The Cleveland Cavaliers nearly saw their 20-point lead dwindle away in the fourth quarter, but LeBron James and Matthew Dellavedova made the plays they needed to down the stretch for the Cavs to hold on for the victory. Here are three things we can take away from another thrilling contest:
1) Cleveland's defensive gambles are paying off
The Cavaliers' defense has been extremely stingy all series, but that's because their strategy is paying off. Head coach David Blatt has Dellavedova or Iman Shumpert pestering Stephen Curry at all times, while the other two wing defenders sag off of their men to cut off Curry's driving lanes. Their two bigs also crowd the basket and double any time the Warriors pass the ball into the lane.
This strategy has severely limited Curry and the double team in the paint has forced Golden State's big men into numerous turnovers - but it's also leaving shooters open in the corners. The Warriors haven't been making the extra pass and role players (Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala) have missed those open shots all series, allowing Blatt's strategy to work.
2) Golden State will do whatever it takes to get Stephen Curry open
Triple screen!!! Curry is the catalyst to Golden State's offense, and once he gets going, everyone else picks their game up - making this offense the most lethal in the league. Once Golden State was able to get Curry going in the second half, they pulled off their huge run that put them back in the game. Expect more crazy sets like this to try and get Curry more clean looks at the basket.
3) It's time to start Andre Iguodala
With Harrison Barnes in the starting lineup, he's tasked with guarding LeBron James - and he hasn't been able to do anything to stop him all series. In all three games, LeBron's field goal percentage has dipped as the game has worn on. That's not (all) due to fatigue, but because Iguodala is on the court more and defending him. It may be time for Warriors head coach Steve Kerr to mix things up and put him in the starting lineup.
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