OAKLAND: Stephen Curry scored 29 points and Kevin Durant added 26 to power defending champion Golden State over the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-114 in overtime Thursday in the NBA Finals opener.
LeBron James scored a playoff career-high 51 points in a losing cause as the Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series, which continues Sunday in Oakland.
Golden State’s Klay Thompson added 24 points and Draymond Green contributed 13 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, five steals and three blocked shots.
Green taunted Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson to spark a shoving incident in the final seconds of overtime that figures to carry over in the emotional fourth consecutive finals between the Cavaliers and Warriors.
Golden State won the 2015 and 2017 crowns. The Cavs took the 2016 title.
Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player James scored seven points in a 10-2 run that gave Cleveland a 104-102 lead with 50.8 seconds remaining — a layup, dunk and 3-point play by James plus a Love 3-pointer.
Durant was whistled for a charging call but it was overturned on video review into a blocking foul on James and Durant equalized with two free throws at 104-104.
James answered inside but Curry drove for a layup, got fouled by Love and sank the free throw for a 107-106 Golden State lead with 23.5 seconds in regulation time.
George Hill was fouled and made 1-of-2 free throws with 4.7 seconds remaining but missed the second and the game went to overtime.
Golden State dominated the extra five minutes, starting it with a 9-0 run. Klay Thompson hit two 3-pointers and Durant another to seal Cleveland’s fate.
In the final seconds, Green waved bye to Tristan Thompson after a foul and had the ball shoved in his face as players gathered to keep the two apart as Thompson was ejected and tempers were tested.
The Warriors seek their third title in four seasons and sixth overall.
James is playing in his eighth consecutive finals and ninth overall seeking his fourth career title and the second for the Cavs.
Physical intensity was on display from the start, with Cleveland’s J.R. Smith slipping and falling into Klay Thompson, forcing the Warriors guard to the locker room for a spell in the first quarter with a bruised left leg.
James drove to the hoop in the second quarter only to have Green deliver a left hand to the face that sent James to the floor clutching his face. Green was whistled for a technical foul.
The Warriors closed the first half on a 16-5 run and began the third quarter with a 10-3 spurt for a 66-59 edge.
But James scored seven consecutive points, capping the run with a 3-pointer, to pull the Cavs level at 68-68 with 5:27 remaining in the third, James hitting 11 of his first 13 shots.
Golden State answered moments later with a 14-4 run, Curry and Thompson sinking 3-pointers and Durant’s six points including a slam dunk to cap the spurt as the Warriors led 84-78 entering the fourth quarter.
Curry sank a 38-foot running 3-pointer at the half-time buzzer to lift the Warriors level at 56-56 after Cleveland had led by as much as 49-40 in the second quarter.
James had 24 points in the first half while Curry led the Warriors with 18.
Warriors outlast Cavaliers in overtime to win NBA Finals opener
Warriors outlast Cavaliers in overtime to win NBA Finals opener
- Golden State won the 2015 and 2017 crowns while the Cavaliers took the 2016 title
- James is playing in his eighth consecutive finals and ninth overall seeking his fourth career title and the second for the Cavaliers
Real Sociedad edge rivals Athletic to reach Copa del Rey final
- Real Sociedad have now not lost in their last 10 derby clashes at home against Athletic, whom they beat in the 2020 final, and rarely looked like letting their advantage slip
SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain: Mikel Oyarzabal slotted home a late penalty to fire Real Sociedad into the Copa del Rey final with a 1-0 win over Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday, securing a 2-0 aggregate semifinal triumph.
American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo has turned La Real’s fortunes around since arriving in December and his side will face Atletico Madrid in the Seville final on April 18, after they ousted Barcelona.
Already holding a 1-0 lead from the first leg at Athletic’s San Mames, Real Sociedad produced a sturdy display at the Reale Arena to knock out the 24-time winners.
“Very proud of what the boys have done, over the past two months, it’s pretty amazing,” said Matarazzo.
“Our first match was on the fourth of January... and we just reached the cup final.
“The football we’re playing is effective and we want to continue... we’re in the final and we want to win it.”
Real Sociedad have now not lost in their last 10 derby clashes at home against Athletic, whom they beat in the 2020 final, and rarely looked like letting their advantage slip.
“I think having the one goal advantage helped, we managed the tempo well,” Real Sociedad defender Jon Martin told Movistar.
“We didn’t want a lot to happen, and we did well.”
La Real had the better of a tense first half, with Carlos Soler coming closest. The midfielder’s free-kick, flying toward the top corner, was tipped over by Athletic goalkeeper Alex Padilla.
Matarazzo’s team had more of the ball and forced the visitors back, albeit without carving out many more openings.
Athletic defender Aitor Paredes made a last-ditch block to keep former Valencia midfielder Soler at bay, and Goncalo Guedes drilled into the side-netting.
Ernesto Valverde’s side improved in the second half and began to threaten La Real, again without finding a clear sight of goal.
Alejandro Berenguer fizzed a shot wide after Inaki Williams fed him on the edge of the box.
Los Leones were missing dangerous Spanish winger Nico Williams, who is sidelined indefinitely with a groin problem.
Oyarzabal seals it
The match was decided from the penalty spot when Athletic’s Inigo Ruiz de Galarreta grabbed a fistful of Yangel Herrera’s shirt as he tried to jump in the box.
After a VAR review the referee awarded a spot-kick and Spain striker Oyarzabal coolly sent Padilla the wrong way in the 87th minute.
Mikel Vesga might have levelled on the night for Athletic in stoppage time as they pushed forward with urgency but Real Sociedad stopper Unai Marrero saved well with his leg to help book his team’s flight to Andalusia.
“It was a hard-fought game, a Basque derby,” said Valverde.
“We had a clear chance at the end, we could have got back into the game but it wasn’t to be.”
Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson could have extended La Real’s lead at the death but nodded against the post, although it did not matter in the end.
“It feels terrible, it’s a shame, we wanted to reach that final in Seville, I don’t even know what to say,” Athletic striker Williams told Movistar.
“(For the penalty) there’s that kind of grabbing in every box, every corner, and it’s very difficult (to take).”
