WARRIORS GO ALL THE WAY
Durant wins his first NBA title, and Finals MVP, after jump to Warriors
OAKLAND – The Golden State Warriors are no longer a super team in name only. In fact, they are on the fast track to becoming a dynasty. Golden State won its second NBA championship in three years by defeating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, 129-120, in Game 5 on Monday and sending the Bay Arena into a state of delirium.
“It feels great to win a championship with these guys,” Kevin Durant said. “I can’t wait to celebrate this for the rest of the night. Or the rest of the summer.”
Durant’s controversial free agent move from Oklahoma City last summer paid off for both the player and his new team in grand style. Durant emerged as the Warriors best player this season and that carried over into the championship round, where he was the unanimous choice for Finals MVP.
“I knew at some point in my life it would come together for me,” Durant said. “I just had to keep grinding . . . . I’m at a loss for words.”
Durant was outstanding in the closeout game, scoring 39 points and making 14 of 20 shots including five 3-pointers. His only mistake was not dribbling out the final seconds and instead skipping several feet with the ball in his hands. It was a clear traveling violation that was in fact called. But with players, media and fans entering the court, the final 3.4 seconds simply ran off the clock.
Otherwise, Durant’s numbers in the Finals – 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists – re-established him as the second best player in the NBA behind LeBron, who had another monster night but leaves with a 3-5 record in eight trips to the NBA Finals.
“For me personally, I left everything on the floor every game,” James said. “So for me personally I’ve no reason to put my head down.”
LeBron’s first championship came in 2012 at the expense of the Durant and Oklahoma City. On Monday, Durant returned the favor by winning his first of many, assuming the Warriors core players remain healthy.
That would include Stephen Curry, who made his last game of the 2016-17 one to remember. It was a far cry from Game 7 last year when Curry and the Warriors wilted in the fourth quarter.
“Kevin Durant was the consolation prize for that loss,” Draymond Green correctly pointed out.
Curry was motivated by the memory of that painful Game 7 loss and on Monday he responded with 34 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.
This was a coronation for both Durant and his teammates, who after winning an NBA regular season record 73 games blew a 3-1 series lead to Cleveland last year. That historic comeback for the Cavs began with Green being suspended in Game 5.
Cleveland wasn’t as fortunate in this year’s Game 5 as Green was on the floor and played a solid all-around game. He finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds while Andre Iguodala, the MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals, added 20 points off the bench.
The Warriors reserves outscored the Cavs reserves, 35-7, proving that not only were they more talented but also deeper. LeBron is still the class of the league, finishing with 41 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. But on this night he and the Cavs never held a lead in the second half and have to face the reality that they need to improve to compete with the Warriors.
“I don’t know,” LeBron said when asked about having to compete against this Warriors team in the future. “I need to sit down and figure this thing out.
“I don’t know as far as me personally right now but that team, they’re going to be around for a while.”
Kyrie Irving, who appeared to have back issues, added 26 points on 9-for-22 shooting while J.R. Smith scored 25 points on just nine shots. It was Smith’s best game of the season by far.
Things didn’t go so well for Kevin Love, who had six points and 10 rebounds in Game 5. It was the type of showing that will lead to plenty of offseason speculation about his future.
Cleveland is by far the best team in the East and as long as LeBron stays healthy they are a contender. But LeBron, who is under contract for one more year, isn’t in this to be second best. It also raises the possibility that the Cavs will look to add an impact player. The Pacers Paul George is on their radar but a more realistic target would be Carmelo Anthony.
The Cavs led by as many as eight before the Warriors took command in the second quarter by outscoring Cleveland, 38-23. Durant scored 13 in the period while Curry and Iguodala each added eight. Cleveland eventually fell behind by 17 and never got closer than three the rest of the way.
The Cavs played Kyle Korver 11 minutes in the second half, hoping that his presence would space the floor and that strategy worked. On offense, that is.
With Korver getting caught in a switch on Durant, the results were disastrous, as Durant scored 11 in the fourth.
You don’t have to like Durant’s decision but you’ll have to get used to seeing him playing in June.