Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr admitted that he lied about his starting lineup before game 4, but the results were the furthest thing from a fib. Andre Iguodala scored 22 points in his first game as a starter, while Stephen Curry added 22 of his own in the Warriors' 103-82 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. The win evens the series at 2-2 heading back to Oakland.
It was a must-win game for Golden State on Thursday, as none of the 32 teams that have fallen behind 3-1 in the NBA Finals have come back to win the series.
LeBron James was held to 10 points in the first half, his lowest scoring half of the season, and finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. He was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. The 20 points is 21 below his average in the Finals coming into game 4. He shot 7-of-22 from the field and 5-of-10 from the free throw line.
James was fouled hard by Andrew Bogut in the first half and fell into the cameraman, smacking his head on the camera. He suffered a cut on his head that he received stitches for, but returned to the game quickly. There is no word whether or not he will have to go through concussion protocol, but he claims that it's just a little headache, and that there's nothing to worry about.
Timofey Mozgov led Cleveland with a career-high 28 points, while Matthew Dellavedova added 10, as he battled leg cramps after being treated for dehydration after game 3. Cleveland shot just 2-of-18 from the field in the fourth, while getting outscored 27-12 in the final frame.
The Cavs' bench scored just seven points, including J.R. Smith missing all eight of his three-point attempts. The Cavaliers were a combined 4-for-27 from beyond the arc on the night. This led to Cleveland losing their first game without Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving this postseason.
Kerr and the Warriors decided to go small by placing Iguodala in the lineup and having Bogut coming off the bench. Iguodala played great defense on James, while also sinking four three-pointers and helping Golden State in transition. The Warriors had 14 transition points, which is 10 more than they had in game 3.
Draymond Green got back on track with 17 points, while Harrison Barnes added 14 for Golden State, who is the only team to not lose three consecutive games this season.
Game 5 of the series will take place on Sunday back at Oracle Arena, where the teams split two overtime games last week.
It was a must-win game for Golden State on Thursday, as none of the 32 teams that have fallen behind 3-1 in the NBA Finals have come back to win the series.
LeBron James was held to 10 points in the first half, his lowest scoring half of the season, and finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. He was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. The 20 points is 21 below his average in the Finals coming into game 4. He shot 7-of-22 from the field and 5-of-10 from the free throw line.
James was fouled hard by Andrew Bogut in the first half and fell into the cameraman, smacking his head on the camera. He suffered a cut on his head that he received stitches for, but returned to the game quickly. There is no word whether or not he will have to go through concussion protocol, but he claims that it's just a little headache, and that there's nothing to worry about.
Timofey Mozgov led Cleveland with a career-high 28 points, while Matthew Dellavedova added 10, as he battled leg cramps after being treated for dehydration after game 3. Cleveland shot just 2-of-18 from the field in the fourth, while getting outscored 27-12 in the final frame.
The Cavs' bench scored just seven points, including J.R. Smith missing all eight of his three-point attempts. The Cavaliers were a combined 4-for-27 from beyond the arc on the night. This led to Cleveland losing their first game without Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving this postseason.
Kerr and the Warriors decided to go small by placing Iguodala in the lineup and having Bogut coming off the bench. Iguodala played great defense on James, while also sinking four three-pointers and helping Golden State in transition. The Warriors had 14 transition points, which is 10 more than they had in game 3.
Draymond Green got back on track with 17 points, while Harrison Barnes added 14 for Golden State, who is the only team to not lose three consecutive games this season.
Game 5 of the series will take place on Sunday back at Oracle Arena, where the teams split two overtime games last week.
