The NBA Finals have arrived and for the fourth time in as many years, it’ll be the Golden State Warriors taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of Game 1 from 11am (AEST).
Whether it’s the best thing for the NBA or not is up in the air, but after two seven-game conference finals series, the Cavs and Warriors are into the finals again.
Cleveland will be looking to square the ledger of the finals up at two-all, but they are underdogs. Big underdogs.
LeBron James is quite literally the only reason the Cavs made it into the big dance. They were struggling to beat Boston away from home during the Eastern Conference finals, but found a way to get it done after facing elimination twice.
Without the concussed Kevin Love, LeBron – who has almost certainly cemented his status as the greatest player of all time – put up huge numbers, missing all of about 90 seconds across the two games to drag Cleveland into the finals.
Doing everything on your own generally isn’t the way to win the NBA Championship though and the chance of him being able to beat the Warriors juggernaut four times in seven games – with four of them on the road – seems outrageously slim.
Sure, he did it in 2016, but he had a slightly better team and got on a roll from 3-1 down in the series.
Golden State didn’t get to the finals without their own problems though, with the side almost being brought undone in the Western Conference finals by the Houston Rockets.
One would go as far as to say Houston should have actually qualified, which, on paper at least, would have set up a more intriguing finals series.
In Game 6, on the road, Houston led by 17 at the end of the first quarter, before being mowed down in a 93-47 mauling across the last three quarters as Klay Thompson came up big.
Game 7 was more of the same. The Rockets led by ten points at the halftime break on their home floor in Texas, before missing 27 straight threes to lose the game and allow Golden State to go through again to the biggest series in basketball.
While Klay Thompson came up huge in Game 6, the form of Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, to go with the defensive intensity of Draymond Green, have guided the Warriors through. The return of an injured Andre Iguodala will only make them stronger for the finals series.
Prediction
The Warriors, at home, are going to dominate this series opener. The Cavs, on the back of LeBron, might have a few runs here and there, but all in all, this will be a drubbing from dub nation.
Warriors by 18.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of Game 1 in the NBA Finals from 11am (AEST) and don’t forget to get involved by dropping a comment in the section below.
anon
Roar Pro
Happy to see LeBron eat it. Thankfully LeBron didn't get rewarded with the offensive foul. He tried his best to intimidate the refs before and after but the video doesn't lie.
Davico
Roar Pro
So many home calls which lets be honest the Warriors do not need! If this game made anything clear is that nobody in the league at the moment can carry LeBron's jock! Horrible play from his team when it counted
Davico
Roar Pro
Did not follow Scott as had the day off and watched the game but appreciate
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this afternoon on The Roar for our live coverage of Game 1 of the NBA Finals as the Golden State Warriors got the better of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hopefully you enjoyed the call. I'll be back for Game 2 at 10am (AEST) on Monday. Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts on the game Roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME The Cleveland Cavaliers have put on a strong display in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but ultimately came up short in overtime as the Golden State Warriors picked up a ten-point victory at the Oracle Arena. Written off as $7 outsiders before the tip, Cleveland were superb throughout the contest, hanging tough and weathering the storm a couple of times during the first half. LeBron James, as always, was the key man for Cleveland. He finished the contest with 51 points, but made all of his first four shots during the first quarter as the Cavs took a one-point lead into the end of the third quarter. The second quarter saw more of an even contest, with scores tied at 56-all at the half. The Cavs held a substantial lead three minutes before the half, but then the hosts hit back through Steph Curry and Kevin Durant. The Warriors then ran away with their typical third quarter run. At one point they led by double digits, but then failed to keep it as the Cavs hit back through LeBron and co., who shut the gap to be down by just six at the end of the third. Cleveland stayed strong during the fourth and tied the game with a free throw just four seconds from the end. They go an offensive rebound from said free throw, but had poor management with JR Smith going back to halfcourt, thinking they had the lead. Time would expire before the visitors could get a shot off and the following overtime period saw the Warriors hit their shots, get off to a 7-0 start and never look back. Game 2 will be played on Monday at 10am (AEST) and will again be live, right here on The Roar. Final score Cavaliers - 114 Warriors - 124
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME Well, after that farcical ending, the Warriors can finally start celebrating. They have won Game 1 of the NBA Finals by ten points after skipping away in overtime. Regulation was a fantastic 48 minutes. LeBron James with 51 points, received plenty of support to keep the Cavs ticking along. They answered back to plenty of runs from the Warriors and had a few solid ones of their own, but in the end, it was the Warriors scoring 17-7 in the final five minutes of overtime. Warriors - 124 Cavaliers - 114
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 0' We finally have a ruling. There was a flagrant foul against Thompson. Livingston goes to the free throw line and makes both. Warriors - 124 Cavaliers - 114
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 0' Jee this is ridiculous with 2.6 seconds left on the clock. Warriors - 122 Cavaliers - 114
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 0' Klay Thompson has been walked down the locker room as well. Green might be following him. Warriors - 122 Cavaliers - 114
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 0' Unsurprisingly, Green was involved in the push and shove. I still can't work out why Tristan Thompson got ejected for that foul... Or maybe it was for putting the ball into Green's face which sparked the melee. Warriors - 122 Cavaliers - 114
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 0' I was just about to tell you there was no drama left in this game. Livingston misses a jumper, then Thompson is ejected from the game with a foul. Steph Curry and LeBron James sort of got into a bit of a conversation, then there was back-and-forth push and shove. The referees are now chatting about exactly what to do here. Warriors - 122 Cavaliers - 114
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 0' That's going to do it. LeBron with a missed three and the Warriors will run more time off the clock. Curry goes all the way to five seconds, then drives and misses the lay up. JR Smith to Hill, back to Smith and he hits a three, but with 26 seconds to go, it's an eight-point game. Warriors - 122 Cavaliers - 114
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 1' The Warriors will start to run the clock here. They go into Green, he goes out to Thompson and that's a three. 11-ponit game. Warriors - 122 Cavaliers - 111
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 1' LeBron good on both. He has 51. Warriors - 119 Cavaliers - 111
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 1' LeBron straight through the lane. No time to waste now, but he misses before there is an offensive board and LeBron will go to the line. Warriors - 119 Cavaliers - 109
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 1' The Warriors almost turn it over, but Curry scrambled to get it back before DRAYMOND GREEN HITS A THREE! That is enormous. Ten-point game with 92 seconds on the clock. Warriors - 119 Cavaliers - 109
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 2' The Warriors from Curry to Green and he loops it inside to Livingston. No defence within cooee and he scores. LeBron misses, Jeff Green tips it in. Warriors - 116 Cavaliers - 109
Brian
Guest
gonna be like 2015 again where the Cavs wonder what would have been if they had won game 1
Scott Pryde
Expert
1 OT 2' The Cavs now through LeBron. He drives into the lane and then draws a foul with Durant hitting the arm. From the inbound, it's LeBron and he misses. Warriors - 114 Cavaliers - 107