The Daily Dose: Dose: Curry Erupts in Game 5
Warriors 104, Cavaliers 91 (Warriors lead series 3-2)
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Stephen Curry has been criticized for some underwhelming play in the NBA Finals, but he showed why he is the MVP of the league with a dominant performance in Sunday’s Game 5 win. Curry was oozing with confidence throughout the game, and his play in the fourth quarter was inspiring. He finished with 37 points, seven boards, four assists, two steals and seven 3-pointers, and he was toying with the Cavaliers’ defense at times with some sensational ball-handling skills and step-back treys. The media has been portraying Matthew Dellavedova as a Curry stopper ever since Game 2 which reportedly “irked” the Warriors, so Curry put an end to all that noise on Sunday.
Game 5 was certainly interesting, as both teams opted to play small ball. The Warriors started Andre Iguodala in place of Andrew Bogut again, and that appears to be the defining moment of the series so far. In fact, Andrew Bogut didn’t even touch the floor tonight. Apart from going 2-of-11 from the charity stripe, Iguodala was solid once again on both ends of the floor. He made LeBron James work on every possession with some physical defense, and he somehow managed to finish the game with 14 points, eight boards, seven assists, three steals and two 3-pointers. We all know what Curry can do, but Iguodala has been the difference maker in this series.
Draymond Green showed why he is going to receive a maximum contract offer this summer with another gritty performance in the win, as he finished with 16 points, nine boards, six assists, one block and one 3-pointer. However, his confidence in his shot seems to have faded since the regular season, and he still seems a little hesitant before firing from the perimeter. That being said, the fact that he is playing center for the Warriors shows just how versatile he is on the defensive end.
Klay Thompson played 40 minutes despite battling foul trouble, but he scored just 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting. Thompson has been quiet since his 34-point outburst in Game 2, so the Warriors can only hope that he gets back on track in Game 6. To be fair, he has been spending a good chunk of time guarding LeBron James and the Cavaliers seem determined to limit his looks from beyond the arc, but Thompson could snap out of his funk at any moment.
Harrison Barnes provided just eight points in the win, but he also pulled down 10 boards with two assists, one block and two steals. Barnes had a nasty dunk over Timofey Mozgov as well as a putback dunk over LeBron which was followed by a stare down, so it looks like he is starting to get his confidence back.
Leandro Barbosa has been a little out of control at times in this series with some questionable decision making and tunnel vision with the ball in his hands, but he gave the Warriors a spark on Sunday. He chipped in with 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting in 17 minutes, and he could continue to see an uptick in minutes in Game 6 if both teams decide to go small again (which they likely will). David Lee was solid in Game 3 and Game 4, but he was pretty pathetic Sunday. Lee saw just nine minutes of action and looked lost on defense as usual, but he was ineffective on the offensive end as well with just two points on 1-of-3 shooting.
As for LeBron James, you have to feel for the guy. James posted another monster triple-double in Game 5 (his second triple-double in the finals) with 40 points, 14 boards, 11 assists, one steal and three treys, but he simply didn’t have enough help to overcome Curry and the Warriors’ late outburst in the fourth quarter. James looks exhausted, so he is going to have to dig deep to prevent the Warriors from taking Game 6 in Cleveland. James played some center tonight in the Cavaliers’ small ball lineup, and while I disagree with David Blatt’s decision to do that considering how good Timofey Mozgov has been playing, it speaks volumes of James’ talent and versatility.
Speaking of Timofey Mozgov, I was shocked that he saw just nine minutes of action on Sunday after notching 28 points and 10 boards in Game 4, and Blatt will rightfully take a lot of heat for that decision. I understand that Mozgov struggles to defend the pick-and-roll, but there is no excuse for the Cavaliers to give him just nine minutes considering how fatigued they are. Mozgov has been dominant in this series prior to Game 5, and the Cavaliers would be wise to utilize him in Game 6 if they want to avoid elimination. On a side note, Steve Kerr deserves a lot of credit for benching Andrew Bogut, as that is the main reason why Blatt was hesitant to give Mozgov more action in this one.
Tristan Thompson saw most of his minutes at center in the Cavaliers’ small ball lineup, and he continued to impose his will on this series. He finished with 19 points, 10 boards, two steals and two blocks, and he also shot 7-of-10 from the free throw line. Thompson reportedly wants close to a max contract this summer, and based on his play in the playoffs the Cavaliers will likely do whatever it takes to retain him.
Matthew Dellavedova was disappointing for the second straight game and all the hype about him being a Curry stopper has quickly evaporated. Don’t get me wrong, Dellavedova has been a pest on the defensive end, but you can only keep the MVP quiet for so long and Curry had his way with him on Sunday. Dellavedova finished with five points on 2-of-9 shooting with two assists, three steals and one 3-pointer, so he needs to find some of that Game 3 magic if the Cavaliers want to keep their season alive.
J.R. Smith looked like he was going to have an epic game with 14 points in the first half, but he quickly cooled off and failed to register another point after the break. Smith has made just 4-of-22 from 3-point range in his last two outings, but as always, the Cavaliers will continue to give him the green light. James Jones was held scoreless in 18 minutes and Mike Miller had three points in 14 minutes, so Blatt still hasn’t been able to get consistent production from his bench. I’d personally give Shawn Marion minutes over Miller and Jones because they were continually exposed on defense, but it doesn’t look like Blatt will budge any time soon.
This was my last Dose of the season, so I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read my articles. I’ve learned a lot in my first year at Rotoworld, and I would like to give a shout-out to Steve Alexander, Ryan Knaus and Mike Gallagher for showing me the ropes. The amount of knowledge that they have is ridiculous, so you would be crazy to not follow them on Twitter. Anyways, enjoy the NBA Finals!
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