The Two Biggest Plays Of The 2017-2018 Nba Finals

Though the 2017-2018 NBA Finals looked one-sided with the Dubs giving the Cavs the thrashing of a lifetime, it could’ve been a lot different.  The Dubs were heavily favored going into the Finals, but the Cavs fought tooth and nail.  There were two plays though, in my opinion, that changed the course of the series.  Let’s take a look at them.

J.R. Smith’s monumental lapse

Everyone’s seen it, and countless memes have been made about it.  J.R. Smith’s lapse of judgment at the end of Game 1 extended the game into overtime where the Warriors steamrolled over the Cavs.  Had Smith called a timeout, the Cavs would have had four seconds to steal the game and home court advantage.  But as fate w0uld have it, the volatile Cavs guard lost focus and opened the door for a Dubs comeback.  This mistake broke the Cavs’ heart.

Image source: defpen.com

Kevin Durant’s dagger three

Down two games to zero, the Cavs knew they had to win Game 3.  They succeeded in slowing the game down and engaging the Warriors in a gritty contest that was decided only in the final minute.  With the Dubs up by just three, Kevin Durant hit a dagger three  5 feet away from the arc.  It was almost the same spot from where he hit another dagger three in the third game of the 2016-2017 NBA Finals.  This took everything away from the Cavs.  The dagger broke the Cavs’ spirit.

Image source: 12up.com

My name’s Ryan Jacob, and I’m a college student pursuing a Chemical Engineering degree, focusing on Clean Air Engineering (CAE). Having lived in California for almost all my life, I grew up a devoted fan of the San Francisco 49ers, the Golden State Warriors, and the San Francisco Giants. Learn more about these teams here.