After the beat downs of the Cavaliers served up by Golden State in the first two games of the finals, Cleveland looked like they had no business on the court with Warriors. Game 2 was particularly troubling because I’d never, in all my years of watching the NBA Finals, see a time check out in a finals game. After a comeback in game 4, to give them a commanding 3-1 lead heading back to the friendly confines of Oracle Arena, game 5 was thought to be a prelude to a coronation,a cap on a record breaking season. Forty-one points apiece from Kyrie Irving and LeBron James was enough to stave off elimination and send the series back to Northeast Ohio.
Game 6 was good to the Warriors last year, as they clinched their title last year in the Cavs’ house. Although Andrew Bogut went down in game 5 with a knee injury, they were getting Draymond Green back, who served his one game suspension for picking up his fourth flagrant foul point in game 4 and they still had the series lead.
The contest started out like Game 3, with Cleveland coming out throwing proverbial haymakers in the first quarter,being up at one point, 28-9. The Warriors only shoot 5-22, including just 1-8 from downtown in putting up a meager 11 first quarter points. Heading into the second quarter, Golden State found themselves in 20 point hole, 31-11.
The Warriors’ offense would somewhat come to life in the second frame, actually slicing the deficit down to eight, 46-38, at one point. Cleveland would respond with an 8-0 run to push the lead back to 16. They’d take a 59-43 lead into the half. Stephen Curry was the lone offensive bright spot for the Warriors with 18 points in his 18 minutes of action, but he was saddled with 3 fouls.
Cleveland was was in control for most of the third quarter but in the fourth period, they seemed dead set on allowing the Warriors back in the game by seeking out the dumbest shots they could. Golden State obliged by cutting the lead down to 7. Stephen Curry melted down after picking up his sixth foul when in disgust, chucked his mouthpiece into the crowd. He got T’d up and then ejected. I can’t say I don’t understand his frustration; some of the calls against him were highly questionable, to say the least.
The Cavaliers would roll the Warriors 115-101 in a game that featured another all-world performance from LeBron James, who had 41 points,11 rebounds and 8 assists, another thrashing in this,series and more questionable officiating.
It did not seem that this series would go the full-length but on Sunday either one of the greatest seasons in NBA history will be punctuated or a long suffering sports drought for a city finally end. Whatever happens, all we want is a well-played, close and cleanly officiated ballgame.
