OAKLAND—The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 91-126 in a Finals rematch on Monday, January 16.
LeBron James had 20 points, eight rebounds and two assists for the Cavaliers, who defeated the Warriors in last year’s NBA Finals after trailing in the series 3-1. Kyrie Irving scored 17 points and Iman Shumpert contributed 15 points and nine assists. Kevin Love had three points and three rebounds in 16 minutes before leaving the game with a sore back.
Cleveland has won six of their last ten games, and leads the Eastern Conference with record of 29-11. The Cavaliers will face the Phoenix Suns in their next game on Thursday, January 19.
Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 26 points, including a game-high five 3-pointers. Steph Curry scored 20 points and had 11 assists and two rebounds. Draymond Green produced his third triple-double of the season with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Kevin Durant scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds and five assists. Andre Igoudala contributed 14 points, three rebounds and five assists off the bench.
“This is high-quality basketball at its highest level,” said Curry, whose team has faced the Cavaliers in two consecutive finals. “These are the kinds of atmospheres that you live for. Whether you win or lose, regular season, playoffs, whatever, that you can play in that kind of environment that’s always fun.”
Golden State has won four straight games, and leads the league a 36-6 record. The Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder in their next game on Wednesday, January 18.
