If the Warriors had been due for a stinker, the invoice arrived in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers, the lone remaining undefeated crew within the league, utterly dominated Golden State, who by no means led within the contest. Former Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson’s group began 13-for-17 from 3 and constructed a commanding 40-point cushion within the first half.
Already having cemented a profitable street journey with a win on the defending champion Boston Celtics’ place, the Warriors (7-2) didn’t come near extending their five-game successful streak in Cleveland.
The Cavaliers scored a franchise-record 83 factors within the first half en path to a 136-117 victory — their tenth consecutive victory to start the season. Their starters, led by Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, outscored these of the Warriors 91-40.
“There’s going to be games in the 82 where things don’t go your way and you have to show where you are,” Steve Kerr informed reporters postgame, through the San Francisco Chronicle. “I was impressed with the guys’ energy and the way they kept playing (in the second half). And that’s important to establish.”
With everybody out there at their disposal, the Warriors began Steph Curry, Gary Payton II, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Inexperienced and Trayce Jackson-Davis. However from the beginning, the Cavaliers took management.
Garland, totally wholesome after spending a lot of final yr battling a damaged jaw, carved up the Golden State protection that entered the sport ranked second in effectivity. Cleveland ripped off a 17-0 run throughout 5 minutes and hit seven of 10 3-pointers en path to a 39-22 opening interval.
Kerr performed 10 Warriors within the first quarter, leaving Moses Moody and Kyle Anderson on the bench. Anderson began the second quarter and Moody joined him shortly thereafter as Kerr continued to make use of a deep 12-man rotation.
The Cavaliers dealt with Golden State’s traps on excessive ball screens significantly better than different groups have, discovering launch valves after which open shooters. A pair of nook 3s from Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade helped forestall the Warriors’ bench from turning the sport prefer it has all season.
A Donovan Mitchell step-back 3 over Brandin Podziemski capped a 16-2 Cleveland run, and the Cavs quickly pushed their result in a game-high 34. Proper after Steph Curry air-balled a 3 — a tell-tale signal it wasn’t Golden State’s evening — former Warrior Ty Jerome sank Cleveland’s thirteenth trey (of 17). At that time, eight totally different Cavaliers had already hit not less than one triple.
Earlier than Friday evening, the Warriors ranked first in 3-point protection, holding opponents to 29.5% from behind the arc. As a lot as their personnel is extra outfitted to lock up and as a lot of a distinction as new assistant Jerry Stackhouse has made, they had been due for some regression.
It got here in a tsunami in Cleveland.
Even when the Cavaliers’ bounce pictures began to dry up, they discovered methods to dominate in different methods. Jarrett Allen managed the boards and their protection compelled 12 Warriors turnovers within the first half.
Draymond Inexperienced threw the kind of ill-advised turnover — making an attempt to launch a hit-ahead go — Kerr has been harping on, after which dedicated a frustration foul for his fourth of the sport. Earlier than the tip of the primary half, Golden State trailed by 41 and had their finest defender in critical foul hassle.
A few of Cleveland’s depth waned, because it tends to do with a 40-point lead, within the second half. Regardless that the Warriors capitalized by turning the sport into extra of a fast-paced affair, they hardly made up floor.
Jonathan Kuminga was the Warriors’ solely constantly productive scorer, and he didn’t test again in till midway by way of the third quarter. He completed with a team-high 21 factors, six rebounds and 5 assists in 29 minutes.
Kuminga, De’Anthony Melton — in his first sport again from a light again harm — and the Warriors’ bench reduce the deficit to 18, however Curry and Inexperienced by no means returned. The reserves had been enjoying so significantly better than Golden State’s starters, it made extra sense to trip with them.
For many of this season, the Warriors have been ready to make use of their depth to ease the workloads of their stars, smoothing out the distribution of minutes throughout the roster. In opposition to the Cavaliers, they didn’t must play their veterans too many minutes for the unsuitable purpose.
Initially Printed: November 8, 2024 at 6:53 PM PST
