CHRISTMAS CLASH
?NOTE: Due to a disastrous and nauseating power outage in our area, it is only now that i am able to post my special Christmas article about the Dubs vs Cavs Christmas showdown. So in order to enjoy reading , it is advisable to act and think as if the match is yet to unfold and the game's result is still unknown. Here we go.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Durant could be the big difference in this game
"Oh come all ye Warriors and Cavs faithful", for we have on Christmas day another classic set to unfold before our very eyes. The Golden State Warriors vs the Cleveland Cavaliers. Will the Warriors, with new acquisition Kevin Durant, offer a new nut which the defending Champs might find tough to crack? Or will the Cavs, with the veteran leadership of Lebron James, dampen the upbeat mood of the superteam Warriors? It may require an overtime or two to provide answers to these questions. The number one team in the West going up against the frontrunner in the East. It's a clash of the titans , so to speak. Here's how i see this Christmas spectacle will pan out.
The First Noel, err i mean, the first quarter will see Lebron wowing the home crowd with his trademark slams and jaw dropping alley oops to Tristan Thompson. The Cavs center will have a field day due to the lackluster defense by the Warriors bigs particularly Javale McGee. Kyrie Irving will hound Steph Curry and render the latter ineffective from beyond the arc. Kevin Durant will keep the Warriors in fighting form with his mid range jumpers and some timely dimes. But the damage wrought by Lebron will give the Cavs a nine point lead at the end of the quarter.
On the 2nd day of Christmas, or rather the 2nd quarter, the Warriors will be ready for the Lebron show. They will throw different sets of traps to disrupt James' rhythm and will succeed in that regard. Steph and Klay Thompson will shift into attack mode to allow the Dubs to get within striking distance and eventually overtake the Cavs as the Warriors find themselves ahead by double digits at halftime.
By the start of the third quarter, Lebron will once again take it upon himself to extricate the Cavs from the hole they find themselves in. Aided by some Kevin Love and Iman Shumpert buckets, the Cavs will erase the Warriors lead and will appear to be gaining a momentum. But just as Cavs fans were about to sing " Joy to the World", Kevin Durant puts on a show of his own to put Golden State back on top. Much to the dismay of Cleveland fans, it is Durant, and not Santa Claus, who comes barging into town.
Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The three Kings from the East
The fourth quarter will become a seesaw affair, with one team enjoying what would look like a good enough lead, only to see it overran by the other. A shootfest ensues giving the fans a thrilling Christmas contest to remember. It will become a battle between Golden State's Big 4 against Cleveland's Big 3. In the end, the Cavaliers defense will be key in frustrating the Warriors' high octane offense. The trio of Love, James, and Irving will become to the Cavs hordes a reincarnation of the Three Kings, and will present their gifts to their fans in the form of a 101-95 victory over the Warriors.
Merry Christmas to One and all.
