IT’S WHOLLY weird how the defending champion Golden State Warriors had allowed themselves to be caught napping during the tip-off for Game Six in Cleveland of the NBA Finals.
It was completely out of character. The Warriors got off sluggishly like a schoolboy who had a big, big dinner, overslept, and was late for the morning bus.
Cleveland, on the other hand, had foot on the gas ahead of game time.
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As a result, the Cavaliers figured in a raging blast-off after sleepy Golden State flubbed all its first six field attempts.
LeBron James slashed past Draymond Greene, was fouled, and had a split from the line for a 20-7 Cleveland lead.
It was the first confrontation between the two powerful team leaders, whose predicted mano-a-mano did not happen.
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Not only because Green, returning from a one-game suspension, could neither cope nor catch up.
There was a mismatch, but it was not James over Green alone.
James was a blazing magnificent carriage that ran down all sorts of challenge, scoring, defending, assisting, rebounding, inspiring and holding his teammates together as one awesome unit. The result was a 31-11 Cleveland first quarter hold-up.
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It’s LeBron as Lebron, swooned Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue. And definitely a lot hungrier, too.
James had 41 points, 11 assists, 8 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks.
Of course, he got solid support not only from Kyrie Irving, the phenom of Game 5. Irving had 23 points, JR Smith 14, Tristan Thompson 15 points and 16 rebounds (!).
Coach Lue said they had their backs against the wall, but LeBron et al worked as one to carry struggling Cleveland on their backs.
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MVP Stephen Curry had 30 points, connecting 6 of 13 from the 3-point arc. But the usually sharp team general had only one assist against four turnovers. He fouled out, cursing, hurling his mouthpiece for an automatic technical foul and eviction, 4:22 left.
Officiating could’ve been better, less biased at times, but Curry himself knows the referees cannot and will not decide Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
“It will be tough, barasuhan,” said premier jazz artist Richard Merk. “Cleveland is quite hungry, mas gutom.”
Curry and his gang have got to get up early, start solid and strong.
In order to do that, they’ve got to learn to be hungry again.