NBA Finals scores 2015: LeBron James going above and beyond to make series interesting
A team starring LeBron James in his prime won’t go down easily even with a shorthanded roster.
It was hard enough for LeBron James to win championships when he had Hall of Fame teammates like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. What the forward is trying to accomplish now, doing the same with Matthew Dellavedova and Timofey Mozgov as leading contributors, would make the Cleveland Cavaliers' first championship that much sweeter.
Cleveland has been battered by injuries and left for dead by much of the basketball world, but it's showing that a team starring James isn't nearly that easy to kill. Even with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love sidelined, leaving guys like Dellavedova, Mozgov and Tristan Thompson to play huge roles, LeBron has the Cavaliers tied with the Golden State Warriors, 1-1, in the 2015 NBA Finals after a 95-93 overtime win at Oracle Arena on Sunday night.
Taking on the Warriors, one of the best teams in recent history, is one of LeBron’s greatest challenges yet, and the superstar has lived up to it so far with a pair of special performances. He’s averaging 41.5 points, 12 rebounds and 8.5 assists through two Finals games, which is impossible for anyone but LeBron, who needs to shine this bright to keep his team alive.
Golden State has a deep, experienced roster that features five strong starters, plus a former All-Star (Andre Iguodala), a former Sixth Man of the Year (Leandro Barbosa) and a $15 million big man who doesn't even play (David Lee). Cleveland is depending on LeBron and a mishmash of former Knicks, aging sharpshooters and energetic-but-limited young players.
The Cavaliers still haven’t found the point where they ask too much of their superstar. The Irving injury was especially costly, taking away the team’s other primary ball handler and shot creator, but in response, LeBron has been relentless in taking over the team’s offense. The Cavaliers had 14 assists in Game 2, and 11 of them came from LeBron. No other player on the team recorded more than one. It’s hard to express the impact James must make on the court to bridge the talent gap between the two rosters, but he’s playing nearly every minute because the team can’t afford to be without him.
The Warriors are the deeper, more talented team, and boast this year's MVP in Stephen Curry. The conversation about LeBron vs. Curry is history, however, and has evolved into LeBron vs. The World. The craziest part is that it's possible LeBron wins.
3 other things we learned
1. The refs aren’t giving LeBron superstar calls
The referees aren’t exactly helping LeBron in his whole “Me Against The World” quest. They swallowed their whistles several times late in Game 2 when the Warriors appeared to foul the forward, including one instance on a turnover that appeared to be a hack:
LeBron usually complains when calls don't go his way, but on Sunday night it felt like he had some pretty good arguments to make with officials. From the turnover above to Draymond Green holding him on the jump ball a minute later, LeBron wasn't getting any favors from the referees on the Warriors' court.
2. Even Stephen Curry can go cold
We all marvel at how good Curry is at shooting, but even the master can have an off day. The Warriors point guard admitted after Game 2 that he never found a rhythm, and that was apparent in the numbers -- 15 points on 5-of-23 shooting (including 2-of-15 from three).
Those stats are far from Curry-like, and only part of that can be attributed to the strong defense of Dellavedova. The Cavaliers did a good job forcing Curry into difficult shots, but part of what makes the guard so dangerous has been his ability to quickly fire up and make shots even when contested. On Sunday, Curry set the record for most missed threes in a Finals game, and offered up a shot chart he’d like us to forget:
So, Steph, how do you feel about all that red?
Aw man.
3. There is no Kyrie replacement
Anyone wondering how the Cavaliers’ offense would adjust without Irving discovered Sunday that the answer is lots and lots of LeBron. Almost every trip down the court, the team turned to James to run a set or penetrate to create something. The fact that he did it often enough to win is remarkable.
Dellavedova, Shumpert and James Jones each recorded one assist in the game, while James had 11. Nobody else made a pass that directly resulted in a teammate scoring. Dellavedova had twice as many turnovers (six) as the non-LeBron Cavs' assist total. Remember, this was over the course of 53 minutes of basketball.
James’ ability to muster offense out of nowhere against the Warriors is rightfully mind-blowing, but the team still shot just 33 percent from both the field and from three. The Cavs’ offense doesn’t have many answers beyond “give LeBron the ball and hope he does the thing,” which isn’t the worst strategy but seems like a tough way to win four games against a team that looked unstoppable most of the year. The Cavaliers may be happy with the Game 2 win, but they surely know that more will be needed on offense if this team wants to keep the good times going.
Play of the night
Let’s take a break from LeBron’s big scoring totals to appreciate one of the best passes you’ve ever seen. The precision, timing and execution here is unbelievable.
8 fun things
Don't give Stephen Curry any defenders and he can hit it from basically anywhere.
LeBron, meanwhile, didn't look so hot during warmups with a trio of airballs.
Carlos Santana started off the night in proper fashion with an awesome version of the national anthem.
Turns out Warriors fans can shoot, too. One hit a halfcourt shot to win a BMW during the game.
Gorgeous behind-the-back pass from Curry here.
Well, at least LeBron can still get away with a travel every once in a while.
Riley Curry gets us EVERY TIME. EVERY. TIME.
Final score
Cavaliers 95, Warriors 93 (Fear the Sword recap | Golden State of Mind recap)
SB Nation presents: LeBron is carrying a team of spare parts yet again
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