The Cleveland Cavaliers remain perfect in this 2024-25 season following a comprehensive 136-117 win over the Golden State Warriors at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday. The Cavaliers pounced on the Warriors early in this game, leading by as many as 41 points at one stage, and are now 10-0 on the season.
Darius Garland led the way for the Cavaliers with 27 points (9-17 FG), three rebounds, six assists, and three steals on the night. Evan Mobley was their second-leading scorer with 23 points (7-12 FG), four rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two blocks while Ty Jerome had 20 points (7-8 FG), one rebound, and three assists off the bench. Donovan Mitchell had an off night with just 12 points (4-13 FG), five rebounds, and four assists, but it didn’t hurt the Cavaliers the least bit.
For the Warriors, Jonathan Kuminga ended up being their leading scorer, finishing with 21 points (7-14), six rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block. Stephen Curry, meanwhile, had a quiet night as he put up just 12 points (5-10 FG), one rebound, two assists, and two steals as Golden State dropped to 7-2 on the season.
This was a much-anticipated contest between two of the best teams in the NBA in this early stage of the season but the Cavaliers made light work of the Warriors. This was a statement win and here are some of the major takeaways from the game.
Cavaliers Make History With Offensive Explosion In First Half
The Cavaliers put on an offensive clinic in the first half and ended up making history. They had 83 points by halftime and that set a new record for most points scored by the team in the first half in their history. They had previously scored 81 points against the Sacramento Kings in Dec. 2021 and the Portland Trail Blazers in Nov. 2016.
The Cavaliers led 39-22 at the end of the first quarter and you thought things couldn’t potentially get worse for the Warriors after that, but that’s what happened. The home team won the second quarter 44-20 and ensured there was no way back for the visitors.
The Cavaliers went 28-43 (65.1%) from the field and 14-22 (63.6%) from beyond the arc in that first half. They came close to tying the record for most threes in a half in franchise history, which was 16 threes in that game against the Trail Blazers.
Of those 28 makes, 22 were assisted as the Cavaliers tore apart the Warriors defense with great ball movement. They also had a 14-2 edge in fastbreak points at the half and just completely outplayed the opposition in every facet of the game.
The Cavaliers understandably took their foot off the gas in the second half, which is why the final score didn’t end up being very embarrassing for the Warriors. Had the home team kept at it, I think they would have come close to breaking their franchise record for most points in a game (154 against the Los Angeles Lakers in Jan. 1980).
Stephen Curry And Buddy Hield Were No-Shows
Curry and Buddy Hield have been big reasons why the Warriors have had this great start to the season, but both were no-shows in this one. With the Cavaliers running riot in that first half, the visitors needed one of their two leading scorers to get going to keep them in the game but neither could and they weren’t the least bit aggressive either.
Curry had seven points in the first half and took just six shots in the period. He didn’t even come close to stamping his authority in the contest and lost that point guard battle against Garland.
Hield, meanwhile, went scoreless in the first half and didn’t even take a shot. We have grown accustomed to him letting it fly whenever he subs in but had no impact whatsoever against the Cavaliers. He ended the game with just three points (1-4 FG), two rebounds, and one assist.
Safe to say, the Warriors won’t be winning too many games where these two are so ineffective in the first half. They have a tough one up next too, as they face the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on Sunday at 7 PM ET.
The Cavaliers Are Undoubtedly The Best Team In The NBA Right Now
I was a bit hesitant to call the Cavaliers the best team in the league at this point in the season despite their perfect start, but you have to give them their flowers now. They are off to the best start in franchise history and I believe are the best team in the NBA right now.
The Cavaliers have an offensive rating of 122.7 after 10 games, the best in the league. As a team, they are shooting 52.7% from the field this season and no other team is over 50. They are also shooting 42.7% from beyond the arc, again the best mark.
Meanwhile, on the other end, the Cavaliers have a defensive rating of 110.0, which ranks ninth in the NBA. They are one of the few teams to be in the top 10 in both offense and defense and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the top 5 in both by the end of the campaign.
Up next for the Cavaliers following this statement win is a clash with the Brooklyn Nets at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday at 7:30 PM ET. I certainly wouldn’t bet against them getting another win there.
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