The NBA’s relentless regular season schedule pauses, from time to time, for two truly elite teams to gauge their progress. Monday was thought to be just such an occasion; the Warriors and Cavaliers, defending champions of their respective conferences, met in Cleveland for a holiday showcase. It would be just their second meeting since slogging through last year’s Finals and their last meeting of the season until a possible Finals repeat.
Should that matchup come to pass, this game suggests the result will be similar—if not more lopsided. The Warriors’ lead was built in the opening minutes, the game was already a blowout by halftime and the starters exited for good at the end of the third quarter.