OAKLAND, Calif. _ When the Cavaliers acquired Jae Crowder from the Celtics in the Aug. 22 trade for Kyrie Irving, analysts believed Crowder could help if the Cavs face the Golden State Warriors in the Finals for the fourth consecutive season.
The Warriors' 99-92 victory over the Cavs Monday in Oracle Arena provided the first glimpse of that, and Crowder delivered.
He scored 15 points, hitting 5-of-10 shots from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, with six rebounds in 29 minutes. His plus-minus was minus-1, but only one Cavs player _ Jose Calderon at plus-one _ recorded a positive.
"I like Jae, his physicality with KD, getting into him, making him drive the basketball," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said of Crowder defending Kevin Durant. "He had a couple 3s in transition but, for the most part, I thought Jae was physical, stayed on his body and he battled him.
"When you have a scorer like KD, an elite scorer, he's going to score some buckets. But I think he was [8-of-19]. But anyway, [Crowder] did a good job of being physical and just competing."
That's the same way Crowder felt when it was over.
"You've got to be tough to play those guys, very resilient. You've got to step up to the plate because those guys are going to bring it," Crowder said. "I think I fit in because I try to bring it each and every night. With the physicality of the game, I think it fit well with how I play."
As for his first taste of the Cavs-Warriors rivalry, Crowder said, "Very fun to be a part of. Two great teams going head-to-head, [and] you can't ask for anything more. I can't wait for the next matchup."
That comes Jan. 15 in Cleveland.
LEBRON FOULED TWICE?
From the Cavs' perspective, the play of the game came with 24.5 seconds left and the Warriors leading 95-92 when Durant blocked LeBron James' 7-foot jumper.
"He fouled me twice," James said. "But, whatever. What are you going to do about it?"
When Lue was asked about the non-call on Durant, Lue said, "I thought an initial bump. I think at the basket, I thought it could've been clean. But on the initial bump it could've gone either way. But [the official] didn't call it. It's part of the game."
James, who committed seven of the Cavs' 14 turnovers, also turned the ball over with 1:10 to go.
"I lost it on the left wing. He got me a little bit, but I lost that one," James said of Durant.
KD'S BLOCKS
Entering the day's play second in the league with 2.1 blocks per game, Durant finished with five against the Cavs.
Cavs guard Dwyane Wade said Durant is a different player than the one he and the Miami Heat defeated in the 2012 NBA Finals when Durant was with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"He's definitely a different defender now. He's always been a long guy, but now when you have the supporting cast he has, it allows him to focus more on different things," Wade said. "At that time scoring was his main thing.
"In that series against us, he guarded the likes of Mario Chalmers. Now he's guarding LeBron, he's taken the challenge. He's definitely grown up and he's on a team that's allowed him to showcase all of his talents."
Wade said he told Durant he might catch him in blocked shots if he keeps this up. Wade has 825 in his 15-year career, Durant 805 in 11 seasons.
"I told him, 'If you keep it up you'll catch up with me one day,' and he said, 'I've got to play like 10 more years,'?" Wade said. "He's doing a great job. He's leading the NBA for a reason.
"Now he's decided to put more focus on the other end of the floor. He's a shot-blocker, no doubt it."
Kevin Love said he sees the same improvement in Durant.
"He can play every position, 1-5, but he's so long and athletic that he gets to a number of those shots, whether it's guys trying to take quick jumpers over him or guys trying to finish at the rim," Love said. "He's one of those guys that's really stepped up his game defensively for them and he's helped them."
NO PREVIEW
Lue said he didn't believe Monday's game will carry much weight for those wondering what a potential Finals matchup between the Cavs and Warriors would look like.
"Well, this is different because Steph didn't play," Lue said of the Warriors' Stephen Curry, sidelined with a sprained right ankle. "When you add another 30-point scorer and a guy you can't relax and fall asleep on, of course you're not going to be able to help off Steph and double Durant like we did off other guys. So it's a whole different dynamic."
FAVORITE PRESENT
Before the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr was asked his favorite Christmas present as a kid and he said it came in 1975, when he and his brother received tickets to the Rose Bowl to see UCLA take on Ohio State. His father was a professor at UCLA and the Bruins were rarely invited.
"On New Year's Day we went to the parade. We got up at 5 in the morning and drove to the parade and went to the game that afternoon," Kerr recalled. UCLA prevailed 23-10.
