Game 1 Halftime Post

CLE 43 GSW 52

Welcome in to the halftime post of game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors where the Warriors have a 43-52 at the half.

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CLE: LeBron James, 11 points, 9 rebounds, 4-9 shooting. It will be a given that LeBron will be a positive for the Cavs given his all-around ability. LeBron will have his way inside the paint and the Cavs were able to feed LeBron early. That, and he's on pace for a double-double.

GSW: Harrison Barnes, 9 points, 4-6 shooting. This has gotta be confidence booster for Harrison Barnes so far. He has been an inconsistent player all season long, but he's finding his shot and stepping up when the Cavs are assigning their defense to guard the Splash Bros.

GSW: Bench. This is the sole reason why the Warriors' roster is so deep. When their bench plays well, everything opens up for the team. Leandro Barbosa, the Brazilian Blur chipped in with 7 points, Shaun Livingston with 6 points, Iggy and Ezeli each with 2 points. They make Golden State a really different team when players step up and get their game going.

GSW: Defense. Despite a small advantage, it was a defensive clinic for the Dubs. As mentioned, the Warriors have generated two 24 shot clock violations on the Cavs in the 1st quarter and Andre Iguodala is swiping the ball from the Cavs' hands left and right. They're doing a great job on when to double and they're adjusting the Cavs' shot.

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CLE: J.R. Smith, 0 points, 0-1 shooting. It's a bad sign for the Cavs when J.R. Smith is a non-factor for the first half. The Cavs need to find a way to get him going and give him high percentage looks in the three point game.

Bottom Line

CLE: It's no surprise that the Big 3 of the Cavs are in double figures. That means the supporting cast of the group has to step up and be the unsung hero for the team to steal Game 1.

GSW: Everything is clicking right now on all phases from the Warriors. They have to keep up the defensive intensity in the 2nd half and Steve Kerr has to keep outsmarting Tyronn Lue in terms of in-game adjustments.