Top 10 moments from NBA Finals Game 4
Game 4 of the NBA Finals was either supposed to be a coronation for the Golden State Warriors, or a last stand for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Instead, the game turned into the Wild Wild West, especially in the second half — with the Cavs leading and the game already out of hand.
Cleveland won the game 137–116, but Golden State still has a 3–1 series lead.
Here are the top 10 moments from the entire game:
10. Cleveland's 49–point first quarter
Cleveland set an NBA record by scoring 49 points in the opening frame and finished the first half with 86. The previous record was 81, set by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1982 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
9. Jeff Van Gundy defends the Kardashians
ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy took time out of his busy broadcasting duties of Game 4 to trash the so-called "Kardashian Curse" and rip the concept of blaming the players’ wives and girlfriends for their on-court play.
Of course, Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson is dating Khloe Kardashian. Van Gundy comes hard with the hot take.
8. Zaza pulling a Draymond
No doubt that Warriors center Zaza Pachulia was inspired by teammate Draymond Green when he went straight for the family jewels of Iman Shumpert during a scuffle in the third quarter. Pachulia and Shumpert each received a technical foul.
7. Fan gets tossed for jawing at Matt Barnes
Matt Barnes was seen arguing with was Todd Leebow, the CEO and president of Majestic Steel who is often seen at games with LeBron James’s agent, Rich Paul and is friends with James. Leebow was escorted out of the arena by security during a period of on-court chaos as officials reviewed the Zaza Pachulia–Iman Shumpert fiasco.
6. Fans chanting "Russell Westbrook" at Kevin Durant
Think 3–1 is looming in the back of his mind?
[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-83FY_CzAg]
5. Mama Green tweets
Mary Babers-Green had strong opinions after it appeared her son, Draymond, was ejected during the third quarter. (It was confusing, but he wasn’t).
4. JR Smith hits 3-pointer from Lake Erie
Smith scored a grand total of three points in the first two games of the series and 28 combined points in the last two. This bomb from way downtown was just part of the Cavaliers' hot shooting night.
3. Draymond gets ejected....wait, no he doesn't
Green was assessed what appeared to be his second technical foul for arguing with the referees during Game 4, leading to an ejection...or so everyone thought. Many thought that Green was also given a tech in the first quarter, but no one was aware at the time that it was Warriors coach Steve Kerr who received that one. This sparked an officiating controversy and led to much confusion, to say the least.
2. KD and LeBron shouting match
The game's two biggest stars got into Game 4's biggest dust-up, jawing at each other with the Cavaliers up by 19 in the third quarter. Both players received technicals.
[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8CbpaPFANA]
1. LeBron self alley-oop
LeBron doesn't care that it's not the All-Star Game.
Game 5 will be on Monday night. Stay tuned.