OAKLAND - It was with a bottomless reservoir of grit and pluck rather than pure skill that the Warriors pulled out a fabulous Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
After the game was forced into overtime, the Warriors outscored Cleveland 10-2 in the five-minute extra session to dance away with a 108-100 win over the Cavaliers on Thursday night at a roaring Oracle Arena.
The “jump-shooters” won, yet again, using snarling defense to take a 1-0 series lead.
Stephen Curry led all Warriors scorers with 26 points. Klay Thompson finished with 21, Andre Iguodala with 15, Draymond Green with 12 and Harrison Barnes with 11.
James finished with a career playoff-high 44 points. Kyrie Irving, despite constant chatter regarding a variety of physical ailments, somehow manufactured 23 points, seven rebounds, six assists, four steals –- and a huge block of a Curry layup attempt inside the final minute of regulation.
Irving eventually limped into the locker room in overtime.
In a spellbinding war of determination, the teams basically traded blows throughout the second half, with the neither team separating by more than four points over the final 18 minutes of regulation.
Sports
If the rest of this series is anything like this game, fans of both teams are advised to have defibrillators available.
Visit NBC Bay Area's Golden State Warriors page for full team coverage.
