What a way to start the National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals. Game 1, which was won by defending champions Golden State Warriors (GSW) in home ground in overtime, 124-114, was without a doubt a spectacular one, not wanting in drama and controversy. The big stars came out to play as expected to complement this new-age rivalry between the GSW and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs’ King LeBron James was unstoppable with 51 points, the fifth highest scoring output by a player in league finals history. Experts say Cleveland’s only chance of taking this year’s plum was if James scored in the high forties. And yes, they came very close to taking Game 1. Steph Curry, one of the greatest scorers of this era but never won a Finals MVP in his team’s stint in the NBA Finals in the last three years, had a stellar start with 29 markers, nine assists and six boards. Klay Thompson, who had to exit the game in the first quarter after a collision with JR Smith that seemed to have hurt him, returned shortly and hit five triples to help the Warriors’ cause. Kevin Durant, last year’s Finals MVP, did not get his usual numbers. But his presence on the floor allowed Curry and Thompson more space to work their magic. This is the fourth straight Finals duel for The Bay Area and Cleveland, with the former having the 2-1 edge in the rivalry.