NBA Finals: Kevin Durant makes up for Klay Thompson's struggles
Turnovers
LeBron James put it best and simplest. “There's no way you're going to win a ballgame having 20 turnovers against this team and on the road,” he said.
And he’s right. Golden State scored 21 points off Cleveland turnovers, and while that’s not the only reason the Cavs lost, it was a major one. In contrast, Golden State had just four turnovers, tying the record for fewest turnovers in a Finals game.
Durant soars
In his first Finals game since 2012, Kevin Durant scored a game-high 38 points and many of them on uncontested one-handed dunks. If Durant has that many easy baskets, Cleveland is in trouble.
Klay Thompson’s good defense, bad offense
Warriors guard Klay Thompson scored just six points on 3-for-16 shooting and was 0-for-5 on three-pointers. But when he was the primary defender on LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, he held them to 1-for-11 shooting. With Thompson on the court, the Cavs scored just 90.3 points per 100 possessions.
“Even when I’m missing shots, one thing I control is my defense,” Thompson said. “I try to be effective out there.”
Better production from Cavs role players
The Cavs need more offense from Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver and Deron Williams. They combined for three points on 1-for-14 shooting.
Points in the paint
Cleveland didn’t want Golden State to destroy from the three-point line, and that’s a justifiable concern with Durant, Thompson and Steph Curry on the court. But in worrying about shooters, the Cavs allowed 56 points in the paint, including 42 in the first half.
“The ball is the number one thing,” James said. “We got to stop the ball first and then fan out to the 3-point line if those guys go there.”
Source:USATODAY
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