Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Takeaways From Game 1 vs. Warriors

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Jun 2, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) during the second quarter in game one of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Warriors Neutralize King James

Despite James’ 2-4 record in the NBA Finals, he is still a force to be reckoned with. And when he decides to take over a game, there are very few players in the league that can stop him.

The unstoppable force that is James was at it again early on in Game 1, as he scored eight quick first quarter points on 4-for-5 shooting from the floor. But as the Warriors have done many times during their postseason run, they made some key adjustments to counter James’ early success.

In this instance, Steve Kerr opted to defend James using the combination of Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green.

What were the results?

Not only did James connect on just five of his 16 attempts the rest of the way, he was 2-for-9 when defended by Iguodala or Green. This is a significant stat considering James was 7-for-12 against everyone else.

While Green (16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists) and Iguodala (12 points, seven rebounds, and six assists) certainly had solid all-around performances, their ability to neutralize one the greatest players in the league is a big reason why the Warriors won this game.

Next: No. 3

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