James was otherworldly in Games 5-7 of the NBA Finals, scoring 109 points, grabbing 35 rebounds and handing out 29 assists as the Cavs came back from 3-1 down to beat the Golden State Warriors. Consider that Curry and Thompson only had thirty-one points combined in the game. Look for a continued increase in sales and a major boost in popularity for Irving moving forward. By bringing the city Cleveland a championship-its first since the Browns won their last National Football League title 52 years ago-the King has reclaimed his status as the NBA’s top player.
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“I’m just really thankful to be a part of history like this, and (for) it to be done with the group that I have in that locker room and us making history and etching our names forever in National Basketball Association history”, Irving said. By his standards, Curry had a very underwhelming series, averaging 22.6 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting, totaling more turnovers (30) than assists (26).
With under a minute to go, and the game tied at 89, Kyrie Irving was one-on-one with Steph Curry, and he nailed a 3-point shot to give Cleveland a 92-89 lead.
“All I was thinking in the back of my mind was, ‘Mamba mentality, ‘” Irving said, a nod to Kobe Bryant. He had a triple-double in Game 7, but Irving provided the winning shot with 53 seconds left. He and LeBron were the first teammates to ever both make 40 points in a game.
In the playoffs, he averaged 25.2 points, 4.7 assists and three rebounds and shot 47.5% from the field.
Kyrie Irving turned much of the third quarter into a personal highlight reel, but he saved his best for Draymond Green. He became the fifth player in National Basketball Association history to win a third Finals MVP.
“Those guys have been kind of leading that three-point line the whole entire series, so that’s all I’m really thinking about is just getting to those guys after that shot”, Irving said.
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“It was a relatively anemic performance, as far as I’m concerned, according to Steph Curry standards”, Smith said. Thompson scored 14 points on 17 shots in Game 7, totaling less than 18 points for the fourth time in the series.
