By: Eric He

The Golden State Warriors fought their way past the Cleveland Cavaliers in a marquee Christmas Day matchup, defeating the Cavaliers 89-83 on Friday afternoon.

The Cavaliers closed on a 10-point Warriors advantage in the fourth, but Stephen Curry sliced to the rim for a couple of layups to keep the Warriors ahead. His layup put the Warriors in front 85-80 with a minute to play.

Golden State knocked down its free throws, finishing off one of the signature wins of the season thus far and advance its record to 28-1.

Draymond Green was the best player on the court with 22 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists. Curry added 19 points, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds.

With a five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, the Warriors maintained the slim advantage, playing Cleveland’s halfcourt style of offense but still outscoring the Cavaliers. A dunk by Shaun Livingston in transition put the Warriors ahead 77-69 midway through the fourth. Livingston was key off the bench with 16 big points.

Out of a timeout, Green’s layup gave the Warriors a 10-point lead, their first double-digit advantage of the night.

However, the Cavaliers answered with a 6-0 run, fueled by James to claw within four at 81-77. J.R. Smith knocked down a three to make it a one-possession game at 83-80.

The Warriors started off the second half well. Thompson connected on some jump shots and a dunk by Green put the Warriors up 54-46 and forced a timeout. Curry’s three-point play on a layup inside gave the Warriors a 57-49 advantage.

But the Cavaliers answered, and a three by Smith cut the lead to three. With both teams playing tight, the Warriors took a 64-59 lead into the fourth quarter.

After a slow offensive start, the Warriors went on a 19-5 run to end the first quarter and take a 28-19 lead into the second. Green had a big first quarter with 10 points, six rebounds and three assists. Livingston made a couple of jumpers to extend the Warriors’ advantage at the end of the quarter.

Curry retreated to the locker room early in the second quarter with an apparent leg injury, but returned a few minutes later after he was cleared to play. Meanwhile, the bench unit allowed the Cavaliers to go on a 9-0 run and tie the game at 31-31.

In a low-scoring first half, the Warriors scored eight of the final 10 points to enter halftime with a 45-42 lead. Despite the injury, Curry still had 10 points, although the Warriors’ 45 points was tied for their lowest in a first half this season.