There hasn’t been a single day since July 4, 2016, that I’ve begrudged Kevin Durant for his decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors. This doesn’t mean I’ve loved what’s followed. I’ve lamented, countless times, the fact that there was very little tension in this NBA season. As soon as KD got his hands on the ball, you remembered: Oh, yeah. The Warriors have Durant now.
No one gave up more to make room for Kevin Durant. The two-time MVP never bristled, and now he is rewarded.
OAKLAND — It was early in the game and things weren’t coming easy for the Warriors. The flow was more in the Cavaliers’ favor, the long-range shots weren’t falling, and Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant were on the bench with early foul trouble.
Will they be able to close it out tomorrow in the Bay?
Two years ago, the Warriors became NBA champions for the first time since 1975. They were the upstarts, the overachievers. Nobody thought they could do it. Everyone thought they were a fluke. Steve Kerr — in his first year of coaching since taking over for a dismissed, embarrassed Mark Jackson — had taken the team to a place many Warriors fans never thought they’d see: Champions of the world.
Barnes was never supposed to be a Warrior.
Matt Barnes wasn’t supposed to be a part of this championship-winning Golden State Warriors lineup. He signed up to make money for a bad Sacramento Kings that didn’t sniff the playoffs. Yet he finished as a member of one of the greatest teams of all-time.
Barnes accidentally ring-chased with the Warriors when the opportunity hit him. Coincidentally, it happened to be with a team he had history with. It was a storybook ending to a career that ran full circle.
Can the Warriors ride their 3-1 lead to an NBA championship?
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors Game 5 Preview
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
When: Monday, June 12, 2017, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Cleveland Cavaliers (+9) at Golden State Warriors (-9); total: 231.5 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
After a painful loss in Cleveland, the Warriors head back to the comfy home confines of Oracle arena with an eye on one last win needed to win it all. We’ve been here before (hell, you can’t open the internet without hearing about it!) but this Warriors team is different - will we get a different result this time around?
What happened in Cleveland, stays in Cleveland
Something changed in Cleveland. Whereas the first two games at Oracle were not at all close, in game 3, the Cavs put up an powerful performance that fell just short. That fall required a pretty insane three minute stretch to end the game, and that 11-0 run is the reason we aren’t heading back to Oracle with the series tied up.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
The Golden State Warriors just won their second title in three years.
F yes.
Let’s celebrate. Let’s rocknroll. Let’s roll around in a vat of celebration. Let’s throw up flames into the night sky. Let’s high step over Tyronn Lue. Let’s jump up and down in joy.
The Cavs point guard has proven his ability as a clutch performer.
Kyrie Irving lives for big moments. Whether it be battling back from a 3-1 deficit last season, to taking a shot with the championship on the line, or preventing the Cleveland Cavaliers from being swept with a massive 40 point performance in Game 4. His ability to deliver when the team needs him to has become one of his defining traits and helped make him so endearing to Cavs fans.
Congrats Kevin!
Kevin Durant has not only finally won his first NBA championship, but has also now won his first NBA Finals MVP!
Good morning. We have that and more in Saturday’s NBA newsletter.
It would be impossible to capture all of the absurd things that happened in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, not the least of which was the fact that the Cavaliers won by blowing the doors off on offense. The Warriors' dream of a perfect 16-0 postseason is dead. Game 5 is set for Monday at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
