LEBRON JAMES had 41 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, Kyrie Irving scored 41 points and Cleveland capitalized on the absence of suspended star Draymond Green, staving off NBA Finals elimination with a 112-97 victory over Golden State in Game 5 on Monday night.

    James and Irving became the first teammates to score 40 points in an NBA Finals game as the Cavaliers pulled within 3-2 and sent their best-of-seven series back to Ohio.

    Afterward, sitting side by side on the podium, they offered back-and-forth shoutouts, with James noting of Irving, “It’s probably one of the greatest performances I’ve ever seen live.”

    James has much more to say about these playoffs before he’s done — and not with his mouth, even as the criticism came from all directions following his Game 4 tussle with Green and reaction to what he considered the Golden State forward’s inappropriate words. James was booed again as the Cavs left the court for their locker room, but thousands of fans had already made for the exits minutes earlier.

    Cleveland handed Golden State just its fourth defeat all season at sold-out Oracle Arena, denying MVP Stephen Curry and the Warriors a chance to celebrate another championship with their golden-clad “Strength In Numbers” supporters. Now, Curry and Co. must try to win on the road, just the way the Warriors did last year and also in their only other championship season out West in 1975.

    The Warriors will get Green back Thursday as they try again for that repeat title.

    Banned from the arena, Green watched from a baseball suite in the Oakland Coliseum next door, joined by Golden State general manager Bob Myers.

    (SD-Agencies)