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2017 NBA Finals: Game 4 recap and highlights

By Gerald Bourguet

Jun 9, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a play during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game four of the Finals for the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 9, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a play during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game four of the Finals for the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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In Game 4 of the 2017 NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers avoided the sweep with a dominant win at home behind a barrage of three-pointers and high-powered first quarter.

After watching the Golden State Warriors celebrate a championship on their home floor in 2015, the Cleveland Cavaliers were determined to make sure that didn’t happen again in 2017.

Though the odds are still heavily stacked against them in the series, the Cavs used an NBA Finals record 24 three-pointers to take Game 4 at Quicken Loans Arena and force a Game 5 back at Oracle Arena.

In a 137-116 victory to avoid the Finals sweep, Cleveland used a 49-point first quarter and a barrage of long range bombs to bury the Warriors every time they tried to make it a game. Kyrie Irving continued his hot streak from Game 3, leading the Cavs with 40 points on 15-of-27 shooting from the floor and 5-of-7 shooting from deep.

LeBron James was masterful again, passing Magic Johnson for the most triple-doubles in NBA Finals history (nine) and finishing his night with 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Kevin Love chipped in 23 points on 6-of-8 shooting from deep, while J.R. Smith added 15.

Though Kevin Durant played another superb game for the Warriors with 35 points, Stephen Curry (14 points and 10 assists on 4-of-13 shooting), Klay Thompson (13 points on 4-of-11 shooting) and Draymond Green (16 points and 14 boards) didn’t show up on the offensive end.

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In their first loss of the postseason, the Warriors shot 11-for-39 from deep (26.3 percent), while the Cavs were a smoking hot 24-for-45 from downtown (53.3 percent).

In a game that got completely out of control with technical fouls, flagrants and reviews that lasted way too long, the Warriors could never put together one of their patented runs, and every it looked like they were about to catch fire, either another review or another Cleveland three-pointer deflated their momentum.

In the tone-setting first quarter, the Cleveland Cavaliers made it known they were not ready to roll over and die just yet, with a 14-5 start forcing Steve Kerr to call timeout early.

Tristan Thompson was active on the offensive boards, while LeBron James passed Michael Jordan for the third-most points in NBA Finals history.

Cleveland built a 29-13 lead, its largest of the Finals to that point, before the Warriors kicked it back into high gear. After holding Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant scoreless for the first 6:33, KD led Golden State’s first charge with 10 straight points during a 12-2 Dubs run, cutting the deficit down to six.

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Unfortunately, the officials got a little more involved in the proceedings than the Warriors would’ve liked, with whistle after whistle bogging down the proceedings and rewarding Cleveland with plenty of freebies from the foul line.

The Cavaliers attempted 22 free throws in the first quarter — more than five NBA teams averaged per game during the regular season — but fortunately for the Dubs, they left points on the scoreboard by missing eight of them.

With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala picking up two fouls each in the first, the Warriors would have their hands full the rest of the way with foul trouble.

By the end of the opening frame, Cleveland had built a 16-point lead with a 49-point quarter — the most points in any single quarter in NBA Finals history. Kevin Love led the way with 14 points, Kyrie Irving chipped in 11, LeBron James supplied an 8-6-4 line and the Cavs went 7-for-12 from downtown.

In the second quarter, every time it seemed like the Warriors were about to put together one of their patented runs, the Cavs would respond with a ridiculous shot.

The offense on display was simply incredible, with Kyrie and J.R. Smith taking turns drilling three-pointers from the parking lot to ignite the Q and make sure the Dubs never got closer than 12 or 13 points.

In what became the highest-scoring half in NBA Finals history, the Cavaliers took an 86-68 lead into the break. Their 86 points were the most by any team in a single half in Finals history, with a staggering 13 three-pointers leading the way.

Kyrie Irving was sensational, boasting a game-high 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting. LeBron orchestrated everything else in the first half with a jaw-dropping 22-8-6 stat line, while Kevin Love chipped in 17 points for a team that shot 60 percent from the floor in the first two quarters.

Luckily for the Warriors, they remained within striking distance thanks to Durant’s 22 points in the first half. Though Curry had only six points on 1-of-7 shooting, Shaun Livingston‘s 10 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting, plus KD’s three right before the buzzer, left the door cracked open juuuuust wide enough for a very dangerous team.

The Dubs got the second half started with a quick 4-0 burst to cut the lead down to 14, but Cleveland responded with a 8-1 run after Golden State missed out on a pivotal offensive board, leading to a backbreaking three from Kyrie.

Once again, every time the Dubs tried to string together some momentum, the Cavs would respond, either with a Kevin Love three-pointer or an insane display from the King.

Case in point:

However, the officiating crew once again lost complete control of the game in the third. A horrendous flagrant foul was called on Love when he made contact with Durant’s head while trying to block a layup.

KD was persistent in pleading his case with the officials after the play, prompting them to head to the scorer’s table and eventually upgrade the foul to a flagrant.

A few plays later, an incredibly weak third foul was assessed to Draymond Green, who simply shook his head and flung the ball toward the official on the sideline. He was assessed a technical, which would’ve been his second and ejected him from the game.

However, ESPN‘s Doris Burke reported on the broadcast that although the scorer’s table was in complete agreement the second tech should have been assessed to the Green, the refs said his first half technical was actually assessed to Kerr. It was a weak second technical, so justice was somehow served anyway, but it was not a good look for the NBA.

Meanwhile, a Curry layup pulled Golden State within 13 with under three minutes to go in the third. Unfortunately for the Dubs, yet another officiating calamity took the wind out of their sails right when it seemed like they were building toward something.

In a fight for a loose ball, Kyle Korver took down Zaza Pachulia WWE-style, and in the ensuing scuffle on the floor, Iman Shumpert wound up standing over the Warriors center. Pachulia flung his arm upward, seemingly right toward Shumpert’s groin.

After a review that lasted for way too long, the officials emerged with the less than comforting verdict: double technicals. All that stoppage and extra rest for LeBron, plus an NBA Finals record 20 three-pointers through three quarters, saw Cleveland carry a 115-96 lead into the final frame.

In the fourth quarter, though a ragtag unit including David West and rookie Patrick McCaw helped chop the lead down to 11, the Cavaliers would not be denied, sinking a couple of backbreaking threes to create enough separation to hold on for the victory.

Next: Golden State Warriors - 5 keys to winning the 2017 NBA Finals

With the Cavs taking Game 4 and the series shifting back to Oracle Arena for Game 5 Monday night…let the 3-1 jokes begin.

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