10 Takeaways from Warriors vs. Cavaliers NBA Finals Game 4

The Golden State Warriors' quest for postseason perfection is finished. The Cleveland Cavaliers are not.

The Cavs staved off elimination with a dominant 137-116 victory in Game 4 of the 2017 NBA Finals on Friday. The Warriors, who won their first three closeout games by an average of 21.7 points, never led, as Cleveland's offense sizzled behind historic three-point shooting and another elimination-game gem from superstars LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

The series now shifts back to Oakland for Monday's Game 5, giving us ample time to digest the 10 biggest takeaways from Cleveland's win-or-stay-home victory.

Cavs Stole Warriors' First-Quarter Haymaker

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In their sprint through the Western Conference, the Warriors turned closeout games into closeout quarters. They built double-digit leads during the opening stanza of each Game 4, compiling an absurd advantage of 115-58 over the three periods.

Friday night, the Cavs unleashed the first power punch. Less than three minutes into the contest, they'd built their biggest lead of the series (14-5). Cleveland's advantage ballooned to as many as 17 points, aided in no small part by a flurry of whistles that yielded 20 free-throw attempts—the Cavs' series high for a game was 25—and left Golden State riddled in foul trouble.

Cleveland erupted for 49 points, a Finals record for any quarter. Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and LeBron James combined for 33 points, while Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry managed 15. The Warriors left the period with a 49-33 deficit and two fouls each on Curry, Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green. Considering Cleveland was only a plus-five the rest of the way, that may have been the game.

Jeff Van Gundy's Khloe Defense Was Awesome

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The Kardashian family lives in front of the cameras, so it was little surprise their entrance to Game 4 sparked a small viral blaze on social media. What wasn't as easy to foresee, though, was an impassioned defense of Khloe Kardashian—relevant, in this series, as Tristan Thompson's girlfriend—by NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy.

"The debate about whether his significant other, Khloe Kardashian, and the Kardashian curse is the reason [Thompson has struggled], to me, is downright low rent," Van Gundy said on the ABC broadcast. "... This Kardashian shaming is because she's an easy target. And I don't know her or her family, but I do know this—she deserves an apology from anybody who participated in that type of debate."

Random as the rant seemed, Van Gundy's take was spot-on. Attaching an athlete's performance struggles to his significant other is senseless and sexist. Props to Van Gundy for bringing it to light.

Not the History Some Expected, but History Nonetheless

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A perfect postseason for Golden State felt close enough to taste the champagne. After avoiding the topic upon every inquiry, Wednesday's move to within one win of perfection finally allowed the Warriors to vocalize their desire for more hoops history.

Well, history happened inside Quicken Loans Arena in Game 4, but it wasn't what the Warriors had in mind. The Cavs followed up their record-setting first frame with a historic 86-point half. The record books would add entries for Cleveland's 24 triples and the two teams' combined 154 points at intermission.

It says a lot about the Warriors that a record-setting performance was required to defeat them, and even then, they remained within striking distance in the final frame. It says even more about the Cavs that they could summon such an effort with their backs against the wall. Of the previous 12 Finalists to face a 3-0 hole, eight were swept.

LeBron James Finally Entered the Dunk Contest

Congratulations, hoop heads! It might have taken 14 seasons, 216 playoff games and eight NBA Finals appearances, but it finally happened—LeBron James soared into the Slam Dunk Contest.

The 32-year-old, who's rebuffed questions of fatigue while shouldering the Finals' heaviest minutes load, silenced those concerns with the type of aerial acrobatics typically reserved for All-Star Weekend. After a calm jog across half court, he jumped without a clear direction, saw an opening few would dare try to exploit, scooped the ball off the glass, relaunched, caught the ball with both hands and threw down a monster flush.

It was bold to say the least, beautiful in every aspect and, ultimately, worth the wait. James already owned the series' best stuff, but this upped the ante and, in a small way, satisfied the appetite of everyone who'd hoped to see his contest-caliber theatrics.

Rough Night for the Refs

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The let-them-play approach by the officials through three games went out the window Friday. The first quarter alone saw 33 trips to the foul line—only 16 fewer than the series' previous high for an entire game. The night's final tally was 67, a number that seems impossibly high given these teams combined to attempt 84 triples. But that was one of only many gripes.

There was Draymond Green's ejection that wasn't—as his second technical foul in the scorebook was ruled to be his first, despite ABC sideline reporter Doris Burke's report that scorers were told the first call was, in fact, on Green. There was Zaza Pachulia's apparent punch below the belt to Iman Shumpert, which resulted only in a double technical. There was Dahntay Jones' technical foul two quarters before his first on-court appearance.

A fan ejection added to the contest's oddities. But the heavy-handed—and strangely distributed—attempt to control the contest seemed to have the opposite effect. Officials should always aim not to be included in game recaps. Most nights, that's the case. This was an exception...on the sport's biggest stage.

LeBron, Kyrie Shined in an Elimination Game, Again

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It's easy to frame last year's Finals as a Warriors collapse, aided by injuries and an ill-timed suspension. But the Cavs still had to win three straight, and they did so on the strength of James and Irving. The All-Star teammates combined to average 66.3 points and 13.0 helpers to fend off elimination and snap Cleveland's title drought.

The pair actually picked up their production Friday night, combining for 71 points on 53.1 percent shooting (50 percent from distance) and 15 assists (against five turnovers). Irving hit the hardwood as a raging fireball, entering halftime with 28 points on 11-of-14 shooting. James was once again all-around brilliant, notching his record-setting ninth Finals triple-double with 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

"It's do-or-die. We understand that," Irving told Burke after the game. "Us, leading the charge on both ends of the floor. You got to demand a lot out of yourselves."

Draymond Green Having Series to Forget

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Lost amid the Dubs' early-series dominance was the fact their heart—Draymond Green—was having trouble beating. He hadn't been their All-Star stat sheet-stuffer, averaging just 9.7 points on 34.5 percent shooting and nearly canceling out his 5.0 assists with 3.0 turnovers.

Foul trouble had been a constant predicament for the small-ball big, and that didn't change in Game 4. His four personals pushed his series total to 18, and he picked up his second technical foul in as many contests. Cleveland focused its defense on Golden State's scoring stars, forcing Green to shoot or create. He failed on both accounts, hitting just 6-of-16 from the field and having as many turnovers as assists (three).

The Warriors usually have enough offensive firepower to ease the scoring burden on Green. But when the Splash Brothers are this dry—27 points on 24 shots—they need Green to supply some precipitation. They remain in the driver's seat, but Green must bring a cooler head and better box score to help close this out.

Cleveland's Others Key for Any Comeback Hopes

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Prepare to see another flood of 3-1 memes now that the Cavs are back in last year's position. But remember, history still hates their chances—126 other NBA teams fell in a 3-0 hole, and none recovered.

Still, if there's another odds-defying comeback in the works, this is where and how it had to start. Kevin Love sizzled with 23 points and six triples. JR Smith buried five threes for the second straight game. Tristan Thompson finally found his rebounding edge (10 in this outing, 11 in the first three). Cleveland surrendered only nine fast-break points after yielding an average of 27.3 in Games 1 through 3.

"We understand the task is large, we understand the task has not been done before. But that statement has also been made before," Richard Jefferson said before Game 4, per Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon. "We're a confident group. ... We're going to come out as a confident group, play hard and give ourselves a chance."

Leash Could Shrink on Golden State's Bigs

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The Warriors know their strongest hand involves zero traditional bigs. But they try to limit the wear and tear on their undersized frontcourt, and they can when their actual centers use physicality, strength and smarts to mitigate Tristan Thompson's effectiveness on the glass.

But with Thompson finding his way in Game 4, Golden State may need to shrink earlier and more often going forward. Pachulia, David West and JaVale McGee combined for only seven rebounds in 32 minutes, or half as many as Green tracked down in 39. The Warriors were outscored by 16 during the trio's minutes, but they outscored the Cavs by nine in the 21 Iguodala played.

Come Game 5, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr might have to throw caution to the wind with his Death Lineup. The Hamptons Five have only played 17 minutes together this series, but they've won them by 23 points. Small bursts might not be enough to send the Cavaliers fishing.

Dubs' Silver Lining: Bay Area Could Witness First Finals-Clincher

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Since relocating from Philadelphia to the Bay Area in 1962, the Warriors have won two NBA titles. Neither of them were closed out at home. The 1974-75 champs secured their crown in Washington, while the 2014-15 team celebrated its in Cleveland.

For as raucous as Golden State's fanbase has been through good times and bad, it's incredible to think how it might react to witnessing a championship win. And the scrutiny this organization has faced since landing Durant last summer would only enhance the celebration.

Now, this isn't at all to suggest the Warriors preferred this outcome. They wanted to set another unprecedented mark, plus they understand the danger of giving James and Co. a pulse. But if the Oracle faithful can spark an extra gear in the Warriors, that might be enough to dethrone the King on their home floor.

Statistics used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @ZachBuckleyNBA.