JAMES, IRVING FORCE GAME 6
Each score 41 as Cavaliers deny Warriors
The back-and-forth between the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James and the Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson that started with words Sunday continued with a basketball and onto the court where it should be settled Monday night.
For every Thompson bucket, James had one to match. Thompson’s three-point shot was falling, and so was James’.
In a game the Cavaliers needed to win to extend their season at least one more game, James and Kyrie Irving delivered phenomenal performances.
James had 41 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, and Irving delivered 41 points and six assists as the Cavaliers defeated the Draymond Green-less Warriors 112-97 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
It was the first time in Finals history that two teammates scored 40 or more points in the same game.
Game 6 is Thursday in Cleveland (9 p.m. ET, ABC).
If James and Irving were too much of a two-man show in Game 4, they were the perfect two-man show Monday. Irving scored 34 points in the final three quarters and converted 17 of 24 shots from the field overall.
Every team that has poked James with a bit of trash talk during the playoffs has paid the price. Sunday, Thompson said maybe James’ feelings were hurt by what Green said to James near the end of Game 4.
When told what Thompson said, James laughed. Monday, he was serious.
James, who scored 25 points in the first half, made 16 of 30 shots and scored at least 40 points in a playoff game for the 16th time in his career and the fourth time against the Warriors in the last two seasons. James’ performance was reminiscent of his effort against Golden State in last season’s Finals.
Thompson had 37 points, Ste- phen Curry 25 and Andre Iguodala 15, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the absence of Green, who was suspended for accumulating too many flagrant fouls in the playoffs.
Before the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said, “The thought process is that we have to make up for his absence collectively. Obviously, there is not one person who can do all of that, but we’re going to have to try a lot of different combinations and try to find rotations that work.”
On the other side, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue wasn’t concerned with Green’s absence.
“I don’t care about Golden State,” Lue said. “We’ve got a fire lit, too. We’re down 3-1. So, I mean, that’s the decision the league made, and it’s unfortunate on a big stage like this.
“But that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to win the game. We’ve got to come out and play and take the game.”
The Oracle Arena crowd was into it from the start. Fans chanted “Free Draymond! Free Draymond!” They booed James almost every time he touched the ball, and that foreboding and foreshadowing “Warriors! Warriors!” chant filled the arena.
Thompson made six threepointers and the Warriors had 11 threes in the first half. Even without Green, Golden State sensed the moment.
Credit the Cavaliers, though, for doing what they needed to do.