As in the first duel between the two teams in Ohio, the Cavaliers dominated the second quarter (38-21 last night, 28-15 six days ago) to take control of the match. It was once again their defense and their size that hampered the Warriors.
Despite a surge in the third quarter behind Stephen Curry (30 points), Golden State once again let the Cavaliers slip away at the end of the match. Cleveland scored 32 points on 20 opposing turnovers.
If the Warriors took the lead after the first twelve minutes (31-30), in particular thanks to an offensive rebound harvest (6 shots for 11 points), the second quarter is another story. The Cavaliers raise their voice in defense, making Golden State’s attack stagnant and silent (7/20 on shots). JB Bickerstaff’s men then roll on the other side against the Warriors unable to slow down the drives. Caris LeVert, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland enjoy themselves and Cleveland passes a 14-2 at Golden State to take a 17-point lead (68-51).
Like a fired-up Draymond Green, the Dubs return to the field with increased intensity. They passed the Cavs 14-4 in five minutes thanks to Stephen Curry, who finished the quarter with 13 points scored (72-66). The strong winger, however, slips up with Donovan Mitchell and on a video review by the referees, he receives his second technical foul, synonymous with expulsion. Chris Paul then takes over from Draymond Green, and the Warriors go on a 12-1 run to regain the advantage (83-82).
In the tough, the Cavs have the merit of not panicking. A tap from Caris LeVert at the buzzer of the third quarter, followed by two 3-pointers from Dean Wade gave them back control of operations (90-83). The Warriors will not recover. Ten points from Evan Mobley and an intractable defense allowed them to leave the Chase Center with a deserved victory (118-100).
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The Warriors’ air gap. With nine minutes left in the second quarter, Klay Thomspon gets bogged down in a ten-second isolation against Caris LeVert. The latter becomes the shadow of the “Splash Brother” and counters him with authority. This action symbolized the Warriors’ backwards attack in the first half. No movement, very few passes, and a lot of one-on-ones, enough to cause logical awkwardness and loss of balls. If the Cavs’ defense had a lot to do with it, the Warriors lost their identity and intensity for long minutes in each match this season. With their next four matches against the Wolves and the Thunder, Steve Kerr’s men will quickly have to find more consistency.
– The expulsion of Draymond Green. After a first technical foul for complaining too virulently to the referees, the strong winger received a second technical foul in the third quarter, synonymous with expulsion. While he had pushed Donovan Mitchell without being caught by the patrol, the Cleveland back made a mistake on the following action, pushing the referees to review his opponent’s actions.
– The collective strength of Cleveland. Faced with the Warriors who have a hard time stopping opposing drives, Cleveland’s exteriors put on a show. Donovan Mitchell (21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) and Darius Garland (19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) set an example at the start of the match, before seeing Caris LeVert do even better in the second quarter where he will score 10 of his 22 points. Jarrett Allen (12 points) also showed up in the first quarter, while Evan Mobley (19 points) shined at the start of the fourth to kill the game. Alongside these five players, Max Strus (14 points, 7 rebounds) also knew how to find gaps from afar.
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How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
