Compared to the seasoned champions on the Warriors' roster, Mike Malone was actually the only one feeling the nerves before the Finals. Last season, he was just an assistant coach for Mike Brown's Cavaliers, essentially getting his job through his father, Brendan Malone's connections, which helped him escape unemployment and assist the "Chosen One." Now, who would've thought he'd be stepping onto the Finals stage as the head coach of the reigning champions?
Recalling that interview last summer, Malone couldn't help but feel emotional. That interview not only changed his fate but also gave him the envious opportunity to coach arguably the greatest active player in the league today. Although Malone had even pre-written a "confession of guilt" to take the blame if the Warriors failed to defend their title before Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, after Messiah's epic "50+20+10" performance in that deciding game, Malone ripped up that "confession." He knew the Warriors were just one step away from claiming the championship.
And this step, in Malone's eyes, might just be the easiest one in the Warriors' entire playoff journey this year. Malone knows his old friend Mike Brown's coaching style inside and out; he understands the defensive system Brown built for the Cavaliers. It relies on frequent player rotations to maintain defensive intensity and tight guarding of key opposing players to disrupt the entire team's performance. In their previous three playoff series, the Cavaliers managed to hold their opponents to under 87 points per game. That's an outstanding and impressive defensive stat! This Cleveland Cavaliers team is great at dogfights, but after their Western Conference Finals Game 7 against the Sonics, Malone doesn't believe the Cavaliers can out-tough the Sonics. Plus, as Jeff Van Gundy once said, any defense needs to be built on effective matchups. In the regular season, Zack had already proven that no player on the Cavaliers could match up with him.
While a fully committed LeBron James is undoubtedly the best defender on the Cavs to guard Zack, compared to "Full Effort K.G.," Malone doesn't think LeBron, whether in defensive experience or physical size, can do a better job than Garnett. And once LeBron expends too much energy on defense, who will carry the offense for the Cavaliers? In this upcoming Finals series, Shaquille O'Neal, who was instrumental in the Cavaliers reaching the Finals, will inevitably see his playing time reduced. With all these factors, Malone believes this might even be the most imbalanced Finals in history in terms of overall team strength.
---
Moreover, after the break following the Western Conference Finals, both Malone and the Warriors players clearly felt that Zack's "crazy" state hadn't vanished; in fact, it seemed to be intensifying. Zack was truly stifled. Ever since Bowen's dirty play, he hadn't been able to use his full strength for ten consecutive games, feeling as if his hands and feet were tied. Even his thrilling battle with "Full Effort K.G." in Game 7 only partially relieved the pent-up frustration in his chest.
Furthermore, Commissioner David Stern's blatant interference in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals had solidified Zack's resolve. He pushed himself to the limit, giving everything to reach this destined showdown with LeBron, determined to continue "collecting debts" from the incompetent league with one full-power performance after another. If last year Zack only wanted to claim the crown for himself, now, in his extreme fury and boundless resentment, he simply wants to personally crush anyone who dares to stop him from being crowned again! He wants to deliver a truly worthy Finals performance to firmly establish his dominance over this era! The "Satan of Annihilation" has prepared his "Blade of Annihilation."
---
June 8, 2007. This was the date for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. That night, LeBron James, making his first Finals appearance, seemed exceptionally excited. Despite nine ESPN experts not picking the Cavaliers to win, James still said in an interview, "You know, I've always been a loyal Liverpool fan. In Istanbul in 2005, everyone thought they couldn't beat AC Milan. They were even down 0-3 at halftime, but Liverpool still lifted the Champions League trophy." Was James really a Liverpool fan? Zack wasn't sure, but he remembered that in the future, James would indeed become a minority owner of Liverpool.
"My dear 'Bread,' have you thought about your feelings after my team sweeps yours?" During pre-game warm-ups, while exchanging pleasantries with Brown, Malone didn't spare his old friend any mercy. Brown responded with a troubled face, "Why are you always so optimistic and confident?" Malone put an arm around Brown's shoulder and said, "Because you don't get to coach the Messiah. Otherwise, you'd be as optimistic and confident as I am."
Unlike the Cavaliers players who seemed to have forgotten how they lost to the Warriors in the regular season, Brown, as the head coach, knew this was a Finals series where the Cavaliers would be at a significant disadvantage across the board. Therefore, Brown, unable to boost the opponent's morale before the Finals, could only fully support LeBron James and believe that the "Chosen Son" could create that sliver of possibility for the Cavaliers in the Finals.
---
In the roaring Golden Wave of Oracle Arena, after the pre-game introductions, the starting lineups were announced.
Cavaliers: Big Z, Gooden, James, Mo Williams, Snow.
Warriors: Brown, Zack, Artest, Richardson, Davis.
The Cavaliers' biggest characteristic was indeed their deep roster. In the Eastern Conference Finals, Brown used two different lineups every night to contend with the Pistons. Before the Finals began, Brown could only envision a win by leveraging the increased physicality and defensive allowances of this year's playoffs to lower the Warriors' perimeter shooting percentage, maintaining this defense with high-frequency rotations, and finally praying that James could lead his "Royal Guard" to repeatedly break down the Warriors' defense.
On the court, after the tip-off, the game officially began. On the Warriors' first offensive possession, Zack, standing at the top of the arc to break the Cavaliers' box-and-one defense, immediately sliced through their iron-clad formation. LeBron James, tasked with guarding Zack, was playing hard and seriously. But in trying to impose his physicality, he rushed too aggressively, giving Zack the chance to use his size to pin him behind and to the side. Then, Zack took three big steps into the Cavaliers' paint and scored with an emphatic reverse layup over Big Z.
Right from the start, Zack's unreasonable individual drive and score made LeBron frown. This wasn't the picture James had in mind. Although James knew better than anyone how difficult Zack was to guard, in James's opinion, he should at least have an advantage on the perimeter. After all, "Young LeBron" was incredibly fast. Clearly, James needed more time to figure out what magic Zack had just pulled on him. Artest, meanwhile, had already seen the subtle brilliance. What perfect timing to release the ball! What a fluid rhythm of releasing the ball, accelerating, and then re-gathering! And the astounding body control during the finish! In just one possession, Artest confirmed that tonight's Zack was in peak form.
---
Back on the Cavaliers' offensive possession, the Warriors deployed a 2-3 zone defense. The weakness of the 2-3 zone is in the corner pockets. When Zack noticed that Snow and Mo Williams were manning the corners for the Cavaliers tonight, he immediately signaled to Brown with his eyes, telling him to quickly move towards Mo Williams' side. At the top of the arc, as the "King" mark appeared on James's forehead, you could feel, even through the screen, how difficult it was for the Cavaliers to break the zone. Gooden and Big Z had set at least three screens for James, but James still hadn't initiated an attack with the ball.
On CCTV, Zhang Weiping, who could finally fully back Zack and the Warriors after the agonizing Western Conference Finals, commented, "James is a bit too hesitant on that play!" Hesitant? From James's perspective, with someone on both sides of the Warriors' paint, and three players always standing on the two wings and at the top of the arc, how could he, being cautious by nature, not hesitate?
With about 7 seconds left on the shot clock, James drove, using a Gooden screen, and showed his decisive side. Soon after, Mo Williams, who wasn't completely left open by the Warriors, received James's pass from the drive. Then, facing Brown's massive frame, Mo Williams forced a fadeaway three-pointer from the corner. Clang! In the Warriors' paint, Zack easily secured the rebound and swiftly initiated a fast break. Big Z and Gooden, who were just in the high post setting screens for James, frantically retreated to the Cavaliers' paint. Then, they watched... Zack suddenly stopped his dribble at the three-point line.
---
Zack knew this was a Finals series where the Warriors had a very high margin for error. So, tonight, he played much more aggressively than usual. From the right 45-degree angle, Zack arched his back and launched a trailing three-pointer. Swish! In the first quarter, amidst the never-ending Golden Wave at Oracle Arena, scenes like this would be replayed repeatedly. The Cavaliers, who had to spend over ten seconds on each possession to break the Warriors' zone, might make some of those shots, but more often than not, they were simply gifting the Warriors transition opportunities.
Zack's return from injury indeed gave the Warriors the capital to speed up the game. But more importantly, because the entire Warriors team had fully understood the margin of error in this Finals series during their "scorched earth" rematch in the regular season, Mike Brown, who was trying to drag the Warriors into a half-court battle, quickly discovered the fact that the Warriors simply weren't interested in playing "normal" basketball. Of course, the Cavaliers could respond to the Warriors' constant fast breaks with quicker transition defense. But who told the Cavaliers that just because you retreat defensively, the Warriors would stop their fast breaks? In the game, Zack's second three-point attempt was already launched from a step behind the three-point line. Although the rim later rejected the Golden State Warriors' No. 30's wild shot, Zack grabbed his own long offensive rebound, then drove into the Cavaliers' paint with a hop step, slamming in two points!
The frustrated "Bread" (Mike Brown) made significant adjustments to the Cavaliers' lineup in the latter half of the second quarter. He successively brought in Varejao, Marshall, and Pavlovic to assist the increasingly struggling "King." More perimeter shooting options indeed gave James more passing choices when driving and dishing. But Zack and Brown, working in tandem, each got a steal in the latter half of the first quarter because James's passing angles were limited after jumping. With their默契 (mutual understanding), if one of them covered James's pass angle to one side after his drive, the other could easily intercept the "King's generous gift."
---
At the end of the first quarter, it was 17-34. During the break, a restless James was gnawing on his thumb, clearly anxious. His "confidant," Shaquille O'Neal, then walked onto the court with a look that spoke volumes. According to the Warriors' usual rotation strategy, the first half of the second quarter would be one of the few opportunities for O'Neal to prove himself in this Finals series. However... after the break, seeing that Zack had no intention of resting in the first half of the second quarter, O'Neal's expression suddenly became confused. Wait, seriously, man? Is this really necessary?
Necessary? No, it's very necessary. Given the current game situation, Zack would most likely finish his work after three quarters, so how could he choose to rest during the first three quarters?
Oracle Arena. The Warriors' lineup in the second quarter was Zack, Murphy, Barnes, Dunleavy Jr., and Jackson. This lineup filled O'Neal with despair. And what was even more despairing was that while O'Neal was on the court, the Cavaliers players couldn't even get the ball to him. The Warriors' unshakeable 2-3 zone defense completely locked down the paint. As long as the Cavaliers couldn't capitalize on the corner three-point opportunities the Warriors would inevitably concede, the Cavaliers, lacking ways to break the zone decisively, could only let O'Neal run back and forth on the court.
On the Cavaliers' bench, a despondent "Bread" (Mike Brown) realized that the team whose shooting percentage was being dragged down by the league's tacitly approved physicality and defensive rules... was actually their own. After the Game 7 battle against the Sonics, the Warriors players' superior champion mentality meant that even under the same intensity, their three-point shots were more confident than the Cavaliers'. And even if the Warriors missed those threes, it didn't matter. Because by just locking down the paint, the Warriors players had absolute confidence in defending against most of the Cavaliers' offensive possessions.
---
On the court, it was the Warriors' offensive possession. Zack, having long lost interest in O'Neal, didn't deliberately bully the "Big Shark" for personal reasons. But who made his model so huge that Zack could always spot him immediately? At the top of the arc, after a quick pick-and-roll with Murphy, Zack once again drew O'Neal in front of him. This night would be the "doomsday" for the center position. Thump, thump!
Dribbling like a nimble butterfly, leaving O'Neal behind, Zack drove into the Cavaliers' paint and slammed home a one-handed dunk! "From now on, there's only one center in this league. Besides 'Big-Yao,' everyone else is just stinky fish and rotten shrimp!" Zack deliberately raised his voice, looking back at the dejected O'Neal, and also at Big Z, who was sitting on the Cavaliers' bench. Zack remembered O'Neal's famous quote: "There are only two and a half centers in the NBA – me, Yao Ming, and half a Big Z." So, since tonight, both the usually low-key Big Z and the former top center O'Neal seemed so powerless in the game, then naturally, there would only be one center in the NBA in the future.
On TNT, Barkley almost simultaneously offered the same opinion: "Messiah has personally ended the era of centers. Even 'Big-Yao' needs the protection of a super power forward like Kevin Garnett to dare contend with him on the court." The era of centers will surely be a thing of the past. After all, it was a tiny probability for the NBA to have Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Shaquille O'Neal all at the same time. Plus, every change in basketball rules further restricts seven-footers. Therefore, apart from a few exceptionally gifted individuals, most seven-footers are destined to become role players in the future. Zack, coming from the future, knew very well why teams in later generations preferred to use more mobile power forwards as small-ball centers rather than giving opportunities to traditional seven-footers. In the development of basketball, there have been some promising centers with good skills. However, with the introduction of zone defenses, the abolition of the hand-check rule, and later changes to the verticality rule and gathering step rule, all these changes gradually stripped away the living space of these seven-footers.
---
At halftime, the score was 40-67. At the start of the second half, LeBron James, trying to open up the game with perimeter shooting, frequently assisted on missed shots. The Cavaliers' outside offense was solely reliant on Mo Williams desperately trying to keep them afloat. But compared to Kyrie Irving in later generations, Mo Williams was clearly inferior in both scoring volume and individual ability. In the third quarter, Zack even took two three-point attempts from the LOGO area, showing the world just how massive the Warriors' lead had become. "Young LeBron's" efforts on defense were certainly commendable, but against Zack, who had just battled "Full Effort K.G." for an entire Game 7, his defense was full of holes.
By the end of the third quarter, the game had completely devolved into garbage time. Zack played 36 minutes, shooting 15-for-27 from the field, including 3-for-9 from three-point range, and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, totaling 41 points, 17 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. Through his perfect performance on both ends of the court, "Thanos Zack" once again made the entire basketball world fully feel the dominance of the best player.
---
Final score: 89-123. The Warriors extinguished the hopes of the Clevelanders with a 34-point rout in Game 1 of the Finals. If Clevelanders had harbored fantasies that the "Chosen Son" could lead them to a miracle before the Finals, then compared to the final score of Game 1, the Cavaliers' utter inability to put up any meaningful resistance on the court had completely shattered their confidence in winning the series.
ESPN commentator A-Smith bluntly stated after the game, "I think what we need to focus on now is whether the Warriors will set a new record for the largest winning margin in NBA Finals history." After the game, many of James's fans tried to find scapegoats to prove that James's crushing defeat in Game 1 was solely due to his teammates. Then, they saw Mo Williams, who had completely burned out, shooting 7-for-17, and Big Z, who battled under immense pressure to put up 12 points and 8 rebounds, and Gooden, who didn't get many shot opportunities but was 3-for-5. Pavlovic and Marshall, who shot 1-for-4 and 2-for-6 from three-point range respectively, along with Gibson, who was 1-for-3, could indeed be blamed after the game.
But on the night of the game, wasn't it LeBron James himself who shot 0-for-8 from beyond the arc? After this game, a dazed James even mumbled in his post-game interview, "There are three more games. I believe we can play better with each one."