I'm Back in Time for Game 5

After a long two week hiatus from NBA and general blogging, I have returned from the dead. University started to get in the way of basketball but still going to try and blog everday, especially over the upcoming holidays. To make things even better, I bought a laptop!

So while I was gone quite a lot has happened. The Cavs stole a game at The Roaracle. The Warriors stole a game at The Q. And Matthew Dellavedova has surpassed Vegemite as Australia's greatest export. So maybe it was a good thing I didn't post too much on the first four games. With the series tied at two games apiece, it's probably an ideal time to join the conversation.

Games 1 and 2

LeBron James is not human. But unfortunately it takes more than just one man to win a basketball game, and LeBron can't take on the Warriors single handedly. This was evident over the course of the two games, as Lebron posted a 44 point outing in the game 1 loss and proved that he's still the best player in the NBA by posting a gritty triple-double in the game 2 win. But while LeBron was putting up the stats, it was Matthew Dellavedova who showed unseen determination and grit to defend Steph Curry and dive on every loose ball possible. This, along with two clutch free throws, meant that Delly went from Kyrie Irving back-up to crowd favourite in Cleveland. Both games 1 and 2 went to overtime, and were hotly contested but ultimately the better teams prevailed and got the win. Also note: Curry shot 3-14 from 3pt land, setting an NBA Finals record I thought only J.R. Smith could attain.

Game 3

Who the hell is this Aussie bloke? A 20 point game against the league MVP was hands down the best game of his career. A young kid from Maryborough in Victoria, Australia showing the toughness and grit of an NBA veteran took everyone by surprise. While he will never be a replacement for Irving or even a starting PG on another NBA team, Delly has come out as a decent role player who can annoy the hell out of opposing NBA players. Not much else but heck with Irving out I think the Cavs will take just about anything from anyone. This game dragged on a lot longer than it should have, with Steph Curry finding his range and hitting some absolute bombs from downtown. Cavs would pull away but and take the 2-1 series lead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH48V2pm4Rk

Game 4

Finally the blowout game which I was expecting sometime in this series. A lineup change prior to tip off completely changed the dynamic of the game for the Warriors. With Harrison Barnes struggling with his shot and also defending LeBron James, it was assumed that Coach Kerr would pull him from the starting lineup. But weren't we in for quite the shock. Instead of Barnes, Kerr decided to go super small by subbing in Andre Iguodala for Andrew Bogut of all people. Not quite as drastic as the "Andrew Bogut should defending Tony Allen" but still a gamechanger nonetheless.

Looking Forward

So with Game 5 set to start tomorrow back in San Francisco, the Cavs have quite the task ahead of them. The team that wins game 5 will be one win away from an NBA championship. While Warriors should go in deserved favourites, it wouldn't surprise me if the Cavs make a lineup change of their own, bringing in James Jones or Shawn Marion to help out with Iggy throwing a spanner into the works with Mozgov. While Iggy doesn't pose the biggest threat from the 3pt line, he runs the floor well and his athleticism is still something to be marvelled.

Once known as AI 2.0, will he be "The Answer" to Coach Kerr's troubles or can the Cavs steal yet another game in The Bay area?