An Upset For The Cavaliers

You would have expected the Golden State Warriors to have fond memories of Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Their last appearance there against the Cleveland Cavaliers was in June, when they closed out the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games in the NBA Finals.

And so, going into Monday night’s meeting with the Cavs, Warriors standout Steph Curry mentioned in passing that he hoped the locker room was still redolent of champagne and the sweet smell of success.

This, of course, was immediately translated by the Cavaliers into disrespect, the sports catch-all response to, well, everything. So the Cavs, seeking revenge, immediately went out and played as poorly as humanly possible. Something smelled a bit sour, and it was the home team.

The Warriors handed the Cavaliers as 132-98 beating, a negative point differential that was the largest in any game for the Cavs that has ever involved LeBron James. They trailed at one point by 43. After allowing 70 points in the first half, they gave up the first nine of the second half.

Not in our house? Apparently all over our house.

“When you play against teams like this … you’ve got to have just a laser-sharp mentality. Both physical and mental. You can’t have lulls because they make you pay,” James said afterwards.

We won’t make more of one game than we have to. The Cavaliers are 28-11 and 4 ½ games ahead of the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference’s Central Division. The Warriors, however, are a league-best 38-4 and 10 ½ games up on the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division.

When the Warriors left their locker room on Monday night, a different smell lingered. The sweet smell of steak. Their postgame meal was catered by Morton’s. The champagne remains on ice until June.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman