Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James gestures during an NBA basketball media conference on Friday, June 5, 2015, in Oakland, Calif. The Golden State Warriors host the Cavaliers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
LeBron James takes inspiration from those dismissing the Cleveland Cavaliers’ championship hopes after losing Kyrie Irving, while the Golden State Warriors are wary of overconfidence in the NBA Finals.
All-Star guard Irving underwent surgery Saturday to repair the left kneecap he fractured in a 108-100 loss to Golden State in Thursday’s opener of the best-of-seven series.
READ: NBA: Irving has successful surgery on fractured kneecap
“With Kyrie out, people are writing us off. That’s fine,” James said as he looked ahead to game two on Sunday. “I’m motivated to get our guys ready to go tomorrow and we will be ready.”
James scored 44 points in the opener with Irving adding 23. Only one other player scored after half-time for the Cavaliers.
READ: NBA: Warriors outlast Cavaliers to win Finals opener
“Tough pill to swallow,” James said. “It sucks for him personally. It’s a huge blow for our team. Guys have to pick it up in his absence.”
James left Miami last July to return to his hometown club, which now has the chance to become the first Cleveland sports team in 51 years to win a title.
“I said it was going to be one of the most challenging seasons of my career and this adds to it,” he said. “We’re undermanned right now. But we’ve got guys in the locker room that are ready for the challenge.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, meanwhile, has a different challenge — keeping his players from buying into the notion that they can waltz to a championship.
“If we have a letdown in the finals, there is something fundamentally flawed with us each individually and as a team,” Kerr said. “There is no way that can possibly happen.”
Kerr noted how a last-second regulation shot by Cleveland’s Iman Shumpert nearly cost them the opener and that Cleveland swept East top seed Atlanta with Irving absent for two games.
“The challenge is still enormous. There’s still so much for us to cover and deal with,” Kerr said. “It’s not just what happens on the floor. It’s how does the psyche change?”
Cavaliers coach Dave Blatt noted that his team swept Eastern Conference top seeds Atlanta despite missing Irving for two games, and with big man Kevin Love sidelined.
“We have found a way,” he said. “Certainly LeBron has recognized the need to take even more responsibility and has done it in a great way.
“You would love to see us at full strength for the finals. The situation is what it is and we are going to come out and play to win.”
Challenge is still tough
Golden State’s NBA Most Valuable Player Steph Curry says staying with the game plan is vital for the Warriors.
READ: NBA: Hot Curry spices Warriors bid to end title drought
“We understand the challenge is still going to be tough to close this series out and get a championship,” Curry said. “We’ve got to leave it all out there to get four wins and it’s going to be tough regardless of who is out there on Cleveland’s roster.”
And Andre Iguodala knows the Warriors have let down before during the regular season when other teams lacked a top player.
“You always have to be careful not to relax if a guy goes down,” Iguodala said. “We had some games where we didn’t play up to our level of talent because a guy was out. It snuck up and almost bit us a few times.”