5. Defense Wins Championships
Despite their rough 33-point loss in Game 2 on Sunday night at Oracle Arena, the Cavs managed a franchise playoff-record 15 steals and forced 21 Golden State turnovers. This must continue in Game 3 on Wednesday, as the Cavs will aim to create turnovers, capitalize on Golden State’s miscues and convert them into transition buckets on the other end.
In Game 1, the Warriors’ bench went berserk, led by backup point guard and former Cavalier Shaun Livingston with 20 points.
However, the Cavs have done a pretty good job defensively on guard tandem Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, as neither of them have scored more than 18 points in Games 1 and 2. This absolutely must continue, but the contributions of small forward Draymond Green need to be limited as well. In Game 2, Green torched the Cavs to the tune of a game-high 28 points (11-of-20 from the field and 5-of-8 from behind the arc), seven boards and five assists.
