Game 2 of the 2017 NBA Finals match-up between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers is scheduled for Sunday night. We take a look at a few things that will probably be the decisive points of this extremely important game for both teams. Obviously, Golden State won Game 1 on Thursday night in a blowout fashion as they dominated the Cavs 113-91 at Oracle Arena. They will look to take a convincing 2-0 series lead on Sunday night as they try to stay undefeated this postseason. The Warriors are currently holding an impressive 13-0 record in this year's playoffs, and they are the first team in NBA history to be undefeated throughout the first 13 games of a single postseason.
Golden State has dominated their opponents so far, including a first-round sweep of the Trail Blazers, and a second-round sweep of the Utah Jazz. The Warriors also swept the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals and so far, they are looking unbeatable.
Kevin Durant vs LeBron James
One of the biggest factors of Warriors' success this postseason has obviously been Kevin Durant. In the Game 1 victory over the Cavaliers on Thursday night, Durant put on a show. He finished with 38 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists while shooting 14-for-26 from the floor. Most of the time he was guarded by LeBron James and James had little success of stopping Durant. Even though LeBron himself finished with 28 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists, Durant definitely outplayed him.
He was all over the court, slamming home the uncontested dunks and making three-pointers. The Warriors will look for Durant to carry them on offense again in Game 2 and on defense he can be a factor as well with his big wingspan and long hands.
Who will step up for the Cavaliers?
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the defending champions and they surely don't want to go back home with a 2-0 series deficit.
They were blown off the court in Game 1 and looked slow on defense, with no movement on offense. If they want to win Game 2 on Sunday night, they will definitely need more from their key players.
In the Game 1 loss, Kyle Korver, Deron Williams, and Tristan Thompson combined for 0 (zero) points. That can't happen in the NBA finals, especially not for the defending champions.
The Cavaliers will also need more from J.R. Smith who had just three points in Game 1. These four players are a huge part of Cavaliers' offense and in Game 2, we expect them to bounce back and play better.
It's going to be very hard for the Cavaliers to defend their title if they go down 2-0 in this series, and they know it. We expect a great game on Sunday night at Oracle Arena as this epic Finals match-up continues.
