NBA MVP Stephen Curry scored 25 points to go with his 8 assists and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97 to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy as Champions of the NBA for the first time in 40 years.
The Warriors, deemed "Dub Nation," by their loyal fans in the Bay Area last won the NBA title in 1975. Curry predicted years ago after a first round exit in the NBA Playoffs that the Warriors would won day win it all, but little did the baby-faced sharp shooter know that it would come sooner than anyone could have anticipated, and under the tutelage of first-year head coach Steve Kerr.
"I'm speechless," Curry said after the game. "This is special. To be able to hold this trophy and all the hard work we've put into it this season, this is special. We're definitely a great team and a team that should go down in history as one of the best teams from top to bottom."
The Warriors trailed the Cavaliers 7-2 to start the game, but Curry hit a three-pointer to put Golden State up 11-8 with five minutes left in the firs quarter, and Dub Nation would never trail again, cruising down the finish as the sharp-shooters known as the Splash Brothers hit 13 three-pointers giving the Cavs fits all night.
Every time the Cavaliers would hit a big shot, the Warriors would answer with lethal accuracy and a Champion's heart. It was as if the Warriors could sense the magnitude of the moment and refused to relinquish the momentum to LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
James once again led the Cavaliers with 32 points, 18 rebounds and 9 assists as the world's greatest player once again led his team in those three categories and received four out of the 11 votes to be named the first NBA Finals MVP on a losing team since Jerry West in 1969.
In the end, it was not James who was handed the Bill Russell trophy, but the man that guarded him and came off the bench for the Warriors all season. Andre Iguodala scored 25 points and had the task of slowing down James on the defensive end as well.
"This has been a long ride," Iguodala said. "It's been a great season." Curry had a great game scoring 25 points with eight assists and three big shots from downtown. His fellow splash brother, Klay Thompson, had his worst game of the Finals with just 5 points, fouling out of the game with 4:16 left in the game.
Draymond Green had a triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists helping the Warriors to their first NBA Championship in 40 years. In fact, the last time Golden State won the title, Gerald Ford was President, disco was the latest trend, and Rick Barry led Dub Nation with his underhand free throw shooting.
"I always said Andre's a pro's pro," Green said of his teammate. "He's a professional guy and it showed, and that's why he's the MVP of the series and that's why we're champions."
After winning Games 2 and 3, the Cavaliers were in the driver's seat to win their first NBA Title in franchise history. However, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr made a series-changing adjustment by going small in Game 4, inserting Iguodala into the starting lineup. The Warriors would win Game 4 in a blow out, and would go on to win the next three games of the series, denying LeBron James and the Cavs from their first ever Championship for the city of Cleveland.
The city's three professional teams, the Cavaliers, the Browns and the Indians, have gone a combined 144 seasons without winning a title.
James got little to no help on the night as Timothy Mozgov had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Tristan Thompson had 15 points and 13 rebounds, and J.R. Smith had 19 points off the bench. No other player on the Cavaliers scored in double-figures, and Matthew Dellavedova, the hero of the first three games of the series for the Cavs, was held to just one point.
"We ran out of talent," James said bluntly. "We gave everything we had." A dejected James sat in front of his locker with a towel draped over his head for nearly an hour after the game as the Warriors celebrated in the adjacent locker room, screaming in exultation as they sprayed champagne all over each other. The celebration could be heard by James and his teammates as they dressed in silence.
The Cavaliers will be back next year as their new revamped roster is just in its infant stages. All-Stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving missed the entirety of the NBA Finals with injuries, and James was noticeably fatigued in the final few games after carrying his team throughout the playoffs.
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