joining the Warriors carried with it, Durant has been vilified. He's taken it personally. All of it.
And now he's making the Cavs pay.
Halfway to a championship, the Warriors have an opportunity to run through the NBA playoffs unscathed, which would pack its own set of baggage as naysayers bemoan a lack of parity and champion the idea that the "superteam" concept could ultimately kill the game.
Durant won't lose a second of sleep over this, nor should he. In fact, as Cleveland looks to rebound and counterpunch in Wednesday's Game 3, the pressure remains on Durant to remain as locked in as he has been, to continue putting a cut-throat nature on full display.
For the first time in a few years, LeBron's spot on the throne has appeared tenuous. Analytics people tout San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard as the heir apparent due to his impact at both ends. Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double and is generally regarded as the NBA's most dynamic presence. James Harden will probably be awarded the 2016-17 MVP award.
Durant seemingly sacrificed his chance for individual recognition by joining the Warriors, so it's ironic that now people like Pierce have decided to crown him. There's no question he's great, but what we're seeing in the Durant-infused Golden State Warriors is the manifestation of the game being played the right way by dominant players having their expected impact since they're not seeing constant double-teams or being flooded with disruptions. The game is always easier at both ends when you're allowed to find a rhythm.
Only on US Olympic teams or NBA All-Star squads do we see the level of talent both of these finalists have among their starting five, but the problem for the Cavs is that the Dubs have more of it. The difference likely isn't as pronounced as it appeared to be over the first two games in Oakland, but Golden State does have the more cohesive, consistent group.
Would Durant look this impressive if he and James swapped spots? While that's debatable, the fact that he's stepped his game up to take full advantage of his situation is the prevailing theme in these 2017 NBA Finals thus far.
KD, only champion of the now defunct H-O-R-S-E even the NBA toyed with during All-Star weekend, has seen his style mesh with the substance of the game's biggest stage in order to force people to appreciate talents that have been slept on over the years as he's come up short alongside Westbrook. Reasons for why he's been unable to have this kind of impact prior to joining the Warriors would only be read as excuses, so all he can do is take advantage of the current moment.
Constant double-teams create wide-open opportunities, and while Cleveland may indeed have to continue selling out defensively to get the ball out of his hands in forcing Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala to beat them from the perimeter with those clean looks, it's still on Durant to make them pay with the right pass.
He set the tone in the series in the first quarter of Game 1 by not settling for jumpers and attacking every time there was even the hint of a window. He used the respect Cavs defenders have for his shot to buy attention and used his pump fake to immediately dash towards the bucket with his wide strides.
Durant is a unicorn, blessed with size, length and a brilliant offensive game. His demeanor is what is currently separating him from everyone else, and it's why, so long as it doesn't change and he remains aggressive, Golden State will easily claim this NBA title.
The time for individual accolades are gone for him, since there will never be consensus over whether he made the right decision or embraced the challenge without jumping ship. He'll have to settle for a Finals MVP award for individual validation and has likely won his last regular-season MVP so long as he's with the Warriors.
All Durant can be concerned with is starting a ring collection. So long as he keeps this up, the first one is less then a week from being won.
June 5, 2017
Future Hall of Famer turned ESPN/ABC analyst Paul Pierce took a lot of grief after declaring Kevin Durant the best player in the world after Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Had he simply said, he's the best player of the world this month, so far, he would've been spot on. In helping build a 2-0 series lead, Durant is outplaying everyone, including LeBron James, who is currently averaging a triple-double (28.5 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 11.0 apg) and had one before the third quarter was over on Sunday. The King is shooting 55 percent.
Durant, shooting 56 percent, is averaging 35.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists. After a shaky opening where he clearly demonstrated some nerves in his first Finals game since 2012, he's dominated the series.
So, yes, at this point, Durant is having the best June of anyone in the sport. That's the goal. It's why guys lace them up. He's having the most impact at the right time. Those who went in on Durant as Finals MVP (2/1) like I advised pre-series are sitting pretty as the clubhouse leaders since it doesn't appear that the Cavs have a decent answer for him.
Currently, he's a 2-to-7 favorite in the latest Finals MVP odds from Sportsbook.ag. Coming in, due to expectations and public sentiment, he had the most to lose.
As the only one of the All-Stars in these Finals who hasn't experienced the feeling of holding a Larry O'Brien Trophy and soaking in its powers, Durant had the most to gain too.
Stephen Curry has been brilliant himself in atoning for a rough 2016 Finals where he was out there playing through a knee injury, but he's committed the majority of Golden State's turnovers and has disrupted their rhythm the few times they've looked out of sync. Although his makes have often been backbreakers and there isn't really such a thing as an ill-advised shot as far as he's concerned, he's missed opportunities to ride Durant and Thompson as the hot hand.
He also hasn't impacted the game on the defensive end against Cleveland the way this offseason's most polarizing acquisition has managed to.
Having joined the team that led the league in defensive efficiency prior to his arrival, Durant has risen to the occasion to ensure no drop-off. His five blocks in Game 2 carried an air of defiance. He's made LeBron look silly on multiple occasions. Twice, Durant made blocks on one end and immediately turned them into scoring opportunities. Showcasing his ridiculous skills, he made a pull-up 3-pointer on one and an impossibly acrobatic driving layup on another.
When he came into the league as the final draft pick in Seattle Supersonics history and won Rookie of the Year, Durant's desire to dominate was clearly visible. GM Sam Presti often told me how his competitive stood out, how impressive his work ethic and killer instinct was.
Over the course of a decade, he won an MVP but reached the championship round once, so the thought of the 6-foot-11 guard surpassing LeBron in his own era never came to fruition. The two even met as the top individual matchup highlighting the '12 Finals, and while Durant dominated and was fantastic in averaging 30.6 point, James' Miami Heat won the series 4-1 after dropping the opener.
Because of his departure from Oklahoma City and the uproar it created due to the "if you can't beat them, join 'em" vibe joining the Warriors carried with it, Durant has been vilified. He's taken it personally. All of it.
And now he's making the Cavs pay.
Halfway to a championship, the Warriors have an opportunity to run through the NBA playoffs unscathed, which would pack its own set of baggage as naysayers bemoan a lack of parity and champion the idea that the "superteam" concept could ultimately kill the game.
Durant won't lose a second of sleep over this, nor should he. In fact, as Cleveland looks to rebound and counterpunch in Wednesday's Game 3, the pressure remains on Durant to remain as locked in as he has been, to continue putting a cut-throat nature on full display.
For the first time in a few years, LeBron's spot on the throne has appeared tenuous. Analytics people tout San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard as the heir apparent due to his impact at both ends. Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double and is generally regarded as the NBA's most dynamic presence. James Harden will probably be awarded the 2016-17 MVP award.
Durant seemingly sacrificed his chance for individual recognition by joining the Warriors, so it's ironic that now people like Pierce have decided to crown him. There's no question he's great, but what we're seeing in the Durant-infused Golden State Warriors is the manifestation of the game being played the right way by dominant players having their expected impact since they're not seeing constant double-teams or being flooded with disruptions. The game is always easier at both ends when you're allowed to find a rhythm.
Only on US Olympic teams or NBA All-Star squads do we see the level of talent both of these finalists have among their starting five, but the problem for the Cavs is that the Dubs have more of it. The difference likely isn't as pronounced as it appeared to be over the first two games in Oakland, but Golden State does have the more cohesive, consistent group.
Would Durant look this impressive if he and James swapped spots? While that's debatable, the fact that he's stepped his game up to take full advantage of his situation is the prevailing theme in these 2017 NBA Finals thus far.
KD, only champion of the now defunct H-O-R-S-E even the NBA toyed with during All-Star weekend, has seen his style mesh with the substance of the game's biggest stage in order to force people to appreciate talents that have been slept on over the years as he's come up short alongside Westbrook. Reasons for why he's been unable to have this kind of impact prior to joining the Warriors would only be read as excuses, so all he can do is take advantage of the current moment.
Constant double-teams create wide-open opportunities, and while Cleveland may indeed have to continue selling out defensively to get the ball out of his hands in forcing Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala to beat them from the perimeter with those clean looks, it's still on Durant to make them pay with the right pass.
He set the tone in the series in the first quarter of Game 1 by not settling for jumpers and attacking every time there was even the hint of a window. He used the respect Cavs defenders have for his shot to buy attention and used his pump fake to immediately dash towards the bucket with his wide strides.
Durant is a unicorn, blessed with size, length and a brilliant offensive game. His demeanor is what is currently separating him from everyone else, and it's why, so long as it doesn't change and he remains aggressive, Golden State will easily claim this NBA title.
The time for individual accolades are gone for him, since there will never be consensus over whether he made the right decision or embraced the challenge without jumping ship. He'll have to settle for a Finals MVP award for individual validation and has likely won his last regular-season MVP so long as he's with the Warriors.
All Durant can be concerned with is starting a ring collection. So long as he keeps this up, the first one is less then a week from being won.
Kevin Durant's menacing defense leads the way for Warriors
June 6, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Kevin Durant is growing a little tired of questions about his ability to play defense.
''Underrated?'' Durant responded when recently asked about the perception of his D. ''My coaches don't feel like that.''
Neither does he, and KD's menacing, 6-foot-9 presence from the paint to the perimeter is a big reason unbeaten Golden State is closing in on its second championship in three years.
While best known for his sensational scoring and shot-making from every corner of the court, Durant has been tough on LeBron James so far in these NBA Finals by smothering the Cavs superstar. The Warriors are two wins from a title going into Game 3 at Cleveland on Wednesday night.
Durant is chasing his first championship and seems determined to do whatever it takes.
So versatile with his length and ability to alter shots, he even played center during Sunday's Game 2 when Draymond Green dealt with foul trouble in the 132-113 victory.
''I don't think there's many teams in the league who their backup is better than their starter,'' Green said. ''So I think that's a luxury that we have with KD here, and when I went out with foul trouble, obviously he - to say pick up the slack is kind of a ridiculous term, because he's a great player, an MVP, one of the best players in the world. So just the way he played on the defensive end, the way he played on the offensive end, he's been doing it all playoffs long, but in these Finals, he's really picked it up, and it's been huge for us.''
Durant and Green have set the tone all season on the defensive end, establishing an intensity and toughness - and the rest of the Warriors had no choice but to do more during Durant's 19-game absence this spring with a knee injury.
''If we're locked in on the defensive end, we'll score enough points,'' Green said. ''Even on an off night, we'll score enough points.''
After his NBA Finals failure five years ago against James and the Heat, Durant vowed to become a legitimate, respected defender who could make nearly as much of an impact blocking shots and crashing the boards.
He insists he can do even more.
''I've gotten better, and 2013 is when I feel I really turned the corner as a defender. Around 2012, that's when coaches stopped thinking they could go at me and get a basket or get me in foul trouble,'' Durant said. ''But I don't expect anybody on the outside who really doesn't know the game to look at me as a defender because once you're labeled something that's what you're going to be. But I feel the last four or five years I've definitely continued to get better and better, and smarter. I have the physical tools, but it's also about mentally knowing what to do.''
Sure, James still notched his record-tying eighth career Finals triple-double and Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving had big nights. Yet Durant, Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson and the others kept the pressure on the Cavs.
Durant blocked five shots to go with 33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists after going off for 38 points and eight assists in Thursday's Game 1.
''His defense was amazing, and we needed it. Especially with Draymond out,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''It's a small game and you got shooters everywhere and you have to be able protect the rim with LeBron coming downhill, with Love posting up and Draymond's on the bench. So that's a pretty scary proposition for us. I thought that Kev's defense was unreal, and it was probably the key to the whole game.''
It could be that Durant's defense will quiet the critics at last, especially if he comes out a winner after that scrutinized move from Oklahoma City last July to join the super-Warriors.
''I don't feel like I get picked on or people call sets just to try to score on me. That hasn't happened in a while,'' he said. ''I've grown leaps and bounds from where I was. I feel like I've been a solid defender in this league for a while.''
With all of their offensive firepower, the Warriors often turn a stretch of timely defensive stops into scoring spurts that can swing the momentum. Or, in many cases, give them just the jolt they need to put a game out of reach for good.
''I operate under the assumption that our guys know what to do and they know their system,'' Golden State assistant and defensive specialist Ron Adams said. ''We have an eclectic system. There's freedom offensively, and we have some freedom defensively, and we're good at it.''
When the Warriors added Durant, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia and David West to a roster that blew a 3-1 Finals lead to James and fell short of a repeat last year, many wondered if they would have enough in the middle to defend the rim.
''It was a question mark for some people going into the season, losing (Andrew) Bogut and some other guys,'' general manager Bob Myers said. ''Ron is interesting. He's always had good defensive teams. And we take pride in it, we care about it. I know the offense gets most of the attention but our players, they work at it, collectively, individually. They want to be a good defensive team. We try to do it all year. Sometimes it's better than other times, but this is the time of year you really need it the most. For us, we view it as important as our offense.
''It's not as sexy, but it's important.''
June 6, 2017
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Kevin Durant is growing a little tired of questions about his ability to play defense.
''Underrated?'' Durant responded when recently asked about the perception of his D. ''My coaches don't feel like that.''
Neither does he, and KD's menacing, 6-foot-9 presence from the paint to the perimeter is a big reason unbeaten Golden State is closing in on its second championship in three years.
While best known for his sensational scoring and shot-making from every corner of the court, Durant has been tough on LeBron James so far in these NBA Finals by smothering the Cavs superstar. The Warriors are two wins from a title going into Game 3 at Cleveland on Wednesday night.
Durant is chasing his first championship and seems determined to do whatever it takes.
So versatile with his length and ability to alter shots, he even played center during Sunday's Game 2 when Draymond Green dealt with foul trouble in the 132-113 victory.
''I don't think there's many teams in the league who their backup is better than their starter,'' Green said. ''So I think that's a luxury that we have with KD here, and when I went out with foul trouble, obviously he - to say pick up the slack is kind of a ridiculous term, because he's a great player, an MVP, one of the best players in the world. So just the way he played on the defensive end, the way he played on the offensive end, he's been doing it all playoffs long, but in these Finals, he's really picked it up, and it's been huge for us.''
Durant and Green have set the tone all season on the defensive end, establishing an intensity and toughness - and the rest of the Warriors had no choice but to do more during Durant's 19-game absence this spring with a knee injury.
''If we're locked in on the defensive end, we'll score enough points,'' Green said. ''Even on an off night, we'll score enough points.''
After his NBA Finals failure five years ago against James and the Heat, Durant vowed to become a legitimate, respected defender who could make nearly as much of an impact blocking shots and crashing the boards.
He insists he can do even more.
''I've gotten better, and 2013 is when I feel I really turned the corner as a defender. Around 2012, that's when coaches stopped thinking they could go at me and get a basket or get me in foul trouble,'' Durant said. ''But I don't expect anybody on the outside who really doesn't know the game to look at me as a defender because once you're labeled something that's what you're going to be. But I feel the last four or five years I've definitely continued to get better and better, and smarter. I have the physical tools, but it's also about mentally knowing what to do.''
Sure, James still notched his record-tying eighth career Finals triple-double and Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving had big nights. Yet Durant, Andre Iguodala, Klay Thompson and the others kept the pressure on the Cavs.
Durant blocked five shots to go with 33 points, 13 rebounds and six assists after going off for 38 points and eight assists in Thursday's Game 1.
''His defense was amazing, and we needed it. Especially with Draymond out,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''It's a small game and you got shooters everywhere and you have to be able protect the rim with LeBron coming downhill, with Love posting up and Draymond's on the bench. So that's a pretty scary proposition for us. I thought that Kev's defense was unreal, and it was probably the key to the whole game.''
It could be that Durant's defense will quiet the critics at last, especially if he comes out a winner after that scrutinized move from Oklahoma City last July to join the super-Warriors.
''I don't feel like I get picked on or people call sets just to try to score on me. That hasn't happened in a while,'' he said. ''I've grown leaps and bounds from where I was. I feel like I've been a solid defender in this league for a while.''
With all of their offensive firepower, the Warriors often turn a stretch of timely defensive stops into scoring spurts that can swing the momentum. Or, in many cases, give them just the jolt they need to put a game out of reach for good.
''I operate under the assumption that our guys know what to do and they know their system,'' Golden State assistant and defensive specialist Ron Adams said. ''We have an eclectic system. There's freedom offensively, and we have some freedom defensively, and we're good at it.''
When the Warriors added Durant, JaVale McGee, Zaza Pachulia and David West to a roster that blew a 3-1 Finals lead to James and fell short of a repeat last year, many wondered if they would have enough in the middle to defend the rim.
''It was a question mark for some people going into the season, losing (Andrew) Bogut and some other guys,'' general manager Bob Myers said. ''Ron is interesting. He's always had good defensive teams. And we take pride in it, we care about it. I know the offense gets most of the attention but our players, they work at it, collectively, individually. They want to be a good defensive team. We try to do it all year. Sometimes it's better than other times, but this is the time of year you really need it the most. For us, we view it as important as our offense.
''It's not as sexy, but it's important.''
NBA Finals ratings highest since Jordan's last title in 1998
June 5, 2017
CLEVELAND (AP) The first two games of the NBA Finals are the most-watched since Michael Jordan's final championship in 1998.
Despite two lopsided outcomes, Golden State's two home wins over Cleveland averaged 19.6 million viewers, according to numbers released Monday by the Nielsen company.
That's an increase of 5 percent from the 18.6 million average in 2016.
The Warriors' 132-113 victory on Sunday drew an average of 20.1 million viewers, up 13 percent from Game 2 last year and the most for a Game 2 since Chicago and Utah met in 1998. The telecast peaked with 23.1 million viewers.
This is the first time two teams have met three straight times in the NBA Finals.
June 5, 2017
CLEVELAND (AP) The first two games of the NBA Finals are the most-watched since Michael Jordan's final championship in 1998.
Despite two lopsided outcomes, Golden State's two home wins over Cleveland averaged 19.6 million viewers, according to numbers released Monday by the Nielsen company.
That's an increase of 5 percent from the 18.6 million average in 2016.
The Warriors' 132-113 victory on Sunday drew an average of 20.1 million viewers, up 13 percent from Game 2 last year and the most for a Game 2 since Chicago and Utah met in 1998. The telecast peaked with 23.1 million viewers.
This is the first time two teams have met three straight times in the NBA Finals.
