2015-2016 NBA playoff edition: Finals - Cavs vs Warriors - Cavs win 4-3
- Thread starter Mask
- Start date
#blacklivesmatter
Banned
Bgol stop being a bitch (about Lebron) and learn to accept greatness. He's had back to back legendary Finals series in (2015 & 2016). Quit the "he's in the back of his prime and had a vintage game". With all his mileage, he's been the best player on both teams for the last two Finals series. He had his two highest scoring games of the whole season in these last b2b elimination games of the Finals. You think that's coincidence? He had 5 40 point games out of the 12 last Finals games.....He's leading both last year and this year Fianls, all players from both teams in pts,rebs,ast,stl, blk. Again, learn to appreciate greatness (and quit the condensending shit). He's a freakin legend.
What a difference a year makes for Cavs and Warriors
play
Defense has been the difference for Cavs
10:34 AM CT
CLEVELAND -- The visitors locker room at Quicken Loans Arena stayed dry on Thursday, the carpet free from any champagne stains.
Exactly one year after the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavalierson their home court to win the championship and end a four-decade title drought for their franchise, the Cavs absolutely drilled the Dubs 115-101 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to force a Game 7 on Sunday night.
The postgame meal for the Warriors at Morton's, the same restaurant that housed their championship celebration a year ago, was presumably a somber one.
And then here are the Cavs, one win away from pulling off the ultimate payback by beating the Warriors in three straight games to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy on Golden State's floor just as the Warriors did in the 2015 Finals to take the title in Cleveland.
Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers suggested that "luck" played a factor in the Warriors' ride to the championship -- especially considering the Cavs team they faced was missing Kevin Love andKyrie Irving and had Matthew Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert on their last legs -- it's now the Cavs who look injury-free compared to the dilapidated Dubs.
Golden State already had lost Andrew Bogut to a knee injury for the rest of the series in Game 5. It had Andre Iguodala needing to go to the locker room to treat his back pain in the middle of Game 6. And it has hadStephen Curry, who missed eight games in the postseason after injuring his knee against Houston in the first round, not quite looking like his back-to-back MVP self.
On the flip side, the Cavs look as strong, cohesive and dangerous as they ever have since LeBron James made the trek back to Northeast Ohio in the summer of 2014.
And of course, a big reason for that is James himself. He has turned in two masterpieces in must-win situations in Games 5 and 6: 41 points on 16-of-30 shooting, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals in Game 5 and 41 points on 16-of-27 shooting, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 blocks and 4 steals in Game 6.
A second straight 41-point game by Cavaliers cornerstone LeBron James led Cleveland to a Game 6 win against Stephen Curry and the Warriors, giving the Cavs a shot at making history.
It's like he has reached the same level of individual domination that he did last June against the Warriors, only he has added efficiency -- shooting better than 50 percent from the field in each of the past four games when he failed to do so in any of the six Finals games a year ago despite his dominance.
While last year's Warriors were pegged as the underdogs to some extent, trying to take down the establishment in James, a record-setting 73-9 regular season later and now it's the Cavs playing the underdog role, trying to rally back from a 3-1 series deficit against almighty Golden State to do something that has never been done by the 32 other teams in the Finals that found themselves in the same hole and saw their title dreams die.
Cleveland can't fully turn the tables on Golden State without a win in Game 7 on Sunday, one that would similarly end a multidecade title drought not just for the Cavaliers franchise but for the city. It would validate James' decision to leave Miami, much the same the way the Warriors' championship a year ago gave credence to the small-ball, positionless approach they adopted.
Yes, what a difference a year makes, from the Warriors sprouting from surprising champs to a historic juggernaut and now teetering on the edge of devastation to the Cavs going from a drama-filled group to a next-man-up brigade to now -- fully healthy, fully confident, fully together -- on the verge of an unprecedented achievement.
All that's left now is to see which locker room at Oracle Arena -- the home digs of the Warriors or the visitors space of the Cavs -- gets soaked in champagne once the final buzzer sounds Sunday night.
Defense has been the difference for Cavs
10:34 AM CT
Dave McMenamin
ESPN Staff Writer
CLEVELAND -- The visitors locker room at Quicken Loans Arena stayed dry on Thursday, the carpet free from any champagne stains.
Exactly one year after the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavalierson their home court to win the championship and end a four-decade title drought for their franchise, the Cavs absolutely drilled the Dubs 115-101 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to force a Game 7 on Sunday night.
The postgame meal for the Warriors at Morton's, the same restaurant that housed their championship celebration a year ago, was presumably a somber one.
And then here are the Cavs, one win away from pulling off the ultimate payback by beating the Warriors in three straight games to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy on Golden State's floor just as the Warriors did in the 2015 Finals to take the title in Cleveland.
Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers suggested that "luck" played a factor in the Warriors' ride to the championship -- especially considering the Cavs team they faced was missing Kevin Love andKyrie Irving and had Matthew Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert on their last legs -- it's now the Cavs who look injury-free compared to the dilapidated Dubs.
Golden State already had lost Andrew Bogut to a knee injury for the rest of the series in Game 5. It had Andre Iguodala needing to go to the locker room to treat his back pain in the middle of Game 6. And it has hadStephen Curry, who missed eight games in the postseason after injuring his knee against Houston in the first round, not quite looking like his back-to-back MVP self.
On the flip side, the Cavs look as strong, cohesive and dangerous as they ever have since LeBron James made the trek back to Northeast Ohio in the summer of 2014.
And of course, a big reason for that is James himself. He has turned in two masterpieces in must-win situations in Games 5 and 6: 41 points on 16-of-30 shooting, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks and 3 steals in Game 5 and 41 points on 16-of-27 shooting, 8 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 blocks and 4 steals in Game 6.
A second straight 41-point game by Cavaliers cornerstone LeBron James led Cleveland to a Game 6 win against Stephen Curry and the Warriors, giving the Cavs a shot at making history.
It's like he has reached the same level of individual domination that he did last June against the Warriors, only he has added efficiency -- shooting better than 50 percent from the field in each of the past four games when he failed to do so in any of the six Finals games a year ago despite his dominance.
While last year's Warriors were pegged as the underdogs to some extent, trying to take down the establishment in James, a record-setting 73-9 regular season later and now it's the Cavs playing the underdog role, trying to rally back from a 3-1 series deficit against almighty Golden State to do something that has never been done by the 32 other teams in the Finals that found themselves in the same hole and saw their title dreams die.
Cleveland can't fully turn the tables on Golden State without a win in Game 7 on Sunday, one that would similarly end a multidecade title drought not just for the Cavaliers franchise but for the city. It would validate James' decision to leave Miami, much the same the way the Warriors' championship a year ago gave credence to the small-ball, positionless approach they adopted.
Yes, what a difference a year makes, from the Warriors sprouting from surprising champs to a historic juggernaut and now teetering on the edge of devastation to the Cavs going from a drama-filled group to a next-man-up brigade to now -- fully healthy, fully confident, fully together -- on the verge of an unprecedented achievement.
All that's left now is to see which locker room at Oracle Arena -- the home digs of the Warriors or the visitors space of the Cavs -- gets soaked in champagne once the final buzzer sounds Sunday night.
“Everybody is up in flames because Steph got ejected. It is what it is. The game was kind of over anyway. He was out so, whatever. “It’s tough because you never know what can happen [in Game 7]. But we put ourselves in this position. We got to dig ourselves out. It’s not tough. We got a Game 7 at home. We’re damn good at home. We just have to play with the effort we need to play with. We’ll be just fine.
Iggy hurt. Who is going to stop Lebron? Cavs just need to attack the rim and put the pressure on the refs to call all that fucking swatting GS is good for.
Naw fuck that he's a cry baby lol
Or call those jumping over the back rebounds TT good for
Or flops Verajo good for... or moving screens GSW good for.... or kicks Welvin good for...
Behind LeBron’s, Tyronn Lue’s ‘marriage’: Bonded by struggle
CLEVELAND — In case you were wondering the depth of LeBron James’ feelings for Tyronn Lue, he addressed it after the new Cavaliers coach surpassed David Blatt in achievement. In a winding discourse, James compared his bond with Lue to “a marriage.’’
Lue’s Cavaliers are headed to a Game 7 of the NBA Finals, having won three times against the Warriors. Blatt got to Game 6 against the Warriors last season before the Cavaliers caved. However, Blatt coached The Finals essentially without point guard Kyrie Irving, hurt in Game 1, and Kevin Love.
James was widely accused of lobbying behind the scenes for Lue to take over for Blatt, who was fired in January. Blatt interviewed for the Knicks’ head job in May and is to coach in Turkey. He admitted this week he hasn’t had the stomach to watch his former team’s rematch versus the Warriors.
“When you’re around someone every single day, it’s like a marriage or a girlfriend,’’ James said of Lue. “You’re around her every single day, they get better and better and better if it’s genuine and that’s what it is here with myself and Ty Lue.’’
James said the bond starts off with a similarly gritty upbringing and admiration for Lue’s gritty NBA career as an undersized point guard. (James is an Akron, Ohio, native and Lue was raised in poverty in Mexico, Mo.)
“I think me and coach Lue just kind of connect that’s something bigger than basketball,’’ James said after Thursday’s Game 6, 41-point heroics. “Our upbringing being from a single-parent household, being from an inner-city community, being a statistic that you weren’t supposed to make it out and there’s no way they’re going to make it out. You’re going to be one of those African-American kids and we both made it out of tough situations growing up. So before we even met each other, you have that sense of that type of feeling. ”
Watching Lue’s sparkplug NBA role gained James’ respect.
“I watched The Finals when he was with the Lakers and seen the spark he gave that team when [then Lakers coach] Phil Jackson gave him the nod and I think everybody’s just so caught up in the shot that AI [Allen Iverson] made when he stepped over him but people don’t realize the impact he made on that team and the guy just accepted his role and he’s able to win a championship,’’ said James, who goes for his third title Sunday.
Lue got hired as the league’s highest-paid assistant coach, joining Blatt in 2014 just weeks before the Cavaliers realized James wanted to come home.
“So our relationship has grown over the years and just being a competitor going against him, then seeing him as a coach going against him when he was in Boston and the Clippers and even when I came back he was the assistant coach, it continues to grow,” James said.
After a tentative start to The Finals, James is ending it in Jordanesque fashion. He has been boosted by Lue’s decision after the Game 4 loss to put the ball more in James’ hands, making him exclusively a point forward and letting Irving play off the ball.
James praised “the coach’s game plan’’ after the Game 6 triumph at Quicken Loans Arena. Earlier in The Finals, James noted Lue gives him the plan and he relays it to his teammates.
James’ ability to knock down jumpers has opened it up for him and as importantly, he has limited his turnovers dramatically the past two games. He posted two seven-turnover outings in the first four games. In Games 5 and 6, James had a combined three miscues.
The Warriors will play the percentages and let James beat them from long range. They could also use a new strategy in sending him to the free-throw line more when he attacks.
“He’s making his 3-ball,’’ Golden State’s Klay Thompson said. “His jumper’s going in. We got to do a better job contesting at the rim. Give him credit. He’s making shots. Hopefully he’s off Sunday.”
CLEVELAND — In case you were wondering the depth of LeBron James’ feelings for Tyronn Lue, he addressed it after the new Cavaliers coach surpassed David Blatt in achievement. In a winding discourse, James compared his bond with Lue to “a marriage.’’
Lue’s Cavaliers are headed to a Game 7 of the NBA Finals, having won three times against the Warriors. Blatt got to Game 6 against the Warriors last season before the Cavaliers caved. However, Blatt coached The Finals essentially without point guard Kyrie Irving, hurt in Game 1, and Kevin Love.
James was widely accused of lobbying behind the scenes for Lue to take over for Blatt, who was fired in January. Blatt interviewed for the Knicks’ head job in May and is to coach in Turkey. He admitted this week he hasn’t had the stomach to watch his former team’s rematch versus the Warriors.
“When you’re around someone every single day, it’s like a marriage or a girlfriend,’’ James said of Lue. “You’re around her every single day, they get better and better and better if it’s genuine and that’s what it is here with myself and Ty Lue.’’
James said the bond starts off with a similarly gritty upbringing and admiration for Lue’s gritty NBA career as an undersized point guard. (James is an Akron, Ohio, native and Lue was raised in poverty in Mexico, Mo.)
“I think me and coach Lue just kind of connect that’s something bigger than basketball,’’ James said after Thursday’s Game 6, 41-point heroics. “Our upbringing being from a single-parent household, being from an inner-city community, being a statistic that you weren’t supposed to make it out and there’s no way they’re going to make it out. You’re going to be one of those African-American kids and we both made it out of tough situations growing up. So before we even met each other, you have that sense of that type of feeling. ”
Watching Lue’s sparkplug NBA role gained James’ respect.
“I watched The Finals when he was with the Lakers and seen the spark he gave that team when [then Lakers coach] Phil Jackson gave him the nod and I think everybody’s just so caught up in the shot that AI [Allen Iverson] made when he stepped over him but people don’t realize the impact he made on that team and the guy just accepted his role and he’s able to win a championship,’’ said James, who goes for his third title Sunday.
Lue got hired as the league’s highest-paid assistant coach, joining Blatt in 2014 just weeks before the Cavaliers realized James wanted to come home.
“So our relationship has grown over the years and just being a competitor going against him, then seeing him as a coach going against him when he was in Boston and the Clippers and even when I came back he was the assistant coach, it continues to grow,” James said.
After a tentative start to The Finals, James is ending it in Jordanesque fashion. He has been boosted by Lue’s decision after the Game 4 loss to put the ball more in James’ hands, making him exclusively a point forward and letting Irving play off the ball.
James praised “the coach’s game plan’’ after the Game 6 triumph at Quicken Loans Arena. Earlier in The Finals, James noted Lue gives him the plan and he relays it to his teammates.
James’ ability to knock down jumpers has opened it up for him and as importantly, he has limited his turnovers dramatically the past two games. He posted two seven-turnover outings in the first four games. In Games 5 and 6, James had a combined three miscues.
The Warriors will play the percentages and let James beat them from long range. They could also use a new strategy in sending him to the free-throw line more when he attacks.
“He’s making his 3-ball,’’ Golden State’s Klay Thompson said. “His jumper’s going in. We got to do a better job contesting at the rim. Give him credit. He’s making shots. Hopefully he’s off Sunday.”
At this point there is no debate. I will NEVER take anything from the Warriors OR Curry's regular season. A playoff series doesn't negate what was accomplished over 82 games...
That being said, there is no debate between the two teams. The Bulls >>>> GS...
That Bulls team NEVER looked this vulnerable for this many games in a row, and even in close games you always had the feeling they would pull it out. All of their finals wins except for maybe the first one, it was really a foregone conclusion they would win, because they were the most cohesive unit and had the unquestioned best player in the game...
This Warriors team, they don't seem to know how to adapt, have a plan B, etc. Kerr is a great coach, you don't win 73 games being bogus, BUT, he has not shown he is an ELITE Coach. Game 7 will tell the tale on that one.
This discussion needs to be put to bed... even if they win Game 7, this GS team doesn't have the intangibles that Bulls team had...
How physical, mental issues have plagued Warriors’ forwards
CLEVELAND — Forget about the Splash Brothers.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr also needs something out of his drying-up pair of starting forwards — back-impaired Andre Iguodala and cold-shooting Harrison Barnes — in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Iguodala, last year’s Finals MVP, who has started the past two games, suffered back tightness in Game 6, according to Kerr.
Kerr said Iguodala still wanted to play in the fourth quarter, but definitely was less than his usual all-court, defensive-savvy self. In 30 minutes, Iguodala was a team-worst minus-25 and scored just five points.
“I continued to talk to the trainers throughout the game,’’ Kerr said of the back issue. “I wanted to make sure it wasn’t anything that was going to get worse. So his back was tight, but we tried to limit his minutes as much as we could. He wanted to play, and this is probably the first time I’m happy we have two days before a game in this series. So hopefully he’ll get some treatment and be ready to roll for Game 7.’’
Meanwhile, Barnes has looked spooked since moving to power forward in the past two games. He was 2-of-22 in Games 5 and 6, including an 0-for-8 freeze Thursday. He bricked three early 3-pointers in Game 6, one of the sparks to the Cavaliers’ 31-11 first quarter.
“I’m really confident in Harrison,’’ Kerr said. “He’s going to start Sunday. He’s still one of our key guys and I’m very confident he’ll start and play well. It happened to me several times in the playoffs when I was playing. You have a couple of bad games, you think too much.’’
Especially with Iguodala at less than 100 percent, Kerr has a big decision on whether to keep the so-called “Death Lineup’’ intact. With injured center Andre Bogut out, Kerr may want to improve the Warriors’ interior defense and start center Festus Ezeli instead.
The Cavs are the third team (out of 33) to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-1. The 1951 Knicks and 1966 Lakers are the other two. The Knicks were down 3-0 in that series versus the Rochester Royals. They forced a Game 7, but succumbed in the finale, 79-75, keeping them champion-less until 1970.
LeBron JamesPhoto: AFP/Getty Images
LeBron James’ back-to-back 41-point games were the first consecutive 40-point performances in the Finals since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000.
For all his modest reviews in this series, Stephen Curry still has set a record for 3-pointers in a Finals series with 28. He topped Long Islander Danny Green, who notched 27 in 2013 versus James’ Miami Dream Team.
From the mouth of babes: Demi, young daughter of J.R. Smith, made an amusing statement to ESPN about her father.
“I’m just proud of him because he made the championship without getting kicked off the team,” she reportedly said.
The controversial ex-Knick is starting to weave a nice Finals and already is talking about next season even if earlier this week he chose to officially opt out of his contract.
Regarding the deafening noise inside Quicken Loans Arena for Game 6, the last game in Cleveland, Smith said: “It’s big for our fans, our community, the city of Cleveland and gives us so much hope and effort to come back next season and do the same thing.’’
Smith scored 10 points in Game 5 while ending Bogut’s season on a hard drive to the hole. He added 14 points in Game 6. He’s having a lot more of an impact on the series than Kevin Love, who got into foul trouble and finished with three points.
CLEVELAND — Forget about the Splash Brothers.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr also needs something out of his drying-up pair of starting forwards — back-impaired Andre Iguodala and cold-shooting Harrison Barnes — in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
Iguodala, last year’s Finals MVP, who has started the past two games, suffered back tightness in Game 6, according to Kerr.
Kerr said Iguodala still wanted to play in the fourth quarter, but definitely was less than his usual all-court, defensive-savvy self. In 30 minutes, Iguodala was a team-worst minus-25 and scored just five points.
“I continued to talk to the trainers throughout the game,’’ Kerr said of the back issue. “I wanted to make sure it wasn’t anything that was going to get worse. So his back was tight, but we tried to limit his minutes as much as we could. He wanted to play, and this is probably the first time I’m happy we have two days before a game in this series. So hopefully he’ll get some treatment and be ready to roll for Game 7.’’
Meanwhile, Barnes has looked spooked since moving to power forward in the past two games. He was 2-of-22 in Games 5 and 6, including an 0-for-8 freeze Thursday. He bricked three early 3-pointers in Game 6, one of the sparks to the Cavaliers’ 31-11 first quarter.
“I’m really confident in Harrison,’’ Kerr said. “He’s going to start Sunday. He’s still one of our key guys and I’m very confident he’ll start and play well. It happened to me several times in the playoffs when I was playing. You have a couple of bad games, you think too much.’’
Especially with Iguodala at less than 100 percent, Kerr has a big decision on whether to keep the so-called “Death Lineup’’ intact. With injured center Andre Bogut out, Kerr may want to improve the Warriors’ interior defense and start center Festus Ezeli instead.
The Cavs are the third team (out of 33) to force a Game 7 after trailing 3-1. The 1951 Knicks and 1966 Lakers are the other two. The Knicks were down 3-0 in that series versus the Rochester Royals. They forced a Game 7, but succumbed in the finale, 79-75, keeping them champion-less until 1970.
LeBron JamesPhoto: AFP/Getty Images
LeBron James’ back-to-back 41-point games were the first consecutive 40-point performances in the Finals since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000.
For all his modest reviews in this series, Stephen Curry still has set a record for 3-pointers in a Finals series with 28. He topped Long Islander Danny Green, who notched 27 in 2013 versus James’ Miami Dream Team.
From the mouth of babes: Demi, young daughter of J.R. Smith, made an amusing statement to ESPN about her father.
“I’m just proud of him because he made the championship without getting kicked off the team,” she reportedly said.
The controversial ex-Knick is starting to weave a nice Finals and already is talking about next season even if earlier this week he chose to officially opt out of his contract.
Regarding the deafening noise inside Quicken Loans Arena for Game 6, the last game in Cleveland, Smith said: “It’s big for our fans, our community, the city of Cleveland and gives us so much hope and effort to come back next season and do the same thing.’’
Smith scored 10 points in Game 5 while ending Bogut’s season on a hard drive to the hole. He added 14 points in Game 6. He’s having a lot more of an impact on the series than Kevin Love, who got into foul trouble and finished with three points.
Damn...
You know if the Cavs win Phil Jackson gonna tweet out...
You welcome
right?
You know if the Cavs win Phil Jackson gonna tweet out...
You welcome
right?
Dawg Luke Walton got the lakers job because he started the year as the head coach of the warriors. Let that soak/sink in
All that is opinion though, I still won't shit on 73 wins regardless of what the other semantics are. He also won the Chip last year with a 67 win team and he coached all year. A LOT of other coaches had great runs and didn't win 73 games, OR 67 games. He's a good coach, a championship winning coach, but is showing now that he is not an ELITE coach.
Curry, the same thing. He had an amazing season, and is putting up numbers in the finals, but they are hollow numbers. Whole different ball game. The reason why it was even a debate between who was the best between him and LeBron is because the LeBron we've seen the past two weeks comes out of hibernation every few years. If Dude could consistently play with this type of intensity, not so much the numbers but the intensity, it would never be a question. Curry is an amazing player and talent, but he can't impact the game if his shot isn't falling...
This is his Jordan/Pistons moment when he went into the summer and got his shit right for them motherfuckers and came back and dealt with them. Curry has to do that shit, and not fall in love with his press clippings, and calm his wife down a little bit and he should be fine. This series win or lose, will be his LeBron vs the Mavs moment... LeBron has for damn sure put some distance between himself and that shit this series though!
I said this before the series this shit is on Lebron. You made it back, last year y'all fought with what you'll had. Even if that was gonna be the case this year, you Lebron just had to be more efficient. Shooting 17/40 wasn't gonna cut it this year. If those thoughts and goals of being the best are real, no matter who's in front of you destroy them.
Kerr was elite against OKC, he was Elite against the Cavs in games 1 & 2 for what reason, Lebron & Kyrie let them be elite.
*reason why I put Kyrie in there, dude is a baller. Ive been saying dude can match Curry's output, which often got laughed at. Kyrie is capable always have been, he getting better playing off the ball. His defense still ain't at the point it was last year (for a stretch towards the end of the season) but his offensive output(mainly the midrange jumper) have increased.
I don't think he was Elite bro, that was more a function the Lue's inexperienced. He did show a lot in the OKC Series, but this series right here where you're facing a team we beat last year, they weren't at full strength so that puts some doubt in terms of the validity of your championship, and now your back is against the wall. The respect for everything they've accomplished is on the line. How he adjusts his game plan, and gets his team ready after all of this disappointment the last two games, is going to tell the tale of who he is as a coach.
put your $ on the cavs!!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_VI_and_I
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_VI_and_I
does/has anyone ever placed an on-line bet?
lol at cavs overmatched and making dray seem important when they beat them twice with him in the lineup
Nigga I thought u was talkin about Lebron
King James was a homo
Word is Kyrie has a foot injury...
To me looks like a classic case of what football players get which is turf toe. On that replay he jammed his big toe.
Shit is mad painful for even football players so assume it will hurt worse for a basketball player.
Similar threads
