Share

No surprise: It’s Cavs-Warriors in the NBA Finals, again

Last year, Cleveland became the first team in NBA Finals history to come back after trailing the series 3-1. The story lines are plenty, including a few fresh ones, such as acting Golden State coach Mike Brown going against the team he coached not once but twice. The first “threematch” – rematch of a rematch – in league history.

Advertisement

Instead, the Cavaliers ruined the Warriors’ ideal story by creating one of their own, delivering title-starved Cleveland its first championship in more than a half-decade, brought home by a local star with his own deep history with the region.

Then, after spending much of his free time flying cross-country to be with his family, Thomas had a tooth knocked out in Game 1 of the conference semifinals against Washington. “We’d love it if we could win in four games, that would be great”, Green said with a smile. At full health, they have the feel of the best team in the National Basketball Association.

The Cavaliers proved in the opening minutes of Game 5 that the Celtics must upgrade their talent in a meaningful way.

NOTES: Cleveland’s 109 points through three quarters marked the most the Celtics have allowed in the shot-clock era.

The Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics 135-102 to clinch the best-of-seven series 4-1.

The Cavaliers completed their Eastern Conference trek in a dominant fashion; reminiscent of Games 1 and 2, also in Boston, becoming the Eastern Conference Champs for the third consecutive year. Are you team LeBron or will this Warriors squad finish out their historic run? “So I think they have similar bodies and similar way they move, so I think he could have done it”. You usually don’t appreciate something until you don’t have it anymore.

According to Cavaliers Coach Tyronn Lue, that task should get easier now that Cleveland is playing Golden State.

Already, the back-and-forth is underway. “He would have reminded me of like a Joel Embiid, how he’s able to stretch it out there and shoot the ball like he is”, Conley said, referring to Philadelphia’s rookie center.

And so, with that, Kevin Durant and Mike Brown arrive as the new major figures in Act 3. Jordan appeared in 179 postseason games; James played his 212th. That was my mindset when I started playing the game. Cleveland slogged their way to a 51-31 record in which LeBron James complained about his supporting cast and the team as a whole treated defense with indifference. He also wants to play until he’s 40 years old. So it makes it even more hard. “We have to be ready for the challenge”. James is a great defender but now he has to worry about Durant on the defensive end instead of guarding the like of Harrison Barnes.

Steve Kerr, who is still experiencing complications from back surgery two years ago, hasn’t been on the Warriors’ sideline for more than a month. There hasn’t been a Game 7 overtime since in the Final.

James was mobbed by teammates, embracing him and shouting in his ear, in awe of his accomplishment.

“I don’t think there could have been any more hype than there was”, Memphis guard Mike Conley said.

They’ll collide again, starting next week. The outcome creates a third straight finals matchup between the Cavs and Golden State Warriors.

“It’s a little different, definitely”.

Advertisement

“It made me look back to see how fast everything can be taken away from me”, he said of a postseason experience that began with the death of his younger sister, Chyna, in an April 15 auto accident.

The operating champion of NBA “Cleveland” for the third consecutive time the championship rings will argue with the “Golden State”