117 to 107, the Cavaliers swept away last season's "decline" and secured an opening victory on championship night this year.
Hansen 34 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists; Jokic 26 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists; Ross 18 points, 3 assists; Wade 13 points, 3 rebounds; Dedmon 8 points, 7 rebounds.
Curry 27 points, 7 assists; Cousins 25 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists; Thompson 18 points; Miles 11 points; Green 9 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists.
"It was a tough night, but we showed determination in the game."
Malone summed up the team's performance tonight in the post-game press conference.
The Cavaliers' three-point shooting percentage was a miserable 25%, which can only be described as abysmal.
However, they grabbed 44 rebounds tonight, including 17 offensive boards, a number better than most games over the past two seasons.
