Warriors Lead Cavaliers 45-42 At Halftime

For Golden State, it was the first time in 47 regular-season games the Warriors didn’t crack 100.

Golden State won their Christmas day NBA Finals rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers 89-83 on the back of two Steph Curry drives in the final 80 seconds, but Cleveland’s Aussie guard Matthew Dellavedova again raised eyebrows with questionable play. “They had the tempo where they wanted it. And for us to win that game it shows we can win any type of game”. “We just show our versatility and try to win different ways”, reports Sports Illustrated. “Our players are great about staying present and staying in the moment and taking the next game ahead of them”, Warriors interim coach Luke Walton told reporters.

Green, who led his team with 22 points and 15 rebounds and was its co-leader in assists with seven, virtually canceled out the numbers produced by Cavaliers superstar forward LeBron James, who finished the game with 25 points, nine rebounds and just two assists.

“For 48 minutes, we followed the gameplan defensively and improved on that end”, James said. Still, to lose a winnable game at the end in which the Cavs played the style they wanted thanks to missed free throws and defensive breakdowns is a tough pill to swallow. “We were a little off offensively but if we can continue to do that, we’ll be fine”. The Cavaliers claim that the absence of Kyrie Irving (after Game 1) and Kevin Love back then meant they had every reason to believe they were, in fact, the better team.

Perhaps Love was referring to the other regular season meeting between these teams next month in Cleveland, but a rematch of last year’s Finals next June wouldn’t disappoint either. Forward Kevin Love contributed 10 points and 18 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were playing the opener of a four-game Western swing. After the second one, the camera briefly panned to James and Love exchanging words on the sideline. The latter two also combined to shoot blanks from behind the arc, going 0-of-11 from the three-point line.

The Cavaliers were inept from long range, making 5 of 30 three-pointers.

Cleveland was held to 31.6% for field goal attempts and only made 16.7% of their three point shots. His lead role was also emblematic of Golden State’s striking completeness: Curry can deliver the prettiest of wins, but Green can help secure ugly ones just as easily. The unit played well, but the Thunder got no closer than 6.

At Los Angeles, the Clippers survived their lowest scoring quarter of the season with only nine in the fourth as the Lakers reserves rallied once the Clippers went to their bench. Tim Duncan made a hook shot after that, but Harden hit a 3-pointer.

“That was a big win”, Curry said. Fortunately for Golden State, Curry returned to the game later that quarter.

Jimmy Butler scored 23 points and Pau Gasol 21 as the Chicago Bulls halted a three-game skid with a 105-96 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had won three straight.

Chris Bosh guided the Heat by scoring 30 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, with Dwyane Wade adding 19 points. But he missed a contested jumper on New Orleans’ final possession of regulation, and the Heat controlled the extra session.

A layup by Aldridge pushed San Antonio’s lead to seven points early in the third quarter before Houston used a 13-4 run to take a 51-49 lead with about seven minutes left in the quarter.