Late-game offensive execution — With the exception of the third quarter, the Warriors never established much offensive flow. Green’s absence in the first quarter seemed to unnerve the team. The ripples of Green’s absence through the rotation continued to plague them in the second. Kevin Durant kept the Warriors afloat for long stretches with aggressive penetration and his usual efficient shooting. This was supposed to be Durant’s role on his new team — the change-of-pace, create-your-own-shot option for when the Warriors’ usual offense begins to sputter. It all worked according to plan, until the fourth quarter. Durant went 2-9 in the fourth, after going 9-14 in the prior three quarters. In the final quarter, he had three times the shot attempts of Curry (2-3) and more than four times that of Thompson (1-2 in 12 minutes, after going 8-14 earlier in the game). Green — not Curry or Thompson — was the second option for the Warriors in the fourth, going 3-4 (but with 3 turnovers, as he tried to force the offense).
The Warriors’ reliance on Durant late in the game isn’t itself a bad thing. Durant was hot, and the Warriors kept feeding him. What hurt the Warriors was their inability to use Durant’s hot hand to create any easier shots. Instead, Durant increasingly ran at tougher and tougher coverage. As Cleveland’s defense improved, Durant’s efficiency dropped. The Warriors should have been able to use the distortion generated by Durant’s presence as an opportunity to get others open and going. But the sloppy ball movement that had hung over most of the game plagued their crunch-time efforts, repeatedly turning what should have been high-percentage baskets into turnovers. The repeated errors, many of them unforced, bled out the Warriors momentum and pumped new life into the Cavs. It was a familiar scene. If you were to isolate a single trait that most distinguishes this team from the multi-championship dynasties it aspires to join, I’d point to this compulsive carelessness at key moments — a jitteriness when they should be laser-focused — that arguably cost them a championship last June, and undisputedly contributed to this loss.
They didn't deserve to win anyway they got bullied down the stretch. But these fucboi refs need to be held accountable. Same shyt year in year out.
