OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Cleveland Cavaliers came oh-so-close to upsetting the Golden State Warriors on their home court in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, but fell just short. Who knows what happens if Kevin Durant's charge on LeBron James isn't reversed after replay review, or if George Hill makes his second free throw to give the Cavs the lead, or if J.R. Smith does ... literally anything other than what he did.

A loss is a loss, but not all are created equal. James owned up to as much on Saturday, discussing the emotions he went through following Game 1.

"It's one of the toughest losses I've had in my career as well because of everything that kind of went on with the game and the way we played," James said. "Obviously, we all know what happened in the game. So it was a tough 24 hours not only for G-Hill and for myself but for our whole ball club, because we put ourselves in a great position to be successful.

"But like I said, you give yourself a day -- if you need to take two days, OK. But today you should feel excited about the opportunity to be better and be great and move forward."

This is a significant quote coming from James, who has been to eight straight NBA Finals and to the playoffs in 13 straight seasons. He's suffered some difficult losses over the course of his career, so for him to single Game 1 out means it must have been especially brutal.

But if there's one thing most NBA veterans learn, particularly those who have achieved as much as James, it's that you have to turn the page. We fully expect him and the Cavs to do so in Game 2 on Sunday.