NBA Championships Open Thread

 
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By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=30583700

So… what’d you think of the game?

The Cleveland Cavaliers have captured Cleveland’s first major sports title in 52 years, thanks to an epic 93-89 Game 7 win over the Golden State Warriors on the road. The Cavaliers won three straight games when facing elimination to capture the title.

Published in Sports
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  1. Adriana Harris Inactive
    Adriana Harris
    @AdrianaHarris

    Thank God it’s over!

    • #1
  2. Scott Wilmot Member
    Scott Wilmot
    @ScottWilmot

    I thought it was fantastic.

    Editors should have a default that the member feed opens first when they log in.

    • #2
  3. David Knights Member
    David Knights
    @DavidKnights

    Happy for Cleveland, but NBA looks more and more like Pro Wrestling, without as much dignity.

    • #3
  4. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    Congrats to the Cavs and their fans!

    • #4
  5. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    I was pleased that the sole cliffhanger of the series was the last game. Much better that way.

    It came down to one shot, and it is ironic that, at the end (and ONLY at the end!), Cleveland could hit a three and despite several tries, Golden State and Steph Curry could not.

    • #5
  6. Casey Inactive
    Casey
    @Casey

    Did we have a Stanley Cup thread?

    • #6
  7. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    Casey:Did we have a Stanley Cup thread?

    I don’t care enough about hockey to even comment on this.

    Oh.

    • #7
  8. Casey Inactive
    Casey
    @Casey

    iWe: Oh

    CANADA…

    I knew you’d catch the fever!

    GO PENS!

    • #8
  9. The Scarecrow Thatcher
    The Scarecrow
    @TheScarecrow

    Casey:

    iWe: Oh

    CANADA…

    I knew you’d catch the fever!

    GO PENS!

    Yes, that Sharks/Penguins series was thrilling all the way through!

    • #9
  10. Eustace C. Scrubb Member
    Eustace C. Scrubb
    @EustaceCScrubb

    Warriors fan here, thankful a great season but feeling the pain. Throughout the season they ran on joy, but they tried to be motivated by anger in the last games of the finals and it didn’t work for them.

    • #10
  11. KC Mulville Inactive
    KC Mulville
    @KCMulville

    LeBron was great, but the guy who hit the most important shot was Irving, over Curry. Without Irving or Kevin Love, even LeBron would have gone home empty-handed.

    Congrats to the champions.

    • #11
  12. Larry3435 Inactive
    Larry3435
    @Larry3435

    I thought I was going to be rooting for Golden State, but Draymond Green is such a thug that I found myself rooting for Cleveland.  Now it’s just a matter of figuring out how long I have to avoid listening to Hugh Hewitt’s show before he shuts up about it.

    • #12
  13. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    I was rooting for the Warriors, but the Cavs won me over. They deserved it. They wanted it more and dug deep. I was impressed.

    • #13
  14. KC Mulville Inactive
    KC Mulville
    @KCMulville

    Looked to me like Cleveland played the oldest strategy against Steph Curry – make him work on defense to drag down his offense. A couple of times in the fourth quarter, Cleveland went to a pick and roll and forced Curry to switch to LeBron, who then drove hard against him and dared Curry to foul him. Curry couldn’t afford to foul out, but he couldn’t afford to play soft, either. As soon as Curry got stuck in no man’s land, the rest of the Cavs cleared out, meaning Curry couldn’t expect help.

    I think Curry shot 1-for-6 in the fourth quarter. He also looked hurt, but making him work on defense definitely took something out of him.

    Just goes to show … no matter how good you are, other teams will adjust, and will find a way to beat you.

    • #14
  15. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    I give both teams a lot of credit for “leaving it all on the floor,” but the offensive play selection over the last six minutes of a championship game left a lot to be desired.  Despite the layoff between games, I thought the Warriors looked particularly tired.  There’ll be talk about the march to the record in the regular season, but I think Ok City took a lot out of them as well.

    I feel sorry for Draymond Green, who was great.  Not so much for Curry, Thompson, and Barnes, who laid eggs.  Irving was the Cav’s best player, LeBron came alive at “star time,” and Love was definitely unsung hero.

    • #15
  16. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    KC Mulville: A couple of times in the fourth quarter, Cleveland went to a pick and roll and forced Curry to switch to LeBron, who then drove hard against him and dared Curry to foul him. Curry couldn’t afford to foul out, but he couldn’t afford to play soft, either.

    That, and the basic fact that Curry is physically no match for LeBron. Curry is the better shooter, but LeBron James looked like a man among boys last night.

    • #16
  17. David Sussman Member
    David Sussman
    @DaveSussman

    In one week NoCal lost both the Stanley Cup and the NBA Championship on home ice/court. Hehe hehe.

    • #17
  18. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    iWe:

    KC Mulville: A couple of times in the fourth quarter, Cleveland went to a pick and roll and forced Curry to switch to LeBron, who then drove hard against him and dared Curry to foul him. Curry couldn’t afford to foul out, but he couldn’t afford to play soft, either.

    That, and the basic fact that Curry is physically no match for LeBron. Curry is the better shooter, but LeBron James looked like a man among boys last night.

    James led both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. No one has ever done that.

    Irving is a legit star and Love finally showed up in game 7, but this was all about King James taking over the series and beating the better team.

    • #18
  19. iWe Coolidge
    iWe
    @iWe

    Vance Richards: James led both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. No one has ever done that.

    That is amazing. And his triple-double in a Finals game has only been done by two players before – both incredible players.

    • #19
  20. Fricosis Guy Listener
    Fricosis Guy
    @FricosisGuy

    iWe:

    Vance Richards: James led both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. No one has ever done that.

    That is amazing. And his triple-double in a Finals game has only been done by two players before – both incredible players.

    Props to LeBron. He was on the verge of becoming our era’s Wilt: the greatest player of his time, but one who could only win with a Hall of Fame cast around him.

    Irving and Love are fine players, but they aren’t Wade, Bosh, and Allen.

    • #20
  21. KC Mulville Inactive
    KC Mulville
    @KCMulville

    Not to mention LeBron’s block of a critical lay-up by Iguodala, in which he got all ball. Psychologically that had to be a killer – at that point, Golden State couldn’t hit their usual downtown threes, and even when they had a layup, they couldn’t score. LeBron made a statement – to his teammates as much as to Golden State – that they weren’t going to surrender an inch. Great hustle.

    • #21
  22. Scott Wilmot Member
    Scott Wilmot
    @ScottWilmot

    Vance Richards:James led both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. No one has ever done that.

    Irving is a legit star and Love finally showed up in game 7, but this was all about King James taking over the series and beating the better team.

    Yep, he dominated and willed the Cavs to victory.

    • #22
  23. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Time for a (somewhat) contrary opinion, although it may not really be an argument worth having.  But, heck, that’s what sports discussions are about :)

    Draymond Green: 32 pts, 15 rebounds, 9 assists, 11-15 from the floor, 6-8 3 pointers.

    LeBron James: 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 9-24 from the floor, 1-5 3 pointers.  And The Block.

    The winners get the ink and the losers go home.

    • #23
  24. Pony Convertible Inactive
    Pony Convertible
    @PonyConvertible

    Until I heard about it on the radio this morning, I assumed the NBA finals were over weeks ago.  So what did I think about the game?  I didn’t.

    • #24
  25. KC Mulville Inactive
    KC Mulville
    @KCMulville

    HoyaconDraymond Green: 32 pts, 15 rebounds, 9 assists, 11-15 from the floor, 6-8 3 pointers.

    No real argument from me – Green played a great game. And as I said before, Irving and Love were terrific also. So it wasn’t just LeBron.

    • #25
  26. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Hoyacon:Time for a (somewhat) contrary opinion, although it’s probably not really an argument worth having. But, heck, that’s what sports discussions are about :)

    Draymond Green: 32 pts, 15 rebounds, 9 assists, 11-15 from the floor, 6-8 3 pointers.

    LeBron James: 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, 9-24 from the floor,

    Yeah but LeBron didn’t miss a game for being a thug and Draymond didn’t have back-to-back 41 point games leading into game seven.

    • #26
  27. Hoyacon Member
    Hoyacon
    @Hoyacon

    Vance Richards

    Yeah but LeBron didn’t miss a game for being a thug and Draymond didn’t have back-to-back 41 point games leading into game seven.

    Sure, LeBron’s the series MVP.  But I thought we were talking about last night.

    The numbers speak for themselves IMO, but throw in the fact that Green’s star teammates tanked, while Love and Irving played great, and I’d say it’s an open question who was the best player on the floor last night.  Now if we only had a bar for a real barroom discussion.

    • #27
  28. Solon Inactive
    Solon
    @Solon

    I’m sad that, as it turns out, you do have to be very tall and big to win in the NBA.  Being arguably the best shooter of all time won’t do it if you’re only 6’3″ and skinny.  But it was a great game 7, and even here in deep Warrior territory, you gotta give it to LeBron and the Cavs.

    • #28
  29. Fricosis Guy Listener
    Fricosis Guy
    @FricosisGuy

    Hoyacon:

    Vance Richards

    Yeah but LeBron didn’t miss a game for being a thug and Draymond didn’t have back-to-back 41 point games leading into game seven.

    Sure, LeBron’s the series MVP. But I thought we were talking about last night.

    The numbers speak for themselves IMO, but throw in the fact that Green’s star teammates tanked, while Love and Irving played great, and I’d say it’s an open question who was the best player on the floor last night. Now if we only had a bar for a real barroom discussion.

    Green had a fine game, but he’s the 3rd option for the Warriors. The Cavs seemed content to let him try to beat them.

    • #29
  30. thelonious Member
    thelonious
    @thelonious

    Fricosis Guy:

    iWe:

    Vance Richards: James led both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. No one has ever done that.

    That is amazing. And his triple-double in a Finals game has only been done by two players before – both incredible players.

    Props to LeBron. He was on the verge of becoming our era’s Wilt: the greatest player of his time, but one who could only win with a Hall of Fame cast around him.

    Irving and Love are fine players, but they aren’t Wade, Bosh, and Allen.

    Name an all time great who didn’t have hall of fame talent around them.  Magic had Jabbar, Worthy, and Wilkes.  Bird had Mchale, Parrish and Dennis Johnson.  Jordan had Pippen.  It is a team game after all.  Oscar Robertson didn’t win a championship til he teamed up with Jabbar.

    • #30
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