May 31, 2018; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers center Kevin Love (0) during the fourth quarter in game one of the 2018 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
June 1, 2018
By Rory Carroll
OAKLAND (Reuters) – The Golden State Warriors overcame a 51-point effort from Cleveland Cavaliers’ forward LeBron James and dominated in overtime to seal a thrilling 124-114 Game One win in the NBA Finals on Thursday in Oakland.
In a physical and at times contentious start to the Finals, Stephen Curry led the way for the Warriors with 29 points, nine assists and six rebounds.
The underdog Cavaliers raced out to an 11-point lead in the first half behind nine-for-11 shooting by LeBron James and 12 points from Kevin Love, who returned to the Cavs starting lineup after missing the team’s previous game with a concussion.
But the Warriors clawed their way back in the second quarter before Curry tied the game at 56 apiece with a buzzer-beater three pointer to end the half and send the yellow-shirted crowd into a frenzy.
The Warriors took a seven-point lead in the third quarter but turnovers and miscues and the continued dominance of James kept the game close in the fourth.
Cavaliers guard George Hill missed one of his two free throws just before period expired, sending the game into an overtime the Warriors dominated behind timely baskets by Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Ian Ransom)
