The Golden State Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals 2015 on Thursday night with a 108-100 win in Game 1, now they will look to put more pressure on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland.
When: Monday June 8, 01:00 (UK time)
Watch live: Click here to watch on BT Sport online!
While the series was essentially being led by the sub-plot of LeBron James vs Stephen Curry, it has now become a case of James vs the Warriors with Kyrie Irving being ruled out for the rest of the series.
The point guard sustained a fractured kneecap in overtime on Thursday, and now the Cavs have it all to do with two of their ‘Big Three’ missing due to injuries.
James scored 44 points in that Game 1 loss, and although he seemingly made basket after basket for his team, the defence of Andre Iguodala in particular proved key as he forced his rival into difficult shots which ensured he wasn’t efficient.
With Golden State doing an impressive job of limiting those around the two-time NBA champion, the likes of Iman Shumpert and JR Smith were unable to make the type of impact that they have been making over the course of the post season.
If Cleveland have any hope of winning a championship this year, they will need their support cast to step up and deliver in order to support LeBron and ensure that it isn’t just all on his shoulders to get them through.
Nevertheless, that is easier said than done given the fact that the Warriors have Curry leading their charge and a ridiculous second unit that made their presence felt immediately in this match-up.
It was always going to be a huge advantage for the Western Conference champions, with Iguodala leading the spark off the bench and doing a great job on both ends.
However, this is still a losable game as the Cavs came close to stealing the first encounter and have proven throughout the playoffs that they can get wins without Irving and Love.
Prediction: Regardless of the amount of heart and determination that LeBron and Co have, this is going to end in another Warriors win as they move ever close to a championship.
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