LeBron James scores 51 points but Cavaliers beaten by Warriors in controversial NBA Finals opener
Last Updated: 01/06/18 11:26am
LeBron James scored 51 points in an NBA Finals game for the first time since Michael Jordan did it 25 years ago - but it was not enough for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
They lost 114-124 to the Golden State Warriors in Game 1.
The game's controversial moment came when the officials reversed a blocking call via video review in the final minute of the fourth quarter, a decision that sent Warriors forward Kevin Durant to the free-throw line instead of James.
James said: "I thought I read that play just as well as I read any play in my career, defensively, I seen [Durant] drive, I was outside the charge line, I stepped in and took the contact, it's a huge play, a huge play."
Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue said: "You know for our team to come out and play their hearts out...and compete the way we did man, I mean, it's just bad and it's never been done before where you know he's outside of restricted [area] and then you go there and overturn the call and say it's a block.
"It has never been done, ever, in the history of the game, and then tonight in the Finals, on the biggest stage, when our team played well, it's just, it isn't right, it isn't right."
The Cavaliers still had an opportunity to win the game in the dying seconds of regulation time, but George Hill scored only one of his two free-throws - leaving the game tied 107-107 instead.
His team-mate JR Smith caught the offensive rebound, but took the strange decision to dribble back towards his halfway line as time eventually ran out instead of putting up a shot or calling time-out.
The Warriors took over in overtime, scoring 17 points to seal a 10-point win.
Warriors' point guard Steph Curry said: "It was a crazy game, I think all Game 1s are just different in their own right because you're having to adjust to a certain style of play, a different team.
"But the way it went down to the wire, we were scrambling on that last missed free throw trying to get the rebound and saw JR [Smith] ran it back to half court. I didn't know what was going on at the time because we were all trying to find a man in case they try to get a shot up and thankfully the time ran out so we could have new life in overtime.
"But in the Finals, anything's liable to happen, all that matters is you get a win and turn the page to Game 2 and just enjoy the moment."
