Nba finals 7 2016 series#
Some will point to the Los Angeles Lakers Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics back in 2010 or the Lakers’ win over Detroit back in 1988 as the two-best Finals series in modern history. And it was an epic performance from both squads, fighting tooth and nail to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy when all was said and done. The entire NBA world was privy to that one close game. What makes this so interesting is that none of the first six games were decided by less than 10 points. At that point, the Cavaliers and Warriors had combined to score the same exact amount of points in the series. Game 7 was tied at 89 with four minutes remaining. Unfortunately, his actions leading up to Game 5 cost his team big time. He’s proven himself to be among the game’s best. The key for Green moving forward will be to get a grip on his emotions on the court. If you don’t think Green’s absence played a major role, we’re not exactly sure what to tell you. What we do know is that the Warriors lost by 15 on their home court without Green in the lineup, a game that saw the team put up a postseason-low 18 assists. Should Green have been suspended for Game 5 after making contact with James’ groin in Game 4? That’s a debate that will continue to rage. Draymond Green’s suspension should be talked about A record 73 regular season wins, the best road record in NBA history and the most three-pointers made in the history of the Association.īut as we have seen in other sports, most recently the New England Patriots 2007 season, none of that matters if you don’t win the title.ģ. We can surely point to the Warriors’ accomplishments this season. That obviously played a role in the loss. Thompson and Curry combined to shoot 3-for-10 with three turnovers in the fourth quarter. Despite what was stellar defense, that’s just not acceptable. It was, however, a team-wide failure in every possible way.Īll said, Golden State went the final four-plus minutes of the game on Sunday without a single point. Heck, Draymond Green’s suspension for Game 5 played a major role here. We can also question Klay Thompson’s performance. We can blame Stephen Curry all we want (more on that below). A team that had won 95 percent of its home games under Steve Kerr, lost two of three at Oracle to close out the series, including the decisive Game 7. On the flip side, the Warriors absolutely choked in the worst imaginable way. Epic choke job from the Golden State Warriors Over the course of the final three games (all Cavaliers wins), James averaged 36.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 9.7 assists per outing.Ģ. His response created nothing short of a legacy, putting up a legendary performance. Then, falling down 3-1 in the Finals, James and his Cavaliers were placed behind the proverbial eight ball. He then dealt with the mid-season firing of a coach he seemingly hand-picked. James had to work his hardest to lead an injury-ravaged Cavaliers team to six games in the NBA Finals against these very same Warriors last June. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010.
![nba finals 7 2016 nba finals 7 2016](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160619211858-08-nba-finals-0619.jpg)
Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. I know how hard that is to deliver,” James wrote in announcing his return.
![nba finals 7 2016 nba finals 7 2016](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2016/06/21/business/21RATINGS/21RATINGS-superJumbo.jpg)
When James returned to Cleveland during the summer of 2014, his ultimate goal was to bring a title back to the long downtrodden sports city. The kid from Akron gives a shoutout to Cleveland. In reality, it was one of the finest NBA Finals performances in the history of the Association.
![nba finals 7 2016 nba finals 7 2016](https://cdn.nba.net/nba-drupal-prod/styles/landscape_1045w/s3/2017-05/kyrie-irving-shoots-game-7-2016-finals.jpg)
James averaged 29.9 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game in the Finals. It was James’ improved performance from Game 5 on that helped the Cavaliers become the first team in Finals history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit. In his sixth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, LeBron James finally brings a championship trophy back to Cleveland for the first time in over a half century. Here are the top eight takeaways from a Finals series that will go down as one of the greatest ever. ended up hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in front of the Warriors’ home crowd. Bad blood gave way to the gravity of the moment, as LeBron James and Co. Trash-talking off the court, spats on the court, six blowouts in the first six games.Īnd then, it all came down to one game - a game that saw the two teams tied with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. This series had a little bit of everything. The Cleveland Cavaliers are NBA champions following a dramatic Game 7 win over the Golden State Warriors in Oakland.