12/21/24
June 05, 2015
Warriors Win Game 1 of Finals Despite LeBron's 44 Points: The Golden State Warriors won game 1 of the NBA Finals, 108-100, over the Cleveland Cavaliers despite LeBron James scoring 44 points. Cavs guard Iman Shumpert had a chance to win it at the end of regulation with a desperation heave after a James airball, but it barely missed. Warriors center Andrew Bogut said of James, "We'll live with him shooting a lot of shots and scoring 40 because we feel like a lot of guys who are key to them winning a series don't get touches and don't get going." More bad news for the Cavs: Kyrie Irving hurt his knee.
posted by rcade to basketball at 07:39 AM - 9 comments
Concession stand prices at the NBA Finals.
posted by Etrigan at 08:32 AM on June 05, 2015
No wonder the salary cap is going to $90 million!!!
posted by billsaysthis at 10:38 AM on June 05, 2015
Man, great game and hell of a missed opportunity for the Cavs. I would have liked to see LeBron go to the rim on the final play of regulation but when that jumper is falling I can see why he'd want to keep shooting it. No matter how hot LeBron gets he's still best when he's going at the rim, there's nothing to do but foul him or send about three guys at him.
Shumpert's prayer at the buzzer would have been the weirdest finals game ending ever and it was so close to going in.
I'm still not really sure who I'm rooting for in this series. I'll go with whoever is down in the series until I figure it out.
posted by tron7 at 11:50 AM on June 05, 2015
I'm cheering for Lebron James and his (with Irving probably out) rag-tag bunch of misfits.
If he wins this title, with this collection of teammates...
How do you deny him a spot beside Jordan and Chamberlain at the top of the basketball pyramid.
posted by grum@work at 01:37 PM on June 05, 2015
This situation reminds me a bit of the 89 Finals when Byron Scott went down before Game 1, then Magic did his hamstring in Game 2 and tried to play, but couldn't.
The result was writ in stone at that point, but the Lakers hung very tough, losing Game 2 by 3 points and Game 3 by 4 points. They were valiant in the face of inevitable defeat.
If Irving is not available and the Cavs exhibit comparable grit and valor while playing severely shorthanded, my hat's off to 'em. If the Cavs win the title without Erving, then they're all rugged geniuses, and Erie will be renamed Lake LeBron.
But to do that, they would need a level of focus and brilliance from Smith and Shumpert that those two guys seem unprepared to deliver.
During certain stretches of the game, LeBron was so automatic on iso plays under insane degrees of difficulty that I had a hard time believing the Cavs were only shooting 47% from the floor. I don't get into discussions of who is the greatest of all time, but that guy has a dimension that is heretofore unwitnessed in my experience.
Cavs need at least one win so I can be done hearing the talking mofos yak that LeBron has never won a Finals game in a Cleveland uniform. For god's sake - enough already.
My main enjoyment at the moment is watching Iguodala making the most of things. Living in Celtics country, I blasphemously found the Iguodala/Dalembert/Miller Sixers highly entertaining to watch, so I'm glad to see Andre get this opportunity.
posted by beaverboard at 02:50 PM on June 05, 2015
I'm less enthused about Iguodala's happy landing in Golden State.
posted by tron7 at 03:30 PM on June 05, 2015
hope it's not meniscus.
That would be the least of his worries. Heard tonight it's a broken kneecap. Ouch!!!
posted by Howard_T at 10:54 PM on June 05, 2015
That would be the least of his worries.
In general, yes, but Derrick Rose might disagree.
posted by beaverboard at 10:58 AM on June 06, 2015
Irving mentioned that the injury felt different than the tendon issues he already had happening and if they are starting to rule out ligaments, hope it's not meniscus. Would much prefer to see the Cavs compete with as many weapons available as possible.