Warriors even NBA Finals in win vs. Cavs

Published 4:00 am Friday, June 12, 2015

CLEVELAND (AP) — No panic, no playing around. Just California cool.

The Golden State Warriors simply did what they had to do, and now they’re going home in the same shape as when they left — tied in the NBA Finals.

Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala scored 22 points apiece and the Warriors, showing why they were the league’s best team all season, squared the finals at 2-2 on Thursday night with a 103-82 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Game 5 is Sunday night at Oakland’s rambunctious Oracle Arena, where the teams split two overtime games last week.

LeBron James scored 20 points with 12 rebounds and eight assists, but Cleveland’s megastar, who played with a cut on his head sustained in the first half, couldn’t do enough for the undermanned Cavaliers. Timofey Mozgov led Cleveland with 28 points and Matthew Dellavedova, again battling leg cramps after a hospital stay, had 10.

The Warriors were in a must-win situation as none of the 32 teams who have fallen behind 3-1 in the finals have come back to win an NBA title. Golden State doesn’t have to worry about that, and now it’s possible the Warriors will get to play two more games on their home court if the series goes the distance. Game 6 is Tuesday night in Cleveland.