Cavaliers 91 - 104 Warriors
Final
  for this game

NBA Finals return to Oracle Arena for Game 5

Jun 14, 2015 - 2:12 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - Game 5 of the NBA Finals returns to Oracle Arena Sunday night with the series tied 2-2 between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Warriors knotted the series on Thursday night with a decisive 103-82 road victory at Quicken Loans Arena.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr inserted Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup and the decision paid off handsomely. Iguodala scored 22 points, held LeBron James to 20 and allowed the Warriors to avoid losing three straight for the first time this season.

"We did it for pace, for floor spacing and to get the tempo going," Kerr said.

Kerr admitted he lied to the media when he said Andrew Bogut would remain in the starting lineup. Therefore, when asked on Saturday if he would stick with the small first five, or return to the starters who got them 67 regular-season wins, he was coy.

"Well, as I established before Game 4, I will lie, so...," joked Kerr. "I'll just say that I've established my penchant for lying. So however I answer right now, you shouldn't believe me anyway."

League MVP Stephen Curry also scored 22 in the win. Draymond Green enjoyed his best game of the series with 17 points and Harrison Barnes, who was a complete non-factor in Game 3, finished with 14.

The Warriors' focus on tempo and offense worked beautifully. Golden State shot 46.8 percent from the field and 40 percent from long range.

James, averaging 41 points, 12 rebounds and 8.3 assists over the first three games in the series, was two assists shy of a triple-double. He pulled down 12 rebounds and didn't score in the fourth quarter.

James played with a cut on the right side of his head after diving into a camera late in the first half following a hard foul along the baseline by Bogut.

"The camera cut me pretty bad," he said.

Cleveland shot 33 percent (29-of-88) from the floor and made just 4-of-27 from beyond the arc.

Cavaliers coach David Blatt acknowledged after the game that his team was tired.

"Tonight was the third game in five days," he said. "It seemed to have an impact on us."

Timofey Mozgov led the Cavaliers with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Tristan Thompson added 12 points and 13 boards.

Despite the lineup change, the Warriors yielded the first seven points of the game. Kerr took a quick timeout and Golden State played brilliantly.

The Warriors took a 12-point lead into the half.

After the Cavaliers whittled a 15-point, third-quarter deficit to three late in the third, Golden State ripped off nine straight points to extend its margin back to double digits in the fourth and cruised from there.

Curry knocked down a step-back 3-pointer to jump-start the spurt and stake the Warriors to a 76-70 advantage heading into the fourth. Golden State then took advantage when an exhausted James, who played nearly 34 of a possible 36 minutes through three periods, began the fourth on the bench.

"I ran through those 12 minutes in the third and I gassed out," James said. "I was hoping that our team could buy me a couple minutes."

They couldn't and the fourth quarter turned into a snoozer.

Game 6 will be Tuesday night in Cleveland.






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