NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors

Many Warriors fans were expecting LeBron James to come to Oracle Arena and put on a show. Unfortunately, LeBron will not be playing in this game, so it was up to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to get the Cavs a win in an inhospitable environment.

The Warriors are coming off an impressive second half performance to beat the Indiana Pacers and will be looking to protect their home court. Not only will this game be televised nationally, but Mark Jackson will make his return to Oracle after being let go last season. Knowing the organization and this fan base, he will likely be greeted with a warm welcome and he deserves it.

In case you missed the game, here’s our instant recap:

1st Quarter

Warriors got off to a decent start, they had good energy and were forcing turnovers early on. Steph Curry made his presence felt right away with six points to open the game. Both teams were able to score the ball, so the game was close and Kevin Love already had six points and six rebounds halfway through the quarter. The Warriors had trouble defending the paint and they committed a lot of fouls. JR Smith then went on a 7-0 run by himself and that gave the Cavs a four point lead. Not a lot of defense being played in this game and the Cavs looked strong behind a strong performance from Smith. The Warriors trailed 32-30 at the end of the first.

2nd Quarter

Speights keeps hitting his jumper and he tied the game to start the quarter. The second unit played well and were able to take the lead from the Cavs. Every player was chipping in and the Dubs had a four point lead. The game didn’t have a good flow to it and although the Warriors were up, it didn’t look pretty. After Kevin Love tied the game, the Warriors took a three point lead with the help of two triples from Klay Thompson. Smith continued to hit shots and the Cavs kept it close. The Warriors took a 60-54 lead to the break. Klay Thompson with 20 points so far.

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3rd Quarter

The Dubs cooled off a bit to start the second half and the Cavs quickly found themselves with some momentum after five points from Smith in less than a minute. Credit to the Cavs, they were finding the hole, but the Warriors weren’t playing their style of basketball. A Kyrie Irving bucket gave the Cavs they lead once again, but the Warriors responded with a 9-0 run. Unfortunately, Klay Thompson was elbowed and had to leave the game when blood started pouring for his forehead. Without Klay, the Warriors were warming up and they closed the quarter with an eight point lead.

 

4th Quarter

Justin Holiday continues to take advantage of the opportunity and once again helps the Warriors maintain their lead. Their offense began to flow, but the defense still needed to slightly improve. This Cavs team isn’t as dangerous without LeBron, but they have plenty of guys who can put up points. A Love triple got the Cavs within seven, so the game was still in doubt at this point. Tristan Thompson gave the Cavs a lift, but the Warriors were able to sustain their run. The Cavs slowed down to end the fourth quarter and the Warriors pounced on them. Dubs win behind 47 from the Splash Brothers.