Halftime Quick Hitters: Curry Powers Warriors To 51-50 Lead Over Cavs In Game 5

The Golden State Warriors got off to a hot start in front of their home crowd, taking the early lead, but LeBron James was able to lead the Cavs back into it as the game was tied 22-22 after the first quarter. Cleveland continued their run early in the second quarter, but Stephen Curry and the Warriors responded with a run of their own to take the narrow lead at the break.

Biggest Surprise:

Golden State's small lineup received a lot of praise in Game 4, but the Cavaliers have had the advantage with their small lineup so far. After falling behind early, head coach David Blatt took center Timofey Mozgov out and replaced him with JR Smith in the lineup, moving LeBron to center. Cleveland took control of the game from that point on.

Cleveland Key Player:

LeBron James had another great half (20 points, eight rebounds, eight assists), but the big story was J.R. Smith, who got hot from behind the arc (14 points, 4/9 from three-point range) to provide a huge spark off the bench.

Golden State Key Player:

Stephen Curry appears to have found his rhythm as he has dropped 15 points on 6/9 shooting (3/4 from long range) in the first half. Draymond Green also played extremely well with 10 points.

Who Has The Edge?

The Warriors. LeBron James looks to be on his way to another historical game, but the fast pace and small ball play all favor Golden State.