LeBron pours in another 40, Cavaliers hold off Warriors to take 2-1 NBA Finals lead

It took 45 years, but Cavaliers fans finally got to experience a finals win in Cleveland.

After watching a 20-point lead nearly evaporate in the fourth quarter, LeBron James and the Cavs held on for a 96-91 Game 3 victory to take a 2-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors.

James' 40 Game 3 points give him 123 for the series - the highest scoring total ever through three finals games.

Turning Point

A 12-0 third quarter run gave the Cavs a 68-48 lead and sent a raucous Quicken Loans Arena into a frenzy, but with the game once again hanging in the balance after a furious Warriors comeback, a string of late fourth quarter possessions sealed the deal.

Stephen Curry missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 4:58 remaining, which was answered by a thunderous Dellavedova-to-James alleyoop that gave the Cavs an extra bucket's worth of breathing room.

Then with the Warriors within four, the game entering its final two minutes, and a fresh shotclock to work with, Curry made an ill-advised behind the back pass on the perimeter that bounced out of bounds, only for James to sink a three on the ensuing Cavs possession.

That three proved the dagger, as the Warriors were forced to intentionally foul the rest of the way.

Had Golden State completed the comeback, Steve Kerr's decision to dust off David Lee may well have proved the unlikely turning point.

The former All-Star turned benchwarmer posted 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting to go with four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 13 effective minutes, and his playmaking ability finally helped the Warriors punish Cleveland's aggressive pick-and-roll defense.

The Cavs targeted Lee's notoriously pitiful defense on the other end, and the big man didn't exactly look like he had his sea legs under him, but he was a game-high +17 in those 13 minutes, and Kerr will have to consider going to him again in Game 4, at least in small doses.

Star Performer

Was there ever any doubt?

James shot poorly again (14-of-34) as his usage surged to 44.8 percent, but he added 12 rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and two blocks to his second 40-plus-point performance of the series, while logging another 46 minutes of game time.

Through three games LeBron has been on the court for 142 of 154 minutes, with the Cavs performing 27 points better per 100 possessions with King James on as opposed to off.

The Cavs have taken control of the series for now, but even if the Warriors were to rally to win the title, you'd have to think James would have as compelling an argument as any player on a losing team ever has to take home Finals MVP (Jerry West (1969) is the only player from a losing team to capture the award).

James has been a God among men in carrying Cleveland to an improbable series lead, and much has been made of the Cavs missing Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, but Matthew Dellavedova deserves his fair share of praise for another admirable performance in Irving's stead.

The pesky Australian guard finished with 20 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one head-first dive into the first row while continuing to stay glued to Curry on the defensive end.

Dellavedova also finished a team-high +13 in 39 minutes of action, while 78 of the Cavs' 96 points were scored or assisted by one of James or Dellavedova.

Highlight Reel

The aforementioned Delly-to-LeBron alleyoop that served as one of many Cavs daggers down the stretch:

Timofey Mozgov may be an impactful starting center on a team two wins away from immortality, but he can never escape his true destiny:

Additional highlights:

• Pretty much everything the Cavs did in the third quarter
• Dellavedova fully embraces his reputation as a pest who straddles the line between relentless and dirty, and appears to target Draymond Green's legs

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: Cavaliers 96, Warriors 91 (Cavaliers lead series 2-1)
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

Alternative Series at a Glance