Dribbles: Cavs have overcome worse starts, but need Kyrie for finish
Random dribbles on the Cavaliers' 108-100 overtime loss to the host Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday:
1. Let's start with a little bit of reality: No one in NBA history has won a championship after one game. This was also a game the Cavs were supposed to lose. In fact, they're supposed to lose the next one, too. And they might.
2. But here's another theory, and in 20 years of covering the league, I've found it to be unquestionably true: A series doesn't start until both teams have played at home. If you want to get too panicky or too overjoyed over the first game of a series, well, then you're new to this sort of thing.
3. Bottom line on Game 1? You'd rather win it than lose it. So the Warriors did their job. They took care of business at home. But as for being too down or too elated -- well, that's why we write and watch and talk on sports radio. It's why we never made it to the NBA. As for the coaches and men in uniform? Well, to get to this level, they know nothing is settled until someone wins four games.
4. The Lakers beat the Bulls in Game 1 on the road in 1991. Then the Bulls won four straight. The 76ers beat the Lakers on the road in Game 1 (in OT, no less) in 2001. Then the Lakers won four straight. I'm not about to say the Cavs will beat the Warriors four straight -- because I don't believe it. But I do know the Cavs also lost the first game of the East semifinals vs. the Bulls, and that was at home.
5. Read: Hang your head after you lose four. Not when you trail 1-0, or even 2-1 (as the Cavs also did vs. the Bulls), or even 3-2. Nothing is settled until one team hoists the trophy. Unless, of course, you follow the crowd on social media.
6. LeBron James scored 44 points, his career high in the finals. He looked like he may have been worn down in overtime, when the Warriors outscored the Cavs by a 10-2 count. And as James conceded, "We really only had zero points until I got a layup at the end, but that didn't mean much."
7. Sadly for the Cavs, guard Iman Shumpert just missed a fling from the baseline at the regulation buzzer. And I mean it was off by about half an inch. You can't get any closer than that and not make it. Even Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he "may have held my breath for a few moments" when the shot went up.
8. Worse, I am getting the vibe that the Cavs believe Kyrie Irving is out for the rest of the series. Irving went down in OT with what looked like further damage to his injured left knee.
9. Nothing is official, as another MRI is scheduled for Friday. But following a brilliant performance in which Irving scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds and was relentless on defense, he left the arena on crutches.
10. Irving on the injury: "It's disappointing and frustrating because I felt amazing. This is just a setback that I kind of have to take with a grain of salt."
13. LeBron on Kyrie: "It was very tough to see. I see how hard he worked the past eight days just to get himself ready to play at this level tonight. Seeing him walk out of the locker room on crutches, that's a tough blow to our team."
14. Still, James stuck with his "next man up" philosophy, and you have to believe that as long as James stays healthy, the Cavs will fight and stay in games. With Lebron, that means always giving yourself a chance at the end.
15. Unfortunately for the Cavs, Matthew Dellavedova was ineffective in his nine minutes. He looked rattled and didn't attempt a shot. In fact, the Cavs' bench (nine points, all from J.R. Smith) was basically absent.
16. LeBron on this very matter: "If Kyrie can't go, Delly's number is going to be called and everyone else has to pick each other up. But we still had a chance to win. We had a few miscues defensively, had a couple turnovers offensively, but we were right there. They just made a couple more plays than we did."
17. Cavs coach David Blatt added: "You're in the first game of the NBA Finals on an away floor, and we were in position to win. But like every other game, you look and see (on film), and you adjust. When and if necessary, you change your tactic."
18. The Cavs were out-rebounded by 48-45 count. They won every game of the previous two playoff series when winning the war on the boards. That will be critical in the NBA Finals as well. Tristan Thompson did his part by pulling down 15. But everyone else, including LeBron, will need to give just a little more effort in this area in Game 2.
19. Yeah, I too wonder how this series would go if the Cavs had a healthy Irving, Kevin Love and Anderson Varejao. Frankly, it may not have made much of a difference Thursday. Warriors guard Steph Curry is fantastic. This may be his time. Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and others have been pretty doggone good all year, too. And the Warriors' bench is undoubtedly superior to that of the current Cavs.
20. But I'd still take LeBron with his best teammates healthy. Now? Well, I predicted the Warriors would win the first two at home -- and the Cavs would win the series in seven. I'm not backing down from that after one overtime game.
