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Durant stifles James, Warriors lock down Christmas Day win over Cavs with late run

By

Kerry Crowley

/

OAKLAND–Though Christmas Day technically fell on Monday, the best present the Golden State Warriors unwrapped was delivered on June 22.

Just over six months ago, the Chicago Bulls sent Golden State a gift, offering up Jordan Bell in exchange for $3.5 million in a deal that once again paid dividends in the closing moments of the Warriors’ 99-92 victory over the Cavaliers.

With Bell on the floor and the Warriors needing a spark, the rookie out of Oregon provided it as his offensive rebound following a Kevin Durant miss inside of two minutes to play allowed Golden State an extra possession that led to a Klay Thompson go-ahead three-pointer. Bell’s board set up a Draymond Green swing pass to Thompson, who drilled a 26-footer to break a 92-92 tie and give the Warriors a lead they would never look back from.

Golden State wound up finishing the game on a 7-0 run, as Durant turned in a pair of late-game denials against LeBron James, stifling the Cavaliers’ star with a block and a steal to lock up the win and build on his Defensive Player of the Year candidacy.

After mailing in a 96-81 loss on Saturday evening against the Nuggets, the Warriors were back in the holiday spirit on Monday and they leaned into the high-energy atmosphere Oracle Arena provided. After meeting in three straight NBA Finals, Golden State against Cleveland has developed into one of the league’s best rivalries, thanks in part to how competitive stars on each team have become for these matchups.

Though Durant said this weekend that the Warriors would treat Christmas Day’s showdown with the Cavs as “one of 82,” Durant didn’t create a convincing case that his words carried much meaning in the first quarter.

Less than seven minutes into the game, Durant had already earned a technical foul after jawing with an official following an offensive foul call he disagreed with, and he nearly earned his second “T” after bumping into Cavs’ guard Jose Calderon around midcourt. Calderon was so incensed about the interaction with Durant that he blew up in an official’s face, but somehow managed to escape the stoppage without earning a technical of his own.

The Cavs’ point guard, starting in place of an injured Isaiah Thomas, was bailed out by Warriors’ forward Draymond Green, who earned his eighth technical of the year by saying a few magic words to an official on the other side of the court while the Durant-Calderon spat played out.

Though the argument probably didn’t thrill the NBA league office, it only fueled the tensions that existed coming into Christmas Day.

While both sides were fired up early, neither team was able to take advantage and create a momentum swing, as Cleveland led by just four points after the first quarter while Golden State carried a two-point edge into the halftime break. Without new Celtics’ guard Kyrie Irving to rely on, the Cavaliers’ offense took on different forms than the Warriors were accustomed to, while Cleveland didn’t have to worry about stopping Golden State star Steph Curry, who is still sidelined due to an ankle injury.

Curry wasn’t the only Warriors’ regular who sat out, either, as center Zaza Pachulia was active for the first time since December 6 but took a coach’s DNP on Monday. Pachulia has battled a shoulder injury for several weeks, but with Pachulia finally ready to play, head coach Steve Kerr turned to Bell against a smaller, more athletic Cavaliers’ lineup. Bell has produced several highlight-reel moments since earning regular minutes with the starting lineup, and Monday was no different. Though his offensive board helped Golden State seal up the win, he turned in an excellent all-around effort that started with early defense.

The Warriors’ second round steal locked down James early, and also threw down a few alley-oop dunks that prove how dangerous Bell is when he’s in transition. Bell might not have the look of a seasoned veteran on the floor, but he poses matchup issues that could create new problems for Cleveland if the teams meet for a fourth straight time this June.

With a front line led by Bell, Green and Durant, the Warriors had a trio of potent rim-protectors that challenged the Cavs in the paint throughout the afternoon. 26 of Cleveland’s first 33 attempts came from downtown, and the Cavs ultimately finished with more attempts from long range than they did from inside the arc.

It was the Warriors’ ability to thwart the Cavs’ attempts from the paint that led to one of the game’s signature moments, as Golden State finally began to pull away midway through the fourth quarter after Green pinned an attempt from Tristan Thompson against the backboard. After Green’s block, the Warriors raced out in transition and Durant soared in for a dunk that gave Golden State a 85-79 advantage.

The Cavs did fire back, but Bell’s rebound, Thompson’s three and Durant’s late defense against James helped Golden State capture the Christmas Day win.

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