Cleveland, Jun 9 (EFE; odds by IDSca.com).- Superstar forward LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers finally got on the board in the NBA Finals after two discouraging away losses, routing the defending champion Golden State Warriors 120-90 in Game 3.

James scored 32 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out six assists for the Cavaliers, who controlled Wednesday night’s game at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland throughout and had the lead on the scoreboard from start to finish.

The Eastern Conference champions jumped out to a quick start and led by 17 points at the end of the first quarter, although that advantage had shrunk to eight by the intermission.

But the second half was all Cavaliers, who blitzed the visitors at the start of the third quarter and were never threatened the rest of the way.

“We finally got back to our game. It was good basketball. It was a good flow, and everyone felt like they were a part of the win. So it was just a collective team win,” James said afterward.

Star point guard Kyrie Irving was the second-leading scorer on the night with 30 points, 18 of them coming in the first half when the Cavaliers took a 51-43 lead.

But the home team also got major contributions from shooting guard J.R. Smith and center Tristan Thompson.

Smith torched the Warriors from long range, making five of the Cavaliers’ 12 3-point shots, while Thompson wreaked havoc on the glass to finish with 14 points and 13 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.

Cleveland outrebounded Golden State 52-32 overall, prompting Warriors head coach Steve Kerr to criticize his players for their lack of toughness.

“We were soft. When you’re soft, you get beat on the glass and turn the ball over,” the 2015-2016 NBA Coach of the Year said.

The Cavaliers dominated Wednesday night’s contest despite the absence of power forward Kevin Love, who sustained a concussion in Game 2, which the Warriors won 110-77, and had not been medically cleared to play.

The Cavaliers shot 53 percent from the field and 48 percent (12-of-25) from 3-point range on Wednesday night, while the Warriors shot 42 percent overall and just 27 percent from distance (9-of-33).

Golden State, which still leads the best-of-seven series two games to one, was led in scoring by two-time reigning MVP Stephen Curry, who had a quiet 19 points.

His fellow Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, finished with just 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

Game 4 will be played on Friday night, also at Quicken Loans Arena. EFE

In Costa Rica, sportsbooks are busy taking wagers on the NBA Finals, and last night’s victory by Cleveland has injected new excitement to the series.

According to IDSca.com, the leading providers of Pay-Per-Head services in Costa Rica, local bookmakers are seeing bettors shy away from streak wagers.

Going into Game 3, most bettors placed their money on Golden State, which resulted into a nice payday for Cleveland bettors.

The 2-1 series diminishes the odds of a sweep, and the Warriors are 2/1 versus the Cavs’ 3/1, but bettors like the idea of another home victory for Cleveland.