NBA Finals Game 5: 7 Things We Learned

Game 5 of the NBA Finals went the way of the Cleveland Cavaliers. What we learned.

The Cavaliers staved off elimination in one of the most memorable games in franchise history. The Cavs grabbed a 112-97 victory in Oakland with the help of simultaneous 41 point games from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

The Cavs will look to defend the Land and force a game 7 on Thursday. But before we look ahead to the biggest basketball game in Cleveland basketball history, here’s what we learned from game 5.

1. LeBron actually likes the sleeved jerseys.

We all remember earlier in the year when LeBron ripped the new sleeved jerseys in the beginning of the regular season.

But clearly he’s changed his mind since then.

Don’t be surprised when the Cavs wear these jerseys again if the series goes 7 games.

2. The Cavs can withstand a Klay Thompson run on the road.

Thompson was playing on another level in the second quarter. He put up 19 points that quarter alone. Thompson was making seemingly everything he put up, even if it was four or five steps behind the three point line.

The Cavs did a good job of weathering the storm. You know Golden State will go on runs where they seem like they’ll never miss a shot again. It’s important for the opponent to stay in the game, because the run will usually end at some point. The Cavs did a good job of staying in the game when they could’ve easily let it get out of hand.

This is something they couldn’t do in game 4. For the Cavs to win the series, they’ll have to withstand many more crazy runs from the Warriors in games 6 and 7.

3. The Warriors desperately missed Draymond Green.

Part of the reason the Cavs, more specifically LeBron, were able to have success offensively was because Green wasn’t on the floor. Cleveland put up 48 points in the paint and shot 53% from the field.

Where you could see the difference was in the way they defended James. Andre Iguodala couldn’t defend LeBron as tight on the perimeter because he didn’t have the security of having Green protecting the rim behind him. Where these numbers show up most is in the amount of uncontested jump shots, more specifically 3 pointers, James was able to attempt. Because of the loose defense on the perimeter LeBron was able to get into a shooting rhythm and was 4 of 8 from 3.

The Warriors also weren’t able to dominate the game by going small like they normally do. There can’t be a “death lineup” without Green.

Green will be back for game 6. We’ll see how the Warriors and Cavs adjust to having him back on the floor.

4. The Cavs will win and lose playing isolation basketball.

Many commentators spent the whole year screaming that the Cavs need to move the ball and play with pace. When Tyronn Lue took over for Blatt, he preached that he would make this team play with pace and move the ball offensively. However, it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

The Cavs two best players are two of the best isolation players in the association. There’s no point of trying to get them to change now. Kyrie and LeBron took turns picking apart the Warriors defense. They slowed the pace down in the second half and completely threw the Warriors off of their game offensively. The combination of a much slower pace and good defense resulted in the Warriors putting up only 36 second half points.

LeBron was very successful last year in the Finals running the isolation. The problem was he  had absolutely no help. This year he has Kyrie by his side. It’s finally time to embrace the slowed down pace and isolation basketball. No matter how frustrating it may be to watch.

5. This was Kyrie Irving’s coming out party.

Almost every NBA superstar has a moment where they finally arrive on the big stage. For LeBron it was game 5 of the ’07 Eastern Conference Finals. For Kyrie Irving it was game 5 in Oakland.

Kyrie finished with an unbelievable 41 points on 17 of 24 (71%) shooting. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only other player in NBA Finals’ history to have over 40 points and shoot 70% from the field.

There were times where it felt like he couldn’t miss, including 10 straight Cavalier points in a minute in a half in the fourth quarter. It didn’t matter how the Warriors defended Kyrie, his shot was going in regardless.

His shot chart says it all.

We always knew Kyrie had the potential to be special in the Finals. Now we know it’s no longer just potential. It’s reality.

6. LeBron is still the undisputed best player on the planet.

We seem to look for the downfall of LeBron any chance we get. If he puts together a couple less than spectacular games we say he’s getting too old and he can’t do it anymore. But he reminded us in game 5 that it isn’t time to write him off yet.

It was truly a vintage LeBron performance. He led all players in points (41), assists (7), offensive rebounds (4), total rebounds (16), steals (3), and blocked shots (3).

James also showed us that he isn’t going to go down without a fight and is now the NBA leader in points per game in elimination games.

No matter what the outcome of this series, it isn’t fair to say that LeBron is over the hill or that he’s responsible for the series loss. If it wasn’t for his overall dominant performance the Cavs aren’t heading home for a game 6.

7. LeBron and Kyrie can play well together.

There’s been talk since LeBron returned to Cleveland that him and Kyrie wouldn’t be able to share the ball well together. They’re both similar players in that they need the ball in their hands to be their best.

There have admittedly been some tough moments between the two stars. Kyrie has ended up on the receiving end of a few subtle jabs by LeBron in the form of a quote or a tweet. They haven’t always looked like a perfect pair together as both players aren’t afraid to let their emotions get the better of them on the court.

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However, they proved to the whole world that they can be the perfect combination. This was the first time in Finals history a pair of teammates combined for 40 plus points in the same game. They both closed out the game as they combined for 82 points on 33 of 54 (61%) shooting.

If the Cavs lose this series there will be talk about how the Cavs need to improve their roster. Once thing that will no longer need to be talked about is whether LeBron and Kyrie can effectively play together. They proved they can in a game for the ages.

The Cavs will look to defend home court in game 6 against the Warriors in what will be the biggest game in franchise history.