Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors 2016 NBA Finals Guide: What to know for Game 1
CLEVELAND, Ohio – The rematch is here.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors is set for 9 p.m. today at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. It can be seen on ABC or heard via radio broadcasts on WTAM 1100-AM and LA MEGA 87.7-FM (Spanish). Fox Sports Ohio will carry pregame and postgame shows.
This guide supplies you with stories and stats leading up to the game.
THE SERIES
Game 1: Cleveland at Golden State, 9 p.m., Thursday (TV: ABC, Radio: WTAM 1100-AM, LA MEGA 87.7-FM)
Game 2: Cleveland at Golden State, 8 p.m. Sunday
Game 3: Golden State at Cleveland, 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 8
Game 4: Golden State at Cleveland, 9 p.m. Friday, June 10
Game 5, if necessary: Cleveland at Golden State, 9 p.m. Monday, June 13
Game 6, if necessary: Golden State at Cleveland, 9 p.m. Thursday, June 16
Game 7, if necessary: Cleveland at Golden State, 8 p.m. Sunday, June 19
GAME 1 PROJECTED LINEUPS (with playoff averages)
Warriors starters: PG Stephen Curry (26.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds, 33.5 minutes), SG Klay Thompson (26.2 points, 35.4 minutes), SF Andre Iguodala (8.8 points, 31.1 minutes), PF Draymond Green (15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.1 blocks, 37.6 minutes), C Andrew Bogut (5.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 17.9 minutes).
Warriors key reserves: SF Harrison Barnes (8.9 points, 30.6 minutes), PG Shaun Livingston (8.1 points, 21.6 minutes), C Festus Ezeli (4.9 points, 8.9 minutes), C Marreese Speights (7.1 points, 9.9 minutes), SG Leandro Barbosa (4.7 points, 10.4 minutes), PF Anderson Varejao (1.2 points, 4.7 minutes).
Cavaliers starters: PG Kyrie Irving (24.3 points, 5.1 assists, 35.8 minutes), SG J.R. Smith (12.0 points, 33.5 minutes), SF LeBron James (24.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.2 steals, 37.9 minutes), PF Kevin Love (17.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 32.5 minutes), C Tristan Thompson (4.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 28.3 minutes).
Cavaliers key reserves: SG Iman Shumpert (3.5 points, 17.1 minutes), PF Channing Frye (8.6 points, 15.7 minutes), SF Richard Jefferson (5.3 points, 15.2 minutes), PG Matthew Dellavedova (4.4 points, 13.9 minutes), C Timofey Mozgov (1.0 points, 6.3 minutes).
LOOKING AHEAD
Here are stories from cleveland.com and other newspapers and websites covering the NBA Finals.
Cavaliers plan to run with Warriors
Varejao wants his ring to come with Golden State
Tension between James, Curry extends beyond Finals
Pluto: Cavs can beat Warriors, but won’t say it too loud
Irving’s rage comes full circle to Oracle
Bold predictions for The Finals
Have Cavs fixed regular-season issues vs. Warriors?
Who is wanted and unwanted at the free-throw line
HISTORICAL ANALYSIS
Examining LeBron James’ Finals appearances
How much home court means in The Finals
Swept in the regular season? These teams bounced back in The Finals
Cavs-Warriors connections beyond this matchup
How this Finals affects LeBron’s legacy
Livingston: A brand and The Land
AWAY FROM THE COURT
Terry Pluto podcast ahead of The Finals
How the Warriors were built
WHAT ELSE IS BEING WRITTEN
• This is a different Cavaliers team preparing for the NBA Finals, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Lloyd also analyzes how the Cavs and Warriors match up. James seeks a moment to savor for the city and Cavaliers fans.
• Here are 10 reasons the Warriors will repeat as champions, according to Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle.
• The Warriors are out to prove Charles Barkley wrong again. He picked the Cavaliers to win last year and did it again.
• FiveThirtyEight.com gives the Warriors a 69 percent chance of beating the Cavaliers for the title. It gives Golden State a 72 percent chance of winning Game 1.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
• The Boston Celtics extended Wednesday the contracts of general manager Danny Ainge and coach Brad Stevens, the Boston Glove reported. Stevens still had three years remaining on his deal.
• In Oklahoma City, attention turns to retaining Kevin Durant. The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson writes why this does not feel like the end for Durant with the Thunder. Meanwhile, assistant Monty Williams will not return to the team after his wife, Ingrid, was killed in a February car rash.
• Sacramento Kings point guard Darren Collison was arrested Monday on a domestic violence charge. Collison was released on bail and is due in court July 11.
• Shaquille O’Neal tried going undercover as a Lyft driver.
• Jeff Hornacek is officially the New York Knicks’ coach, agreeing to a three-year contract, which Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Yahoo’s The Vertical. Also on Yahoo, Warriors GM Bob Myers joined Wojnarowski for a podcast.
• The Houston Rockets introduced Mike D’Antoni as their new coach. In this Houston Chronicle video D’Antoni explains why the Rockets were right for him.
Contact sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors 2016 NBA Finals Guide: What to know for Game 1
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