After game 1's loss broke the hearts of many for more than one reason, the Cleveland Cavaliers came back and fought in game 2 to even the series. LeBron James recorded his fifth career NBA Finals triple-double to lead the Cavaliers past the Golden State Warriors 95-93 on Sunday night in the second straight overtime game.
Matthew Dellavedova's defense on Stephen Curry, and late free throws helped the Cavs overcome a fourth-quarter collapse. James recorded 39 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists in 50 minutes of court time. He finished shooting 11-of-35 from the floor in the win. The Warriors now fall to 47-4 at Oracle Arena this season.
Curry struggled from the floor, finishing just 5-for-23 from the field, including 2-of-15 from three-point range, and scored only 19 points. He did score the game-tying layup to cap the Warriors' 15-4 run that helped them overcome an 11-point deficit. He also hit two free throws to put Golden State up by one with 29.5 seconds left in OT.
After Curry hit the free throws, Draymond Green blocked James' drive to the basket, but the Cavs got the offensive board, and after James Jones' missed three-pointer, Dellavedova drew a foul and hit the clutch free throws to put Cleveland ahead for good.
Curry went on to air-ball a jumper and then turn the ball over on the Warriors' last two possessions to end the game. The NBA MVP had six turnovers and his 13 missed three-point attempts is the most in a single NBA Finals game.
Klay Thompson attempted to take over during Curry's struggles, scoring 34 points in the loss. That did not stop the Cavs from holding the Warriors to just 8-for-35 from beyond the arc, and 39.8 percent shooting overall.
The win was the first Finals victory in Cleveland's franchise history, after they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in 2007. It is also the first time in NBA Finals history that the first two games of the series went into overtime. The Cavs were able to avoid a 2-0 series deficit, in which teams up 2-0 have gone on to win 28 of 31 series.
Timofey Mozgov had a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, J.R. Smith added 13 points, and Dellavedova contributed nine to help the Cavs overcome the injury to Kyrie Irving. The Cavs shot just just 32.2 percent from the floor, which is the lowest shooting percentage for a winning team in the playoffs since at least 1984-85. They did outrebound Golden State 55-45 on the night.
Game 3 of the series will take place in Cleveland on Tuesday night.
Matthew Dellavedova's defense on Stephen Curry, and late free throws helped the Cavs overcome a fourth-quarter collapse. James recorded 39 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists in 50 minutes of court time. He finished shooting 11-of-35 from the floor in the win. The Warriors now fall to 47-4 at Oracle Arena this season.
Curry struggled from the floor, finishing just 5-for-23 from the field, including 2-of-15 from three-point range, and scored only 19 points. He did score the game-tying layup to cap the Warriors' 15-4 run that helped them overcome an 11-point deficit. He also hit two free throws to put Golden State up by one with 29.5 seconds left in OT.
After Curry hit the free throws, Draymond Green blocked James' drive to the basket, but the Cavs got the offensive board, and after James Jones' missed three-pointer, Dellavedova drew a foul and hit the clutch free throws to put Cleveland ahead for good.
Curry went on to air-ball a jumper and then turn the ball over on the Warriors' last two possessions to end the game. The NBA MVP had six turnovers and his 13 missed three-point attempts is the most in a single NBA Finals game.
Klay Thompson attempted to take over during Curry's struggles, scoring 34 points in the loss. That did not stop the Cavs from holding the Warriors to just 8-for-35 from beyond the arc, and 39.8 percent shooting overall.
The win was the first Finals victory in Cleveland's franchise history, after they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs in 2007. It is also the first time in NBA Finals history that the first two games of the series went into overtime. The Cavs were able to avoid a 2-0 series deficit, in which teams up 2-0 have gone on to win 28 of 31 series.
Timofey Mozgov had a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, J.R. Smith added 13 points, and Dellavedova contributed nine to help the Cavs overcome the injury to Kyrie Irving. The Cavs shot just just 32.2 percent from the floor, which is the lowest shooting percentage for a winning team in the playoffs since at least 1984-85. They did outrebound Golden State 55-45 on the night.
Game 3 of the series will take place in Cleveland on Tuesday night.
