Cleveland Cavaliers: Takeaways From Christmas Day Win

Cleveland Cavaliers: Takeaways From Christmas Day Win vs. Warriors

Dec 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) celebrates with forward Kevin Love (0) after winning the game against the Golden State Warriors at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland defeats Golden State 109-108. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

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Dec 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland defeats Golden State 109-108. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Kevin Durant Was Brilliant … Until He Wasn’t

Falling one win shy of repeating as champions, the Warriors signed Durant during the offseason in hopes of bolstering their chances of making it back to the Finals.

For most of the evening, Durant looked like the best player on the court. He had the jump shot going and beat his primary defender off the dribble on several occasions, which resulted in ferocious attacks on the rim.

Furthermore, Durant led all players in points (36), rebounds (15) and attempts from the charity stripe (12-for-12). But in the game’s final five minutes, Durant disappeared.

During that stretch, the four-time scoring champion missed both of his shot attempts and posted a minus-6 rating. Simply put, the Warriors more than likely win this game if Durant finds a way to deliver in crunch time.

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