(CNN) — Perfection has been denied. Emphatically.
Thanks to a historic performance, the Cleveland Cavaliers are still alive in the NBA Finals, avoiding the sweep and defeating the Golden State Warriors 137-116 in Game 4 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on Friday night. It forces a Game 5 in the best-of-seven series and denies the Warriors — who lead the series 3-1 — the chance to become the first team in NBA history to go undefeated throughout the playoffs.
Cleveland put up numbers normally reserved for the NBA All-Star Game. The Cavaliers scored 49 points in the first quarter alone, the most in a quarter in NBA Finals history. They led at the 86-68 at the half, the highest scoring half in an NBA Finals game. Cleveland also set the record for most three-point shots made in an NBA Finals game with 24.
LeBron James finished with a triple double, totaling 31 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. He passes Magic Johnson for the most triple doubles in NBA Finals history with nine. A triple double is notching 10 or more in three different statistical categories — typically points, rebounds and assists.
Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 40 points. Kevin Love added 23 points.
Kevin Durant led Golden State with 35 points.
No team in NBA history has come back from an 0-3 deficit to win a best-of-seven series, and Cleveland will try to become the first. The Cavaliers made history a year ago when they won the title: Before they did it in 2016, no team had ever rallied from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals.
Golden State became the first team in NBA playoff history to win its first 15 games in a single postseason. Additionally, the Warriors’ 15 consecutive playoff wins are a postseason record in the four major professional team sports, breaking the mark set by the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins (14 in a row) from 1992-1993.
Game 5 is Monday at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 pm ET.
