NBA Finals Game 1: Player ratings for Warriors and Cavs

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LeBron James’ 51 finals-high points still weren’t enough to get Cleveland over the line in a game that didn’t get the finish it deserved.

The Warriors survived a late scare in a 124-114 overtime thriller in Game 1 of the NBA Finals as Cleveland missed out on two chances to close out the game.

See all the player ratings below.

10 - LEBRON JAMES

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The King was unstoppable, cracking the half century for a remarkable 51 points as he dominated down the stretch to almost guide his side to victory. Many are labelling it one of the best – if not the best – performances of his career.

9 - STEPHEN CURRY

Brilliant alley-oop passes. One-handed jumpers off the glass. Half-time buzzer beaters. Game-deciding threes. Curry was the complete package and proved to be the engine powering Golden State’s rollercoaster win. He had more points and assists than the Cavaliers’ bench combined.

9 - DRAYMOND GREEN

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An all-around inspiring performance from Green shined the polish on Golden State’s win. Only one assist shy of a triple-double, the Warriors enforcer finished with 11 boards and 13 points after he fixed up his three-point game in crucial moments.

8 - KEVIN LOVE

The Cavaliers’ second go-to option for a reason, Love showed no signs of concussion as he tossed up an array of shots and continually made the right play to notch up 21 points while making an impact on the glass with 13 boards.

8 - KLAY THOMPSON

Hobbling on one leg, Thompson bounced back with a hot hand to rack up a respectable 24 points that included two game-changing threes in overtime. Despite the injury caused by a collision with JR Smith, the sharpshooter still managed to play 45 minutes. 

7 - KEVIN DURANT

Almost every player would be happy taking home 26 points, but you can bet Durant will be looking to improve upon his 36.4 percent shooting (8-for-22).

7 - WARRIORS' BENCH

Shooting at a handy 66.6 percent, the Warriors bench did all that could be asked of it. Jordan Bell was a presence on defence, while Shaun Livingston was a strong back up as Klay Thompson was sidelined to close out the game.

6 – CLEVELAND'S COLLECTIVE BENCH

Its 37 percent shooting did not come close to their competition, as Jordan Clarkson had a nightmare on 2-of-9 shooting. In just 19 minutes, Larry Nance picked up his bench’s rating with nine points and 11 boards, while Jeff Green had some brief moments of brilliance.

6 - KEVIN LOONEY

Only playing 25 minutes compared to his higher profile starters, Looney made the most of his opportunities with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting.

5 - GEORGE HILL

It took a while for him to find his feet, but he sunk a 3-pointer and grabbed a steal in the second quarter. Hill’s biggest talking point will be the missed free throw in the waning moments of regulation that could haunt him.

4 - TRISTAN THOMPSON

Starting the game with big energy in defence and on the boards, Thompson’s game mellowed out with just five rebounds to his name. A late ejection for a flagrant foul on Shaun Livingston put a stain on his opening game.

3 - JR SMITH

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Off to a hot start with 2-of-3 shooting and impressive passes, things went bad for the Cleveland guard, who ended with 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting. Smith's final play in regulation proved to be costly and could shape the outcome of this series.

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