The Golden State Warriors came back with a vengeance in Cleveland on Friday night, and they're one win away from their second straight NBA championship.
Here are three big takeaways from the Warriors' 108-97 win over the Cavaliers in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on ABC15.
1. Welcome back, Steph
After averaging just 16 points in the first three games of the NBA Finals, NBA MVP Stephen Curry awoke from his slumber. He scored 38 points and knocked down seven 3-pointers -- one shy of an NBA Finals record -- as part of the Warriors' 17 triples as a team, which is a new NBA Finals record.
#SPLASH Dubs set an #NBAFinals single-game record with 17 made 3s. Watch 'em all here. #StrengthInNumbers #DubNationhttps://t.co/sSWHInYAEJ
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) June 11, 2016
Curry, along with fellow "Splash Brother" Klay Thompson (25 points), got the wakeup call after a miserable Game 3. Thanks to their efforts, Golden State will head back to Oakland with a chance to lift another O'Brien trophy on Monday.
2. Iguodala blankets LeBron.
Warriors forward and UA alum Andre Iguodala won last year's NBA Finals MVP, and he was once again a defensive force Friday. While LeBron James put up some decent numbers Friday, here's a halftime stat that tells you all you need to know about the impact Iguodala had.
Cavaliers shot 25% (4-of-16) when a play ended with Andre Iguodala guarding LeBron James
They've shot 59% on other plays
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 11, 2016
The Warriors pulled away in the fourth quarter largely due to Golden State's improved defense, as the Cavs scored just seven points in first eight minutes of the quarter.
3. As J.R. Smith goes...
There's a direct correlation to the success of J.R. Smith and the success of the Cavs. The sharpshooting guard was MIA in Games 1 and 2, which Cleveland lost. He rebounded to the tune of 20 points (including five 3-pointers) in Game 3, a Cleveland win.
In Game 4, Smith disappeared once again. He hit 3 of 10 shots (all in the first half), including 2 of 8 from beyond the arc, for just 10 points on Friday. Smith's inability to step up helped allow Golden State to set the stage for a massive party in the Bay Area on Monday night.