OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) – The latest from Game 2 of the NBA Finals:
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7:55 p.m. PDT
The NBA Finals have gone to overtime for the second game in a row.
With a fantastic flurry, the Golden State Warriors tied the Cleveland Cavaliers at 87-all on Stephen Curry’s basket with 7.2 seconds left. The league’s MVP had been having a miserable shooting night before a late flourish helped Golden State overcome an 11-point deficit with 3:14 to play.
LeBron James then missed on a drive and the Cavaliers couldn’t knock in the offensive rebound.
Golden State won Game 1 108-100 in overtime.
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7:20 p.m. PDT
LeBron James needed to be special in this game, and he is. He’s doing a little of everything and is on the verge of another postseason triple-double.
With about 7 minutes to play in Game 2, he was up to 30 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. He has one triple-double in these playoffs and 12 in his career.
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7:13 p.m. PDT
The Warriors have 59 points after three quarters, which isn’t very Warriors-like at all. In fact, it’s a season-low – at the worst time, too.
”We’re trying. We’re trying to get the pace going a little bit,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told ABC’s Doris Burke in the televised interview entering the fourth quarter. ”Haven’t had much flow tonight at all.”
Even on a night where the offense wasn’t working in the first 36 minutes, the defense was keeping Golden State close. Cleveland’s lead is just 62-59 going into the final quarter.
”Defense has been pretty good. We’re fighting. We’re scrapping,” Kerr said.
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7:09 p.m. PDT
A defensive struggle in Game 2 is going to the fourth quarter with Cleveland leading 62-59.
Golden State’s poor shooting night was summed up best on its last attempt of the third quarter, when Marreese Speights botched a wide-open attempt on a fast break.
The teams were a combined 9 for 37 from the field in the period, with the Cavaliers outscoring the Warriors 15-14.
LeBron James has 26 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Klay Thompson has 25 points for the Warriors.
Golden State had its lowest-scoring quarter of the postseason.
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7:03 p.m. PDT
A fan won a BMW with a halfcourt shot in the third quarter, and that was some of the only good shooting that was seen.
Cleveland continued to lead late in the period as both teams struggled, particularly the Warriors.
Golden State was 5 of 23 from 3-point range, with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combining for a 4-for-17 start behind the arc. Golden State had its lowest-scoring quarter of the postseason.
The Cavaliers finally went to a third player off the bench with about 4 1/2 minutes left in the quarter, bringing in Mike Miller.
The shooting was so bad that Marreese Speights missed a wide-open dunk at the end of the quarter and the Cavs lead 62-59 heading into the final stanza.
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6:40 p.m. PDT
LeBron James got the first basket, and the second half has started.
The Cavaliers’ lead actually grew by a point during the break. A basket by Klay Thompson was changed from a 3-pointer to a 2 after a video review, taking what was a 47-46 lead on the scoreboard to 47-45.
Stephen Curry missed his first 3-pointer of the second half, falling to 1 for 8 behind the arc on what’s been a rough night for the MVP.
The Cavaliers were led 51-49 with 6:52 to play in the third quarter. Timofey Mozgov has a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
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6:27 p.m. PDT
With no Kyrie Irving, LeBron James knows he has do more for the Cavaliers to win.
And he is.
For just the second time in his NBA career, the four-time MVP finished a first half with at least 20 points, six assists and six rebounds. He also did it against Philadelphia on Nov. 21, 2009.
”LeBron James is controlling the game,” Dwyane Wade said at halftime, adding he expects more of the same from his former teammate in the second half. The Heat guard is a part-time analyst for ABC during the finals.
The only other player with a 20-6-6 first half this season was Russell Westbrook, who did it for Oklahoma City against the Knicks on Nov. 28.
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6:20 p.m. PDT
LeBron James said he thought he could handle 40, maybe 42 minutes in the NBA Finals.
He’s on pace to go nearly 48.
James played more than 23 minutes in the first half, scoring 20 points in helping Cleveland take a 47-45 lead over Golden State in Game 2.
It’s James’ season-high for first-half minutes in a game. His previous high this season was 22 minutes, 22 seconds against Boston during their postseason series on April 26.
Asked before the game about James’ comments, Cavs coach David Blatt said: ”Well, he knows and we know he’s got to be on the floor a good bit. If it’s 40 or 41 or 42 minutes, so be it. But we try to rest him when we can. Obviously, the options for doing so are a little bit less.”
Klay Thompson had 20 points for the Warriors, but Stephen Curry had just eight on 2-of-10 shooting. He was 1 for 7 from 3-point range.
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6:05 p.m. PDT
The Cavaliers are making the Warriors pay for playing small-ball.
On their first possession after Golden State removed center Andrew Bogut and left forwards Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green as their biggest players, LeBron James threw the ball inside to 7-foot-1 center Timofey Mozgov, who was fouled.
The Cavs went right back to Mozgov shortly after, and his pretty move inside extended their lead to seven points.
James is doing most everything else himself, with 19 points in the first 20 minutes.
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5:55 p.m. PDT
Klay Thompson is back on the floor and back in a groove in the second quarter.
After having to go to the bench because of fouls following his quick start, he returned to open the second and made his first three shots, including a 3-pointer. That gave him 16 points in just about 10 minutes of playing time.
He had nine points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first 5 minutes before his second foul forced him to the sidelines.
He then started 3 for 3 in the second before testing just how hot he was with a long 3-point attempt early in the shot clock. He tapped his chest afterward as if to say ”My bad,” knowing it wasn’t a good shot.
But for the most part, though, everything he is doing is just fine for the Warriors.
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5:45 p.m. PDT
LeBron James took 10 shots and scored half of Cleveland’s 20 points, which shouldn’t be surprising given the decimated state of the Cavaliers’ roster.
”We know we need a big game from him,” Cavs coach David Blatt told ABC’s Doris Burke in a televised interview after the first quarter. ”And he’s up to the task.”
Burke also asked about the contributions of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert – two needed offensive weapons for Cleveland – and Blatt said they were doing better than they were in Game 1.
”They’re trying to make plays,” Blatt said. ”I thought once we started running offense, we were in much better shape.”
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5:43 p.m. PDT
Stephen Curry’s struggles have helped the Cleveland Cavaliers rally to tie Game 2 of the NBA Finals at 20-all after one quarter.
The Warriors were rolling and led 20-12 after Curry’s behind-the-back pass led to Leandro Barbosa’s 3-pointer from the corner.
But Golden State didn’t score again and the NBA MVP’s jumper was uncharacteristically off. He missed five of his six shots, including all three 3-point attempts, and had just four points.
LeBron James had 10 for the Cavaliers, including two baskets in their closing 8-0 run. He took 10 shots in the first quarter. It’s the fourth time this season – and the first in the playoffs – that he took so many shots in an opening period.
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5:40 p.m. PDT
Leandro Barbosa picked up right where Klay Thompson left off.
Entering the game early because of Thompson’s foul trouble, Barbosa made his first two shots, including a 3-pointer from the corner after a behind-the-back pass from Stephen Curry.
The Warriors’ early lead to eight points and was greeted with a huge roar, which extended into the timeout when former Warriors star Baron Davis, who is in the crowd, was shown on the overhead screen.
But that didn’t bother LeBron James and the Cavaliers, who responded with a run of their own to tie the game at the end of the quarter at 20.
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5:25 p.m. PDT
A quick start, and then a quick exit for Klay Thompson.
The Warriors All-Star guard scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first 5 minutes, but then had to go to bench after picking up a second foul.
Thompson had a bit of a slow start in Game 1, but came on later in the game and the Warriors thought he might be poised for a big night in Game 2.
”We’re always looking for that moment where Klay kind of just gets in that crazy zone where he can just get hot really fast,” teammate Andre Iguodala said Saturday. ”I think in the playoffs we haven’t had it yet, but I feel like it’s slowly, but surely getting there.”
Thompson might be on his way, once he gets back in the game.
His second foul was against Iman Shumpert, who came out aggressively with a couple of drives to the basket. Perhaps he can help replace the offense missing with Kyrie Irving’s absence.
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5:10 p.m. PDT
Forget the Warriors and Cavaliers. The best teamwork at Game 2 of the NBA Finals might come from the Santanas.
Ten-time Grammy winner Carlos Santana and his wife, drummer, Cindy Blackman Santana, performed a rocking national anthem together before the game.
Carlos Santana gave his wife a quick kiss, then started playing his guitar while she was banging the drums.
Carlos Santana is a Bay Area native who was wearing a yellow top similar to the color of the T-shirts fans wore all around Oracle Arena.
His wife is from Ohio, but wasn’t wearing Cavs colors.
The game has started – first basket of the game went to Warriors’ Klay Thompson, who started shooting 4-for-5 from the field.
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4:55 p.m. PDT
Horse racing’s 37-year championship drought ended Saturday. Can a 40-year one in the NBA be next?
Steve Kerr sure hopes so.
He said he took some inspiration from American Pharoah’s victory in the Belmont Stakes, which made him the first Triple Crown winner since 1978.
”Well, first of all congrats to my fellow Wildcat Bob Baffert,” he said of the horse’s trainer and fellow University of Arizona product. ”Bear down.”
The Warriors haven’t won a title since 1975, when they made their last trip to the NBA Finals. Their 40 years between appearances is the longest drought in NBA history.
Kerr also watched Stan Wawrinka’s French Open victory over Novak Djokovic on Sunday morning.
”I like watching other sporting events and I do draw inspiration from them,” he said.
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4:30 p.m. PDT
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade joined the ABC pregame crew Sunday night, and fellow analyst Jalen Rose wasted no time asking the big question – ”Are you leaving Miami?”
Wade, who can opt out July 1 and become a free agent, sidestepped the question. Neither he nor the Heat have commented publicly about the status of talks about his future, but a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations say the three-time NBA champion and the only team he’s played for as a pro are nowhere near agreeing on their future together.
”We’ll worry about that in July,” Wade said. ”Right now, we’re going to focus on these finals. This is our biggest showcase.”
Wade has been to the NBA Finals five times as a player, but says he’s always makes a point to go even when the Heat aren’t involved.
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AP Basketball Writers Antonio Gonzalez and Tim Reynolds, and Sports Writer Josh Dubow contributed to this report.
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