Does a limping Kyrie Irving spell doom for the Cavaliers?
The Golden State Warriors overcame LeBron’s 44 to get the early lead in the NBA Finals series. The Cavaliers looked good in the first half with their leader flushing jumpers from mid-range; not bothered by the great defense put up by the Warriors. They couldn’t close out the game during the last twenty-four seconds of regulation when the scores were tied and they had possession. As a result, the game went to overtime(OT).
Kyrie Irving was playing an exceptional game after more than a week of much-needed rest. With a little more than two minutes left in OT, he tried to make a move on Warrior’s guard Klay Thompson but slipped and his left leg awkwardly carried the weight of his whole body.
Speaking about the injury in the Post-Game interview, Irving provided a quick description about how he sustained it and added this blow was unlike a few that he had suffered in the past.
“I tried to decelerate, to try to go by Klay. What I felt obviously didn’t feel right. It was a little bit different than what I had been experiencing in the Chicago series and then in practices. This was a quick pinch. I could still feel what was going on in my knee. This time I knew it was, uh, a little bit different from the other times”
The 23-year-old Melbourne-born player has been battling his knee injury throughout this postseason and he relished the break he got after his team closed out the Hawks in four games. He came out for this Game 1 of the finals looking healthy and limitless. He recorded 23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks before he started limping.
Expectedly, Irving sounded a bit worried about the blow, ahead of Game 2, that is scheduled in Golden State on Sunday night( Monday morning for Indian viewers)
“Obviously you can see in the tone of my voice I’m a little worried. It’s just a natural reaction. … I hope it’s just a re-aggravation of what was originally going on. I mean, it’s a little disappointing and frustrating ‘cause, just coming in, I felt amazing”
Kyrie Irving has a reason to be worried. So does every Cleveland fan. Now that they’re down one game against the team that had the best record in regular season, they need him more than ever. We already have a preview of how a healthy Irving can throw the Warriors to a state of panic. With him driving the lane with nasty crossovers on offense and blocking potentially game-winning shots from the reigning MVP on the defensive end, Cleveland has little hope with him on the bench.
Speaking of benches, the Golden State Warriors got a tremendous help from the bench with a whopping 34 points whereas Cleveland’s bench scoring started and ended at JR smith’s 9 points (3-10 3PM-A). The Warriors used a good ten man rotation whereas the Cavaliers only used three players off their bench.
LeBron James: Man on a Mission
LeBron James did most of the heavy lifting this Game 1 by recording 8 rebounds, 6 assists and a playoff career-high 44 points. The Cavs were getting great looks, but the former Knicks (Smith and Shumpert) were struggling to score. This put a lot of pressure on James and Irving to carry the whole offensive game on their shoulders with help from their big man, Timofey Mozgov.
LeBron was playing like an amalgamation of Michael Jordan and Magic Jonson. Anyone who saw Game 1 can say with certainty that of the 44 points, you can’t say that LeBron was being selfish. His team simply wasn’t performing as a whole. A single player, no matter how great, cannot win the championship. He has to work harder to make his teammates better.
Future for the Wine and Gold
Things certainly look bleak without Irving. LeBron needs help and he needs it now more than ever. The Warriors are a well-built team with the MVP leading them and a 5 time NBA Champion coaching them. Matthew Dellavedova has risen to the challenge in the past against the Hawks. But the Warriors are just too good. With five players scoring in double digits and the splash brothers putting up a combined 47 in the books, Dellavedova has to fill shoes that may be too big for his feet.
Irving will have an MRI scan in the morning today and the results will clear up the cloud surrounding Cleveland’s championship hopes. LeBron’s Cavs have to hope for the best but expect the worst.
The King needs help.
Anyone willing to step up?