NBA Finals 2015: The Cavaliers tried to beat the Warriors at their own game, and failed
Golden State is a win from its first title since 1975 after coming through in a battle of small lineups in Game 5.
The Cleveland Cavaliers came out and used some different looks in Game 5, yet the result was the same as the last contest. The Golden State Warriors have found their groove since going small after falling behind 2-1 in the 2015 NBA Finals, and now sit one win away from their first championship in decades after a 104-91 win Sunday night.
The Cavaliers tried to match the Warriors' smaller, balanced lineups in Game 5 by shifting LeBron James to center for extended stretches in order to surround him with the shooters. The move was in response to Golden State's lopsided Game 4 win, which came after center Andrew Bogut was benched in favor of 6'7 swingman Andre Iguodala.
Golden State is showing it can’t be beat at its own game, though, not by a team featuring James and little else. The four-time MVP continues to put up staggering numbers night after night in one of the best individual finals performances we’ve ever seen, but matching the Warriors’ array of weapons would require more help than he’s gotten.
Playing small is something Steve Kerr’s team mastered by doing it so much throughout the season. Bogut may not be playing at all now, but before he was only seeing around 23 minutes a night. Golden State has regularly eschewed the big men to spread shooters across the floor when the matchups demanded it.
This series has proven to be one of those times, and now Cleveland is trying to beat Golden State at its own game. The Cavaliers had some advantages in the first few games, when James, Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson were rocking the boards and helping to dictate slower action, but the smaller lineups take away much of that. James' mastery on the offensive end isn't enough when he's trying to go blow-to-blow with this group.
Going small for Cleveland might work if it had the shooters to surround James and pile on the points, but that's not the case. Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Matthew Dellavedova were a combined 8-of-25 from three and went cold in the fourth quarter. The Warriors hit the same number of threes in Game 5 while taking nine fewer attempts. Matching Golden State like this might've worked with a healthy Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love around. It's a bit of a long shot when the names are Dellavedova and Shumpert.
3 other things we learned
1. LeBron will go down fighting
If the Warriors are going to beat James and the Cavaliers, credit to the Eastern Conference champions for making it as difficult as possible. LeBron has been amazing throughout this series, even in losses, and probably won’t relent just because his back is against the ropes.
The forward is averaging 37 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists through five games, numbers that put him in position for one of the most impressive individual efforts in finals history. In Game 5, he contributed to 70 of the Cavaliers’ 91 points, the fourth-highest total in finals history.
LeBron scored or assisted on 77 percent of the Cavs' points in Game 5. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/Q0l1POgkMj
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 15, 2015
He’s certainly trying his best.
2. Stephen Curry is red-hot again
A week after one of his worst games in years, the MVP stepped back into the spotlight with one of his best to put his team on the brink of a title. Curry scored 17 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, and showed again why he’s gotten the Warriors to this point. No player has scored more points in an NBA Finals fourth quarter in 40 years.
There were off-the-dribble threes following by mean faces:
And threes from wayyyy back:
The point guard finished the game shooting 13-of-23 from the field and 7-of-13 from three. After following up his disastrous 5-of-23 effort from a week ago with a pair of solid performances, Curry took it to another level in the fourth quarter Sunday.
3. Cavs trying to join Warriors in hoops’ future
The days of lumbering big men dictating the flow of basketball are officially over. Back and forth adjustments over the first four games of the series finally gave way in Game 5 as both teams committed to using small lineups. There were extended stretches where James was the tallest player on the floor, and in the next game, we will likely see a lot of action featuring 10 guys between 6’3 and 6’9 flying around the court.
This is a progression the NBA has been making steadily over the years, with classic 7-foot post anchors being phased out in favor of more versatile, athletic players who can run, shoot and put the ball on the floor. Bogut and Festus Ezeli didn't even play in Game 5, while Mozgov appeared for just nine minutes. Instead, we got a glimpse into how many teams will play in the future as they embrace and implement these new ideas.
It’s obviously gorgeous when it goes right, and small lineups are a big part of how the Warriors have reached such success this season. The Cavaliers are showing the importance of personnel, however, because their guards just don’t have the consistent three-point shots to make opponents pay when they give up those open looks.
Play of the night
Steph. Don’t be cruel to Delly, he didn’t know he had awakened the beast.
8 fun things
Metallica’s metal national anthem was pretty awesome.
Matthew Dellavedova and Draymond Green were not getting along.
A little much there, J.R. His flagrant in the first quarter was deserved.
Warriors fans weren’t too hot for Delly, either.
Steph Curry is so good his family was dancing in the stands.
Two Cavs, one poster? Harrison Barnes pulled off a sweet dunk.
LeBron hasn’t lost his confidence with the Cavs down 3-2.
Final score
Warriors 104, Cavaliers 91 (Golden State of Mind recap | Fear the Sword recap | SB Nation recap)
SB Nation presents: The 3-pointer has gone from novelty to necessary
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