Game 1 Final Score: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114 OT | Golden State leads series 1-0 | Series Hub
The Lede: The Warriors escaped in an overtime thriller over the Cavaliers, who let one get away with a bizarre possession at the end of regulation in Game 1.
Game 1 Coverage: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114 OT
• Video Recap: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114
• 2018 Finals Mini-Movie: Game 1
• The Big Story: NBA Finals, Game 1
• Game 1 Recap & Box Score
• Video box score | Shotcharts
• Player matchups: See who guarded who
Analysis
• Powell: LeBron's greatness overshadowed by 36 wild seconds
• Aschburner: Cavs lament late foul call on James
• Schuhmann: Key stat to know from Game 1
• Hang Time Podcast: Cavs let Game 1 slip away
• NBA.com/Stats: Inside Game 1 box score
NBA TV
• Joe Borgia explains late blocking foul called on LeBron
• Livingston: 'No disrespect' meant with late shot in OT
• Can Cavs recover from brutal loss?
Top Plays & Highlights
• Ultimate Playoffs Highlight: Warriors win classic
• Turning Point: Smith's crucial gaffe
• Turning Point: Critical call made late
• Top 5 Plays from Game 1
• LeBron drops playoff-career high 51 points
• Play of the Day | Steal of the Night | Move of the Night
• Dunk of the Night | Assist of the Night | Handle of the Night | Block of the Night
Postgame News Conferences & Interviews
• LeBron on late foul, Smith's miscue
• Smith claims he knew score was tied
• Green: 'You have to what the score is'
• Curry reflects on late trash talk with LeBron
WHEN people talk about times when LeBron James’ teammates let him down, this will be at the forefront of the conversation.
With the Game 1 of the NBA Finals tied at 107-107, and George Hill at the free throw line for one more shot, a miss was rebounded by J.R. Smith, who ran out the clock, presumably under the impression that his team had the lead.
“He thought it was over. He thought we were up one,” Cavaliers head coach, Tyronn Lue, said.
The game went to overtime, and the Golden State Warriors used one of their signature runs to close out what was nearly an upset loss for the defending champions.
ARRIVAL: LEBRON’S ‘ACDC’ SUIT DIVIDES OPINION
Stephen Curry led the way for the Warriors with 29 points, six rebounds, and nine assists, with his team picking up the 124-114 victory to take a 1-0 series lead in the NBA’s final dance of the season.
LeBron James had arguably the best game of his career, posting a career-high Finals scoring effort of 51 points, to go with eight rebounds and eight assists, but wasn’t able to steal a win in one of the league’s toughest buildings.
Klay Thompson suffered an injury scare in the first quarter, after an akward colission with Smith, but return to the game and seemed to suffer no ill-effects, finishing with 24 points for the Warriors. Draymond Green posted 13 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, five steals, and three blocks in the win.
JR's idiotic brain explosion 0:58
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Smith’s brain fade wasn’t the only thing that made this Finals opener a true spectacle.
With 36.4 seconds remaining, two officials were split on a Kevin Durant charge call; one calling an offensive foul on Durant, while the other called a block on James. After a review, it was called a foul on James, with Durant hitting both of his free throws, tying the game at 104-104.
Lue was upset that the review took place, in the first place, even claiming his team and superstar were ‘robbed’.
“It was great. It was epic, and he did enough to carry this team to a victory, and we just came up short,” Lue said of James’ 51-point game.
“This is LeBron James. That’s who he is. That’s why he’s the best player in the world; he’s been doing it for us all season. To do what he did tonight, and then come up robbed, it’s just not right.”
Curry's 38-foot buzzer-beater 0:37
James used a strong drive to the rim to give his team a two-point lead, before Curry hit a layup of his own, and drew a foul, with the Warriors taking a 107-106 advantage.
Smith’s late mistake sent the game to overtime, where the Warriors won the period 17-7, with a scuffle ensuing with just a few seconds to play; Tristan Thompson picking up a flagrant-two foul, before he and Green exchanged words.
“It was a crazy game,” Curry said. ”... The finals, man, anything is liable to happen.”
KD's audacious alley-oop 0:24
The Warriors were, once again, without the 2015 Finals MVP, Andre Iguodala, who sat out his fifth straight postseason game with a leg contusion.
“We’ve gotta move on,” James said. “This game is over. We had opportunieis. I’ll never give up on J.R. That’s not my MO. I’d never give up on any of my players; any of my teammates. I don’t even think that needs to be said.”
Game 2 tips off on Monday (AEST).
RE-LIVE (If you can’t see the blog, click here)
Overtime. A controversial reversed call. An ejection. Fifty-one points from an all-time great who still lost. And we thought round four of the Warriors-Cavaliers finals dynasty was going to be boring.
The Golden State Warriors topped the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-114 in overtime in Game 1 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, setting the stage for what looks to be an intense series.
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The Cavaliers gained an early lead and had the game tied at 56-56 going into half-time. They then held the normally explosive third-quarter Warriors to a mere six-point lead and levelled the score in the fourth quarter. But the refs reversed a controversial blocking call in the final minute of regulation – sending Kevin Durant to the free-throw line instead of LeBron James.
Officials are permitted to go to replay in the final two minutes of a gameto decide if a defender was in a legal blocking position. However the Cleveland coach, Tyronn Lue, was outraged with the decision to reverse a call in such a crucial game. “It’s never been done, ever in the history of the game,” he said. “It was great, it was epic and [James] did enough to carry this team to a victory ... To do what he did tonight and to come up robbed, it’s just not right.”
Cleveland would not be beaten though and George Hill missed a free throw with seconds left that would have put the Cavaliers one point up. If that wasn’t enough, JR Smith bungled an opportunity to win the game in the final seconds. The veteran failed to take a shot because it appeared he thought the Cavs had the lead when they were merely tied, sending the game into overtime. Smith later denied he had mixed up the score and said he was waiting for his team to call a timeout. When James was pressed repeatedly on the issue in the post-game press conference he simply got up from his seat and walked out.
“He thought we were up one,” said Lue after the game. “He thought it was over.”
And then we were back to our regularly scheduled programming: the Warriors exploded for 17 points in overtime, and the shaken Cavs were toast. As tempers flared with seconds to go, Tristan Thompson was ejected after the referees said he had elbowed Shaun Livingston in the head. Other players scuffled in the background with James and Stephen Curry exchanging words.
Play Video 1:17 LeBron James walks out of post-game press conference – video
James carried the Cavaliers on both sides of the court, recording the first 50-point game in the finals since Michael Jordan in 1993 and adding eight assists and eight rebounds.
Leading the Warriors’ effort was Curry, who is an early favorite for finals MVP. Curry had 29 points with six rebounds and came through when the team needed him most, scoring their first five points and lobbing a three-pointer to tie it up at half-time. Kevin Durant added 26 points, and the pair teamed up for several highlight-worthy shots, with 15 assists between them. Klay Thompson left for the locker room in the first quarter after colliding with Smith. He was taped up and reentered the game early in the second quarter with seemingly no serious injury, adding 24 points.
NBA (@NBA) Stephen Curry flipped it over his head to Shaun Livingston for tonight's #AssistOfTheNight! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/eVb4yFEkOd
But it wasn’t just offense that decided the game. The Warriors limited turnovers by passing the ball instead of driving to the lane. Green racked up 11 rebounds, his sixth consecutive game grabbing 10 or more. And Warriors rookie Jordan Bell played tough defense and added two rebounds.
NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) This Warriors ball movement 🔥 pic.twitter.com/5xH5yb8ns3
Kevin Love provided James with much needed support, adding 21 points and 13 rebounds. But the rest of the team struggled. Not only did Smith get a lot of heat for seemingly squandering the Cavs’ chance of winning, but he shot only 30% and missed all six of his attempts in the fourth quarter. Jordan Clarkson struggled on the floor, adding only four points.
“The journey’s not over,” said Lue. “Going through the long season and injuries and guys in and out and trades and all the different situations, to end up at the end of the season being one of the two teams left playing, is a big accomplishment.”
The Warriors will spend the next few days preparing for and anticipating any adjustments the Cavaliers make to their game. “They’re really sharp, their staff is sharp, they’ve made a lot of adjustments against us over the years, as we have against them,” the Warriors coach, Steve Kerr, said. “It’s a staff that really understands how to change tactics on the fly, in between games, during games – they’re really good at what they do.”
The Cavaliers return to Oracle Arena to face the Warriors in Game 2 on Sunday. Whether Thursday’s events inspire the Cavaliers or destroy them remains to be seen.
