Warriors finish off sweep of Cavs for 3rd NBA championship in 4 years

Warriors 108, Cavaliers 85 (Final)

The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions yet again, closing out the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 23-point win in Game 4 on Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, completing a four-game sweep.

Steph Curry scored 37 points to lead Golden State in Game 4 and averaged 27.5 points in the series, shooting 41.5% from distance, leading the Warriors to a second straight NBA championship and a third in four seasons.

Kevin Durant scored 20 points in the clincher topped the Warriors with 28.8 points per game in the series. He added 12 rebounds and 10 assists in Game 4 for his first career playoff triple double. Durant was named NBA Finals MVP for the second year in a row.

LeBron James scored 23 in Friday’s loss for Cleveland, finishing off what was one of the great individual series in NBA Finals history. James averaged 34 points, 10 assists and 8.5 rebounds in the series, including a 51-point performance in Game 1, an overtime loss in Golden State that turned out to be the only truly close game of the series.

James averaged 34 points during the entire playoffs, and his 748 points were the second-most in a single postseason, trailing only the 759 points scored by Michael Jordan in 1992.

The Warriors join the Celtics, Lakers and Bulls as the only NBA franchises to win three (or more) titles in a four-year span.

Warriors 97, Cavaliers 74 (7:07, 4Q)

Golden State is putting this game to bed, leading by as much as 25 at one point. Steph Curry leads all scorers with 34, including six threes.

Early recruiting?

Look, the NBA season isn’t over yet, but it’s never too early to speculate where LeBron James might end up this summer should he decide to leave the Cavaliers. The Philadelphia Eagles’ contingency of quarterback Carson Wentz and tight end Zach Ertz are at Quicken Loans Arena for Game 4, and having a little fun with it.

Warriors 79, Cavaliers 63 (4:03, 3Q)

Golden State is starting to create some distance, which has to be perplexing for a Cleveland team that might see its season end tonight.

Warriors 67, Cavaliers 52 (10:16, 3Q)

Three different Warriors scored to open the second half, and less than two minutes into the third quarter Golden State has its largest lead of the game. Klay Thompson got off the bagel with his first bucket of the game, after a scoreless, three-foul first half.

Warriors 61, Cavaliers 52 (Halftime)

These two times went back and forth in the second quarter, with Golden State taking a ...-point lead into the break. Among some unsung performances, J.R. Smith has 10 for Cleveland and Andre Iguodala hit three from distance for Golden State. Also, JaVale McGee is out here channeling George Gervin with the finger roll.

Steph Curry leads all scorers with 20 points.

Cavaliers 39, Warriors 38 (6:59, 2Q)

Cleveland came out strong to start the second quarter, and now have a lead after Golden State led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter. LeBron James has 13 points so far in the game.

Warriors 34, Cavaliers 25 (End 1Q)

Golden State had their highest-scoring opening quarter of the NBA Finals, shooting 56.5% along the way, including 6-for-10 from three-point range. Steph Curry scored 12 for the Warriors and Kevin Durant added eight. Kevin Love led Cleveland with nine points and seven rebounds, but the Cavs are shooting just 33%.

Warriors 24, Cavaliers 13 (5:07, 1Q)

Three straight threes fueled an 11-2 run by Golden State to open up their largest lead of the game so far. Steph Curry has 12 points, on 4-of-5 shooting.

Warriors 10, Cavaliers 3 (9:23, 1Q)

Golden State is off the quick start in Game 4, making four of their first six shots. But I mostly wanted to point out that since the start of the 2015 playoffs the Warriors have played the equivalent of a full NBA season, and are a ridiculous 62-20.

Pregame

The Golden State Warriors are one win away from their second straight title, while Cleveland Cavaliers fans wonder if Friday night will be the last time they see LeBron James in a Cavs uniform. There is a lot on the line in Game 4 of the 2018 NBA Finals.

Time, TV channel, and streaming info

Time: 9:00 p.m. ET

TV: ABC

Stream: WatchESPN, YouTube TV, Hulu Live, ABC app

Steph Curry was a problem for the Cavs through in games 1 and 2. But it was Kevin Durant, who took the spotlight in Game 3. Durant racked up 43 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. He also drained a late dagger that looked eerily similar to a pivotal shot he made in Game 3 last year. Curry, meanwhile, struggled offensively, scoring 11 points and going 3-16 from the floor.

James registered a triple-double, 33 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. Rodney Hood FINALLY got playing time and he chipped in 15 points on 7-11 shooting.

No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven playoff series. Can LeBron keep the Cavs alive for a chance to make history?