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8 biggest takeaways from Game 1 of NBA Finals

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Kevin Durant dunk

Kevin Durant dunk

The Golden State Warriors made a statement in Game 1 of the NBA Finals with a huge win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

From the opening tip to the final buzzer, the Warriors dominated the game, winning 113-91. They went into halftime with an 8-point lead, put a hurting on Cleveland with a big third quarter, and they maintained a lead of around 20 points throughout the fourth quarter.

The Warriors’ game had to leave the Cavs discouraged, but as we saw last year, even down 3-1 in the Finals they won’t quit. So what stood out from Game 1? Here’s a look at the biggest takeaways from the game.

1. Kevin Durant was spectacular and got so many easy buckets

Kevin Durant’s first NBA Finals game with the Golden State Warriors was a huge success.

The former league MVP played so well that he got to take the final few minutes of the game off and have a rest. He scored 38 points on 14-for-26 shooting. He made 50 percent of his threes (3-for-6) and went 7 of 8 at the line. He also added 8 rebounds and 8 assists.

Durant having a good game wasn’t too surprising, but what was surprising was how easily he got some of his buckets. This one stood out to many:

Durant was all around the rim. Even when he didn’t finish, he got assists such as one he handed to JaVale McGee in the first quarter.

KD really set the tone early in the game.

He had 22 in the first half on 10-for-18 shooting.

Durant made a statement in Game 1.

2. Warriors built their lead on second-chance points

Golden State ended up with fewer offensive rebounds than Cleveland at the end of the game, but early on, they had a major edge. That helped them get up early, gain some confidence, and they didn’t look back.

The Warriors had 42 points in the paint in the first half, compared to 16 for the Cavs. Another big difference was that Golden State scored on 14 second-chance points, compared to 8 for Cleveland in the first half, which nearly accounted for their 8-point first half lead.

Despite having the edge early on with the offensive rebounds, the Warriors left behind a lot of baskets.

The Warriors finished the game with 18 second-chance points, compared to 13 for the Cavs.

3. Cavs turned the ball over way too much

What more can you say for Cleveland other than that they were awful at protecting the ball in Game 1.

The Cavs committed 20 (twenty!!!) turnovers in the game, compared to just four for Golden State. They were so sloppy in the first half that number was 12 compared to one for Golden State.

The Warriors’ somewhat underrated defense is a big reason for that. Pressure defense from guys like Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala forced the Cavs to make repeated mistakes.

Committing all those turnovers was bad enough, but what magnified it was that the Warriors were incredible at protecting the ball. Their four turnovers ties an NBA Finals record for the fewest in a game.

As Jeff Van Gundy said, you can’t control the greatness of Steph Curry or Kevin Durant, but you can control how well you take care of the ball. The Cavs have to do a much better job of that the rest of the series.

4. Klay Thompson’s defense made up for his poor shooting

If you looked at the boxscore but didn’t watch the game, you might have thought that Klay Thompson played a poor game. After all, he shot just 3-for-16, missing all five of his three-point attempts. He didn’t even get to the free throw line.

But in the end, Thompson’s defense was so good, it overshadowed his bad shooting.

Thompson did a great job locking up Kevin Love from the moment the game began. He smothered Love, forcing a brick on the first possession, and that set the tone, as Love finished 4-of-13. He was just 2-for-8 in the first half of the game.

Thompson’s defense was so good that despite going 2-for-10 in the first half, he was still a +3.

5. The Cavs’ bench was a total dud

The Cleveland Cavaliers couldn’t possibly have received less from their bench.

Deron Williams played 19 minutes and missed all four of his shots. He also committed three fouls and two turnovers. Iman Shumpert was 2-for-6 in 17 minutes. Even Kyle Korver, a guy who was supposed to be an X-factor off the bench, struggled. He missed all three of his 3-point attempts.

JR Smith was not a bench player, but he looked like one. He made just 1-of-4 shots in 28 minutes. Factor in Tristan Thompson’s doughnut, and the result was this embarrassing statistical nugget:

6. The free throw line was Cleveland’s saving grace

The only thing that kept the Cavs in the game early on was the free throw line.

The Cavs were able to get to the line in the first half. They were 11 of 13 on free throws in the first half. LeBron was particularly good at the line, as he went 8 of 10.

As a team, the Cavs got to the line 25 times, making 19 shots for a 76 percent mark. By comparison, Golden State went to the line just 16 times, shooting 69 percent.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, the game was not decided at the line. Far from it. They were completely blown out in the second half as the Warriors just stepped on their throats.

7. The Warriors’ centers played well

Many thought the Warriors’ weakness would be in the middle, but the opposite was the case in Game 1.

Zaza Pachulia had six big rebounds in 14 minutes and made 4 of 5 shots for 8 points. He also had a few steals.

Then when he needed relief, JaVale McGee came on early and played well.

He had a block in the first quarter and dunk early:

McGee only played six minutes, but he looked good in them and made sure the Warriors didn’t lose their lead when he was in the game. He had four points and five rebounds in six minutes and was an impressive +8.

8. Andre Iguodala proved he’s still a factor

The man who was NBA Finals MVP two years ago in the Warriors’ championship win showed he can still bother the Cavs.

Andre Iguodala contributed the most minutes of any Warriors player off the bench, as he played 24 minutes. He did very well, making 3 of 4 shots. He had 7 points, 3 rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block.

Those aren’t the kind of numbers that will get Iguodala MVP again, but he continues to stuff the stat sheet, particularly on the defensive end.

Iguodala poked a ball loose for a steal as soon as he got in the game, and he also made an early 3-pointer. His big plays continued as he had a big dunk early in the second. He’s also not too old or bothered by his knee injury to stop LeBron, as he was able to force a turnover while guarding James.

Players like Iguodala need to do well off the bench in order for a team to win a championship. Through one game, so far so good for the Warriors.

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