CLEVELAND –- The Warriors are one win away from posting back-to-back NBA championships.
Powered by a second-half comeback, the defending champions vanquished the Cavaliers 108-97 Friday night in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena.
The victory gives the Warriors a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. They can close it out Monday night with a win in Game 5.
Four Warriors scored in double figures, with Stephen Curry pouring in 38 points to lead the way. Klay Thompson put in 25, with Harrison Barnes tossing in 14 and Andre Iguodala adding 10 off the bench.
The Warriors were 17-of-36 from 3-point distance, while holding the Cavs to 6-of-25 behind the stripe in dealing Cleveland its first home loss of the postseason.
In a game that featured 18 lead changes and 14 ties, the Warriors trailed by as much as eight before coming back to outscore the Cavs 58-42 in the second half.
Kyrie Irving scored 34 points to lead Cleveland, while LeBron James totaled 21 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.
Sports
STANDOUT PERFORMER
The Splash Brothers opened the doors, and their teammates followed.
Curry’s line: 38 points (11-of-25 from the field (7-of-13 from beyond the 3-point stripe), six assists and five rebounds. He played 37 minutes and was plus-11 for the game.
Thompson’s line: 23 points (7-of-14, 4-of-9) and four rebounds. He played 39 minutes and was plus-11.
Green’s line: 9 points (2-of-8, 0-of-3), team-high 12 rebounds, four assists, three blocked shots and two steals. He played 42 minutes and was plus-15.
Barnes’ line: 14 points (5-of-11, 4-of-5), eight rebounds and two assists. He played 40 minutes and was plus-6.
TURNING POINT
After James slammed through a follow shot to give Cleveland an 83-81 lead with 10:21 remaining, the Warriors went on a 12-1 run to go up 93-84 with 5:56 remaining.
The run was punctuated by a Barnes 3-pointer, which forced a Cavs timeout.
Cleveland never got closer than seven the rest of the game.
INJURY REPORT
Warriors: F Kevon Looney (L hip surgery) was listed as out and, along with F Brandon Rush (healthy), placed on the inactive list.
Cavaliers: F Kevin Love (concussion) was listed as questionable prior to clearing NBA Concussion Protocol and being declared active one hour before tipoff. C Sasha Kaun (healthy) and G Jordan McRae (healthy) were placed on the inactive list.
WHAT’S NEXT
Game 5 is set for Monday night at Oracle Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PDT.
