The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
CAVS BREAK STREAK
Cavaliers avoid season-ending setback with record-breaking night
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Richard Jefferson tries to dunk as Golden State Warriors center JaVale McGee defends during the first half of Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Cleveland, Friday. The Cavaliers won 137-116 and now trail 3-1 in a best of seven series.
There’s still a chance. It might be slim, but there is still a chance.
It took four games and a record-breaking first half, but the Cavaliers finally derailed Golden State’s runaway train in the playoffs.
Setting an NBA Finals record for points in a quarter (49), points in a half (86) and 3-pointers made in a game (24), and the Cavaliers defeated Golden State, 137-116, in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on June 9 at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Warriors still lead the best-of-seven series, 3-1, and can wrap up the championship June 12 at Oracle Arena.
But there will be no sweep, and there will be no record for an undefeated postseason.
“Believe-land is not going to give up,” Cavaliers coach Ty Lue said. “We’re going to keep scrapping and keep fighting.”
Golden State was aiming to become the first team in NBA history to go 16-0 in the playoffs.
Instead, it was the Cavaliers who made some history of their own, with their backs to the wall facing a three-game deficit.
Not only were their 49 points they scored in the first quarter an NBA Finals record, but Kevin Love’s 3-pointer late in the second gave the Cavaliers a record 86 points at halftime.
After making 31 3-pointers through the first three games, the Cavaliers made 24 of 45 from long distance, including a 6-for-8 performance from Kevin Love, a 7-for-12 showing from Kyrie Irving and a 5-for-9 night for J.R. Smith.
“We made shots,” Lue said. “We’ve been getting those shots all series . ... When we are making shots and playing with pace, we are a tough team to beat.”
Everything Cleveland wasn’t in the first three games, they were in Game 4.
Irving, who scored 38 points in Game 3, scored 40 on 15-of-27 shooting.
James, who scored 37 in Game 3, came back with a triple-double of 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.
Love bounced back from a rough Game 3, in which he went 1-for-9 shooting and scored nine points, for a 23-point Game 4.
Held scoreless with four rebounds in Game 3, Tristan Thompson had five points and 10 rebounds — nearly doubling his rebound total (11) from the first three games combined.
“I give them a ton of credit,” said Golden State coach Steve Kerr of the Cavaliers. “They made a ton of shots. We knew we were not going to keep them quiet from the 3-point line the whole series. I thought they played a tremendous game.”