Another wild overtime finish in Game 2 has set the tone for an NBA Finals that is now tied 1-1. Without Kyrie Irving, the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to stave off a comeback from the Golden State Warriors, who made a 14-2 run to close out the fourth quarter and force overtime.
LeBron James did not get the officiating TLC that he has become accustomed to in the late goings. Whether or not you like the babysitting that the referees do for The King, the officials in Game 2 clearly missed several calls in the closing seconds of regulation and in overtime that should've sent James to the free throw line. Luckily, silent whistles did not cost the Cavs the game, which may have ultimately cost them the series.
As the series shifts back to Cleveland, both teams will look to improve their shooting in Game 3. Defense was impressive for both sides in Game 2 and forced poor shooting performances all around. The Warriors were more troubled, making just under 23 percent of their shots from three-point range. While Klay Thompson had a coming out party with a team-high 34 points, Stephen Curry struggled immensely. The 2015 MVP finished with 19 points, but made just five of his 23 shots from the field, including a Finals-worst 2-for-15 performance from long distance. Although he came alive late, he will need to shoot well from the start in Game 3 for the Warriors to regain the series lead.
Another key for Steve Kerr will be shutting down Timofey Mozgov, who was a force inside in Game 2, scoring 17 points while securing 11 rebounds. Mozgov was aggressive on offense and went to the line a career-high 12 times. David Blatt will certainly turn to the Russian to pick up the slack in the absence of Irving.
Matthew Dellavedova will also be looked upon on the offensive end. Dellavedova is an underrated defender, but scored just nine points in 42 minutes on the floor. J.R. Smith reached double figures with 13 points off the bench, but made costly errors late in the fourth quarter. Three fouls showing a clear lack of judgment and in-game awareness caused Smith to foul out of the game. Iman Shumpert was not much better, scoring seven points on 2-for-11 shooting. Both Smith and Shumpert will need to play well at home and share some of the point total that has weighed heavily in LeBron James' hands.
James tallied a triple-double in Game 2 in 50 minutes on the floor for the Cavs. The 30 year-old clearly thirsts for his third NBA Title, but it will take more than him alone to bring Cleveland its first championship. The Warriors could let James score 80 as long as they shut down the other Cavaliers and take care of business on the offensive end.
We should expect better shooting from both teams as well as continued aggression on defense in Game 3 in what will be a rowdy Quicken Loans Arena.
Game notes: The Cavaliers look to get their first NBA Finals win at home in franchise history.
The Cavs were 31-10 at home in the regular season and 6-1 at home in the playoffs.
The Warriors were 28-13 on the road during the regular season. They have lost two games on the road this postseason.