CLEVELAND (AP) — The latest from Game 4 of the NBA Finals:
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9:44 p.m.
Warriors coach Steve Ker’s decision to switch his starting lineup with Andre Iguodala replacing Andrew Bogut is paying off.
“It was faster. We got the pace going and we got the floor spread,” Kerr told ABC’s Doris Burke. “But we gotta rebound. We know we’re at a disadvantage size-wise. We have to scrap.”
Surprisingly, the Warriors still held a 15-13 advantage on the glass more than two minutes into the second quarter.
“I like the level of aggression from everybody,” Kerry said. “We need to move the ball and we need to attack and get the pace going and keep it that way.”
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9:38 p.m.
That’s two straight 30-plus point quarters for the Warriors after they were struggling to crack 20.
Golden State leads 31-24 after closing the period with a 14-4 spurt. Andre Iguolada, a late addition to the starting lineup, provided nine points.
The Warriors had been shut down for most of two games before scoring 36 in the fourth quarter of their Game 3 loss. After leading the NBA in scoring with 110 points per game in the regular season, they are averaging just 97.3 in this series.
LeBron James has five points and like a lot of Cleveland’s fans, was visibly upset by a couple calls that went against the Cavs.
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9:27 p.m.
The Golden State Warriors have succeeded in speeding up the game.
By going to a smaller lineup with Andre Iguodala starting and center Andrew Bogut sitting, the Warriors have more ball handling and shooting on the floor.
It left them vulnerable inside, which Cleveland exploited in racing to a 7-0 lead, but the Warriors had regrouped later in the quarter to grab their first lead since Game 2. They never led in Cleveland’s 96-91 victory in Game 3.
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9:20 p.m.
LeBron James had a simple message for his teammates before their biggest game yet.
Stay desperate,” ABC’s cameras showed James telling his team in the huddle before taking the court. “Every game for us is a Game 7. We have zero room for error.”
Most of the rest of these Cavaliers have never been on a stage this big. So before he finished his message, he made sure to drive his point home.
“We have zero room for error,” he said, pounding his fist into his hand.
Then the Cavs jumped out to an early lead, prompting Steve Kerr to tell his team to just “weather the storm.”
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9:15 p.m.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals has started, with the Warriors trying to avoid a 3-1 hole that no team has overcome in this round.
Coach Steve Kerr said earlier Thursday that it wasn’t a do-or-die game until you have three losses. But since teams with a 3-1 lead are 32-0 in the NBA Finals, this felt pretty close to one.
The roar for Matthew Dellavedova during starting lineups was as loud as LeBron James’, Cleveland clearly haven fallen in love with the Australian.
Tristan Thompson got the first basket on an offensive rebound, the kind of play that has been hurting the Warriors in this series.
The Cavs opened with the first seven points of the game, forcing a quick Warriors’ timeout.
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9:03 p.m.
Walk around Quicken Loans Arena — or just about anywhere in Cleveland — and it won’t be long before you find someone in a LeBron James jersey.
Matthew Dellavedova’s No. 8 is much harder to find. But fans are apparently looking for it in a big way.
Dellavedova had the top-selling NBA player jersey Thursday on NBAStore.com and Wednesday with online sports retailer Fanatics, according to the league.
The former backup’s popularity has soared and with fellow Australian Andrew Bogut playing for Golden State, made the finals must-see TV Down Under.
Game 2 was the most-viewed NBA Finals game ever in Australia on ESPN Australia and was the No. 1 non-Super Bowl broadcast on record for ESPN Australia.
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8:57 p.m.
Steve Kerr changed his mind — and his starting lineup.
Shortly after saying the Golden State Warriors would stick with their same starting five, the Warriors decided to insert Andre Iguodala as a forward, move Draymond Green to center and put Andrew Bogut on the bench.
Bogut has struggled, but Kerr had said before the game they planned to start the same way, and even that reserve forward David Lee could play alongside Bogut.
Iguodala has been their best defensive option against LeBron James.
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8:50 p.m.
Same starting lineup for the Warriors, but watch for changes in rotation and tactics.
Coach Steve Kerr was tightlipped about his plans, but struggling Andrew Bogut is still the starting center but David Lee will get additional playing time after his strong finish to Game 4.
Asked what tactics the Warriors could try to hold LeBron James under 40 points, Kerr said they could potentially double or even triple-team him. He was then asked if he intended to do that.
“Hang on, let me look at my game plan,” he said, pretending to reach into his pocket and open a piece of paper. “Maybe.”
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8:34 p.m.
WWE in the house!
With the Warriors on the ropes, WWE stars The Miz and Dolph Ziggler were hanging out courtside before Game 4, taking pictures with fans before posing for more at halfcourt and filming promo spots in the hallways for wrestling federation’s live TV show, Raw.
Both are from the Cleveland area.
The Miz, who was wearing a No. 40 wine Cleveland jersey that read “Must-See” on the back, was born in nearby suburb Parma and attended Normandy High School; Ziggler attended St. Edward High School in Lakewood and wrestled collegiately at Kent State University.
Wrestling veteran Ric Flair was roaming the hallways as well, taking pictures with Kevin Love.
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8:15 p.m.
Respect.
LeBron James has it, and he knows Jim Brown has earned it.
Brown led the Browns to the 1964 NFL title — the last championship for one of the city’s three major sports franchises — and he was in the stands for Game 3.
James noticed the Hall of Fame running back sitting a few feet away in the front row.
The King put his hands together and bowed toward Brown, NFL royalty.
“It was definitely impromptu,” James said of the salute at Thursday’s morning shootaround. “I was ready to get the game going and locked in and sharp, and I looked over to the sideline and saw him sitting there and gave him the respect and the salute that he deserves.”
From his seat, the 79-year-old Brown made a similar gesture at James, who wanted to acknowledge arguably the greatest player in NFL history.
“What he means to this city, what he means to this community and what he means to sports and to myself is unprecedented so it was great to see him there,” James said.
Brown is not expected to be at Game 4.
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8:03 p.m.
J.R. Smith made quite the entrance into Quicken Loans Arena.
Just as Warriors coach Steve Kerr was finishing an interview outside Golden State’s locker room, Smith zoomed by riding a Hovertrax, a hands-free motorized vehicle.
“Hey, what’s up?” Smith said as he rolled by on the carpet.
Smith nearly became the Cavs’ most recent injury when he briefly lost his balance and lunged forward, catching himself before he fell.
He got right back on, though, and continued his journey to Cleveland’s locker room.
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7:55 p.m.
One of the most recognizable faces on the court tonight to many NBA fans won’t be wearing a Warriors or Cavaliers uniform.
It will Joey Crawford, officiating his 50th NBA Finals game — most among active referees.
The officiating has drawn plenty of attention in the finals, though the league has ruled most of the disputed calls correctly. That includes a play late in Game 3 where LeBron James forced Stephen Curry into a turnover on a play that looked like a slide tackle in soccer.
The NBA ruled it a correct no-call, saying “the contact made after the strip is incidental to the players’ attempt to retrieve the ball.”
Steve Kerr gave a sarcastic response when asked for his take at Thursday’s morning shootaround.
“It was the correct call. Slide tackling is perfectly legal,” he said. “I totally agree, I think it was absolutely the correct call. We’re going to teach it. We’re going to teach traveling, too, before next year, because traveling is also.”
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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers and AP Basketball Writer Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report.
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