Steve Kerr has a certain charm that belies a clear toughness.
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The 3-point parade was led by none other than the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, who sunk 11 3’s, and in the process, the Cavaliers.
All of this has put the Warriors in position to clinch an National Basketball Association championship at home for the first time in franchise history and given them a shot at back-to-back crowns for the first time since the franchise’s initial two seasons in Philadelphia (1947-48).
The Golden State Warriors bounced back from an embarrassing road loss two days ago to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-97 on Friday and move one win away from a second consecutive National Basketball Association championship. The Warriors beat them in the Finals in six games a year ago and then win 73 games in this last regular season.
They’re now on the brink of back-to-back championships, and their first opportunity to close out their record-setting season in the only acceptable manner is set for Monday night on their home floor at Oracle Arena.
Curry and Thompson combined for 11 of their 17 3s.
“Stuff said on the court, you will never get from me”, Green said. They’ve come to expect it. Cleveland’s superstar, LeBron James, again showed why he doesn’t have that fourth-quarter killer instinct that guys like Bird, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson had. Cleveland answered to regain the lead but Harrison Barnes hit two 3-pointers in a 12-1 run that put the Warriors on top to stay. He was more explosive at the start in Game 3, but Kyrie just as solid in Game 4. You even had J.R. Smith stating that James and Russell Westbrook deserved MVP over him.
It also doubled as a showdown between two of the NBA’s most exciting point guards, with Kyrie Irving building on his stellar play in Game 3 to score 34 points, while Steph Curry finally put in the MVP-worthy performance the world’s been waiting for as he went off for a game-high 38 points on 7-of-13 shooting from behind the arc.
Such was the vibe that resulted in the Cavaliers’ first loss at home during the playoffs.
In a tightly contested game, the Cavaliers threatened to pull away after leading by eight points, 61-53, following a James triple at the 9:29 mark of the third period. We can’t relax just because we’re going home and we’ve got a two-game cushion. “We felt we could do a few things better, but we were competing like insane”. “I just think it was just the way the game played out tonight”.
“We feel like the chips have been stacked up against us all year anyway”, James said. Players had to be separated and a double foul was called. They can do it at home in Game 5 on Monday. We all know what happened after that. “That’s the league office”. They’ve only made it look that way. “Obviously, we don’t want to hear it in that form”.
Added James, “That conversation was competitive conversation”.
You had the quarterback of his favorite football team declaring LeBron James to be better. “I’m all cool with the competition”, James said. “Being a guy with pride, a guy with three kids and a family…some things just go overboard… and that was it”.
Love replaced Tristan Thompson seven minutes into the game and made his first shot off an offensive rebound – a theme throughout the first half.
But this seems to be the Warriors’ year – from start to finish.
“I felt it was the right way”.
His second ring in 2013 with Miami came when the Heat needed to win two elimination games in the finals to oust the San Antonio Spurs in what became a dramatic seven-game matchup, highlighted by Ray Allen’s overtime-forcing 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left in Game 6. “So after winning the game by 30 points, I thought it was the right thing to do”. Klay Thompson scored 25 points and added four 3-pointers. And the Golden State Warriors are one victory from their second straight championship. “We can’t wait to get to Oracle”. That schedule was announced only after they got a lasting message in the visiting locker room late Friday from Kerr, who jokes that his squad “can’t stand prosperity”.
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Warriors: Recorded their 88th overall win this season, breaking the league record they shared with the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls.
