The inevitable occurred on Friday night.
Golden State’s Super Team defeated LeBron James’ overmatched Cavaliers 108-85 to win its third championship in four years and establish itself as an official NBA dynasty. It was the first clean sweep in the NBA Finals since 2007.
Since Pat Riley coined the phrase “Three-Peat” in 1988, only four major professional sports teams have won three consecutive championships. The “Three-Peat” is the pinnacle of accomplishment in American team sports. Of the Big Four NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL the Lakers remain the last team to have completed the feat. Golden State will be looking to match LA in 2019.
Much of the talk entering the series was about the celebrated playoff exploits of LeBron James, but the real story was the well-oiled machine from The Bay that has captivated and dominated the league, built an exceptional team chemistry and will be entering 2019 with a chance to three-peat for the first time since the Shaq and Kobe Lakers were dismantling inferior foes.
Chef Curry got the pot cooking early as he shot 7 of 12 in the first half for 20 points and finished with 37 points. Kevin Durant added a triple-double (20 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists) and was named Finals MVP for the second straight season.
The Shadow League on Twitter
Steph Curry finishes the first half of Game 4 with 20 points after this three. https://t.co/lRSKvGCscS
Curry has endured this season, battling injuries and missing time at the beginning of the playoffs to come back and could have been Finals MVP, but his third championship to go along with two NBA MVP’s will have to do for now.
Tom Haberstroh on Twitter
Steph Curry’s Finals averages: 2018: 27.5 pts, 6.8 ast, 6.0 reb 2017: 26.8 pts, 5.4 ast, 8.2 reb 2016: 22.6 pts, 3.7 ast, 4.9 reb 2015: 26.0 pts, 6.3 ast, 5.2 reb 37 points in a closeout game tonight and not even enough for his first Finals MVP
“Over the course of 48 minutes our will took over,” said Curry. “Unbelievable feeling to come here on the mission and get the job done.”
Golden State Warriors on Twitter
The range on this guy #NBAonABC https://t.co/jUYxE4F6la
Once Golden State went up 3-0 in the series the vibe throughout the basketball world was that LeBron would be lucky to get one game. As Game 4 inched closer and with LeBron admittedly tired and beat up from his playoff burden, most predicted the Golden State sweep.
Stephen A Smith on Twitter
Cavs are getting swept tonight, folks. https://t.co/KLSqp3eZHn
It didnt take incomparable basketball knowledge or an advanced understanding of basketball principles to predict a Golden State win. Steve Kerrs squad is just too deep, too talented and too multi-faceted and defensively stout to allow Cleveland to even think they could play on the same court for more than a couple of LeBron James inspired quarters.
When JR Smith got a technical foul for knocking the ball out of Durants hands down 71-58 with 6:39 left in the third, it all but signaled the end and you could have turned off the television right then and there. In a series where Smiths lack of awareness possibly cost Cleveland a Game 1 victory, Smith did little to redeem himself and wanted to let everyone know that he is still very capable of dragging his team even further into the abyss.
After a Klay Thompson jumper made it 79-63, the locker room attendants started reluctantly putting out the champagne bottles and preparing for a championship celebration on Clevelands court.
Golden State Warriors on Twitter
Klay with the WIDE open #SPLASH! https://t.co/KGNg1dDEkf
With 4 minutes left in the game LeBron dapped up the players on both teams, headed to the bench and the clock began on his free agent sweepstakes.
LeBron knows as much as anyone that talent wins games in the NBA and Golden State has a shameful abundance of it. This was Golden States fourth straight trip to the Finals and unless LeBron joins the Warriors, or signs with Houston, theres really not that much for us to discuss. See you next year same time, same place as Golden State returns for the three-peat, once again as heavy favorites.
