Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, left, and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, right, in last year's NBA Finals where the Cavs won in seven games.
Kevin Durant was the highest scorer in Game One with 38 points
OAKLAND, Calif. (Diya TV) — With Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry leading the way, the Warriors claimed game one of the 2017 NBA Finals. In the first half, the Cavaliers stayed relatively close with an 8-point differential. The third quarter, however, was when it all fell out of the Cavaliers’ hands. By the end of the third quarter, the 8-point deficit turned into a 21-point deficit. The Cavaliers had 20 turnovers too, giving more chances to the Warriors to score.
Making History and Statistics
During game 1, players made history, many of them personal records. Kevin Durant beat his career record for most dunks in a game, tying it in the first half alone. He also joined the list of greats who had at least 25 points in their first 6 NBA finals games. This list includes Shaquille O’Neal, Michael Jordan, and Rick Berry. LeBron James, on the other hand, had the 2nd-most turnovers in a half, his most in 2005 with 9. Meanwhile, the Warriors tied the record for the least amount of turnovers in an NBA finals game, with 4. If the Warriors win game 2, they will set the playoff record for the most wins in a row.
Statistics explain a lot of what happened in the game. The Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 35-30 in the first quarter, and past history shows that the Warriors are 21-0 this year, if they score at least 35 points in the first quarter. Statistics also show that the third quarter is usually a good quarter for the Warriors, as they have outscored their opponents by 477 points in the regular season, during the third quarter. This explains the Warriors’ lead in the third quarter.
The Golden State Warriors are on another historic run, after sweeping of the San Antonio Spurs, the team has its first 13-0 playoff start in franchise history.
Key to Winning
Some big factors in this game were defense, turnovers, and offensive rebounds. Klay Thompson played exceptionally well on defense. Against Thompson, the Cavaliers shot 1 out of 12. Kevin Love played especially well, with 21 rebounds. However, the Cavaliers had 20 turnovers, which resulted in more shot attempts for the Warriors. The Warriors also took many offensive rebounds, which gives the Warriors more points.
In order for the Warriors to win, they have to stick to what they were doing in game 1. In order for the Cavaliers to win, they need to step up their rebounding, and have less turnovers. This all groups into defense. Defense is they key. Kevin Durant had huge dunks that changed the momentum of the game. The Cavaliers need to stop Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. These were to two key offensive players. If the Cavs can stop them, the momentum will change and it will reduce the Warriors’ points. LeBron James said, “We can’t stop them from scoring, but we can step up ours.”
Aditya Dawar is a journalism intern at Diya TV. His hobbies include biking, watching sports, and dominating his older family members in fantasy football. When he is not busy competing in Math leagues, he loves analyzing statistics and data.
