LeBron James' historic Game 1 deserved a Cavs victory

Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports Published 3:21 a.m. ET June 1, 2018 | Updated 4:49 a.m. ET June 1, 2018

SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt break down a wild Game 1 of the NBA Finals and how the Cavaliers will respond after J.R. Smith's devastating gaffe. USA TODAY Sports

OAKLAND — LeBron James deserved to win Game 1.

He scored a playoff career-high 51 points, the first time he has scored 50 or more points in a playoff game.

“It was epic,” Cavs coach Ty Lue said, “and he did enough to carry this team to a victory.”

And yet, enough wasn’t enough. The Cavs lost, 124-114, in overtime to Golden State in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

It was a wild contest, one in which the Cavs were every bit as prepared and ready as Golden State.

But a controversial call with 36.2 seconds left in regulation that went against Cleveland after replay review and the resulting loss left James as frustrated and agitated as he has ever been after a Finals loss.

“I don't know how frustrated I was after a loss in the past,” James said. “I think we played as well as we've played all postseason, and we gave ourselves a chance possession after possession after possession. There were just some plays that were kind of taken away from us. Simple as that.”

More NBA

The reversed call that gave Kevin Durant two free throws instead of a charge on Durant — which was the original call — will stick hard with the Cavs who were in great position to steal Game 1 and give the NBA Finals drama that no one saw coming with Golden State heavily favored.

Know what else will be a sore point for Cleveland? J.R. Smith’s inexplicable decision to dribble away from basket instead of trying to score in the final seconds of a 107-107 game in regulation.

What could have been for Cleveland. James' performance kept the Cavs in the game from start to finish. He had 12 points in the first quarter, 24 by halftime, 36 at the end of the third and 49 after four quarters.

He is just the sixth player in NBA history to score 50 or more points in a Finals game, joining Elgin Baylor (61), Rick Barry (55), Michael Jordan (55), Jerry West (53) and Bob Pettit (50). The last time it happened? Twenty-five years ago when Jordan did it.

Just listen to Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who won three titles playing alongside Jordan.

"They have a guy who is playing basketball at a level that I'm not sure anybody's ever seen before, when you consider everything he's doing," Kerr said.

James is the first to lose while scoring at least 50 in a Final game. He also had eight rebounds and eight assists, continuing his stellar playoff performance – one of the best postseasons of his career at 33 years old.

James had it from the start and with each quarter, each possession, it became apparent the Cavs were not going away. When the Warriors looked like they would pull away like they so often do — especially in their third quarter — James delivered.

Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith explained his thinking on the strange final play of regulation in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, while other players and coaches detailed what they saw. USA TODAY Sports

He scored seven consecutive points in the third — six on three-pointers — tying the score at 68-68. He had a dunk and assists to Jeff Green and Kyle Korver for three-pointers in the fourth quarter that prevented Golden State from coasting to victory.

Cleveland trailed 100-94 late in the fourth, and James once again eliminated the deficit and gave Cleveland 106-104 lead with 32.1 seconds left in the fourth.

To add to the legendary effort, James played with blurry vision after Draymond Green accidentally poked him in the eye.

Asked if he took any consolation in Cleveland’s effort to make it a close game, James replied, “I do not. I do not,” he said.

It’s going to be tough for Cleveland to bounce back from this loss, considering how well they played, how they feel about a play they thought shouldn’t have been reviewed and how they feel they should be up 1-0.

Instead of a series lead with a great chance to push the series deeper than expected, the Cavs need to find a way to overcome their disappointment.

“We understand how difficult and how challenging this task is,” James said. “You take it all the way throughout the night thinking about it and ways you could have been better and plays that could have happened that could have gone your way and didn't go your way or things you could have done, and you wake up tomorrow with a fresh mind and you move forward.”

James was agitated with the outcome. He exchanged words with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in the game’s final seconds, and that demeanor carried over into his postgame press conference that ended with a tense exchange with ESPN reporter Mark Schwarz.

Unhappy with Schwarz’s line of question, James walked out of the news conference and told Schwarz to “Be better tomorrow.”