Thursday , March 28 2024

NBA- Cleveland Beat Golden State Warriors115- 101

The Cleveland Cavaliers took another step in their historic comeback attempt with a 115-101 win over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday to force a once-unthinkable decisive seventh game to the NBA Finals.

The LeBron James-led Cavaliers, one victory away from becoming the first team to win an NBA championship after falling behind 3-1 in the Finals, will now head to Oakland for Sunday’s deciding game riding a wave of momentum.

Cleveland used an explosive first half in which they led by as many as 22 points to set the tone and never allowed the usually sharp-shooting Warriors to settle into a rhythm or get any closer than seven points the rest of the way.

LeBron James was superb for the Cleveland Cavaliers scoring 41 points to force Game 7 in the NBA Finals

Stephen Curry makes his way to the changing room after being ejected for picking up his sixth foul

Curry reacts to a foul call given against him during the fourth quarter in the Quicken Loans Arena

The Cavaliers built a 24-point lead in the third that looked like it might spell the end for the Warriors but the reigning champions finally closed out the quarter on a 10-0 run to pull within nine points.

But the Cavaliers, who got a game-high 41 points from James, managed to hang on for the win and keep alive their hopes at a maiden NBA championship.

Stephen Curry scored a team-high 30 points for the stunned Warriors but the two-time reigning league Most Valuable Player fouled out of the game late in the fourth quarter and then, in a rare display of frustration, threw his mouthguard into the stands to earn the first ejection of his career.

James put on one of his best performances for the Cavaliers and is seen trying to get past Curry (left)

The 6ft 8in star slam dunks the ball in the second half to inspire his side as they built up an impressive lead

After falling behind 2-0 in the series, the Cavs were left for dead by many impartial observers who expected the top-seeded defending champion Warriors to run away with the series, some even calling for a four-game sweep.

But after splitting the next two games, the resurgent Cavs used a sparkling Game Five performance to shift momentum in their favour and, perhaps, place a seed of doubt in the minds of the Warriors.

The Cavaliers are now just the third team to force a Game 7 after falling behind 3-1, joining the 1951 New York Knicks and the 1966 Los Angeles Lakers.

With the win, the Cavaliers also kept alive their quest for a maiden NBA title that would be Cleveland’s first professional sports championship since the 1964 Cleveland Browns of the National Football League

Cavaliers players celebrates with each other at the end of the first half after coming from 3-1 down

NBA FINALS

Game 1: Golden State 104-89 Cleveland

Game 2: Golden State 110-77 Cleveland

Game 3: Cleveland 120-90 Golden State

Game 4: Cleveland 97-108 Golden State

Game 5: Cleveland 112-97 Golden State

Game 6: Golden State 101-115 Cleveland 

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