Jun 1, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in the second half of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Photo Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
OAKLAND, Calif. — Stephen Curry bombed in a pair of 3-pointers in a 13-0 flurry to begin the second half as the Golden State Warriors ran away from the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-91 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
Kevin Durant had a game-high 38 points and Curry scored 28, helping the Warriors record their 13th straight postseason win and grab the early edge in the best-of-seven series.
Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday night on the Warriors’ home floor.
The teams are meeting in the NBA Finals for an unprecedented third straight year. Golden State also won Game 1 in the previous two meetings.
The Warriors never trailed after the game’s first eight minutes and led by as many as 10 in the first half before running away in the third quarter.
After the Warriors had made only three 3-pointers in the first half en route to a 60-52 lead, Durant buried a 26-footer on Golden State’s first possession of the third period.
The Warriors padded their lead with a pair of two-point hoops, and Curry then buried his consecutive 3-pointers to complete the 13-point run and open a 73-52 advantage.
The Cavaliers rallied within 80-68 with 3:06 remaining in the period, but Golden State wasn’t finished with its 3-point-shooting barrage. Curry and Draymond Green each connected on one in a 13-1 run that created a 93-69 lead in the final seconds of the period.
Curry had a game-high 10 assists, and Durant accumulated eight rebounds and eight assists. Green had a team-high 11 rebounds to go with nine points.
The Warriors shot 42.5 percent and committed only four turnovers.
LeBron James had 28 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for Cleveland. He also committed eight of the Cavaliers’ 20 turnovers.
Kevin Love grabbed a 21 rebounds to complement 15 points, and Kyrie Irving had 24 points for Cleveland, which was held to 34.9 percent shooting.
The Cavaliers entered the game 12-1 in the postseason.
The Warriors not only got their 3-point shooting going in the decisive third period, but also their defense.
After allowing the Cavaliers 52 points on 39.5 percent shooting in the first half, Golden State held Cleveland to 32 percent shooting and 20 points in the third period.
The Cavaliers also turned the ball over four more times, giving them 16 to that point of the game.
Durant and Curry scored or assisted on 75 of the Warriors’ 93 points through three periods. The Cavaliers had 72 points after the third.
The Cavaliers managed to hang within 60-52 at halftime despite committing 12 turnovers and letting the Warriors grab 11 offensive rebounds. Twenty-four of Golden State’s 60 points were a result of an offensive rebound or a Cleveland turnover.
The Warriors committed only one turnover in the half but failed to take full advantage of Cleveland’s shortcomings, missing 35 shots (only eight fewer than the Cavaliers attempted), including 10 of their 13 3-point tries.
Durant had 23 points in the half, while James had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
NOTES: Cavaliers SF LeBron James connected on two 3-pointers, the second of which moved him past SG Reggie Miller (320) for second place on the NBA’s all-time postseason list. SG Ray Allen is the all-time leader with 385. … The Finals feature 11 current or former All-Stars, the most since the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers met in 1983. … Warriors coach Steve Kerr attended the game, met with commissioner Adam Silver, and stayed behind the scenes while continuing to deal with spinal-fluid issues. “I know that he wanted to, if he could, try to coach Game 1,” replacement coach Mike Brown said before the game, adding that he had no idea whether Kerr might return for Game 2. … At his State of the NBA press conference before the game, Silver noted he is in favor of changes in the draft lottery and minimum playing age, but said he is conflicted on the paucity of competitive games this postseason leading into the Finals. “The fan in me would love to see more competition at times,” he said, “but on the other hand, I think we should also celebrate excellence.”
