The Golden State Warriors secured their second National Basketball Association championship in three seasons with a 129-120 Game Five win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, capping a near-perfect run through the playoffs.
They'll spend the next 36 hours or so leading up to Game 5 being reminded of everything that happened a year ago, from the collapse in the Finals to the dominance of Irving and LeBron James in the final three games of that fateful series to the part Curry played in the season that saw his Warriors win a record 73 games and saw him win a second straight Most Valuable Player award - and the first-ever unanimous selection - end in crushing disappointment.
Cavaliers' forward LeBron James had a game-high 41 points and guard Kyrie Irving hit tough shots all night but defensive breakdowns by Cleveland led to easy baskets late in the game for the Warriors, igniting a deafening crowd.
The Cavs have the momentum heading into Game 5, unlike previous year. He has been criticized occasionally in his career for struggling in the biggest of moments, but he has been devastating in these NBA Finals. Although I originally picked the Warriors in five, I altered my prediction to Warriors in four after the first three games of the series.
Consider these facts: Despite scoring 49 points in the first quarter, 86 by halftime and 115 through three periods, Cleveland still allowed the Dubs to score 117 total points. It outscored Cleveland's 35-7. Cavs outshooting the Warriors from 3-point range 53-28 percent?
Golden State knows it too must make adjustments, including getting a hand in the face of the Cavs' sharpshooters after surrendering a Finals record 24 3-pointers Friday, seven of those by Irving during his 40-point masterpiece.
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After Cleveland led 37-33 through the first quarter, Golden State outscored Cleveland 38-23 in the second quarter. So you just got to take it tomorrow, and it's on us.
Tempers flared when Irving tied up David West on a loose ball.
After an extended review of the confrontation, officials Danny Crawford and Ed Malloy assessed technical fouls to Thompson and Smith as well and did not give West a second technical, which would have resulted in an ejection. "We did that Game 4 and we got to have that same type of effort and even more in Game 5". He didn't have a care in the world, didn't bother to get back on defense.
ESPN's Dave McMenamin recently asked Durant what was going through his mind when the Warriors had a 3-1 series lead over the Cavs in last year's Finals.
"We have to be more on edge". So, it's a little different when you're a contender, I guess.
"I love the vibe we had in the locker room after the game, understanding what we need to do differently to play better", he said. Nervous is good. "Appropriate fear" is the Gregg Popovich line.
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