The Warriors ran away from the Cavaliers in overtime to secure a win in Game 1 of the NBA Finals 124-114 on Thursday night.
Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson combined for 79 points, and Draymond Green had another great all-around game, just missing out on a triple-double. For the Cavaliers, it was LeBron James leading the way with a playoff career-high 51 points.
Here are three takeaways from Game 1 of the NBA Finals...
Draymond Green's standout performance
Green doesn't pull off the flashy plays like his teammates, and he's never going to rock the rim LeBron style, but his value to the Warriors is as big as any player on the team.
Green is the anchor of the Warriors' defensive structure, but he's just as valuable on the other end of the floor — he showed that in Game 1.
DRAYMOND GREEN #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/KshKEsUASN
— NBA Spain (@NBAspain) June 1, 2018
With the Warriors holding onto a seven-point lead in overtime, Green stepped up to bury a deep 3-pointer and secure the victory for Golden State. The huge shot took his final game numbers up to 13 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, five steals and three blocks.
His ability to do everything for the Warriors cannot be oversold, and if he can continue producing those numbers all series long, he could be adding the Finals MVP trophy to his cabinet.
Showing why he's King James
Everyone knew LeBron was going to have to produce at an elite level if the Cavaliers were going to topple the Warriors. In Game 1, James did everything within his powers to get his team across the line.
The final line for James: 51 points, eight assists and eight rebounds.
.@KingJames went OFF for 51 POINTS, but it wasn't enough in Game 1. #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/KGlAIQsi4C
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 1, 2018
His remarkable numbers were overshadowed by a crazy ending and the Warriors finding a way to win. James will have a few days rest before throwing everything he has at the Warriors again in the hopes of evening the series at one game apiece.
Backcourt battles
George Hill and JR Smith earned fair criticism for their inability to show up on the road throughout the East finals. Sadly for Cleveland, they did little to avoid the negative spotlight in Game 1.
Smith started with five early points but only managed another five for the rest of the game and ended the contest a minus-20. Hill impacted the scoreboard less than Smith, as he only poured in seven points.
Steph Curry tallies 29 PTS, 9 AST, 6 REB to help the @warriors take Game 1 and go up 1-0 in the #NBAFinals! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/n6WaoAp5UW
— NBA (@NBA) June 1, 2018
On the other side, the Warriors' backcourt was clicking on all cylinders. Curry and Thompson ended with a combined 53 points and tallied 10 3-pointers.
After Thompson went down in the opening quarter, it looked dire for the Warriors. He returned in the second quarter, however, and went on to play 45 minutes.
If the Cavaliers have any chance of knocking off the mighty Warriors, they're going to need their backcourt to find a spark away from home.