“My decision has never been on anyone either playing on the team or being invited or not playing”, James said Tuesday afternoon. Draymond Green went so far as to say that Curry had been the victim of “slander” in recent days. “I’m all cool with competition”. If the Warriors are going to win anyway, no one has to be concerned about getting suspended and we get to see who would win the fight of the century.
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James and Green got tangled up with just under three minutes remaining, and as the Warriors forward fell to the floor James stepped over him.
Stephen Curry got back to dropping deep shots, chomping on that mouthpiece and even barking at LeBron James.
James has gotten to the foul line just 17 times in the four games, and he is in danger of averaging the fewest free throws per game in any series of his career. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving played the entire second half. If there is a Game 6, it will be back at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. In the first half of that game, the three-time All-Star was struck in the back of the head by Golden State’s Harrison Barnes while going for a rebound.
Recently, the league has also moved up a foul to a flagrant 2, and if for some reason, the reviewing committee finds it applicable to the offense, the 2016 NBA All-Star would be penalized for a two-game suspension.
“The cumulative points system is created to deter flagrant fouls in our game”, NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki VanDeWeghe said in a statement.
The Warriors can finish the series in Game 5 on Monday (9 p.m ET, ABC).
Trailing in the best-of-seven series, 3-1, the Cavaliers must win out, including twice at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, where the Warriors have quite the home-court advantage.
Thompson made four 3-pointers and Curry knocked down three as the pair combined for 19 of Golden State’s 29 points in the period. But they rallied from 3-1 down to beat Oklahoma City in the Western Conference final so that lesson is fresh in their minds.
Curry is the highest-profile absence for the two-time defending gold medallists, who will already be without NBA All-Stars Chris Paul and Anthony Davis.
The Warriors, who won a record 73 regular-season games, must avoid thinking the series is done when they need one more win.
In 2012 also with Miami, James and the Heat were in front, 3-1. “We were up 2-0, and in one of the games they both played under 30 minutes and there wasn’t much required from either one of them”.
Cleveland’s LeBron James said, “Every time we made a mistake defensively, [Curry] made us pay for it”.
“Then again, James alluded that Green was talking about James” family.
The Cavs coach said that was the message he gave his team after Friday’s loss to the Warriors. I thought we competed.
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The Cavs collapsed in the second half Friday as Curry and Klay Thompson (25 points) returned to Splash Brothers form and the Warriors’ depth exhausted the Cavs. As the two began exchanging words, Green said something and walked away and James had to be restrained from going after him.
