The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 113-91 last night in NBA Finals Game 1, in "nothing short of a drubbing" at Oracle Arena. The "general hope ahead of the opening tip was that these two teams would be capable of reviving the playoffs, which had been mostly a glorified snooze-fest through the first three rounds" (
N.Y. TIMES, 6/2). Anyone hoping that the Finals would be "more competitive than the rest" of the postseason "better keep hoping" (
SI.com, 6/2). The Finals were "expected to rescue an altogether dreadful postseason." But so far, that is "working out ... not so great" (
SACRAMENTO BEE, 6/2). The Warriors "looked invincible" (
CLEVELAND.com, 6/1).
The contest "felt less like Game 1" and "more like Game 8 of last June's series." But the "biggest difference between last year’s iteration of this matchup and now is the increased level of intensity" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/2). The "level of intensity right off the tip was off the charts." The game "not only laid to rest any concerns that there would by any rust on teams that hadn’t played competitively in more than a week," it "may have also justified a season-long rest and rehabilitation plan." Other franchises "may now consider which nights off to give their best players next season" (TORONTO STAR, 6/2).
