With three small words, Draymond Green confirmed what we’ve all been wondering about the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“It’s a rivalry.”
There wasn’t a single lead change during Golden State’s commanding 126-91 win over the Cavaliers, but there was a shift in the power dynamic at Oracle Arena on Monday night: the Warriors have reclaimed the lead in the fiercest – and newest – grudge match in the NBA.
The Warriors had a lot to prove after blowing a 3-1 advantage in the 2016 finals, and falling to Cleveland in the last minutes of their rematch on Christmas Day. On Monday night, after three days of rest, they came back fully loaded, shooting at over 50% with 15 three-pointers and 37 assists. But for a team with an explosive offense, defense was the star. The Warriors blocked 11 shots and consistently attacked the rim to prevent the Cavaliers from catching up. They capitalized on Cleveland’s 15 turnovers to gain an extra 20 points.
“When we play like that, we’re tough to beat,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said.
And here’s just how bad Cleveland’s night was:
- Cleveland had more turnovers (15) than assists (11), giving up 20 points.
- The Cavaliers only had 11 assists total; Curry and Green had 11 apiece.
- The Cavaliers allowed 78 points, the most in a first half since 2011.
- Cleveland’s starters had double-digit negative impact on the plus-minus scale.
- It was the biggest loss by a defending champion in 10 years.
Days before their second match-up of the season, LeBron James, in an ESPN interview, called Golden State “probably one of the best teams ever assembled” but wouldn’t make the leap to call them rivals, and he has repeatedly said that he isn’t thinking about potential NBA finals rematch.
“Regardless of whether LeBron thinks it’s a rivalry or not, they want to beat us,” Green countered after the blowout.
Draymond Green: "It's a rivalry" pic.twitter.com/a0bheZsdyi
— Arielle Retting (@aretting) January 17, 2017
But it’s difficult to form a rivalry when teams are in different conferences and only face each other twice a season. Most of the league’s greatest power struggles – the Lakers v the Celtics, Wilt Chamberlain v Bill Russell – took several games and many years to form. The Lakers and Celtics have faced off in the finals 12 times; Russell and Chamberlain antagonized each other for a decade.
The Warriors and the Cavaliers had little history before these recent match-ups, and each team hadn’t been a true playoff contender in decades until James and Stephen Curry came around.
But the tension between the teams has escalated with each recent game, and it only seems to be building. You could feel how high the stakes were with each big play on Monday night.
Kevin Durant – who has his own rivalry with James from his Oklahoma City Thunder days, after falling to the Miami Heat in the 2012 finals – intensely blocked James at the rim, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
“Fans are starting to respect defense, and they can sense when there’s a momentum shift,” Durant said of the play. “Especially at home, when you get a block against anybody, the crowd really enjoys it.”
With his arm extended, Green collided with James during the first half, which earned him a flagrant one foul – a reminder of their confrontation during game four of the finals that also earned Green a flagrant one foul and got him suspended for a game.
Not. A. Rivalry pic.twitter.com/dIOqcaFSXB
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) January 17, 2017
“I think it’s intense enough for two matches,” Green said. “The fact that you only play twice a year makes it even more exciting. If we want to play each other again, then try to get to the NBA finals.”
That seems to be a likely scenario. The Warriors and the Cavaliers are poised for their third straight finals battle, each sitting at the top of their conferences.
Their two match-ups of the season behind them, both teams are looking to the future. Cleveland head coach Tyronn Lue said the Cavaliers will get right back to work to “regroup” after the loss, and work on getting newly acquired Kyle Korver into the mix, an excellent three-point shooter who could match up nicely against the Splash Brothers in the playoffs.
The Warriors are set to break ground on their new arena in San Francisco on Tuesday, and Klay Thompson said the team will use the rest of the season to “develop great habits” to get them prepared for the post-season.
With a championship and a regular-season win split between each team, the champion of this year’s inevitable finals clash will be crowned the winner of the rivalry so far. But this is only the beginning of a tug-of-war that could go on for many more years – even decades.
Is it June yet?
