CLEVELAND — Revived by Stephen Curry, their fresh-faced shooting superstar, and bonded by first-year coach Steve Kerr who made them believe, the Warriors ended a 40-year NBA championship drought on Tuesday night by finishing off LeBron James and the undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97 in Game 6.
Curry and Finals MVP Andre Iguodala scored 25 points apiece, Draymond Green recorded a triple-double and the Warriors — using a barrage of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to put Cleveland away — won their first title since 1975.
“I’m kind of speechless,” said Curry. “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.”
James, who fell to 2-4 in the finals, didn’t hide his dejection.
“Doesn’t matter if I’m playing in Miami or playing in Cleveland or playing on Mars,” he said. “You lose in the finals, it’s disappointing.”
After the Warriors were presented with the glittering Larry O’Brien Trophy by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, hundreds of gold-and-blue clad Warriors fans inside Quicken Loans Arena serenaded the new champs by singing “War-eee-ers, War-eee-ers” a cry that filled Oracle Arena all season and will greet the team on their return to California.
Golden State allowed the Cavs to creep within eight points in the fourth before unleashing a flurry of 3s to ensure there would be no Game 7.
While Golden State’s drought ended, Cleveland’s half-century of sports misery rolls on.
It’s not that James didn’t do everything possible. He finished with 32 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists and was dominant throughout the series, showing why he’s the world’s best player.
The Warriors were simply the better team.
“We ran out of talent,” said James, who sat facing his locker with a towel over his head for nearly an hour after the game. “We gave everything we had.”
Thumbnail photo via Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports Images
