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There are plenty of reasons for Cleveland Cavaliers fans to be concerned this morning.
After fighting tooth-and-nail with the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals last night, the Cavs came up short, falling 108-100 in overtime. Cleveland didn’t score a point in the final frame until the game was essentially decided. Kyrie Irving, after looking outstanding despite fighting through a knee injury, left the arena on crutches. Knowing how badly they needed to take away home-court advantage, the Cavs came up just short.
So, yes, it’s not difficult to find something to be upset about today if you’re a Cleveland fan. Golden State drew first blood, and there’s a good chance Irving is going to miss Game 2 at the very least.
Despite all of this, I don’t think you can give up hope just yet. It sounds like lunacy to say, “Oh, the Cavs lost both Game 1 and probably Irving, too? They can still do this.” Bear with me, though, as there are enough positives to be found in last night’s loss which make me think Cleveland can still pull through here.
Just to get it out of the way; yes, I completely understand why Golden State is favored in this series. It just doesn’t seem like there’s a player on their roster who isn’t a weapon in some way or another. The Warriors rolled ten deep last night, and no one really seemed like they were a liability in any sense of the word.
With all of that in mind, it should be noted that Cleveland held this Golden State team full of nonstop offensive firepower to just 98 points through four quarters, which isn’t exactly a common occurrence. Yes, the Warriors ended up winning, but defensively, the Cavs were able to limit their opponent just enough to ensure the game never got out of their reach until the dying minutes of overtime.
Remember, if you asked nine out of ten national pundits, you’d hear about how badly Cleveland was going to get rolled by the Warriors. Sure, the Cavs were playing elite defense through the postseason, but once Golden State started firing away, the games were sure to become slaughters.
After one game, Cleveland at least knows it can hang with the Warriors punch-for-punch. It didn’t result in a victory, no, but it’s also something the Cavs can feel confident about as they head into Game 2.
Additionally, it’s important to note the Cavs were in it ’til the end despite getting minimal bench effort. Cleveland’s reserves were only able to provide nine points, and they all came from J.R. Smith on 3-for-13 shooting. This, along with little impact from Iman Shumpert, didn’t prevent the Cavs from almost stealing a win in Oakland. If either of these two players were able to provide just a little bit more, Game 1 is finished in regulation.
I understand it sounds like a little too much “if only” talk. At the same time, there’s plenty of evidence from last night’s game which shows Cleveland is still very much in this series. There are things to improve, obviously, but if the defensive effort remains, the Cavs can hang with the Warriors.
Yes, Irving is pivotal, and if he can’t go this Sunday, it’s tough for me to put too much stock in the idea of Matthew Dellavedova recreating the magic which has made him a cult hero this postseason. I can’t honestly say Cleveland will be just fine without Irving, but I also can’t fully write them off either.
My thoughts may change if this series heads to Northeast Ohio with the Cavs down 0-2. If Cleveland can’t steal Game 2, it’ll make for an incredibly deep hole the team may not be able to climb out of.
That said, I’m not in a place of gloom-and-doom today. If the Cavs tweak a thing here or there, they win Game 1. They were right there with the Warriors despite more than a few things going wrong. Because of this, I just don’t believe you can give up on Cleveland right now.
Casey Drottar is the Cleveland Beat Writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter or “Like” him on Facebook
