When NBA fans tuned into game one of the 2017 NBA Finals they were hoping for an intense matchup between some of the world's best professional basketball players. LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving had the task of shutting down one of the leagues best offenses.
Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were all accustomed to playing the King and company in the final series of the basketball calendar year, but this was a new task for their new teammate Kevin Durant.
Durant decided to join the Golden State Warriors, leaving Russell Westbrook behind to chase his dreams of becoming a NBA champion.
It was clear that when Kevin Durant took the stage Thursday night he was ready to show the world why he deserves his ring more than anyone in the NBA.
An explosive start
When the game began, the Warriors were off to the races. They were determined to play a sound game of basketball which has acted their signature to their perfect playoff run this post-season. The Golden State Warriors acted on every opportunity they were given and made the most out of every play the Cavaliers took off.
Turnovers and miscommunication derailed the stars of Ohio as they continued to shoot themselves in the foot throughout the first quarter. As halftime approached fans began to question if game one was a fluke. The Warriors led the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers 60-42 as they headed to the locker room to discuss how they could expand their more than comfortable point margin.
After halftime it seemed as though things did not change. Golden State's Kevin Durant continued to show his dominance as he nailed shot after shot and continued to create confusion for the Cavs struggling defense.
Durant finished the night shooting 53% percent on 26 shoots with a team high 38 points. His rebound total of nine also came second to Draymond Greens eleven on the night.
Steph Curry also did his share on the hardwood as well. Curry was able to create open opportunities for his teammates to score the basketball although he did not control the offense as much as he is accustomed to.
It was apparent that the Cavs were determined to shut down the shot of Curry but instead they awoke the dormid beast of number thirty-five.
Curry was still able to finish the game with 28 points as the Warriors cruised by the Cleveland Cavaliers with a final score of 113-91.
It is only game one
The post game reaction to game one was definitely something to see. Fans dismantled the roster of the Cleveland Cavaliers, questioning if they could really keep up with the high powered offense of Kevin Durant and company
. In a game where LeBron committed eight turnovers as the team shot 34% from the field, many were not surprised that the Cavaliers walked off the court with a loss in game one.
It is definitely too early to count the Cavaliers out especially when game three will be played in front of their home fans. Tyronn Lue and company will need to put their best foot forward and prepare for a game two matchup that will be played on Sunday. LeBron has never been a fan of losing back to back games in the playoffs but if Kevin Durant is able to repeat his performance the Cavaliers might be in some game 2 trouble.