This was published 6 years ago
NBA Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers top Golden State Warriors to stay alive
Golden State's perfect post-season is over. Cleveland's coming back, again.
Just like last year, the NBA Finals are at 3-1 after four games, with the Cavaliers beating the Warriors 137-116 and snapping their 15-game play-offs winning streak.
LeBron James recorded a triple-double, Kyrie Irving scored 40 points and the Cavs broke scoring records while outperforming the NBA's most electrifying offence in a testy game four filled with technical fouls on Friday night.
Cleveland set Finals scoring records in the first half with 86 – after 49 in the first quarter – during a dizzying opening 24 minutes that left players and fans gasping for air.
Top scorer: Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers.Credit: Getty Images
"We have championship DNA," said James, who broke Magic Johnson's record with his ninth triple-double in the Finals.
"We showed that tonight. We just kept our composure. We shared the ball, we moved the ball and defensively we were physical. It's one game."
But it's the one they had to have, and a series that wasn't living up to its hype and seemed headed for a quick conclusion is California bound for game five on Monday night (Tuesday AEST).
After the bumper first half, the Cavs then held on during a wild third and fourth quarter that included technical fouls, James jawing with fellow superstar Kevin Durant and Cleveland's crowd roaring like a jet engine.
No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the NBA play-offs.
Until the Cavs did it last year, no team had ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the Finals.
In 2016, Cleveland took game three at home, lost game four and then won the final three – game seven in Oakland – to capture the city's first sports championship since 1964.
As the final seconds ticked off at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland fans chanted "Cavs in seven."
"Believeland is not going to give up," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "We're going to keep fighting. We're going to keep scrapping."
The Warriors had swept their first three series and were 48 minutes away from a party they've been planning for a year. But it's on hold and Golden State fans are holding their breath.
Coach Steve Kerr said his players aren't worried about the past.
"I don't think there was any concern or thoughts about history," Kerr said. "I think it was [that] we played a desperate team on their home floor, a great team, with great players, and they came out and handed it to us. Simple as that."
Durant, still one win from the coveted championship he left Oklahoma City to get, scored 35 but got little help from Stephen Curry, who scored 14 on four-of-13 shooting.
James finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and on one trip threw the ball off the backboard to himself for a dunk.
Kevin Love made six three-pointers and added 23 points for Cleveland, who made 24 shots from beyond the arc – another Finals record.
If not for Cleveland's Kyle Korver missing a three-pointer in the final minute of game three, the series would be 2-2.
In any event, the Cavs are still breathing and it's now the Warriors who may be feeling the pressure.
AP