Kyrie Irving put a big ol' lump of coal in the Warriors' stocking Sunday as the Cavaliers slipped away with a 109-108 victory after Irving scored this go-ahead bucket (sound familiar?) on a contested turnaround jumper with 3.4 seconds left.
The play comes with not a small amount of controversy. The Warriors had a 24-second violation, an obvious one, on the play before. The Cavaliers were out of timeouts. But the officials decided to review to ensure it was a shot-clock violation, giving the Cavaliers time to set their play. Granted, it's not like they drew up some beauty; Irving took the ball down, got bumped out by Klay Thompson's great defense, had to put up a contested jumper and made it. But they still had an advantage in not having to inbound against a press defense there.
Still, this is the second time in as many games that Irving has stepped up and made the biggest shot of the game, and he continues to be the guy the Cavs need in fourth quarters. Irving had 14 points in the fourth quarter -- six in the final five minutes -- after a slow start. Just another amazing moment in what has become the NBA's best rivalry.
The Cavaliers are now on a four-game winning streak over the Warriors, counting the playoffs.
