Most fans will remember the Cavaliers’ 109-108 win over the Warriors on Christmas Day for Kyrie Irving’s game-winning shot.
But here are five turning points of the game that went into what turned out to be an instant classic.
1. Warriors Stopped Letting Cavs Own The Boards
In the first half, Cleveland dominated the rebound battle, especially on the offensive glass.
Cleveland had 13 offensive rebounds in the first half, opposed to four from Golden State.
Tristan Thompson had five. LeBron James had four.
Despite a lackluster shooting half for the Cavs, they kept the game within reach, thanks in large part to those extra possessions.
In the second half, Zaza Pachulia and Draymond Green did a much better job limiting those second chance opportunities.
The Cavs grabbed only five offensive boards in the second half. LeBron and Tristan each were held to only one apiece.
However, the Cavs stepped up in other areas.
2. LeBron’s 3-Point Streak
In the third quarter, LeBron drained three shots from long-range in a span of less than two minutes, cutting the Warriors’ lead to 67-66 with just over seven minutes left in the quarter.
Retweeted NBA (@NBA):
LeBron…for 3! #NBARapidReplay#NBAXmas pic.twitter.com/EBnwPsRPLR https://t.co/BEMppbjY9v
— Warren Young (@DJWarrenYoung) December 25, 2016
He would knock down another late in the third to make it a 77-75 game in favor of the Warriors with just over three minutes left in the quarter.
3. Cavs’ Second Unit Struggles Early in 4th
After trailing 87-80 at the end of the third quarter, the Cavs opened up the fourth with LeBron on the bench.
The Warriors went on a 7-0 run in the first three minutes of the quarter, as Cleveland had no “go-to scorer” and could not contain Kevin Durant or Klay Thompson.
#DubNation starts the 4th on a 7-0. The lead is up to 14 on ABC. #NBARapidReplay pic.twitter.com/DtSBRfAGJB
— NBA (@NBA) December 25, 2016
4. Richard Jefferson’s Spark
Richard Jefferson gave the Cavs a much-needed boost, both on offense with dunks like this:
Richard Jefferson BIG Dunk Over Kevin Durant! ? #NBAXMas ????☃️ pic.twitter.com/darsLFkQNd
— All Sport News (@All_SportNews) December 26, 2016
And this:
Richard Jefferson apparently got new legs for Christmas and is going to dunk… https://t.co/03Q8eyDP4t by #barstoolsports via @c0nvey
— Justin Taylor (@jtorange) December 25, 2016
But also with his defense, limiting Durant from dominating in the fourth quarter.
5. LeBron Re-Enters, Guards Klay
The Cavs trailed by eight with 7:33 to play and LeBron checked back into the game.
Up to that point, Klay Thompson had been killing the Cavs, making 5-of-10 three-pointers and scoring 24 points, many of which came from open looks in the corner, as Cavs defenders could not fight through the screens to stay with him.
Plays like this:
Klay Thompson já passa dos 22 pontos!
Essa aí do vídeo é a 5ª de 3!#NatalNBAnaESPN #gswvscle 87-80 Fim do 3º quarto
pic.twitter.com/lb505i3QYJ— Toni Magalhães™ (@padua600) December 25, 2016
And this:
Klay Thompson with his fourth #SPLASH of the game ? #NBAVote pic.twitter.com/p6eAmkvnPO
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 25, 2016
LeBron took the personal challenge of guarding Klay and effectively shut him down for the final seven and a half minutes.
As important as LeBron and Kyrie’s offense were, this may have been an equally vital facet of the comeback.
For three and a half quarters, the Warriors were taking advantage of J.R. Smith’s absence, exploiting a mismatch with Thompson against DeAndre Liggins, Irving, and Shumpert.
LeBron took the challenge and stepped up on both ends.
The Cavs hope to have Smith back in time for the Playoffs and if everything goes according to plan, he should be on the court in late-March or early-April, but the late adjustment by LeBron showed that if Klay gets going, the Cavs can go that route down the road if the situation calls for it.
From start to finish, it was a team victory, capped off by a classic Kyrie shot.
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