LeBron James was unstoppable for 4 quarters.
But all the Golden State Warriors needed was just 3 minutes to pound James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to submission and grab the first win of these NBA Finals.
Steph Curry scored 29 points, and the Warriors used a 9-0 run to start overtime to beat the Cavaliers 124-114 in Game 1 of their title series on Thursday (Friday, Manila time).
James scored 51 points for Cleveland, but was limited to just 2 free throws and without a basket in the extension.
Game 2 is on Sunday (Monday, Manila time) at Oracle Arena in Oakland.
As usual, James carried a brunt of the offensive load for the Cavaliers, who looked ready to reward him with a win in another epic performance by the MVP.
Down 107-106 with 4.7 seconds left, however, George Hill could make only 1 of 2 free throws and JR Smith tried to milk the clock when he grabbed the offensive rebound thinking Cleveland had the lead.
James added 8 rebounds and 8 assists on a night he became the first 50-point scorer to lose an NBA Finals game, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
It was the first 50-point game in the NBA Finals since Michael Jordan hit the mark in 1993, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
The "robbed" part Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue was referring to was a call the referees overturned with 36.4 seconds left in regulation.
Durant drove to the basket and was called for a charge as James got in his way, but the officials upon review reversed the call and ruled it a blocking foul.
The ensuing free throws by Durant tied the game at 104-all.
source: news.abs-cbn.com
