Cleveland Cavaliers (19-7) at Golden State Warriors (27-1)
Tip-off: Friday, December 25th, 2015 – 2:00PM PDT
Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
TV: ABC | Radio: KNBR 680
Livetweet: @LetsGoWarriors #LetsGoWarriorsLive (@BeeBeeRy)
Projected Starting Lineups:
Cavs (PPG, RPG, APG)
PG: Kyrie Irving (8.5, 1.0, 4.0)
SG: J.R. Smith (10.6, 3.0, 2.0)
SF: LeBron James (26.4, 7.6, 6.3)
PF: Kevin Love (17.5, 10.6, 0.5)
C: Timofey Mozgov (7.3, 4.3, 0.5)
Head Coach: David Blatt (career: 72-36, 0.667)
Warriors (PPG, RPG, APG)
PG: Stephen Curry (31.2, 5.4, 6.3)
SG: Klay Thompson (19.3, 3.5, 2.4)
SF: Brandon Rush (5.2, 2.9, 0.8)
PF: Draymond Green (14.3, 8.8, 7.1)
C: Andrew Bogut (5.6, 7.0, 2.3)
Head Coach: Luke Walton (career: 27-1, 0.964)*
* – “Warriors’ results under Luke Walton will count on Kerr’s (94-16, .855) official coaching record.” — Warriors’ PR
Previous Matchups
- WARRIORS: On 12/23/2015 (two nights ago) at Oracle Arena, the Warriors defeated the Utah Jazz, 103-85. Thompson led all scorers with 20 points. FINAL RECAP & HIGHLIGHTS: Warriors Outclass Utah Jazz, 103-85
- CAVS: On 12/23/2015 (two nights ago) at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH, the Cavaliers defeated the New York Knicks, 91-84. James led all scorers with 24 points.
- WARRIORS VS CAVS: On 6/16/2015 at Quicken Loans Arena, the Warriors defeated the Cavs, 105-97, to win the 2015 NBA Finals. Green recorded a triple-double. RECAP, NBA Finals Game 6: Draymond Green Records Triple-Double As Golden State Warriors Win NBA Finals vs Cleveland Cavaliers, 105-97
- CAVS AT WARRIORS: On 6/14/2015 at Oracle Arena, the Warriors defeated the Cavs, 106-91, to win Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Curry scored 37 points including a flurry in the deciding 4th quarter. RECAP w/ HIGHLIGHTS, Game 5: Steph Curry’s Late Splashes Drown Cleveland Cavaliers, Warriors Win 104-91
Game Notes
- “Despite the obvious hoopla swirling around the Warriors’ showcase game against Cleveland on Friday, the team did its best to downplay the significance a day ahead of the regular-season contest.
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‘We’ll either finish that game 28-1 or 27-2. That’s about it,’ Warriors power forward Draymond Green said Thursday before being asked if he saw the game as a chance to make a statement against the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers (19-7). ‘No, absolutely not. It is what it is. We want to win, but it’s just another game.'” — Rusty Simmons, San Francisco Chronicle - “‘The memories will come back as soon as you walk into the building,’ James told reporters. ‘But also understand that it’s one of 82, and I’m not going to put everything into this game.
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‘For us as a team, Friday will not be the end of our season like it was in June.'” — Diamond Leung, Bay Area News Group - “‘As of now, we’re going to keep our starting lineup the same,’ interim coach Luke Walton said after a brief practice Thursday.
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“We’ll make adjustments throughout the game,” he added. “But unless something happens from now until tomorrow, we’ll roll with the guys that have been starting for us.'” — Monte Poole, CSN Bay Area - “‘Offensively, (Love) just gives them another option,’ said Curry. ‘He’s obviously shooting the ball well. He can control the paint with rebounding, and he just gives them another weapon that they can use. You’ve got to know where he is at all times. You’ve got to put a body on him in the paint, not let him get open looks from 3, not let him get the rebound and outlet to get those guys off and running.
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‘Guys on our team have played against him plenty of times and know his strengths, and you just have to be ready for it.'” — Carl Steward, Bay Area News Group - “Curry leads the NBA in shots from 25 feet, with 84, and converts at a clip of 44.4 percent. Think about that for a moment. Curry has made 94 baskets from short range and 84 from long range. That’s the production of a good power forward and a good shooting guard — and it comes in the package of a point guard who does all the things a good point guard does.” — Marcus Thompson, Bay Area News Group
- “Draymond Green vs. Kevin Love. There are many matchups worth watching, but this one is the most curious because LeBron is proven and Kyrie is on minutes-restriction, leaving Love as Cleveland’s X-factor. Green will be the primary defender, and his priorities will be to keep Love off the glass and hug him at the arc. If Green is successful at one, the Warriors will take it. If he’s successful at both, the Cavs will go only as far as LeBron takes them.” — Poole
(Photo: @letsgowarriors Instagram account via NBAE/Getty)
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