The second game of the Finals again went into overtime, but this time the Cleveland Cavaliers were victorious.

Here are three important takeaways from Game 2:

1. Dellavedova’s Determination

Coming out of Saint Mary’s, Matthew Dellavedova was a marginal prospect who hoped to land a job in the NBA. Many scouts feared the Australian would struggle defensively at the professional level. According to NBAdraft.net, apprehensions about his defensive ability included, “Major concerns due to lack of lateral mobility … Lacks length in arms to make up for slow feet … Competitive defensively, but lacks tools to make a positive impact on that end … Oft easily beaten off dribble at the college level, and struggles navigating through on/off-ball screens.” Unbelievably, two years later, that same player received the second most minutes (42) and had the second highest +/- (+15) on the winning team in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

Many pundits declared that the Cavaliers would have no chance of winning without Kyrie Irving, who suffered a season-ending injury in Game 1. No Irving meant that Dellavedova would be forced to play a crucial role in determining the outcome of this series. After looking overwhelmed on defense in the first game, Dellavedova responded with an incredible performance in Game 2, in which he was largely responsible for shutting down the league’s MVP. Stephen Curry shot 0-for-8 from the field and committed four turnovers with Dellavedova guarding him in the halfcourt.

Dellavedova’s aggressive and disciplined defense was on display; as he doggedly navigated through screens to stick with and pester Curry the entire night. Three key plays in the final moments of the game symbolize Dellavedova’s exceptional toughness and competitive spirit. The first was when he dove on the floor to secure the loose ball defensive rebound with 40 seconds left in regulation. Then, to start overtime, he battled the much stronger Iguodala in the low post and forced him into a missed shot in the paint. Finally, the defining moment of the game occurred when Dellavedova miraculously came up with an offensive rebound and got fouled with 10 seconds to go. He followed that up by calmly knocking down his only 2 free throw attempts of the night to put the Cavs ahead for good. Quite an impressive game for the man who was passed over 60 times merely two years ago. 

2. No “O” in Oracle

The Warriors struggled to score to an alarming degree in Game 2. Outside of Klay Thompson, who shot magnificently, the Warriors shot 19-for-55 from the field for a percentage of 34.5%. The poor performance starts with Curry who struggled to free himself from Dellavedova all night, but extends to other key Warriors as well.

The Cavaliers continued to trap all ball-screens for Curry, which left Draymond Green with a number of open opportunities. For the second game in a row, he failed to take advantage, as Timofey Mozgov thwarted several of his drives to the rim and Green barely even tried to pop for an open three-pointer instead, missing his only three-point attempt, which was the first shot of the game. Furthermore, Green was not able to display his typical playmaking chops, as the Cavaliers wing defenders were content to leave Green open for a split second unafraid of his scoring.  

When they are unable to get much going in the halfcourt, Golden State often looks to push the ball in transition to generate some easy scoring opportunities. However, the Cavaliers' dominant offensive rebounding forces the Warriors to stay back to protect the glass rather than leaking out in transition. Additionally, the Cavs did a pretty good job of limiting live ball turnovers and therefore, preventing the Warriors from getting easy fastbreak opportunities. The slow pace and the physicality of the first two games have both played right into the hands of the Cavaliers. 

3. Does LeBron Have Enough Help On Offense?

LeBron James played a remarkable game, posting the fifth triple-double of his Finals career but the Cavaliers had several problems on offense of their own. Cleveland’s lack of playmaking without Irving was evident as nobody other than LeBron recorded more than one assist. Furthermore, 66 of Cleveland’s 95 points came from either a LeBron basket or assist. Two players played essential roles in providing just enough assistance on offense to help get the win.

Timofey Mozgov has proven to be a legitimate off-the-ball threat in the first two games of the finals. Many predicted that the Warriors would be able to corral LeBron by sending Mozgov’s defender toward him to take away his driving lanes. However, Mozgov’s cuts into the paint and his ability to finish or get fouled have caused his man to be reluctant about straying too far from him. His productivity in Game 2 was vital to an inefficient Cavs offense and Coach David Blatt almost cost the Cavs the game by leaving Mozgov out for basically all of the fourth quarter and overtime.

Capable three-point shooters are of particular importance in an offense based around LeBron ISOs and post-ups. James Jones filled his role of three-point marksman very well in Game 2 by making two of his four three-pointers. Perhaps more importantly, the threat of Jones’ shooting provided a very important extra sliver of spacing for LeBron’s penetration and Mozgov’s cuts and rolls to the rim. Jones’s effect on the offense appears in the difference in the Cavs offensive rating with Jones on the floor and with him off it. 

If Mozgov and Jones are rewarded with more minutes for their strong offensive performances in Game 2, perhaps they will be enough to help LeBron pick up his third finals victory.