CLEVELAND (AP) – The Latest from Game 6 of the NBA Finals (all times local):
9:53 p.m.
Cavaliers fans were told between quarters that there was no reason to panic, that this was no time to be quiet.
Then they were given reason to cheer.
A good start to the second quarter got Cleveland back into the game after Golden State built a double-digit lead. The Cavaliers went back to a big lineup and were beating up the Warriors on the backboards.
Even better for Cleveland: Golden State All-Star Klay Thompson had to go to the bench early in the period with a third foul.
The Cavs have cut it to six, 32-26 with 7:21 left.
—
9:43 p.m.
The Warriors look like they’ve found that extra gear in the early going against the short-handed Cavaliers.
Coach Steve Kerr told ABC’s Doris Burke after the 13-point lead in the first quarter that they played ”excellent defense” to force nine turnovers from the Cavaliers.
Kerr says he likes how his team is competing on the defensive end and moving the ball on offense. He says moving the ball is especially important against a Cavs defense that is determined to play them physical.
His Warriors are leading 31-24 with a more than 8 minutes left in the second quarter.
—
9:40 p.m.
Small-ball is winning big again so far for the Warriors.
Getting open looks all over the floor with its quickness and ball movement, Golden State has built a 28-15 lead after one quarter of Game 6.
Stephen Curry had nine points and Andre Iguodala seven. Iguodala was getting plenty of shooting space while being covered early by 7-foot-1 Timofey Mozgov.
The Cavaliers eventually sat Mozgov down in an effort to match up defensively, but Golden State shot 54.5 percent and had 11 assists on its 12 baskets.
LeBron James is wearing sharp golden sneakers but his game wasn’t off to a shiny start. He was just 2 of 6 for four points and the Cavaliers had nine first-quarter turnovers.
—
9:33 p.m.
An early charging call against LeBron James brought some loud boos. So did a couple of other whistles against the Cavaliers.
It sounded like fourth-quarter anger toward the officials coming out in the first quarter.
Scott Foster has heard them before. Foster is the lead official for Game 6, his 13th game of this postseason. The road teams have gone 11-1, according to Basketball Reference.com.
The Warriors are up 23-15 with about a minute left in the first quarter.
—
9:26 p.m.
LeBron James had a simple message for his Cavaliers before Game 6. As his teammates gathered around him, the man who carried him there tried to capture the desperation they needed to have.
James hollered at them, ”There ain’t no tomorrow! It’s just right now!”
James told the Cavs to worry about tomorrow if they get there. Trailing 3-2 in the series, they need a win to force a Game 7.
—
9:10 p.m.
Timofey Mozgov remains in the starting lineup for the Cavaliers. Let’s see how long he gets to stay on the floor now that Game 6 has tipped off.
The 7-foot-1 center spent almost all of Game 5 on the bench as Cavaliers coach David Blatt went with a small lineup to match up with the one the Warriors were using. Mozgov started but was pulled early and limited to just 9 minutes in that one.
He had scored a career-best 28 points in Game 4 while easily shooting over smaller defenders, so Blatt could leave him out there this time in hopes the Russian big man can do it again.
—
9:01 p.m.
Just passing 9 p.m., a late time to start a game.
Steve Kerr knows it.
His pregame press conference included a plea to NBA officials to begin the games earlier and cut down on all the waiting time the teams have to endure.
Kerr had joked last week in Cleveland that it felt like the games were starting at 11 p.m. It was so much easier Sunday for him in Game 5 in Oakland, California, where the 5 p.m. local start meant he was at work in the arena by early afternoon.
He knows that can’t always happen, but he would love something better than he faced before Game 6.
Kerr says, ”I used to work in TV, so I understand. But just like, 8 o’clock would be OK. 8:15 even.”
—
8:35 p.m.
Kevin Love is already working toward next season.
As the Cavaliers are attempting to prolong their postseason run without him, the former All-Star forward ducked into the weight room inside Quicken Loans Arena for a workout. Love recently underwent surgery on his left shoulder, which was yanked from the socket in the first round by Boston’s Kelly Olynyk.
Love has said he intends to exercise his player option and remain with the Cavs, who traded No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett for him last summer.
—
8:20 p.m.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry received a loud ovation from several dozen Golden State fans when he took the floor 90 minutes before Game 6.
Curry and his teammates appeared relaxed as they prepared to try and close out the Cavaliers and win their first NBA title since 1975.
While Curry shot, one fan was wearing a No. 30 Davidson jersey – the point guard’s alma mater.
Curry and the Warriors arrived at Quicken Loans Arena at 6:30 p.m., casually walking into the building as if this is just another game. It is hardly that.
—
7:43 p.m.
Only one trophy matters to LeBron James.
After posting historic statistics through the first five games of the NBA Finals, there is a growing sense that James could be named the series MVP even if the Cavaliers don’t beat Golden State for the championship. Jerry West is the only player to win MVP honors in the finals with a losing team, doing it with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1969.
James wouldn’t feel good about the personal accomplishment, saying ”I’m here to win a team prize, and that’s to win a championship, not to win an individual prize.”
He entered Game 6 averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the series – the best numbers ever posted in the game’s biggest event.
A four-time MVP during the regular season, James was named the finals MVP in 2012 and 2013 with Miami.
—
AP Sports Writer Tom Withers and AP Basketball Writer Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report
25% Bonus via Western Union
