There is no nice way to lose a final but when a bizarre error comes into play, it makes it all the more painful for both the players and fans. This was the unfortunate outcome in the NBA Finals where the Golden State Warriors were victorious with a score line of 124-114.
As expected, LeBron James was an integral figure for Cleveland Cavaliers, showing just why he is still regarded as the best around. Sadly for Cavs, James could not win the game on his own and he was left looking as defeated as the score implied.
James hits 51 points
source: NBA.com
Despite making 51 points in just 48 minutes, James ended up on the losing side, his outrageously great performance accounted to nothing other than game stats. This was the first time a player had scored 51 points in a NBA Finals game since the legendary Michael Jordan achieved it 25 years ago. This is an astonishing stat that would have made all of the headlines today if James had not ended up on the wrong end of the result.
Controversial decisions
source: CNET
The nature in which the game was won, or perhaps more accurately described as the way that the game was lost, was a bitter pill to swallow. J.R Smith was at the centre of the controversy as he took the ball into space on the court to run down the clock. The controversial part is that the score was tied at this stage rather than being ahead, as according to the coach Tyron Lue, the team had thought they were.
After the game, J.R. Smith came out and stated that he knew they were tied and thought they were about to take a timeout. So there are two quite different stories behind the error. So whether it was a tactical failure or a time-telling error, we’re still not quite sure.
It was not just J.R. Smith’s untimely time wasting that came under scrutiny; the reversal of a blocking call from the officials in the final minute of the fourth quarter was another area of controversy. The decision against James left Durant to take two free-throws when the game was tied at 104-104. Lue argued after the game that this was the first time ever in the game that such a decision had been made related to play outside of the restricted area.
The rivalry intensifies
The rivalry between Warriors and the Cavs has been at the boiling point for the last three years. Meeting each other in every NBA Finals since 2015, this game will have added even more intensity to their strong rivalry. With another six games to go, James will be determined to show his pedigree and claim some revenge for this loss in Game 1.
This game will further enhance the theory that Cleveland Cavaliers rely on one player and lack the all-star quality of the Golden State Warriors. LeBron James continues to do what he does best but without the same level of performance from the other players around him, it feels like it might not be enough to see off the Warriors in these NBA Finals.