Warriors 89, Cavaliers 83 | Once-beaten Warriors add Cavaliers to victim list

Even when all those long-range shots aren’t falling like usual, the defending-champion Golden State Warriors showed they are quite comfortable grinding out victories.

Golden State prevailed over Cleveland on Christmas Day by a final score of 89-83, even though the visiting Cavs had both Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving available, two key performers who didn’t play in last season’s championship series because of injuries.

“It’s good to have one of those every so often”, Warriors guard Stephen Curry said.

“That’s why I get paid the big bucks, to win games for us down the stretch, ” Davis said. “We just show our versatility and try to win different ways”, reports Sports Illustrated.

The GoodDec 25, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) shoots against Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) in the first half of a NBA basketball game on Christmas at Oracle Arena.

“Those type of games are going to happen in the playoffs”, interim coach Luke Walton said.

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.

“Man, we gave ourselves a chance”, 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 getting shots.

Forward Kevin Love, another who struggled big-time offensively (5-for-16), contributed 10 points and a game-high 18 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who were playing the opener of a four-game Western swing. They shot 31.6 from the field-and 5-of-30 from three-point land-in their 89-83 loss.

1-of-4 – The lowest hanging fruit that will make great hot take jams and lazy analysis jellies will be the Cavs’ fourth quarter free throw shooting.

Love and Irving, meanwhile, combined to shoot 0 for 11 from three-point range, while Curry and Klay Thompson combined to go just 12 for 31 overall, including 2 for 8 from 3-point range.

Chris Bosh guided the Heat by scoring 30 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, with Dwyane Wade adding 19 points.

The difference is, perhaps nobody ever has put those three skills together the same way Curry has the past year as he has dominated on the court and made the once downtrodden Golden State Warriors the NBA’s must-watch team.

But this much was clear in this highly anticipated Christmas rematch: If the Cavs are planning to rely on LeBron and only LeBron in critical moments when the games will be won or lost, they’re in for another lethal dose of disappointment if and when they see the Warriors again. Curry can consistently make shots from 28 feet out as he is on pace to shatter his own record of 3-pointers made in a season.

Bulls 105, Thunder 96 – Jimmy Butler scored 23 points and Pau Gasol had 21 points and 13 rebounds in visiting Chicago’s win.

Harden finished with 20 points, while Kawhi Leonard had the same tally for the Spurs. The Warriors shot 41 percent from the field and turned it over 16 times. The Thunder had won three straight and 9 of 10.

In the final quarter of the game, the Cavilers made a final push to try and beat the Warriors.

The Heat had 18 turnovers in the game – and New Orleans scored on only one of them.