OAKLAND – As the Oracle Arena crowd reached deafening levels of vitriol, it was easy to feel sorry for Matthew Dellavedova. The undrafted guard from nearby St. Mary’s College surely felt nowhere close to home stepping to the line for a pair of go-ahead free throws in the waning moments of Game 2, cacophonous jeers from 20,000 blue-and-gold clad fans making it hard to hear yourself think.
And perhaps that’s exactly why Dellavedova appeared so calm while draining the pair of shots that ultimately gave the Cleveland Cavaliers an beautifully ugly 95-93 victory over the Golden State Warriors. Was the stage too big and the crowd too loud for the seldom-used Aussie to succumb to tension that filled the league’s loudest venue?
Or maybe Dellavedova and the Cavaliers have simply grown comfortable in such situations by playing in Quicken Loans Arena. The way LeBron James talked of expectations for his team’s fanbase after Game 2, that certainly seems a possibility.
“And if I can leave my fans with something, these fans here are pretty loud, pretty good, really good. I’m looking forward to seeing our fans and I can’t wait to see our fans. I’ve heard our fans pretty loud before. A couple instances my first postseason appearance was really loud, and me coming home against the Knicks at the start of the season was pretty good. But I know we can be much, much louder than any fan base in this league. I know they’re getting ready, and I can’t wait to see them.”
Really, LeBron? The Q will be “much, much louder” than this?
The video above doesn’t do the Warriors’ crowd justice; they were absolutely unbelievable throughout 100 minutes of wildly intense competition in the Finals’ first two contests. That high level basketball could be played in the Oracle atmosphere at all is a minor miracle, and no doubt partially accounts for the widespread shooting struggles of both Cleveland and Golden State on Sunday night.
It’s impossible for any fan base to live up to James’ boasts, a reality he fully understands – The King is just trying to rouse his court in advance of two ever-important home games before this series comes back to Oakland for Game 5. If any group can come close matching the Warriors’, though, the Cavaliers’ still seems the most likely option.
We’ll find out on Tuesday night.
[Vine via ABC News]
