Warriors win Christmas showdown with Cavaliers, improve to 28-1

It was an ugly, rough-and-tough game that wasn't always pleasing to the senses, but in an NBA Finals rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day, it was the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors coming out smelling like roses.

The Warriors continued their record start to the season Friday, improving to an astounding 28-1 with an 89-83 victory over the Cavaliers (19-8) at Oracle Arena - a building where they're seemingly invincible.

The best offense in basketball belongs to Golden State, with the team averaging 113 points per 100 possessions (first) on 48.7 percent shooting from the field (first), and 42.3 percent from deep (first). Buckets were hard to come by against Cleveland, though, with the Warriors connecting on just 41 percent of their shots, including 5-of-18 from behind the arc.

Stephen Curry had an injury scare in the first half with a strained right calf which forced him to the locker room, but returned to the game shortly after, finishing the night with 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.

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Draymond Green led the way for Golden State in the scoring department, flirting with a triple-double of 22 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists, while Shaun Livingston came off the bench to chip in 16 points on a near-perfect 8-of-9 shooting.

Four-time league MVP LeBron James said Wednesday that he wasn't "going to put everything into this game" against the Warriors. While he led all scorers with 25 points, "The King" was cold shooting the rock for the better part of the game, especially late when Cleveland had a chance to tie things up on the scoreboard.

James missed two straight free throws which would have cut Golden State's lead to two with 1:32 remaining in the fourth quarter. He also badly missed a 3-pointer, hitting nothing but air.

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The lack of contributions from All-Star teammates Kyrie Irving (13 points and two assists) and Kevin Love (10 points and 18 rebounds) on offense certainly didn't help matters, although the team as a whole only shot 31.6 percent.

The Warriors will have a few days off before hosting the Sacramento Kings on Monday, while the Cavaliers will hit the road right away to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Boxing Day.