ANKARA
The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 114-111 in overtime to go up 3-0 in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night.
Lebron James, Cavs' superstar, once again in top form as he recorded a huge triple-double with 37 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists, despite being unable to make his first 10 shots.
James, who was scoreless in the first quarter, found his first points from the free-throw-line with 8 minutes to go in the second quarter.
The Hawks, who were up by three (104-101) with a minute to go in the fourth quarter, could not hold on to their lead and the game headed to overtime.
James scored five points in the overtime period, including a three-pointer to give the Cavs a 112-111 lead with 36 seconds to go, and gave his team a comfortable 3-0 lead in the series.
After the game, Cleveland's coach David Blatt praised Lebron, saying: "He just wouldn't let us lose."
The Hawks found themselves in an insurmountable position, as no NBA team has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit in the playoff's history.
Point-guard Jeff Teague scored 30 points and power-forward Paul Millsap scored 22 for the Hawks, but it was not enough for them to win the game.
The NBA will continue with the Western Conference Finals series, as the Golden State Warriors will look the finish the series against the Houston Rockets in the Rockets' home court.
The game will start on Monday night at 9 p.m. (0100 GMT). The Warriors are up 3-0 in the series.
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