Cleveland Cavaliers Win NBA Championship in Game 7 Over the Golden State Warriors
The Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA Championship and defeated the Golden State Warriors 93-89. It is the first time a team has come back from 3-1 in an NBA Finals. It is also a testament to LeBron James who just finished his sixth Finals in a row. James earned his third NBA Finals MVP Trophy. The NBA Championship ended a 52-year title drought for the city of Cleveland.
James had a triple double with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Kyrie Irving scored 26 points with 6 rebounds. For Cavaliers, J.R. Smith added 12 points and Kevin Love had 14 rebounds. For the Warriors, Draymond Green scored 32 points and had 15 rebounds. Stephen Curry scored 17 points and Klay Thompson scored 14 points.
James delivered on his promise to bring a championship to Cleveland when he returned to the team two years ago. James fell to the court in emotion after the win and was surrounded by his teammates. After going down in pain only seconds earlier after a foul by Green, James sank the second of two free throws to seal the victory and the championship.
The First Six Games Decided By Average 19.7 Points
The first six games of the series were decided by 19.7 points average which was unusual in a seven game series. Typically, blow out games are more associated with sweeps than contested series.
Warriors Win First Two Games of Series
The first two games in Oakland were won by the Warriors. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 104 to 89 in Game 1. Both Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson had average nights scoring 11 and nine points respectively, but the Warriors bench was huge. The Warriors bench scored 45 points to ten for the Cavaliers.
In Game 2, the Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 110-77. Again the Splash Brothers, Curry and K. Thompson, did not have great games, but their teammates picked up the slack. Draymond Green was huge defensively and offensively scoring 28 points, grabbing seven rebounds with five assists. The 33-point win was Warriors’ most lopsided win in a NBA Finals game.
Teams Split Games 3 and 4; Warriors Go Up 3-1
Game 3 returned to Cleveland and proved to be what the Cavaliers needed. LeBron James scored 32 points with 11 rebounds and Kyrie Irving scored 30 points. The Cavaliers won without forward Kevin Love who had suffered a concussion in Game 2.
Curry finally came alive in Game 4 and scored 38 points in a 108-97 win. K. Thompson also had his best game of the series with 25 points. The Warriors made a NBA Finals record 17 3-pointers. Draymond Green got tangled up with James and hit him in the groin area. Warriors took a 3-1 series lead and hoped to close out series at home Game 5.
Cavaliers Win in Oakland to Stay Alive in Game 5
The Cavaliers stayed alive with a 112-97 win in Oakland. Green was suspended for Game 5 due to accumulation of flagrant fouls in playoffs. James came out fighting and scored 41 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists. Irving also scored 41 points. The duo set an NBA record for only finals game with two teammates scoring 40 points each.
Cavaliers Force Game 7 With Gritty Game 6 Win
The Cavaliers forced a game 7 with a determined 115-101 win at home in Game 6. James had another 41 point performance. Irving scored 23 points. Curry fouled out as he got tired and became lazy on his defense. Curry threw his mouthguard into the crowd and was also ejected. The win for Cavaliers set up the exciting Game 7 for the series.
