The Golden State Warriors were out for revenge when they faced the reigning NBA champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers, last Jan. 16. The Warriors were able to run away with the game quickly by utilizing their high-scoring offense featuring the likes of Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Klay Thompson.
The Warriors notably lost to the Cavaliers in game 7 of last season's NBA finals as well as in their matchup during Christmas Day 2016. While both these games were closely contested, their latest meeting was anything but that. The Cavs lost by a whopping 32 points even with LeBron James featuring for 35 minutes.
James was the highest scorer for the Cavs with a total of 20 points, but he also had six turnovers. This resulted in him gaining his second-worst ever plus-minus rating with minus 32, according to Fox Sports. Interestingly enough, his worst ever rating was a minus 34 against the Warriors as well, which he got last Jan. 18, 2016.
Even with their recent trend of fourth-quarter mishaps, the Warriors were still able to record the best win of their season so far. They were able to do so by establishing their dominance early on in the game by making use of their astounding shooting skills and team play. By the end of the first half, they already scored 78 points against one of the best teams in the NBA.
A number of players in particular greatly impressed during the game. Curry posted a double-double with 11 assists in addition to 20 points. Draymond Green got a triple-double with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists while also being a talking point for his mocking of one of James' rather outrageous flops.
Durant played more defensive-mindedly, but was still able to put up 21 points along with 6 rebounds. This win must be of particular importance to him, as it is only the first time he has managed to defeat James in their previous 6 meetings, according to Sports Illustrated. This would also prove to his critics that he could gel with a Warriors team that is already packed with basketball superstars.
Watch the highlights of the Warriors dominant win over the Cavs in the video below: