What a Turn of Events: Game 1 NBA Finals

I can’t believe what I watched in the last 8 minutes of Game 1. I saw tons of blown opportunities and terrible decisions that the Cavs just had to lose that game.  I’ll try to break this down into three parts and cover all of my thoughts.

The Call:

With the game on the line and the Cavs up 104-102 Kevin Durant took the ball hard to the basket with 36 seconds remaining in the game.  Lebron slid over took a charge and it was ruled an offensive foul on the floor. Crucial moment, crucial call. Referees are allowed to review the call to see if Lebron is in or outside the restricted area.  After reviewing they deem that it was a blocking foul and Durant gets two shots at the line.

I watched this play dozens of times. After really evaluating it I think this was the right call. James had one foot on the ground but continued to drag his second foot so appropriately called. However, if the only thing the referees were looking for and can look for in that situation whether or not James was in the zone or not then the call should remain how it is called on the floor as he is clearly outside of the zone.

I have to also say that while this play could have changed the game it would not have totally secured a Cavaliers victory. It would’ve gave the Cavs the ball up 2 with 36 seconds to go and with a miss it could easily be a game winning situation for the Warriors.

The Free Throw:

As the game moved on it came down to Warriors leading 107-106 with 4.7 seconds on the clock with George Hill shooting 2 free throws that would ultimately be the two biggest shots of the night.  The Cavs were in a good position as Hill was shooting 81% from the line in the playoffs and was probably one of the guys you would want shooting free throws late if you are the Cavs. He hit the first and then missed the second with a chance to give the Cavs the one point lead.  

Now, this has not received attention at all but should receive the most attention.  Hill NEEDS to hit both of those. Thats a guy you count on in that moment to hit his free throws since he has a solid percentage.  If Hill hits his two shots there you have a situation where the Warriors take a game winning shot with 4.7 left and it could go either way.  Who knows what would have went down but Hill could have easily given the Cavs the lead and we could be looking at 1-0 Cavs.

The Idiot:

Back to the free throw line with George Hill. After hitting the first the game is knotted at 107 and a big free throw or rebound is coming to either team.  As the shot goes up it comes off the rim in a way where the ball lands in the hands of J.R. Smith. Smith grabs and secures the rebound with 4.4 seconds, dribbles it all the way out to three waits then passes it back to George Hill with no time on the clock and looks like the biggest fucking bonehead in the whole arena.  

J.R. Smith has become one of the biggest idiots in the NBA especially after this play. Smith had so many options it wasn’t funny and in Game 1 of the NBA FINALS the guy doesn’t even know the fucking situation that he is in and doesn’t realize the game is tied.  He could have made the following decisions but instead made none:

1. He could have pulled down the rebound and tried to put it right back up on a tip back to take the lead.
2. He could have brought down the board and took a timeout immediately to set the Cavs up being the veteran player he is supposed to be.
3. He could have outlet passed to a wide open Lebron for the game winner, who by the way had 51 points and shot 60%.  

All of these options were great options and JR instead chose to just dribble out the clock and ruin the last chance the Cavs had at getting a win in Game 1. It is unfortunate for Lebron, who I will hardly put blame on, especially last night after having an unbelievable performance.  The Cavs just simply need to be better.

Written by Nick Kazandjian