Cavs Prove for Real, Smash Golden State, 136-117
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 09 Nov 2024
It could have been road fatigue finally catching up on Golden State Warriors.
Or the Cleveland Cavaliers have finally found the right formula to beat the Warriors after losing to them eleven times before, including twice last season.
The Cavs proved for real in winning their 10th straight with a smashing 136-117 victory over Golden State, remaining the only unbeaten team at this point of the NBA new season.
Cleveland dramatically upped its points production and starved Golden State on its own to reverse the result this time. Coach Kenny Anderson who now holds the record for most consecutive wins to start a season employed his own version of the whole of the bench approach strategy Warrior coach Steve Kerr had used in helping Stephen Curry carry Golden State to a 7-1 record until this game.
The difference was that Anderson utilized ace scorer Dennis Mitchell more as decoy leading to Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley spearheading the early strong fast start staking the Cavs to huge 20 points leads with Mitchell sniping from time to time.
This was also made possible by the Cavs limiting the usual outputs of the Warriors starters with Curry only able to score sparingly as Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II and Trayce Jackson Davis seemed stymied by the Cavs scrambling defense and fast tempo offense.
The Cavs reserves also held their own against their counterparts through Ty Jerome, Caris LaVert and George Niang and Sam Merrill as the Warriors off the bench crew of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, De Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski carried much of the scoring for Golden State. Nonetheless Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson were not able to contribute much for the Warriors cause.
Garland led the Cavs parade of scorers with 27 points followed by Mobley (23), Jerome (20) and Okoro (16). Center Jarett Allen posted 13 points aside from outplaying Jackson Davis while Mitchell managed 12 markers, 6 boards and 5 assists
Typifying Golden State anemic offense, reserves Kuminga and Podziemski led the Warriors with 21 points and 14 points respectively. Curry and Wiggins only managed 12 and 11.
Nonetheless as the saying goes, one swallow does not a spring make. The season is still on its very early stage and the two teams, both last season's also runs have a long way to go and more proving to do.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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