Golden State Warriors Struggle Against Cleveland Cavaliers' Towering Defense

Matchup Realities in the NBA

In professional basketball, success depends on talent, health, team chemistry, and strong player-coach connections. But often, one overlooked factor—matchups—can disrupt even the best-laid plans. The Warriors felt this reality Friday night in Cleveland, suffering a 136-117 loss to the Cavaliers in a game that quickly turned into a lopsided contest on Cleveland’s home floor.

From the start, the Warriors (7-2) faced a significant challenge, trailing 20-2, 60-30, and 78-38 well before halftime. Despite a second-half surge led by Golden State’s second unit, they couldn’t overcome the initial 42-point gap against the Cavaliers, who remain undefeated at 10-0.

Much of Golden State’s struggles stemmed from Cleveland’s elite defense, anchored by two nearly 7-foot defenders, center Jarrett Allen and forward Evan Mobley, whose wingspans posed an intimidating challenge for the Warriors.

“We have two incredible rim protectors in Mobley and Allen,” said Brandin Podziemski after the game. “We didn’t make them work at all; we kept passing instead of testing them. Sometimes you just have to challenge them and see what happens.”

The Warriors appeared hesitant to confront Allen and Mobley head-on in half-court sets, opting instead for a faster pace to prevent Cleveland from setting up their defense. This approach backfired, resulting in a slew of risky passes that led to 13 turnovers, providing the Cavaliers with 15 first-half points.

Cavaliers’ Defense Continues to Trouble Warriors

This game was an unfortunate repeat for Golden State. After being swept by Cleveland last season by a combined margin of 19 points, this was the third straight encounter where the Warriors were overpowered, primarily by Allen and Mobley.

“These guys have been together for a while now, and they’re improving,” Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr remarked. “They’re young and on the rise, and they’re playing at a very high level.”

Golden State lacked solutions on both ends. Trayce Jackson-Davis struggled to match Cleveland’s interior defenders, while Draymond Green, marked as “questionable” before the game, didn’t appear to be in top form. Facing an almost impenetrable paint, the Warriors seemed to view it as off-limits, resulting in an ineffective offense.

Offensively, Golden State struggled with only 42 points on 41% shooting, including 31.2% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, their defense showed vulnerability, allowing 83 first-half points on 65.3% shooting overall and 63.6% from deep.

Cleveland also bested Golden State on the boards, out-rebounding the Warriors 24-13 in the first half, despite ranking 23rd in the league in rebounding. “We didn’t make them feel us out there,” Podziemski noted, tying for a team-high seven rebounds in his 27 minutes.

“Our defense lacked the edge we needed to start the game,” said Kevon Looney, who also grabbed seven rebounds off the bench. “They moved the ball well, hit easy threes to get going, and once their confidence built up, they were unstoppable.”

Second-Half Improvements, but Too Late

While Golden State’s second-half effort showed improvement—outscoring Cleveland 75-53, winning the boards 27-19, and capitalizing on turnovers for 25 points—the initial 42-point deficit loomed too large to overcome. Despite the rally, Cleveland’s first-half dominance was simply too much.

“We have to get organized and settle down,” Kerr stated. “We had 13 turnovers in the first half alone, and we were completely disorganized. That’s what we need to work on—executing and understanding how to handle a team with such strong defense.”

While Kerr is likely relieved that the Cavaliers are in the Eastern Conference, their next matchup on December 30 at Chase Center promises another challenge. For now, Golden State must regroup quickly before facing the young Oklahoma City Thunder, whose defensive setup could pose similar issues.

“We have to respond,” Kerr added. “I know what I could’ve done better, but I’m keeping that to myself.”