NBA Finals Game 2
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Golden State Warriors (June 5, 08:00 GMT+8)
The Cleveland Cavaliers disappointed betting websites in the series opener of the NBA Finals, but don’t expect them to give the Golden State Warriors another easy game when they return to Oracle Arena for Game 2.
Sure enough, it’s difficult to ignore Golden State’s 22-point blowout win in Game 1; however, they didn’t play that great as well and they remain vulnerable even though betting odds back them to easily lift the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Thanks to Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, the Dubs survived even with Klay Thompson and Draymond Green playing poorly on the offensive end. Nonetheless, they won’t be able to keep winning if the two—particularly Thompson—continue to slump.
It’s also worrying that only KD and Curry reached the double-digit mark in the game despite recording 31 assists. The team even missed 15 shots from point-blank range (inside the restricted area) in the first half alone!
The Cavs, meanwhile, can play better, especially on the offence where they only made 34.9 percent of their shots. Their defence in transition sure is a problem and it will help them if they can prevent Durant and Curry from getting open looks, though what they need to improve first is their attack that they have been executing efficiently until their blowout loss.
Coach Tyronn Lue and the Wine and Gold can’t rely solely on LeBron James’ ability to make plays and score at the rim. They need Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving to play with more aggressiveness and the bench to step up if they want to level the series.
It will still be hard to beat the Warriors in front of their home fans – they are the best home team in the league for a reason – but I think the Cavs learned from their mistakes and should be able to play like their normal selves to give LeBron some shooting help.
Just like last year, this series has the signs of another clean sweep at Oracle Arena to start the series. However, given the handicap, the Cavs at +8.50 @ 2.00 seems like a risk worth taking.
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
