5-year anniversary: When LeBron, Kyrie and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to beat Durant, Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in epic 2016 Christmas Day showdown
LeBron James and Kyrie Irving have something to cheer about as they look back at their battles against Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors team between 2016 and 2018.
Although the Warriors got the better of the Cleveland Cavaliers in both the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals, LeBron and Kyrie did pull off an unbelievable win against Golden State on Christmas 2016. The come-from-behind victory for the Cleveland Cavaliers in that contest leads many to consider it as possibly the best Christmas Day game of the 21st century.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors both came into the marquee showdown riding a wave of good form. The Warriors, bolstered by Kevin Durant joining the team in the 2016 offseason, were 27-4 to begin their 2016-17 campain. The Cleveland Cavaliers, led by superstar LeBron James, were 22-6 over the course of the first two months of the campaign.
Kevin Durant helps Golden State Warriors dominate LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers for most of the game
The Golden State Warriors led for most of the game behind Kevin Durant's monster double-double. Durant had 36 points and 15 rebounds as the Warriors led the Cleveland Cavaliers 94-80 with 9:30 left in the game. Golden State outscored Cleveland in each of the first three quarters and started the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 14-point lead.
Durant's terrific game came with Steph Curry enduring a poor shooting night (15 points, just 4-of-11 from the field). But with Klay Thompson (24 points, 9-of-16 from the field) and Draymond Green (16 points, 7-of-9 from the field) providing Durant with adequate support, it appeared that the Golden State Warriors would get a road victory in Cleveland.
Kyrie powers Cleveland to 29-14 run to close out game; Cavaliers win 109-108
However, the Cleveland Cavaliers managed to stage a comeback. Richard Jefferson first brought the Cavs fans to their feet when he posterized Durant with a left-handed dunk at the 9:22 mark in the fourth quarter. Jefferson would have another showstopping moment a few minutes later when he dunked over Klay Thompson with his right-hand.
But the man who brought the Cleveland Cavaliers back into the contest and gave them a one-point victory was Kyrie Irving. Kyrie scored 14 of Cleveland's last 25 points as the Cavs outscored the Warriors 25-13 over the final eight minutes to win the game.
The Cavs vs Warriors 2016 Christmas game is still one of the best games we've witnessed. It was intense from start to finish 🔥 https://t.co/Unyk7jLMfb
Kyrie also made a big fade-away jumper over Klay Thompson with 3.4 seconds left in the contest that sealed Cleveland's 109-108 win against the Golden State Warriors. Overall, the Cleveland Cavaliers outscored the Warriors 29-21 in the fourth quarter to hand the Dubs just their fifth loss of the season.
LeBron James was a consistent force for the Cleveland Cavaliers throughout the game. The then 31-year-old had 31 points and 13 rebounds while going 12-of-22 (54.5%) from the field. Kevin Love, too, complemented Kyrie and LeBron with a 20-point outing.
LeBron thinks he played in the best Christmas Day game ever when Warriors faced his Cavs.
LeBron James, Steph Curry will feature in 2021 Christmas Day games
Five years later, some of the superstar characters from that memorable Christmas Day clash have now moved onto other teams. Durant and Kyrie have joined forces in Brooklyn, although the superstar point-guard is yet to play a game for the Nets this season.
LeBron endured two Finals' losses in 2017 (1-4) and 2018 (0-4) at the hands of the Golden State Warriors. LeBron then joined the LA Lakers in the 2018 offseason and won his fourth NBA title with the franchise in 2020. Kevin Love, meanwhile, stuck around with the Cavaliers and is a part of the team even today.
Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green continue to hold the fort for the Golden State Warriors. And although Klay has yet to play an NBA game since Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors, riding on Steph Curry's red-hot form this season, are expected to have a deep run in the 2022 postseason.
Some of these stars will once again be seen in action on 2021 Christmas Day. Steph Curry and Green will lead the Golden State Warriors against the Phoenix Suns, while LeBron will lead the Lakers' challenge against the visiting Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
Durant and Kyrie have been ruled out of that clash because KD is still part of the league's health and safety protocols and Kyrie will need to ramp-up before he can join the Nets' lineup. Meanwhile, LeBron James and the LA Lakers will look to break a five-game skid against the short-handed Nets.