In regards to the Golden State Warriors, there is no team that is in better form. The Cavaliers are young, energetic, and focused defensively. But lacking two key players and coming up against a quality Warriors offense, the Cavaliers should come up on the losing end.
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Golden State Warriors def. Cleveland Cavaliers
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Head-to-Head: Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Golden State Warriors
|
Head-to-Head |
Cleveland Cavaliers
|
| Steve Kerr |
Head Coach |
J.B. Bickerstaff |
| 12-2 (1st in West) |
Standing |
9-6 (5th in East) |
| W-L-W-W |
Form |
L-W-W-L |
| 112.7 (2nd of 30) |
Off Rtg |
106.3 (21st of 30) |
| 99.5 (1st of 30) |
Def Rtg |
104.5 (9th of 30) |
| 101.4 (6th of 30) |
Pace |
96.7 (26th of 30) |
|
Leaders (Per Game)
|
| S. Curry (28.7) |
PPG |
D. Garland (16.8) |
| D. Green (7.9) |
RPG |
J. Allen (10.9) |
| D. Green (7.1) |
APG |
D. Garland (6.7) |
| S. Curry (1.7) |
SPG |
R. Rubio (1.4) |
| D. Green (0.9) |
BPG |
E. Mobley (1.6) |
| G. Payton II (.680)/S. Curry (9.2) |
FG%/FGM |
J. Allen (.694)/C. Sexton (6.2) |
| N. Bjelica (.438)/S. Curry (5.4) |
3P%/3PM |
K. Pangos (.500)/D. Garland (2.6) |
Injury Report
| Player |
Team |
Date |
Status |
Info |
| K. Thompson |
Golden State Warriors |
14 Oct 2021 |
Out (Right Achilles) |
Thompson is practicing with the team, but there is no timetable for his return. |
| J. Wiseman |
Golden State Warriors |
1 Nov 2021 |
Out (Knee) |
Wiseman has been cleared to return to full-team practices. |
| C. Sexton |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
8 Nov 2021 |
Out (Knee) |
Sexton suffered a torn meniscus and is expected to miss significant time. |
| J. Allen |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
16 Nov 2021 |
Day-to-Day (Illness) |
Allen did not play in Cleveland’s Monday (Nov 15) game. |
| K. Love |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
16 Nov 2021 |
Day-to-Day (Health & Safety) |
Love did not play in Cleveland’s Monday (Nov 15) game. |
| L. Markkanen |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
16 Nov 2021 |
Day-to-Day (Health & Safety) |
Markkanen did not play in Cleveland’s Monday (Nov 15) game. |
| E. Mobley |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
16 Nov 2021 |
Out (Elbow) |
Mobley is expected to miss the next 2-4 weeks with an elbow sprain. |
| L. Stevens |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
16 Nov 2021 |
Day-to-Day (Ankle) |
Stevens did not play in Cleveland’s Monday (Nov 15) game. |
How can the Warriors beat the Cavaliers?
The Warriors seem to be back in their groove to open the season, relying on some fantastic ball movement and strong defensive standards. When they face the Cavaliers, they need to start their approach from the inside out.
Cleveland may be near last in the league in blocks, but that doesn’t mean that their interior defense is poor. Due to the strength of their center rotation, the Cavaliers’ shot-blockers actively dissuade most teams from attacking the paint.
The Warriors are a solid three-point shooting team, but their approach needs to target Cleveland’s center into forcing rotations so they can find better opportunities. If they let the Cavs clog the paint, it’ll be a difficult scoring night for Golden State.
Warriors Key Player: (G) Stephen Curry
If you want to talk about a superstar, look no further than Stephen Curry. The Warriors are back in title-winning form, and he is leading the way.
Curry is coming off of a fantastic game where he led the Warriors to victory over the Brooklyn Nets. He posted 37 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in just 29 minutes of play.
The Cavaliers are solid on the defensive end, but Golden State’s ball movement should neutralize the threat. Curry should feast.
How can the Cavaliers beat the Warriors?
The Cleveland Cavaliers are missing one of their key offensive creators in Collin Sexton, as well as an interior presence in Evan Mobley. If there’s anything they can carry over recent games, it is their ability to find quality open shots.
In their loss to the Boston Celtics, Cleveland shot 16 of 40 from three-point range, with four different players shooting 40% or better from deep.
Against the Warriors, they’ll need to maintain that shooting efficiency to keep pace. However, they need to mix in ball movement, as they had just 18 assists on 31 field goals in a loss to Boston.
Cavaliers Key Player: (G) Ricky Rubio
With Collin Sexton out of the lineup, it has been Ricky Rubio who has stepped up to help carry to Cavs. While not normally touted as a scoring threat, Rubio has been productive when needed.
In a recent loss to the Boston Celtics, Rubio posted 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists in 37 minutes of play. He even hit 4 three-point field goals and made 6 of 7 free throws.
Despite his recent scoring outburst, Rubio needs to return to his playmaking roots. A fantastic passer, Rubio’s ability to create for others can help Cleveland overcome Golden State’s swarming defense.
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