Final - OT
James, Dellavedova lift Cavs past Warriors in OT
Jun 8, 2015 - 5:16 AM Oakland, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - LeBron James emphatically slammed the ball down on the floor and let out a euphoric roar.Written off by many, the Cavaliers are heading back to Cleveland with the NBA Finals tied at a game apiece.
"I can't wait to see our fans," James said.
The two-day rest period can't end soon enough.
James recorded his fifth career NBA Finals triple-double, Matthew Dellavedova sunk a pair of go-ahead free throws with 10.1 seconds remaining in overtime and the Kyrie Irving-less Cavaliers gutted out a 95-93 win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 on Sunday night.
James finished with 39 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists following his NBA Finals career-high 44-point performance in Game 1.
"He really willed his guys to win that game," Cavaliers head coach David Blatt said. "That's what a champion does."
After hitting his foul shots the scrappy Dellavedova, filling in for the injured Irving, then played stupendous defense on Stephen Curry at the other end as he had all night, contesting a tough step-back jumper from the left baseline.
Curry, who scored 19 points, didn't make a shot (0-for-8) and turned the ball over four times when guarded by Dellavedova.
"He kept a body on Steph. He made Steph work. He was spectacular," James said of Dellavedova's defense.
James split a pair of foul shots with 4.4 seconds on the clock to give the Cavaliers a 95-93 lead and Golden State, which didn't have a timeout left, never got off a final shot as Iman Shumpert stole Curry's pass up the floor.
"We were locked in on every play. That's what it took," Blatt said.
Game 3 is Tuesday.
The Cavaliers needed overtime after blowing an 11-point lead in the final three-plus minutes of regulation. James, just like in Game 1, had a chance to win it in the waning seconds after Curry knotted the contest with an uncontested layup down the lane with 7.2 ticks on the clock.
The two-time NBA Finals MVP, however, wasn't able to beat the stingy Andre Iguodala once again in the closing moments of the fourth. Instead of settling for a tough contested jumper, a la Game 1, James rumbled down the lane, but was unable to finish with the left hand over the trio of Iguodala, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.
"They were going to make a run at some point," Blatt said of the Warriors' comeback. "We had to do everything to hold on."
Cleveland's All-Star guard Irving fractured his left knee cap in Thursday's 108-100 overtime loss in Game 1. Irving, who missed two games in the Eastern Conference Finals due to left knee issues, underwent surgery Saturday morning and is done for the remainder of the postseason. The Cavs are already without All-Star forward Kevin Love due to a separated shoulder.
"All we can do is play hard," James said of being undermanned.
Timofey Mozgov posted 17 points and 11 rebounds, J.R. Smith netted 13 points and Tristan Thompson pulled down 14 boards for Cleveland.
Although the MVP Curry was just 5-of-23 from the field, including a 2-of-15 mark from beyond the arc, his fellow Splash Brother did everything he could to keep the Warriors in it. Klay Thompson scored 34 points on 14-of-28 shooting.
Normally sharp-shooting Golden State connected on just 8-of-25 (22.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
"This is the Finals, it's hard. It's supposed to be hard, we had a tough night," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said.
James knocked down a right wing 3 to stake the Cavs to an 83-72 advantage with 3:14 to go in the fourth before Golden State closed the stanza on a 15-4 run.
Cleveland, which was nearly shut out by the Warriors in overtime of Game 1, scored the first five points of the extra session in this one, with Shumpert nailing a triple and two James free throws making it 92-87.
A pair of putback layups from Green preceded two bonus shots from Curry with 29.5 seconds to play, vaulting the Warriors in front for the first time since they were up 33-32 midway through the second.
Dellavedova was fouled on a follow-up layup attempt after James Jones missed a right corner trey.
Earlier, Cleveland closed the opening frame with the last eight points as Smith's nifty left-handed layup on a take from the right elbow knotted the contest at 20-20.
Jones knocked down a pair of triples and scored eight points during a Cavaliers' 15-2 surge, which lifted them to a 40-33 lead late in the second quarter. Cleveland was up 47-45 at the break.
Defense reigned supreme in the third and the Cavs outscored Golden State 15-14 in the period despite shooting just 19 percent (4-of-21). Marreese Speights' open fastbreak dunk attempt in the waning seconds of the frame rattled in and out and Cleveland entered into the fourth with a 62-59 edge.
Game Notes
It's the first time in NBA Finals history that the first two games were decided in overtime ... James' five triple-doubles are second most in the NBA Finals behind Magic Johnson's eight ... The Warriors were held under 60 points through three quarters for the first time all season ... Cleveland shot 32.2 percent (29-of-90) from the field ... The Cavs netted 17 points off 19 Golden State turnovers.
- CLEVELAND: 95
GOLDEN STATE: 93
Final - OT
Jun 7 11:18 PM - CLEVELAND: 95
GOLDEN STATE: 93
End of OT
Jun 7 11:18 PM - 379
rootsRUWTbot Added 6 roots (Overtime, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 95, Warriors 93 End of OTJun 7 11:18 PM - CLEVELAND: 87
GOLDEN STATE: 87
End of Regulation
Jun 7 10:53 PM - 363
rootsRUWTbot Added 35 roots (Close Finish, Overtime, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 87, Warriors 87 End of Reg.Jun 7 10:53 PM - 318
rootsRUWTbot Added 11 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 87, Warriors 85 4th - 0:38Jun 7 10:49 PM - 307
rootsRUWTbot Added 12 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 87, Warriors 85 4th - 0:41Jun 7 10:48 PM - 295
rootsRUWTbot Added 30 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 87, Warriors 85 4th - 1:23Jun 7 10:48 PM - 265
rootsRUWTbot Added 6 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 87, Warriors 82 4th - 1:41Jun 7 10:47 PM - 259
rootsRUWTbot Added 29 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 85, Warriors 80 4th - 2:35Jun 7 10:43 PM - 230
rootsRUWTbot Added 61 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 84, Warriors 78 4th - 2:45Jun 7 10:41 PM - 169
rootsRUWTbot Took away 33 roots (Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 84, Warriors 75 4th - 2:57Jun 7 10:40 PM - 202
rootsRUWTbot Added 33 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 83, Warriors 75 4th - 3:04Jun 7 10:40 PM - 169
rootsRUWTbot Took away 25 roots (Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 83, Warriors 72 4th - 3:13Jun 7 10:36 PM - 189
rootsRUWTbot Took away 24 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 80, Warriors 72 4th - 3:50Jun 7 10:34 PM - 213
rootsRUWTbot Added 53 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 79, Warriors 72 4th - 4:12Jun 7 10:33 PM - 160
rootsRUWTbot Took away 6 roots (Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 79, Warriors 70 4th - 4:37Jun 7 10:32 PM - 166
roots - 158
rootsRUWTbot Took away 51 roots (Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 76, Warriors 66 4th - 5:29Jun 7 10:30 PM - 209
rootsRUWTbot Added 6 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 72, Warriors 66 4th - 6:00Jun 7 10:25 PM - 203
rootsRUWTbot Added 5 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 72, Warriors 66 4th - 6:39Jun 7 10:24 PM - 198
rootsRUWTbot Took away 27 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 72, Warriors 66 4th - 7:01Jun 7 10:23 PM - 225
rootsRUWTbot Added 24 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 71, Warriors 66 4th - 7:48Jun 7 10:18 PM - 201
rootsRUWTbot Added 6 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 71, Warriors 64 4th - 7:57Jun 7 10:17 PM - 195
rootsRUWTbot Took away 22 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 71, Warriors 64 4th - 8:21Jun 7 10:17 PM - 217
rootsRUWTbot Added 8 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 69, Warriors 64 4th - 8:44Jun 7 10:16 PM - 209
rootsRUWTbot Added 8 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 69, Warriors 64 4th - 8:44Jun 7 10:13 PM - 201
rootsRUWTbot Took away 30 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 69, Warriors 64 4th - 9:29Jun 7 10:12 PM - 231
rootsRUWTbot Added 13 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 66, Warriors 64 4th - 9:49Jun 7 10:12 PM - 218
rootsRUWTbot Added 31 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 66, Warriors 64 4th - 10:05Jun 7 10:11 PM - 187
rootsRUWTbot Took away 24 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 66, Warriors 62 4th - 10:45Jun 7 10:10 PM - 211
rootsRUWTbot Added 10 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 64, Warriors 62 4th - 11:06Jun 7 10:09 PM - 201
rootsRUWTbot Added 29 roots (Close Finish, Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 62, Warriors 62 4th - 11:39Jun 7 10:08 PM - CLEVELAND: 62
GOLDEN STATE: 59
End of 3rd
Jun 7 10:04 PM - 172
roots - 164
roots - 151
roots - 145
rootsRUWTbot Took away 12 roots (Individual Performance)
Cavaliers 62, Warriors 56 3rd - 2:51Jun 7 9:55 PM - 157
roots - 148
roots - 138
roots - 133
roots - 126
roots - 121
roots - 130
roots - 124
roots - 119
roots - CLEVELAND: 47
GOLDEN STATE: 46
Halftime
Jun 7 9:16 PM - CLEVELAND: 20
GOLDEN STATE: 20
End of 1st
Jun 7 8:38 PM - CLEVELAND: 0
GOLDEN STATE: 0
1st Quarter - 12:00
Jun 7 8:10 PM
Related News
- Steph Curry Sets Another NBA Record Feb 15
- Warriors Reportedly Attempted to Trade for LeBron James Feb 14
- Report: Draymond Green Set to Return to Warriors After Indefinite Suspension Jan 14
- Warriors Lose Chris Paul as Draymond Green Returns Jan 7
- Warriors’ Jonathan Kuminga Has ‘Lost Faith’ in Steve Kerr Jan 5
- LeBron James Has Been At His Best for Many Birthdays Dec 29
- Don’t look now: Andrew Wiggins is reminding everyone he’s still around Dec 25
- Warriors nearly overcome Steph Curry’s struggles in 120-114 loss to Nuggets Dec 25
- How to watch Warriors at Nuggets Dec 25
- Highlighting Brandin Podziemski’s unprecedented feel as a Warriors rookie Dec 24
- Cavs beat Bulls 109-95 Dec 23
- Cavs down to 10 healthy players vs. Bulls Dec 23