The Cleveland Cavaliers have taken a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals by beating the Golden State Warriors 96-91 at the Quicken Loans Arena.
LeBron James led the offense impressively once again, while Matthew Dellavedova produced another fine all-round display in the absence of injured All-Star Kyrie Irving to contribute 20 points and Tristan Thompson dominated in the paint with 13 rebounds
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After splitting the first two games in Oakland, the Cavaliers were quickly on top on their home court as a sluggish start from the Warriors handed control to the hosts.
A fine defensive performance proved to be key for Cleveland once again, with Dellavedova contributing to another frustrating spell of shooting for Stephen Curry, who was short of his best in the opening three quarters.
James punished the Warriors at the opposite end of the court with 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as he set a new record for most points in the opening three games of an NBA Finals.
The Cavaliers remained in control after the interval and they led by 20 points at one stage in the third quarter.
However, the response eventually arrived from Golden State as they started the final period with an 8-0 run, thanks largely to Curry, who found his form from three-point range and finished with 27 points.
Nerves started to creep in when Curry reduced the lead to one point with a three-pointer, but Dellavedova completed a three-point play moments later before James made a crucial shot from behind the arc with 1:40 left on the clock.
Curry kept the Warriors in the game with another three-point effort, but a turnover in the final minute proved to be vital as Dellavedova extended the advantage to seven with two free throws.
The MVP, who scored 17 points in the final quarter, twice cut the lead with three-pointers either side of a couple of free-throws from James as the Warriors continued to keep the game alive.
Golden State looked to have be given one final chance to force overtime when Klay Thompson appeared to step out of bounds while attempting to steal the ball from Dellavedova, but a late video review from the officials resulted in the call being reversed to the relief of the Cavaliers, who retained possession.
James finally ended the challenge with two more free throws to secure the 2-1 lead ahead of the fourth game of the series, which takes place in Cleveland on Thursday night as the Cavaliers look to move within a game of the title before returning to California.
Callum Mulvihill
