How Things Changed After Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals and What it Means for the Cavs-Warriors Showdown

I find it helpful to write a short, one-page article after the first game of a NBA playoff series. I like to do this because it provides me with a snapshot of how I was feeling at the time and who I thought was important. Then, after the series ends, I can go back and analyze that paper and write a short commentary about what changed, what stayed the same, and what it means for the future. I went through that exact process with Eastern Conference Finals. Below, I will provide you with the article I wrote after Game 1 and a brief commentary about what it means for the next round of the playoffs.

Cavaliers Cruise to Victory: Created Wednesday, May 17th

The age-old NBA playoff debate about rest versus rust seemed to be settled last night as Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, coming off nine day’s rest, cruised to an easy victory over Isaiah Thomas and the Boston Celtics in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The win also marked a perfect 9-0 start to this year’s playoffs and a twelfth-consecutive playoff victory dating back to last year’s NBA finals, which is tied for the second longest streak in NBA history.

When asked how the Cavaliers were able to do accomplish that impressive feat, James replied, "Our energy. Our defensive intensity. The game plan that we had, we stuck to it.

While James’ 38 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists led the way for Cleveland, it was the contributions of his teammates that truly propelled them. Kevin love added 32 points and 12 rebounds and Tristian Thompson scored 20 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, 6 of which were on the offensive glass.

As for the Boston Celtics, it was obvious from the opening minutes of the first quarter that their seven-game series against the Washington Wizards in the previous round had taken its toll. Boston opened by missing 11 of their first 14 shots and went 1-for-8 from the three-point range. Things got worse from there as the Cavaliers eventually built a 28-point lead early in the third quarter.

"[The Cavaliers] were the better team last night. They were more physical," Thomas said. "We can’t let that happen again."

The good news for the Celtics is that they won’t have to wait long to get redemption. Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals is Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET in Boston. The bad news, teams that go down 0-2 in the NBA playoffs have only gone on to win the series about 7% of the time, making Friday’s game that much more important.

Commentary Written After the Series Ended: Created Friday, May 26th

A few things stick out to me when I look back at the original article. The first is the discussion about consecutive playoff victories. For those of you who don’t know, the Cavaliers went on to win their thirteenth-straight playoff game, which tied a NBA record held by the 1987-89 Los Angeles Lakers. What really might be a thorn in Cleveland’s mind for years to come is the fact that they had a chance to break the tie if not for a miraculous Celtics’ comeback and a few lucky bounces on an Avery Bradley three-point shot. What is also interesting to note is that the Golden State Warriors sit on twelve-straight playoff wins with a back-to-back-to-back NBA Finals meeting against the Cavaliers coming up on June 1st. I’m sure if we asked the Cavaliers what their ultimate goal was they would say a championship. But I also believe that somewhere in the back of their minds, almost like a small consolation prize, they would love to clip the Warriors in one of the first two games and maintain their place atop the record books.

Another topic I wanted to touch on relates to the most important player, besides LeBron James of course, for the Cleveland Cavaliers and their quest for another ring. After Game 1, analysts far-and-wide couldn’t stop talking about how important Cleveland’s big men were going to be in Eastern Conference Finals and beyond. While that is true, I think the final four games showed why Kyrie Irving is unquestionably the second most valuable player on the Cavaliers, not Kevin Love or Tristan Thompson. Sure, Cleveland probably didn’t need Irving’s scoring against the Boston Celtics; they would have won the series anyway. But the Golden State Warriors are another beast entirely. It isn’t going to be defense or rebounding that propels the Cavaliers to their second-straight championship. It’s going to be scoring. The Warriors will put up points, there is no doubt about that; they were the number one scoring offense during the regular season and have continued that trend into the playoffs. The question is whether the Cavs can keep pace.

Finally, I wanted to mention the statistic I brought up in the final paragraph of the original article about how teams that go down 0-2 only go on to win the series 7% of the time. Now before anyone says it, I understand the Cavaliers added themselves to the small list of teams to accomplish that tough feat when they came back from an 0-2 deficit in the 2016 Finals. But this year is different. The Warriors team from last year lost Draymond Green for Game 5 of the Finals due to a questionable suspension. Even more important to note, though, is that those Warriors didn’t have Kevin Durant. I find it really hard to believe that Green will get suspended or that Kevin Durant will play worse than Harrison Barnes did. It is for those reasons that I think it is imperative that the Cavaliers steal one of the first two games at Oracle Arena or they will find themselves on the losing end of history.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to writing a similar article at the conclusion of the NBA Finals.