J-Speaks: Warriors Beat Cavs For Second Title in Three Seasons

Last week ago, the Golden State Warriors were on the verge of making history and winning another title versus the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers. The celebration was put on hold by the Cavs who won Game 5 137-116 to cut the Warriors lead to 3-1, just like a season ago when the Cavs won the final three games to capture their first title in franchise history. While the Game 5 scene was the same with the Warriors on their home floor of Oracle Arena, they had a healthy Stephen Curry, Draymond Green was on the floor and not suspended and they had Kevin Durant. Along with the help of the 2015 Finals MVP and a resolve that has been with the Warriors all season, they found a way to complete their season of redemption on Monday night.

Durant put an end to his spectacular first season in the Bay Area by bringing home that coveted title that he joined the back-to-back-to-back Western Conference champions last July scoring a game-high and Finals high 39 points with six boards and five assists, earning the 2017 Bill Russell Most Valuable Player [MVP] of the Finals as the Warriors won Game 5 over the Cavaliers and four-time MVP LeBron James 129-120 to win the series 4-1 and securing their fifth title in franchise history and their second in the last three seasons.

The Warriors became the first Bay Area team to clinch a championship at home since the Oakland Athletics defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1974 World Series.

“I couldn’t sleep for two days. I was anxious. I was jittery. I just wanted to lay it all out there. I put in work, I just had to trust in it,” Durant, who was 14 for 20 from the field, including 5 for 8 from three-point range and 6 for 6 from the charity stripe, said to ESPN/ABC’s Doris Burke after the victory. “We were really good tonight.”

Durant also had a good night making some NBA history of his own joining Hall of Famers Earvin “Magic” Johnson, who was a rookie in the 1980 Finals and the late Moses Malone in 1983 Finals to win Finals MVP in their first season with a new franchise. He also joined Hall of Famers Michael Jordan, the late Wilt Chamberlin to win at least four scoring titles and an NBA title in league history. Only soon to be Hall of Famer Allen Iverson in 2001 had more points in a five-game in The Finals than the 176 points Durant had scored in the 2017 NBA Finals and his scoring. His 70 percent from the floor in Game 5 on Monday night is the best in a title-clinching victory in Finals history, with a minimum of 20 field goal attempts.

This was also redemption in a small way for Durant, who five seasons back with the Oklahoma City Thunder lost to James when he was with the Miami Heat 4-1 and he captured the first of his three titles. Both Durant and James embraced each other with a hug as the clock wound down.

“You got to tip your hat to Cleveland man. They kept at us all night. LeBron and Kyrie. I’ve never seen anything like those two before, but we prevailed. We’re champions and it’s amazing to do it on our home floor,” Durant, who averaged 35.2 points in the five games on 56 percent from the floor and 47 percent from three-point range said to Burke.

Durant also followed that up by saying that James, who averaged a triple-double in The Finals of 33.6 points, 12.0 boards and 10.0 assists.

“He’s the only one that I’ve looked at and said, ‘He’s the only guy that can look me eye-to-eye,’ and I knew it was going to be a battle. I just tried to challenge him. To average a triple-double. Can’t stop the guy, but we battled and I told him we tied up now, and we tried to do this thing again, but I’m going to celebrate this one tonight.”

Following that, Durant received a huge embrace from his mother Wanda and then proceeded to celebrate with Curry giving him a few fives and a huge hug from the Warriors All-Star floor general and reigning back-to-back MVP.

Prior to a postgame interview with ESPN/ABC’s Doris Burke, Durant mom said to him, “You did it. You did it your way baby. You did it. You hear me? You hear me? No matter what anybody say, you did it. I’m proud of you son.”

It was the same kind of emotion, only on the said side back in the 2012 Finals when Durant and Mrs. Wanda embraced after the Thunder lost as mentioned to James and the Heat 4-1.

He mentioned to Burke that she has seen him from a young age putting in the hard work behind the scenes. The tough losses he has suffered from then to his pro career along with the rest of his family and him winning his first title was a representation of them and where he grew up in the Washington, DC area.

He did not reach this mountain top alone though as Curry, who in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals had just 17 points on 6 for 19 shooting had 34 points on the evening on 10 for 20 from the field, 12 for 15 from the free throw line with 10 assists, six rebounds and three steals. When the game concluded, he ran up the stairs of what was already set up of the championship podium with one of his two daughters in his arm celebrating his second championship with all in attendance at Oracle Arena and put to rest some of the criticism he had faced about not being able to rise to the occasion on the biggest stage.

Durant and Curry became just the fourth pair of teammates to score 30-plus each in a title-clinching victory in league history and the first since Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen did for the Chicago Bulls in ironically, a 108-101 victory in Game 5 of the 1991 NBA Finals at the Hall of Famer Earvin “Magic” Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers at the Great Western Forum on June 12, 1991. Pippen had 32 points in that contest along with 13 boards, seven assists and five steals, while Jordan had 30 points, 10 assists and five steals.  

“We learned from everything we’ve been through and our perspective, being blessed to play on this stage three years in a row, is all God,” Curry who averaged 26.8 points, eight boards and 9.4 assists on 39 percent from three-point range in The Finals said to Burke.

While hearing chants of MVP from the audience, Curry also said of winning this title that, “It’s for these fans. It’s for our organization. Our families. To be back here, bring old Larry back home, I’m just excited to be part of this group, accomplish something special and want to do it again.”

Andre Iguodala, who was instrumental for the Warriors in the 2015 Finals, where he won the Finals MVP had 20 points off the bench on 9 for 14 from the field in 38 huge minutes.

Green, who was suspended for Game 5 of last season’s Finals had a strong all-around performance with 10 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two steals and he soaked in his second title with his young son in his arms.

“You learn from your mistakes and obviously we had a letdown last year. I had a letdown last year, but like I told everybody before, if Kevin Durant was the consolation prize to lose, thanks for that loss and we champs this year,” Green, who averaged 11.0 points, 10.2 boards and 4.6 assists in The Finals said to Burke.

On the team redeeming themselves after blowing a 3-1 series lead a season ago, Green said, “It’s amazing. We’ve talked about the entire year let’s get back what we deserve. We want to be champions again. So, I feel great and I’m ready to go pop some champagne.”

For the past three seasons where they have won an NBA record during that span 207 games in the regular season, the Warriors moto has been “Strength in Numbers.” That the team is great when they do it together. That not one person from the players, the front office of Bob Meyers, Owner, and CEO Joe Lacob and Co-Executive Chairman Peter Guber to the coaching staff is bigger than the team.

That mantra really started as assistant coach Mike Brown said to NBATV’s David Aldridge during the champagne celebration in the Warriors’ locker room began when head coach Steve Kerr asked Igoudala who could start for the other 29 other teams in the league to come off the bench. He said yes with no hesitation and fulfilled his role unlike any other.

“Once that happened, there’s not a single person on this coaching staff. In management. On this roster that can say anything about any move that Steve makes and that’s what the foundation is with this organization.” Brown, who was the Cavs’ head coach from 2005-10, 2013-14 said. “It’s the next man up and everybody is sacrificing for the betterment of the team.”

That is how this team not only survived put thrived when Durant was out for 19 games and they went 15-4, including winning 13 games in a row.

“It’s a team sport and you want to achieve the highest honor in a team sport, which is winning a championship and to do it with these guys is amazing, and in front of these fans. You guys were great tonight. We needed it. We’re champs now,” Durant said to Burke after being named Finals MVP.”

Durant also said that he was at piece at making the decision back in the summer to leave the only franchise he had played for in Oklahoma City for the team that kept them from reaching The Finals a season ago. That he was happy to join a team, a community and a fan base that was great across the board. He also in that moment took time to acknowledge his mother Wanda saying, “We did it. I told you when I was eight years old. We did it.”

When head coach Steve Kerr was unable to coach from Game 3 of the opening round versus the Portland Trail Blazers to the second game of The Finals due to complications from back surgery he had two summers back, the Warriors did not lose a game, thanks to the focus of the players and the leadership of Brown who kept the team on course in Kerr’s absence and before the presentation of the Larry O’Brien Trophy, coach Kerr and Brown shared an embrace.

“I got the best job in the world. These guys are so gifted, and so committed to each other, and so unselfish,” Kerr, who joined Hall of Famers Russell, John Kundla, and Phil Jackson as the only coaches in league history to win two championships in their first three seasons said to Burke during the trophy presentations.  

“And I love the players. Love the coaches. Bob Meyers has been such a great friend to me these last couple of years. Peter, Joe, amazing organization, and I want to say a special thank you to Mike Brown and my whole coaching staff for keeping this ship sailing smoothly when I was out. Fun to be part of this.”

One of the greatest strengths of coach Kerr, who now has won seven titles in his time in the NBA five of them as a player with the Bulls and San Antonio Spurs is his sense of humor. He said to Burke of trying to fit Durant’s talents into the team, “We had very little talent, it was mostly coaching.” He followed that up by saying, “It wasn’t really that hard.”

His other great strength is having faith in his coaching staff and having them be a huge part in getting the players ready each game and when Brown was in Kerr’s place when he was shelved, that was put on display.

For much of this postseason, All-Star guard Klay Thompson had been struggling offensively, with averages of just 15.0 points on 39.7 percent from the field, but hit a healthy 38.7 from three-point range. It did not deter his ability to guard the likes of James, Kyrie Irving, and J.R. Smith that the other end of the court. While he scored just 11 points on 4 for 13 shooting in Game 5, he did hit 3 triples in seven tries, and while Irving had 26 points and six assists in 41 minutes, Thompson held him to 0 for 6 shooting in the fourth period and he was just 9 for 22 overall from the field.

“I got the best team behind me. So, it’s easy to pressure your man and play defense when you got these guys behind you blocking shots and helping you,” Thompson, who averaged 16.4 points in the Finals, hitting just 43 percent from the field, but 43 percent from the three-point arc said to Burke.

Thompson, who tied his father Mychal Thompson for most titles in their family with two also said about being more efficient with his game offensively throughout this season that it, “It’s no adjustment when you got guys like Kevin Durant I mean look at it. We went 16-1. That’s what he does for our team, along with the other guys we picked up. It’s just a collective effort. It wasn’t much of an adjustment and it’s easy to adjust when you’re winning. That’s what it’s all about.”

No one understands that better than new additions whether from the off-season or midseason than starting center ZaZa Pachulia, Matt Barnes, David West, JaVale McGee, and rookie Patrick McCaw, who all got their first title and all played major roles throughout the season in achieving that goal.

With what the Golden State Warriors have done this season puts them in a position of becoming the newest dynasty in the NBA, led by the most dynamic “Core Four” since the late 1990s, early 2000s New York Yankees of future Hall of Famers Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera that led the Yankees to five titles in 14 seasons together. This new version of the “Core Four,” who are all under 30 years of age has a chance to reach those heights of greatness.

It’s led by a head coach in Steve Kerr, whose ability to connect with his players and his competitive spirit won them over and wanted to win for him and the coaching staff that kept the ship afloat in his absence. Klay Thompson, humble shooting guard who possess not only one of the best strokes in the league, but can guard some of the best perimeter players in the game very well. Draymond Green, who went from being a second-round pick in the draft a few seasons ago and whose versatility on both ends has made his team a matchup nightmare for his opponents and used his emotion and fiery intensity for the betterment of the team this time around and helped his team redeem itself from its collapse in The Finals a season ago. The reigning back-to-back MVP in Stephen Curry, whose selflessness in welcoming a former MVP to form one of the most unguardable twosomes in NBA history, whose skills are only matched by his leadership and sacrifice. Finally, the newest Warrior champion Kevin Durant, whose decision of changing teams via free agency brought a lot of criticism from fans and many in the NBA circle, fit in right away; played the best all-around basketball capped it off with a spectacular finish in the 2017 NBA Finals that ended in a title.

The back-to-back-to-back Western Conference Champion Warriors were fueled by last year’s mentioned collapse in last season’s Finals that consisted of chase down block shot for the ages by LeBron James and a game-winning triple by Kyrie Irving in Game 7 of the Finals that ended with a 93-92 win. They finished this postseason with a 16-1 record, joining the 2001 Lakers, who went 15-1 and the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers, who went 12-1 as the only teams to suffer just one loss in their postseason runs. Their margin of victory of 13.5 this postseason the third best in a single postseason in NBA history.

The Warriors have the makings of dynasty and if it is anything like the Lakers of the 1950s that won five titles in six seasons, five titles in nine seasons in the 1980s or in the 2000s with five titles in 11 seasons; the Celtics with 11 titles in 13 seasons in the 1960s and the aforementioned Bulls with six titles in eight seasons in the 1990s, we as fans are in for more title parades like the one they had in downtown Oakland, CA on Thursday and opposing coaches are in for a lot of gray hairs in trying to slow this train down the next few years.

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 6/12/17 9 p.m. Game 5 of 2017 NBA Finals, Cleveland Cavaliers versus Golden State Warriors on ABC with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, and Doris Burke; 6/13/17 12 a.m. NBATV Live at the Finals Postgame with Matt Winer, Steve Smith, Brent Barry, Grant Hill, and David Aldridge; 6/13/17 3 p.m. edition of “NBA: The Jump,” on ESPN, presented by La Quinta Inns & Suites with Rachel Nichols, Amin Elhassan, Rasheed Wallace and Vince Carter; 6/13/17 news crawl on ESPN during 5 p.m.; www.nba.com/games/20170609/GSWCLE#/recap; www.nba.com/games/20170612/CLEGSW#/recap/boxscore; www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/6475/klay-thompson; www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199106120LAL.html and http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_Four.