It wasn’t bad enough the Golden State Warriors overwhelmed defending champion Cleveland in winning Thursday’s NBA Finals opener 113-91.
The worse news for the Cavaliers and star player LeBron James was that it wasn’t even the best effort for an undefeated squad whose 13-0 play-off win streak matches the longest in NBA play-off history.
“We could be a lot better than we were tonight, but in the finals, you get the W, we’ll take it,” Warriors forward Kevin Durant said.
Durant scored 38 points on 14-of-26 shooting, grabbed eight rebounds and passed off eight assists while Stephen Curry added 28 points, sinking six-of-11 three-pointers as Golden State dominated Cleveland in almost every area of the game.
The Warriors had 12 steals to none by Cleveland, outscored the Cavaliers 56-30 in the paint and 27-9 on fast breaks. They scored 21 points off 20 Cavaliers turnovers while making only four giveaways, tying the fewest by any team in any NBA Finals game.
“We feel like we can play much better, especially offensively, just finishing better around the rim,” Curry said. “There were open opportunities that we had because we were moving the ball well and trying to force them into a tough decision on the defensive end.
“The best thing was just our defensive presence and effort for 48 minutes. They’re going to make tough shots, so you’ve got to just keep pressing, sticking to the game plan but focus what’s in front of you.”
The Warriors seized a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series that continues Sunday in Oakland.
While the Warriors are making NBA history as they did last year, they know the feeling will be bittersweet without a title. Last year the Cavaliers made the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history, rallying from 3-1 down to take the title.
“We’ve been here before and know there’s a lot of work left to do,” Curry said.
Golden State’s Draymond Green grabbed 11 rebounds and scored nine points while making Cleveland’s Kevin Love work hard for his 15 points and 21 rebounds.
“Overall it was a complete team effort,” Green said. “We just tried to make him take tough shots. And he can still hit those shots. So we just got to continue to play great team defence.”
Warriors interim coach Mike Brown, filling in for Steve Kerr while he recovers from complications after back surgery, agrees with his stars that his team did not show its best in ripping the Cavaliers.
“I’m sure they feel like they could play better but we feel like we can shoot better,” Brown said. “We had some bunnies around the rim we didn’t finish that we normally finish. So that’s one area we can do a better job in.
“We can continue to get better.”
If they do, the Warriors could become the first team in NBA history to make an unbeaten playoff run to the title.
* Agence France-Presse
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
UAE SQUAD
Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Rest
(Because Music)
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Company%20profile
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Oppenheimer
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
