CLEVELAND — The Golden State Warriors waited 40 years to celebrate a championship. One of the league’s rising stars and their rookie head coach finally delivered.
Guard Stephen Curry scored 25 points and passed for eight assists, forward Andre Iguodala added 25 points, and the Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97 Tuesday in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, securing the franchise’s fourth championship and first since 1975.
Cleveland’s title drought, however, drags on. The city hasn’t celebrated a championship since 1964, and not even LeBron James’ return this season was powerful enough to end it. The star forward was sensational throughout the series and again in Game 6, finishing with 32 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists. However, he received little help from an injury-ravaged roster throughout the series, and the Cavs remain without a championship.
Steve Kerr won five rings as a player and now has his first as a coach. He made the successful transition from the broadcast booth to the Golden State bench, taking a team rich in talent and transforming it into an elite squad.
Similarly, Curry’s meteoric rise to stardom ends with his first championship the same season he won his first Most Valuable Player award.
The Warriors dominated the regular season, winning a franchise-record 67 games while never losing even three in a row. They went 16-5 in the playoffs, winning the last three games of the NBA Finals to close out the Cavs on the road.
James falls to 2-4 in the Finals, but he hardly can be blamed for this one. James was the sole reason the Cavs were even in the series after postseason injuries to guard Kyrie Irving and forward Kevin Love cost Cleveland a pair of All-Stars and its second- and third-leading scorers.
The Cavaliers trailed 28-15 after the first quarter, but forward Tristan Thompson’s basket with 10:48 left in the third brought them all the way back to a 47-45 lead. The advantage was short-lived.
Warriors forward Harrison Barnes made a 3-pointer, Iguodala dunked off a Cavs turnover (their 17th of the night) and forward Draymond Green followed with another 3-pointer to stretch Golden State’s lead to 53-47. The margin soon soared into double figures again with the Cavs struggling from 3-point range and at the free-throw line.
A steal and dunk from James cut the Warriors’ lead to 75-68 early in the fourth quarter, and a 3-pointer from forward James Jones pulled the Cavs within seven, but Iguodala (two), Curry and Thompson splashed successive 3-pointers during a two-minute stretch to push the lead to 92-77 with 6:01 to play.
NOTES: F LeBron James didn’t seem to have much interest in winning MVP for the series if it didn’t come with a championship ring. “I wouldn’t feel good about it at all,” James said. “At the end of the day I’m here to win a team prize, and that’s to win a championship, not an individual prize.” … Nike CEO Phil Knight attended Tuesday’s game. James, of course, is perhaps the company’s biggest client. … Warriors coach Steve Kerr doesn’t like the late 9 p.m. starts for East Coast finals games. “If anyone’s listening, can we start these games a little earlier?” he said. “I used to work in TV, so I understand. But 8 o’clock would be okay.” … Kerr said he watched the Chicago Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup victory Monday night and remains a Blackhawks fan from his playing days in Chicago.