Stephen Curry lifts Golden State Warriors to brink of title

Curry broke out of his funk with 38 points and Klay Thompson scored 25 to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 108-97 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

The Warriors, who set an NBA Finals record with 17 3-pointers, took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers put together a great battle in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Golden State, which won a record 73 games this season, lost the third game of a playoff series for the fifth consecutive time, falling to 3-5 on the road in this year’s playoffs.

Love had started every game he’s played for the games over the last two years which includes 152 regular season games and 20 playoff games.

“Whoever they throw out there, we’ve got to be ready to play”, Thompson said.

The All-Star forward was suspended Sunday for his fourth flagrant point of the postseason. He had 13 points in the decisive fourth quarter.

After three blowouts in the first three games, this one was close throughout most of it. Kevin Love returned to action in a bench role, and he had both good moments and bad.

Emotions would also boil over in separate instances, as James would have words with both Curry and Draymond Green. He missed shots in Game 1 he ordinarily makes, got into foul trouble in Game 2 and endured a combination of more foul trouble and smothering Cleveland defense in Game 3.

The Cavaliers will still be missing the services of Kevin Love, who is still waiting to be given a medical clearance from the league and team doctors as per the NBA’s concussion protocol. Left alone at the three-point line, Green then hesitated, faked a shot and was called for traveling as he tried to take advantage of a wide-open lane to the basket. With guys like that, you can’t keep them down forever. The warriors guard breaking out in a big way – scoring a game high 38 points. He was 45. Sports information spokesman Jordan Korphage said Friday that Thompson died in San Antonio. “He plays big minutes for us at multiple positions, so while his stats may not jump out at you, the versatility that he provides us is important”.

No team has come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals. We’re going to come with that approach and give it all.

Dominating on the offensive and defensive glass and shooting very efficiently for most of the game was the Cavaliers’ recipe for success on Wednesday night.

Warriors Coach Steve Kerr was hopeful before the game, more than cognizant the Warriors got thumped by 30 in Game 3.

The Warriors needed Curry at the top of his game for Friday, the first tense game of these Finals.

The MVP is struggling, and what once looked like a Golden State stranglehold on a repeat title no longer does. “We felt threatened. Up 2-0, we felt for whatever reason, ‘We got this.’ They hit us in the teeth”.

Kyrie Irving was the best player for the Cavaliers and Tristan Thompson seemed to play the hardest. “We had just won a game by 30 points”. It will be fascinating to see whether Love will find his way back into the starting lineup for Game 4 (if he’s cleared to play), or whether veteran and UA alum Richard Jefferson, who had nine points and eight rebounds in Game 3, will make another start in his place.