NBA Finals: LeBron opens Game 3 with baseline jam (VIDEO)
The people of Cleveland are ready for their first championship - in any sport - since 1964. Their favorite son is ready to try to bring it to them.
With the NBA Finals tied 1-1 and home-court advantage now essentially in their favor, the Cleveland Cavaliers came out flying for Game 3 on Tuesday. A hot start gave the Cavs an early edge on the Golden State Warriors, with LeBron James punctuating the early run with a major one-handed jam.
There's not much for the Warriors to do here but watch. They've generally been willing to concede points to James in order to limit his playmaking and the output of his teammates. That's worked out well in terms of James's efficiency, though less so in terms of greater results. But there's little to scheme for - or concede - when James beats his primary defender so egregiously.
Cleveland leads 16-12 after seven minutes of action in front of a raucous Quicken Loans Arena crowd.