James and Dellavedova star as Cavaliers take control of NBA finals
Cleveland take a 2-1 lead in the series as they fend off late comeback from Golden State
LeBron James came home last summer to win a championship – one like no other.
He’s two wins away.
Pushed by a crowd howling to see Cleveland’s 51-year title drought end, James scored 40 points, his new sidekick Matthew Dellavedova added 20 and the Cavaliers survived Golden State’s furious fourth-quarter comeback led by Stephen Curry for a 96-91 win over the Warriors on Tuesday night to take a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.
James added 12 rebounds and eight assists in 46 minutes, his third stellar performance in his fifth straight finals. The Cavs, who won Game 2 at Golden State for their first ever finals win, now have their first at Quicken Loans Arena. They’ll have a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series in Game 4 on Thursday night.
“This is a great moment and my teammates need me,” James said. “It’s my job to go out and lead those guys, teach those guys, yell at those guys and then come back and tell them it’s OK, let’s move to the next play.”