Despite facing a Cleveland Cavaliers team as close to full strength as it has been all season, the Golden State Warriors’ defence was unrelenting.
In a star-studded Christmas Day match-up which was the most anticipated of the regular season so far, points were at a premium as Golden State won 89-83 to improve their record to 28-1.
It wasn’t a scoring explosion by Stephen Curry or a ball-movement clinic that earned the victory, but rather lockdown defence that held the Cavaliers in check.
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Cleveland shot just 31.6 per cent from the field, their third-worst effort in any game LeBron James has played in and the lowest mark in the superstar’s second stint with the franchise.
In the restricted area, where the Cavaliers normally average 62 per cent on their shots, Cleveland converted a season-low 39 per cent.
James was the high-scorer in the game with 25 points, but was made to work for it as he shot 10-of-26 from the field against a range of Golden State defenders.
“Tonight our defence was absolutely unbelievable for all 48 minutes,” Warriors centre Andrew Bogut said.
“To keep them to the 80s, they never really got in a flow where they could really attack us.”
Though Golden State entered the holiday showcase as favourites, the Cavaliers were expected to present a formidable challenge with star point guard Kyrie Irving healthy.
Irving struggled to find his touch, however, and shot 4-of-15 to score his 13 points, while Kevin Love was only marginally better with 5-of-16 shooting for 10 points.
“It’s one of those nights,” Love said. “I don’t know if you’ll ever see Kyrie and myself go 0-for-11 from 3 again.”
Steph Curry delivering plenty of Christmas gifts #NBAVote #DubTheVote https://t.co/kZNwJWo74Q
— Golden St. Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2015
Cleveland as a whole failed to take advantage of open opportunities, making 12-of-37 uncontested shots – field goals when the shooter does not have a defender with his vicinity (3.5 feet).
However, as well as Golden State’s defence played, the Cavaliers were equally impressive guarding their end of the floor.
Cleveland held the NBA’s top offensive team to under 90 points for the first time all season, forcing the Warriors to shoot 41.0 per cent from the field and 5-of-18 from long range, but didn’t have enough firepower in the end.
“We gave ourselves a chance,” James said. “If we play like that defensively, we’re going to be a very tough team to beat. Offensively, we just didn’t have it. No one had it.”
