Warriors beat Cavs in NBA Finals rematch, Clippers stay hot in 2017
The Golden State Warriors upstaged reigning champions the Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of the NBA Finals.
Cleveland rallied to beat Golden State 4-3 in June as the Cavaliers claimed their first NBA title.
The Warriors, however, gained some revenge thanks to Monday’s 126-91 victory.
The Los Angeles Clippers crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-98, while Isaiah Thomas inspired the Boston Celtics.
GOLDEN STATE SEND MESSAGE
The Warriors dominated at Oracle Arena, taking a 78-49 lead into the half-time break.
Reigning MVP Stephen Curry posted 20 points and 11 assists in a double-double and Draymond Green chipped in with his third triple-double of the season, scoring 11 points with 13 rebounds and 11 assists.
Kevin Durant had 21 points, while Klay Thompson led the way with 26.
LeBron James was the pick of the Cavs, recording a team-high 20 points, ahead of Kyrie Irving’s 17.
CLIPPERS MATCH FRANCHISE RECORD
With Monday’s rout of the Thunder, the Clippers tied a franchise record for their best start to a calendar year at 7-0.
JJ Redick was behind the team’s win with 20 points as DeAndre Jordan added 19 points and 15 rebounds.
All of this without Chris Paul, who hurt his thumb in the second quarter and did not return.
Russell Westbrook had 24 points for the Thunder.
CURRY, THE BUZZER BEATER
Count it. #DubNation pic.twitter.com/C6WsZEh7kD
— NBA (@NBA) January 17, 2017
Russ pokes it loose & finishes the break with a dish to Oladipo
Second half is underway on @NBAonTNT! #NBARapidReplay pic.twitter.com/YxlHcedzMa
— NBA (@NBA) January 17, 2017
THOMAS STARS IN FOURTH QUARTER
Of Thomas’ 35 points, 17 came in the final period in the 108-98 win against the Charlotte Hornets.
It was the 25th consecutive game Thomas posted 20 or more points in a match as the Celtics won for the ninth time in 11 outings.
76ERS CONTINUE GOOD FORM, DAVIS HURT
Joel Embiid scored 22 points and had 12 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers trumped the Milwaukee Bucks 113-104, while the New Orleans Pelicans were unable to recover from the loss of Anthony Davis in a 98-95 defeat to the Indiana Pacers.
The Washington Wizards beat the Portland Trail Blazers 120-101, the Atlanta Hawks edged the New York Knicks 108-107, the Utah Jazz outlasted the Phoenix Suns 106-101 and the Orlando Magic lost 125-112 to the Denver Nuggets.
SPURS, ROCKETS HEADLINE SCHEDULE
The stuttering San Antonio Spurs host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, while the Houston Rockets face the Miami Heat.
