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The Cavs-Warriors' four-year long rivalry was something both teams will remember for a long time to come. But, ever since LeBron's departure for LA this past summer, everyone knew the match-up between the pair would never be the same.
"The energy before the game, after the game," Durant said, noting the changes in Cleveland. "There were more media members here the last couple of years. We were talking about that before we ran out on the floor. That was a circus right here during the Finals. You start thinking about the great memories you had, especially the championship. I'm sure we'll feel those feelings every time we walk into the building."
Nevertheless, this regular season game signified Golden State's first visit to Cleveland since June, when the Warriors completed a sweep to win their third championship in four years.
Indeed, nothing was the same - not even Cleveland's available roster. The Cavs were playing without Kevin Love (foot surgery), JR Smith (forced break) and Kyle Korver (traded to the Utah Jazz). The match ended with a comfortable, expected 129-105 Warriors blowout victory over the Cavaliers.
With that in mind, let's take a look at three key takeaways from this new-look Warriors vs Cavaliers encounter:
#3 Stephen Curry & Kevin Durant torched the Cavaliers in the nostalgia-filled game
Curry drained nine three-pointers and ended up scoring 42 points. He also added nine rebounds, seven assists and appeared completely healed after missing 11 games with a groin strain.
He cooked the Cavaliers' defense on 11-for-20 shooting and 9-for-14 from deep, while Durant chipped in 25 points and finished a dime away from a triple-double.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Curry scored nine points in less than a minute, helping the Warriors create an invincible separation for their eighth straight win over their former NBA Finals rivals.
Steph reflected back on the four marvellous years of the Cavs-Warriors rivalry during the post-game interview, now that the period in the NBA is officially over.
"It was historical," Curry said. "I'll definitely sit back on the couch in 10 or 12 years when it's all over and think about what it was like to play here, and how high the stakes were every time we came into this building."
#2 George Hill couldn't even score a single point
Yes, George Hill played a total of 25 minutes in the game and ended up scoring not even a single point. He shot 0-5 from the floor, recorded two rebounds, three assists and committed four personal fouls.
Having suffered a sprained right shoulder last month which saw him miss considerable playing time with the Cavs, they are hosting a league-worst win-loss record at present. The 32-year-old had never averaged more than 17 points per game in any season when he was signed last year as part of a complete roster shuffle, though the point guard could only contribute 9.4 ppg in the 24 games he played alongside LeBron last year.
In his last three games this season against Toronto, Brooklyn and Golden State, he has scored a combined total of 14 points. Clearly, he hasn't been of much help to the Cavs' miserable ongoing regular season and his return from injury hasn't quite inspired confidence in many.
With Hill lost for two weeks in the previous month, the Cavaliers agreed on a two-way deal with guard Andrew Harrison and waived guard John Holland.
#1 Warriors outscored the Cavs from the three-point line
The Warriors are a high-percentage 3-point shooting team. That's a fact, not just speculation.
They are fourth in the league in 3-pointers made and thirteenth in 3-pointers attempted. As a result, they are shooting an impressively high 39% from the 3-point land this season which is the best among the other 29 teams.
For this particular matchup against the Cavs, they shot 18-34 from beyond the arc collectively, which nearly amounts to a conversion rate of 52%, a number way ahead of their current season average.
As far as individual performances go, Curry shot 9-of-14 from downtown while Durant netted 4-of-7 that he shot from distance. Jonas Jerebko chipped in with 11 points, shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, including the lone three-pointer he attempted and made.
In response, the wine-n-gold could only make 11 out of their 32 shots from deep, shooting a sub-par 34.4%.
