Cavaliers even NBA Finals with wild OT win over Warriors

Nobody will be writing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers off any longer.

It took overtime, but James and the Cavaliers evened the NBA Finals at 1-1 with a 95-93 victory Sunday.

It didn't come easy, and it almost didn't come at all, with the Golden State Warriors chipping away again and again, with questionable calls and unbelievable plays - and misplays - making Game 2 as exciting an affair as Game 1.

After missing a potential game-winner at the end of regulation in Game 1, which the Cavs would ultimately lose in overtime, James was given another opportunity. Tied at 87 with 7.2 seconds to go, James had a chance at redemption. He drove, he was met by several bodies, and he missed the well-contested layup.

And just like that, for the first time ever, the first two games of the NBA Finals both required extra time.

Playing incredibly shorthanded, here in his fifth consecutive finals, the exhaustion dripped off of James. Every miss was worn on his face. Every tough call - and there were a couple of iffy ones, to put it conservatively - had him seemingly ready to combust. He had done all he could and a tough overtime frame left him in need of some help.

Cue Matthew Dellavedova getting an offensive rebound, getting fouled in the process, and knocking down the game-tying, as well as the game-winning free throws with 10 seconds to play.

Steph Curry, the league's Most Valuable Player, missed a 19-footer for the lead and then committed a turnover as the Warriors rushed for a final shot, completing one of his worst performances in memory. He finished 5-of-23 overall for 19 points with six rebounds, five assists, six turnovers, and an NBA Finals-record 13 missed threes.

Turning Point

Coming out of the last third-quarter timeout, the Warriors found themselves down 62-56 with 14:14 left in the game. Their defense had kept things close to this point, despite a rather moribund offensive performance by their standards. That's the luxury of being a two-way juggernaut.

When play resumed, the Warriors defense became even more smothering. J.R. Smith was forced into a late-clock 28-footer, in so much as Smith can be "forced" into a shot. James then missed a 7-footer, and even when Tristan Thompson corralled the offensive rebound, Cleveland came up empty with a shot-clock violation. And on the next possession, another 24-second whistle.

When Draymond Green poked an errant Dellavedova pass loose, springing Mo Speights for a fastbreak, the momentum had swung.

But Speights blew the open dunk.

It's only two points, and the Warriors very nearly stole this game back in the closing moments. One basket didn't doom them, especially considering they eventually made the comeback and forced overtime. But that blown dunk, the lost momentum, the missed opportunity to enter the fourth quarter down one point, it seems in retrospect the avatar for an incredibly close game the Warriors uncharacteristically lost at the margins.

Star Performer

There is one player in the history of the NBA who has more playoff triple-doubles than James, who tallied the 13th of his career Sunday. The term triple-double undersells what James did in Game 2, which was nothing short of a legacy-defining masterpiece.

It was incredible, masterful, beautiful, and powerful. The best defense in basketball has been daring him to beat them one-on-one, and while it's taking a ton of shots to do so, James is answering the call. Yes, he missed a potential game-winner at the end of regulation and fatigued in overtime for a second consecutive game, but to focus only on that would miss a mystical forest for a few ugly trees.

James finished with 39 points on 11-of-34 shooting, grabbed 16 rebounds, dished 11 assists, and committed only three turnovers. To post those numbers, and do so with relative efficiency, given the incredibly high usage demand, is nothing short of amazing.

He's down a Kyrie Irving, down a Kevin Love, playing on what amounts to a seven-man team with James Jones playing significant minutes. The Cavaliers strapped firmly atop his pack, this generation's greatest player continued to trudge his way into basketball lore.

LeBron James.

Highlight Reel

One team employs James and the other is the Warriors. Of course Game 2 was flush with highlights, and Curry's fresh kicks were opening eyes before the game even tipped-off. A quick run through the reel:

• Curry was flashy after tip-off, too, trading insane early layups with J.R. Smith.
• But he was cold early on, leading him to get teammates involved instead. Get teammates involved with wizardry, that is.
• He also used his magic for himself, like when he completely froze the Cavs' defense in the third quarter.
• The Warriors survived Curry's poor start in large part thanks to Klay Thompson, who was scorching hot early. He, too, opted to get a teammate involved in exciting fashion.
• The reason Golden State's offense is so good? In large part because they employ terrific screen-setters. And their defense? Because they protect the rim with aplomb.
• It's never easy for James. It's usually quite painful.

Series at a Glance

Game 1: Warriors 108, Cavaliers 100 (OT) (Warriors lead series 1-0)
Game 2: Cavaliers 95, Warriors 93 (OT) (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3: Warriors at Cavaliers, Tue. June 9, 9 p.m. ET
Game 4: Warriors at Cavaliers, Thu. June 11, 9 p.m. ET
Game 5: Cavaliers at Warriors, Sun. June 14, 8 p.m. ET
*Game 6: Warriors at Cavaliers, Tue. June 16, 9 p.m. ET
*Game 7: Cavaliers at Warriors, Fri. June 19, 9 p.m. ET

* - if necessary

Check out the comprehensive guide to the NBA Finals for more.

Alternate Series at a Glance