Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Takeaways From Game 1 vs. Warriors
1. Cavs Have No Answer For Warriors’ Bench
The sharp-shooting backcourt duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson did not play a major role in the Warrior’s Game 1 victory. In fact, the Splash Brothers combined for 20 points on 8-for-27 shooting from the floor, which represents the lowest point total in a win between them over the last two seasons.
Having your top two players struggle at the same time would be troublesome for most teams in the league. However, the Warriors are not just any team.
With their top two stars having off nights, it was the second unit that helped lead Golden State to victory. Shaun Livingston led the reserves with 20 points on an impressive 8-for-10 shooting from the field to go along with four rebounds and three assists.
"The game ball obviously goes to Shaun Livingston" - @KingJames after Game 1 of the #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/sPToVKJbJS
— NBA (@NBA) June 3, 2016
Leandro Barbosa also chipped in with 11 points in 11 minutes and shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor. Overall, the Warriors’ bench outscored the Cavaliers’ second unit by a 45-10 margin.
This disparity between the team’s second units, along with the Cavs’ 17 turnovers was something that wasn’t lost on James.
"“When you get outscored 45-10 on the bench and give up 25 points off 17 turnovers, no matter what someone does or doesn’t do, it’s going to be hard to win, especially on the road,” James said, via Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. “It doesn’t matter what you do with Steph and Klay; doesn’t matter what you do with Draymond [Green]. Give up 45 points off the bench and 25 points off turnovers on the road; it’s not a good ingredient to win.”"
In other words, if Cleveland would have gotten better production from its bench, the outcome could have been different.
More hoops habit: 2016 NBA Finals: Game 1 Recap And Highlights
Especially on a night when the Warriors’ two best players had subpar outings.