CLEVELAND (AP) — Whether it’s the NBA Finals or a Christmas Day matchup, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a knack for rallying against the Golden State Warriors.
Kyrie Irving hit a fadeaway with 3.4 seconds left to give the Cavs a 109-108 victory over the Warriors. The Cavaliers trailed by 14 in the fourth quarter before winning their first meeting with Golden State since Cleveland erased a three-games-to-one deficit in winning the NBA Finals over Golden State. The Cavs closed on a 29-14 run after the Warriors built a 94-80 lead early in the final period.
LeBron James scored 31 points and Irving finished with 25 to help the Cavaliers win their fifth in a row and improve to 16-2 at home. James joined Kobe Bryant and Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players with at least 300 career points on Christmas Day.
Kevin Durant had a game-high 36 points for Golden State, but he also lost his balance coming off a screen on the game’s final possession before the time expired.
The Warriors are an NBA-best 27-5 after ending a seven-game winning streak.
The two teams meet again Jan. 16 in Oakland.
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