Twistity NBA Exclusive: Cavaliers Take Charge In Critical Game

James, Irving Lead Cleveland The Cleveland Cavaliers unveiled their own version of the “Splash Brothers” in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving each scored...


James, Irving Lead Cleveland

The Cleveland Cavaliers unveiled their own version of the “Splash Brothers” in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

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LeBron James and Kyrie Irving each scored 41 points (that’s 82 combined, if you’re keeping score at home) and the Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors 112-97 on Monday night in Oakland. That kept the Warriors from clinching their second consecutive NBA championship, and the series continues on Thursday night in Cleveland. No team has ever come from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA title.

There were two problems for the Warriors. First, they were without the versatile Draymond Green, who was suspended for the game by the NBA for putting a foot into the private parts of LeBron James in the previous game. Second, they let Harrison Barnes play.

2016 NBA Finals - Game Five

In Green’s absence, Barnes took every bad shot he could think of and some that were previously unimaginable. He missed 12 of his 14 attempts from the field and both of his free throws.

Over the days before this game, the Warriors gleefully poked fun at James for taking offense at trash talk and being soft. It is generally a bad idea to wake a sleeping tiger. In addition to scoring 41 points, James led all rebounders with 15 and had seven assists.

Cleveland’s back in the series, and the series is back in Cleveland.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman