Cavs avoid elimination, beat Warriors in NBA Finals Game 4

The Cavaliers staved off elimination and kept their slim hopes of defending their National Basketball Association championship alive Friday night by doing something no team had done in this postseason - they beat the Golden State Warriors.

LeBron James (23) goes for a loose ball against Golden State Warriors in Game 3.

"It would have (been special)", Warriors guard Klay Thompson said.

"At the end of the day we've just got some resilient guys", James said.

So many records were broken in this one it would take another page of newsprint to list them all. It's done. There is no coming back from this. Led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the team lost only its finals opener to Philadelphia.

Can Kevin Durant add to his NBA Finals MVP resume in Game 4 when the Golden State Warriors try to finish off the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight at 9PM ET?

The Cavaliers, meanwhile, were swept out of the Finals 10 years ago this month. "It's fresh in our minds", Thompson said.

"It's very impressive, though". "We have been getting these shots all series".

Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith would enjoy shattering the ideal playoff run. They drained 24-of-45 shots attempted from long distance while also barely winning the battle of the boards by a 41-40 edge.

(2) LeBron James isn't content with reaching the NBA Finals.

"The series is not over", Durant said.

"We have championship DNA as well".

"Not something I'm thinking about", he said.

It concerns me though, that if they go into the final quarter with any sort of lead, this could blow out. "I think it was we played a desperate team on their home floor, a great team, with great players, and they came out and handed it to us".

At the end of that marathon quarter, the Cavaliers had outscored the Warriors 29-28, the Warriors had out-technical-ed Cleveland 3-2, and it was 115-96 Cleveland heading into the fourth.

The cap spike undercut the Wizards' financial advantage, and it weakened them right at the time when they needed to flex their muscle. "I've won one on the road. We're going to keep scrapping". "We have to take one game at a time". Now this proposition rears its head: If the Warriors don't recover from their Friday night massacre, if they don't rebound to win the Finals, considering the loaded team they are, they will earn the title of biggest chokers ever. "There is another level", Warriors reserve Andre Iguodala said. "We need a lot of that from him, and (then) some".

The Golden State Warriors are one win away from completing a historic 16-0 run through the playoffs and lead the Cavs 3-0 after a 118-113 victory.

The difference this time is Draymond Green will not be suspended for Game 5, a hard-fought Cavs win that changed the entire complexion of the series. "They came out and did exactly what we thought they would do". But I can definitely appreciate the simple fact of him either reshaping his game or just sacrificing maybe some shots here, sacrificing having the ball in his hands all the time. We often forget that this is the same player that once had 30 points and 30 rebounds. If that means taking a shorter term or less money, KD says he's willing to do so. "I'm always proud to represent my country".

The larger point is that there is a reason nobody had ever completed a ideal playoff season - and won't this season, either.

"It's a great opportunity", he said. But that never really did materialize.