Warriors Dominate Cavs Despite Missing Majority Of Starters

The Golden State Warriors got a big win over the Cleveland Cavaliers even without a majority of their starting lineup.

Well, let's just be thankful that one is over. 

The Cavs and Warriors met up in Cleveland for their final matchup of the 2022 regular season. Golden State eventually came out with a 120-114, although it didn't feel as close as the six-point game that it ended as.

The story of the night was how well the Warriors shot from three. They made 23 of their 43 attempts from behind the arc and Cleveland just wasn't able to keep up with them.

One would think that on a night when Golden State shoots 53 percent from three, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined to score 60 points or something similar to that. However, Curry, Klay, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green all sat out for rest.

Jan 20, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) is tripped up by Golden State Warriors guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Warriors also entered the night with a 5-18 record on the road which is the third worst in the NBA.

That makes this loss even worse for the Cavs.

They allowed Jordan Poole, who has emerged as a fantastic scorer in the NBA to go for 32 points and shoot 69 percent from the floor. Ty Jerome also contributed 22 points and eight assists as he stepped into the starting point guard role. 

Cleveland was able to come back and make it a five-point game with four minutes left, but at that time it was too late. 

Darius Garland did everything he could and had a 31-point game, but his efficiency was not great. He shot 27 percent from three and 40 percent from the floor. 

Donovan Mitchell did miss his second game due to a hamstring strain he suffered against the Pelicans. However, not having Mitchell is no excuse for the defensive breakdown that happened on Friday.

In the end, a lot of credit has to be given to the Warriors. They came into the game knowing they would be without their All-Stars and took it right to the Cavs which is something they clearly weren't expecting. 

The Cavs need to shake this one off quickly. The Milwaukee Bucks are on their way to town to take on Cleveland on Saturday night.

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