Cleveland Cavaliers Defeat Golden State Warriors in Classic NBA Christmas Game

Christmas Day 2016 was the first meeting between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers since their epic 7-game NBA Finals back in June.

The rematch certainly lived up to the hype.

The Warriors — with the league’s best record of 27-4 heading into the day — had the lead over the Cavaliers for 41 minutes and 11 seconds for the entire game, including once leading by 14 points in the fourth quarter.

But with 1:44 remaining in the game, a key dunk by LeBron James gave the Cavaliers a 105-103 lead.

The Warriors would later capture a 108-107 lead with 10 seconds remaining until Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving successfully sunk in a game-winning shot as he fell to the ground and providing Cleveland a 109-108 victory.

The Cleveland Cavaliers led for a combined mere 42 seconds throughout the game.

It was also the first game of the Warriors-Cavaliers rivalry featuring former Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star and new Warriors player Kevin Durant.

The annual tradition of marquee pro basketball matchups on Christmas Day usually provide the largest audiences for NBA regular season games. Warriors-Cavaliers on ABC is projected to be no exception.