Reigning NBA MVP Steph Curry poured in 37 points, 17 in the fourth quarter as he knocked down crucial triples down the stretch to give the Warriors a 3-2 series lead.
Cleveland superstar LeBron James tallied another Herculean triple-double of 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists but his Cavaliers just couldn’t contain Curry and the Warriors.
For the first time in the series, the Cavaliers went all out playing small-ball basketball. Big man Timofey Mozgov, who had a career night in Game Four, only saw limited action as Cleveland at times slotted in James as center to counter Golden State’s prolific lineups.
After struggling in his last game, JR Smith came out firing off the bench early, scoring eight points in the first quarter off James’ dishes. He continued his hot shooting in the second quarter with back-to-back triples as they took a 31-26 lead.
But Curry and the Warriors displayed their usual deadly shooting form and kept the game close. An eight-second backcourt violation by James followed by a Harrison Barnes and-one helped put the Warriors ahead, 51-50, at halftime.
Both teams engaged in a tight battle in the third frame but a 13-4 run by the Warriors put them up, 73-67, entering the final period.
Cleveland started the fourth period with an 8-2 run fueled by triples from James and Iman Shumpert that tied things up at 75-all.
The Warriors then waxed hot from downtown, with Curry and Klay Thompson knocking down triples. Andre Igoudala scored five straight crucial points and Curry fired a signature pull-up triple to give Warriors their biggest lead at 10, 96-86, with 2:44 left.
Curry sank a dagger triple from way beyond the arc with over a minute left to ice the win.
The Warriors will try to close out the series in Game Six in Cleveland on Wednesday.
source: interaksyon.com