Warriors ward off legendary James efforts to win NBA Finals opener game

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In a thrilling battle of supremacy, the Golden State Warriors emphatically saw off a legendary 51-point effort from LeBron James to script a morale-boosting 124-114 win in the Game One in the NBA Finals on Thursday in Oakland.

In an energy-sapping and occasional volatile contest, Stephen Curry spearheaded the Warriors’ challenge with 29 points, nine assists and six rebounds, while Kevin Durant notched up 26 points.

The underdog Cavaliers came out firing on all cylinders to take an 11-point lead in the first half behind nine-for-11 shooting by James and 12 points from Kevin Love, who made a comeback to the Cavs starting lineup after missing the team's previous game with a concussion.

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers goes up for a dunk against the Golden State Warriors in Game One of the 2018 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. /VCG Photo

But the hard-working Warriors valiantly clawed their way back in the second quarter before Curry tied the game at 56 apiece with a buzzer-beater three-pointer to end the half and send the yellow-shirted crowd into a frenzy.

Then the Warriors went on to take a seven-point lead in the third quarter, but turnovers and miscues and a marauding James kept the game close in the fourth.

Surprisingly, Cavaliers guard George Hill missed one of his two free throws just before the period expired and the game subsequently went down to the wire as it moved into overtime.

Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors reacts after being fouled by JR Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers. /VCG Photo

The Warriors reigned supreme in overtime, opening with a 9-0 run and cruising until an on-court brawl between Tristan Thompson and Draymond Green brought the game to an ugly end. The Warriors will now enter Game 2 on Saturday with a 1-0 series lead.