Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
LeBron, Cavaliers in disbelief over ending of Game 1 of NBA Finals. 3C Late box score.
OAKLAND, Calif. — LeBron James defied belief with another brilliant playoff performance and was in utter disbelief at the officials and a play by teammate JR Smith down the stretch that sent the Cavaliers to a 124114 overtime loss to the Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
James posted the first 50-point game in the finals since Michael Jordan did it 25 years ago and had the Cavs in position to stun the heavily favored Warriors in the opener before a disputed replay overturn and Smith’s blunder turned the tide in the host’s favor.
“We played as well as we’ve played all postseason, and we gave ourselves a chance possession after possession,” James said. “There were just some plays taken away from us. Simple as that.”
James finished with 51 points, the highest-scoring finals game by a player on the losing side, and had the Cavs in position to win when his pass down low to George Hill drew a foul on Klay Thompson with 4.6 seconds left and the visitors trailing 107-106. Hill hit the first free throw to tie the game but missed the second.
Smith secured the rebound but dribbled to halfcourt, a play usually made with the lead. James was calling for the ball that entire time and could only hold his arms out in shock before walking back to the huddle for overtime.
While coach Tyronn Lue said Smith thought the Cavs were up by a point, Smith insisted he knew the score.
“I knew it was tied,” he said. “I thought we were going to take a timeout . ... I’m pretty sure everybody didn’t think I was going to shoot it over (Kevin Durant) right there.
“I tried to bring it out and get enough space to maybe get a shot off. I looked over at LeBron, and he looked (as if ) he was trying to get a timeout, so I stopped and the game was over.”
James walked out of the postgame news conference after growing tired of repeated questioning about whether Smith knew the score.
“I don’t know what JR was thinking,” James said, refusing to speculate on Smith’s thought process. “I don’t know the question you’re trying to ask.”
The Warriors scored on their first possession of overtime when Durant drew a foul from Hill that got James upset again and never looked back, outscoring the Cavs 17-7 in the extra session.
The game ended with James jawing with Stephen Curry and Thompson and Cavs teammate Tristan Thompson getting ejected for a flagrant foul. Thompson got upset when Shaun Livingston attempted a shot when the game was already in hand instead of taking a shot-clock violation.
There were several calls down the stretch that angered James, with the biggest coming after he drove past Curry for a three-point play that put the Cavs up 104-102 with 50 seconds remaining.
James appeared to draw a charge on Durant, but officials went to the replay and changed the call to a block.
“I thought I read that play just as well as I read any play in my career defensively,” James said. “I saw the drive, I was outside the charge line, I stepped in, took the contact. “It’s a huge play.” Lue was sorry James’ “epic” performance was wasted.
“He did enough to carry this team to a victory,” Lue said. “To do what he did and come out robbed, it’s just not right.”