In the first four games of the NBA Finals undrafted battler Matthew Dellavedova held his own and, maybe, won a few personal battles with the NBA's MVP Stephen Curry.
It wasn't the case in game five on Sunday night.
Curry, on a 17-point blitz in the final quarter with Dellavedova attempting to defend but largely helpless, shot the Golden State Warriors to a 104-91 victory over the Australian point guard's Cleveland Cavaliers.
The win at Golden State's Oracle Arena in Oakland gives the Warriors a 3-2 series lead.
The Warriors need just one more victory from the remaining two games to end the team's 40-year title drought.
"Obviously, he got it going tonight," Dellavedova said.
The Warriors and Cavaliers battled ferociously, knowing a loss would put them on the brink of elimination.
The teams were even at the end of the first quarter, the Warriors had a 51-50 lead at halftime and with five minutes left in the final period Golden State was up 85-84.
There were 20 lead changes and 10 ties throughout the game.
In a classic duel, four-time NBA MVP and Cavaliers' leader LeBron James went head-to-head with Curry in a scoring contest.
James, again attempting to carry the injury-ravaged Cavaliers, continued his superhuman Finals run with 40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in almost 45 minutes on the court.
Curry had 37 points, with seven three-pointers from 13 attempts, seven rebounds and four assists in 42 minutes and was treated for dehydration after the game.
It was the most points by a Warrior in the NBA Finals since Rick Barry's 38 in 1975.
Curry has been under pressure to perform, with Dellavedova given credit for rattling the All-Star and preventing him from going on one of his trademark scoring blitzes during the series.
"We are out here just trying to compete," Curry, declining to gloat about getting on top of Dellavedova, said.
"He's trying to do his job and I'm trying to do mine."
Game six is in Cleveland on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST).
If the Cavaliers' win, the championship will be decided in a game seven back at Oracle Arena on Friday.
"We hope at the end of the day, on Tuesday, we can hold the trophy," Curry said.
James rejected any thought the Warriors would win game six and celebrate a title in Cleveland.
"We don't want them celebrating at all, no matter if it's on our home floor or their home floor," James said.
"We've come this far, and we've been very good at home."
Dellavedova had a poor shooting night with five points on 2-9 shooting, including connecting with just one of five three-point shots.
The Warriors' Australian centre Andrew Bogut, who was key for the team in rugged playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets, didn't play a second as Warriors' coach Steve Kerr continued to play a small lineup.
Dellavedova has been criticised by some for being a dirty player and he didn't help the reputation in game five.
In the second quarter 193cm, 91kg Dellavedova got into a wrestling match with the Warriors' 210cm, 104kg power forward Draymond Green.
Dellavedova appeared to get Green in an arm lock as they crashed to the court, but the Australian denied it when AAP asked about it in the locker room.
"No," Dellavedova replied.
"I was just boxing him out and he fell on me."
Green and the Warriors' home crowd were furious, with Bogut stepping in to calm Green down.
"He was hounding and physical, dirty, it's a fine line, whatever you want to call it," Green said.
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