In what LeBron James called “a must-win game” for the Cleveland Cavaliers, his team responded with a 120-90 thrashing of the Golden State Warriors to bring the series to 2-1.
Kyrie Irving, after drawing criticism for his lackluster performance in the first two games, took it upon himself to establish the pace of the game early for his team. He went 7-9 from the field and 2-2 from deep, and on his way to 16 points and three assists in the first quarter.
Richard Jefferson, having a throwback performance in this year’s finals, was inserted into the starting lineup after Kevin Love was announced inactive due to a concussion.