SBNation.com - Warriors vs. Cavs 2017: NBA Finals Game 4 news, highlights, and morehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2017-06-13T15:53:41-04:00http://www.sbnation.com/rss/stream/155366652017-06-13T15:53:41-04:002017-06-13T15:53:41-04:00Warriors fan lost a bet and got an even worse version of Richard Jefferson's tattoo
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<p>Yikes.</p> <p id="1QauQI">Most Golden State Warriors fans are probably pretty happy today — after all, last night their team became NBA champions. But even though his team won, one Warriors fan lost big ... and now he has to wear it on his sleeve (literally).</p>
<p id="JqTdG6">After betting a friend that the Warriors would win the series in four games, Golden State fan Ryan Hagerty ended up with an even worse version of Cavaliers small forward Richard Jefferson's tattoo.</p>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVJuVtRherj/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Watch my IG and Snapchat story KingToan to see the events that led up to the worlds greatest tattoo on my friend @cement_brunette . Who is ready for The Warriors blew a 3-0 lead . #believe #TheLand #NBA #LebronJames #Cavs #Basketball @richardjefferson24cavs @kingjames @kevinlove @worldstar</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Toan Luu (@kingtoan) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-06-10T08:13:36+00:00">Jun 10, 2017 at 1:13am PDT</time></p>
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<p id="M6TSEl">Yikes. Props to Ryan for sticking to his word, but that was NOT a great bet. I mean, the Warriors ended up winning the series the very next game! And they were up 3-0! Tsk, tsk. </p>
<p id="o5ArUu">But at least Hagerty admitted that gambling is not his strong suit:</p>
<p id="FFOOmb">“I might need to stay away from betting,” <a href="http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/06/12/ugly-loss-or-uglier-tattoo-warrior-fan-inks-a-bad-bet/">he told the Bay Area Media Group</a>.</p>
<p id="XOdzeO">Luckily, he probably won’t make the same mistake twice — the entire night was captured on his friend’s Snapchat story.</p>
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<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.5% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div>
</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVLtxqWBzTv/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">ICYMI. Here is my Snapchat KingToan story of last nights Richard Jefferson's tattoo blasted on @cement_brunette. Enjoy #nbaplayoffs #WhereAmazingHappens @worldstar @daquan</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Toan Luu (@kingtoan) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-06-11T02:47:10+00:00">Jun 10, 2017 at 7:47pm PDT</time></p>
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<p id="7sRGi7">That said, his new tattoo makes the best of a bad bet. It’s a fully personalized version of Jefferson’s — which is a bit like putting nice rims on a totaled Honda Civic, but still. Not only is the “RJ” now an “RH,” but the scrawled writing around the circle now features the names of professional wrestlers like Shawn Michaels, X-Pac, and Razor Ramon. Pretty cool.</p>
<p id="M0MzbP">So, Ryan, we’ll give you an A for effort, but a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ for general betting ability. </p>
https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2017/6/13/15794460/warriors-fan-tattoo-bet-richard-jeffersonPatrick Basler2017-06-13T09:30:02-04:002017-06-13T09:30:02-04:00The Cavaliers' poor defense meant they were doomed in the NBA Finals all along
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<figcaption>Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Warriors exposed a defense that was already in decline. </p> <p id="APoqdP">When the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cavaliers</a> shocked the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Warriors</a> in last year’s <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-finals">NBA Finals</a>, a few things made it possible. The biggest, most simplest explanation is that Cleveland had <span>LeBron James</span> and Golden State did not. But more specifically, the Cavaliers had an elite offense driven by James and <span>Kyrie Irving</span>, and they had a top-10 defense that performed well in the final three games in particular.</p>
<p id="QZLss0">In retrospect, the Cavs never had a real chance this year. That isn’t because the Warriors added <span>Kevin Durant</span>, though that didn’t help. It’s because that Cavaliers were terrible on defense, just like they’d been for months leading up to this series.</p>
<p id="2gHmXL">The 2015-16 Cavs finished 10th in the league in points allowed per 100 possessions during the regular season. They were not great at keeping the ball out of their own hoop, but they were passable. They became stronger in some respects down the stretch, culminating when they kept the Warriors under 102 points in each of Games 5, 6, and 7. When Cleveland clawed back from that 3-1 deficit, its team defense was making it possible all along. </p>
<aside id="6MPB3o"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"good_morning_basektball"}'></div></aside><h4 id="CQmGmL">This year’s Cavaliers didn’t build on that. They went in the wrong direction.</h4>
<p id="RO6SUC">They played smaller lineups, which helped their offense get even better than it was. But they paid for it on defense. They gave meaningful minutes to <span>Kyle Korver</span>, <span>Deron Williams</span>, and <span>Channing Frye</span>, and their defense was worse when those players were on the court. They fell from 10th to 22nd in defensive efficiency, and even that doesn’t tell the story of how bad things got. After the All-Star break, they were <em>29th </em>for the rest of the regular season. </p>
<p id="CtoA4u">The light switch only sometimes flipped on for the playoffs. The Cavaliers mostly shut down the offenses of the <a href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a> and <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Celtics</a>, the two teams they faced in the middle of their run. The <a href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Pacers</a> had scored plenty on them in the first round, and then the Warriors set them on fire. Golden State scored 117.5 points per 100 possessions in these Finals. For context, the worst defensive team in the league this year, the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a>, gave up 111 points per 100 trips. The Cavaliers were helpless. </p>
<h4 id="Hth8I9">Why was Cleveland’s defense so bad? </h4>
<p id="gTMlMZ">It’s hard to say for sure, but a lack of defensive interest and those offense-heavy lineups probably had roles to play. The Cavs’ primary group of James, Irving, <span>J.R. Smith</span>, <span>Kevin Love</span>, and <span>Tristan Thompson</span> was a particular defensive disaster against the Warriors. When that lineup was on the floor, Golden State’s offensive rating was 129.2. In the Finals, Cleveland played better defense when Korver replaced Thompson, which makes some sense given Golden State’s size and speed. But Cleveland’s own offense cratered with that lineup on the floor, anyway.</p>
<p id="tbdmEF">Cleveland hasn’t looked locked in on defense for months, and the Cavaliers have been aware of the problem all the while. </p>
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<p id="W4h2qr">"Coaches, we gotta be better, but players they gotta be better too," head coach <span>Tyronn Lue</span> <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2017/03/lebron_james_tyronn_lue_questi.html">said after a 126-113 loss to the Nuggets in March</a>. "They gotta be tougher. Gotta be more urgency, and it comes from all of us. They got three-point shots, they got points in the paint, they got offensive rebounds. They got whatever they wanted. And we gotta be better than that.</p>
<p id="DuwHxT">"It starts with the coaches but the players gotta look at themselves in the mirror, too. They gotta be more physical, they gotta bring a physical presence and they've got to take pride in guarding their man."</p>
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<p id="KQTCbn">Golden State had too many weapons. The Cavaliers were swept because they could do nothing to stop Durant, Steph Curry, and <span>Klay Thompson</span> from raining down jumpers to devastating effect. For the series, 51.2 percent of Golden State’s shots <a href="http://stats.nba.com/team/#!/1610612744/shots-dash/?Season=2016-17&SeasonType=Playoffs&LastNGames=3">came without a single dribble being taken</a>. On those, the Warriors had an effective shooting percentage of 59.9. They passed brilliantly, caught those passes, and made it rain. They were a freight train. </p>
<p id="aC2Gu1">The Cavaliers were even better on offense in these Finals, but their defense got blown from the water, eliminating any chance they might’ve had at forging a competitive series. </p>
<h4 id="4GNz4v">The trajectory of the Cavs’ season suggests they were doomed all along. </h4>
<p id="E1yFrc">Flipping that switch and immediately playing suitable defense after not doing it for months is difficult. Doing it against Golden State’s absurd collection of basketball talent was impossible. The Warriors exposed them so many times. Like this one: </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">There’s no communication on this play. Klay and Curry run past each other and JR and Kyrie both run to Klay. Curry nails the 3. <a href="https://t.co/yR7XRCM1Sn">pic.twitter.com/yR7XRCM1Sn</a></p>— Nicholas Sciria (@Nick_Sciria) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nick_Sciria/status/872480937698873346">June 7, 2017</a>
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<p id="FIcJi3">And this one:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Forgoing the down screen works again here as LeBron overplays Durant. KD sets it all up with a hard step in the down screen's direction. <a href="https://t.co/mlEQEHbzDo">pic.twitter.com/mlEQEHbzDo</a></p>— Nicholas Sciria (@Nick_Sciria) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nick_Sciria/status/872483016848834560">June 7, 2017</a>
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<p id="Q13cG0">The Warriors don’t need much time to make a defense pay for the smallest mistakes. Durant, Curry, and Thompson are snipers, and the Cavaliers’ poor communication and occasional lack of focus gave them more than they needed. </p>
<p id="PGWnB6">The Cavs have James, and they’re so much better than the rest of the Eastern Conference that whatever bad habits they’d fallen into didn’t kill them until now. But the Warriors have a way of humbling teams.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/13/15771698/cavaliers-defense-nba-finals-warriorsAlex Kirshner2017-06-13T08:28:30-04:002017-06-13T08:28:30-04:00The Warriors should stay together for a long time. Blame the NBA for that
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<figcaption>Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The new CBA actually makes it easier for the Warriors to keep dominating ... and it doesn’t expire until 2023.</p> <p id="ZtFzo8">NBA executives — those who run the league and the franchise owners who back it — are always concerned about various competitive balance issues. </p>
<p id="z5dgJV">It seems as though there’s a rule change or two in every collective bargaining agreement intended to disrupt how certain teams do business. The 2011 lockout deal sought to shrink the leverage of impending free agents to demand trades to specific teams in the wake of the (first) <span>Carmelo Anthony</span> saga. The new agreement inked this year sought to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2016/12/19/14005286/nba-cba-stars-free-agency-kevin-durant">bolster teams’ ability to retain superstar free agents</a>.</p>
<p id="kAiv4W">That 2017 deal will go into effect on July 1. It was seen as a reaction to <span>Kevin Durant</span> leaving the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> for the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Warriors</a>, where he shot his way to his first championship <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/12/15766018/kevin-durant-nba-finals-2017-golden-state-warriors-all-time-ranking">with an NBA Finals performance for the ages</a>. Had this deal been in place in 2016, the Thunder could have paid Durant much more for longer than the Warriors could have. That <em>might</em> have swayed Durant to stay. </p>
<h4 id="R7SxKo">Here’s the problem: That new clause was reactive</h4>
<p id="3WSVLb">It happened after Durant already made his decision. In effect, it bolstered the Warriors’ ability to retain 2017 free agent Stephen Curry. The labor deal made little effort to hurt the ability of teams to retain a coterie of superstars, just as perhaps the greatest collection of basketball talent in its prime assembled in Oakland.</p>
<aside id="8OonXn"><div data-anthem-component="newsletter" data-anthem-component-data='{"slug":"good_morning_basektball"}'></div></aside><p id="aJ2CbY">The labor deal is locked in through 2023. The NBA can do nothing structurally to cut off the Warriors’ dynasty until then.</p>
<p id="rwoxHZ">The timing on contracts and free agency for the Warriors actually opens up the potential for the team to survive the next labor deal intact. Curry and Durant can re-sign with the Warriors for five and four years, respectively, this summer. (Both are eligible to sign for 35 percent of the salary cap — Curry due to designated player eligibility and Durant because he has 10 years of service in the NBA. But there are no Bird rights on Durant, so he is eligible to sign for a maximum of four years.) </p>
<p id="9Ka73R">Durant’s contract, if he goes the full four, will expire in 2021, and he’d be eligible to sign another big deal with Golden State under the currently agreed-upon labor deal. Curry’s contract would expire in 2022, a year before the labor deal is renegotiated.</p>
<p id="JKgSo6">In fact, an adjustment to a rule making it difficult to sign older players to massive, long contracts will actually make it easier to retain Curry and Durant into their late 30s, if the Warriors so choose. The old over-36 rule is now the over-38 rule, meaning Golden State will be able to offer Durant a five-year deal in 2021 without triggering over-38. </p>
<p id="GhOsq2">The Warriors would be able to give Curry a three-year deal in 2022 without triggering the over-38. (More likely, Curry could opt out in 2021 to sign a new four-year deal without triggering over-38.)</p>
<aside id="3B4eiD"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"How an obscure rule change hugely benefits Chris Paul","url":"https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2016/12/15/13966058/chris-paul-nba-labor-deal-win-money-clippers"}]}'></div></aside><p id="HM8rgx">This would all happen <em>before</em> the next time commissioner Adam Silver and angry NBA team owners are able to change the rules to make life harder for the Warriors to continue winning titles. There’s a non-zero chance Durant, Curry, and the rest of the Warriors could have a fistful of rings by then, beyond the one KD now has and the two Steph possesses.</p>
<p id="SY6Rtd">Furthermore, the NBA’s rule tweaks reacting to the Durant contract could lead to other superstars remaining with the teams that drafted or traded for them early in their careers. As an example, the so-called Durant rule could lead to <span>Russell Westbrook</span> remaining in Oklahoma City long term, and <span>James Harden</span> already re-signed with Houston for big bucks. Two of the top 10 players in the NBA staying home reduces the ability of new superteams to form and rival the Warriors!</p>
<p id="H5peCB">One caveat here: The NBA seriously <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/2013/11/21/5126774/nba-luxury-tax-2013-repeater-chicago-bulls">strengthened the luxury tax</a> as a cudgel to punish superstar-heavy teams in the 2011 lockout deal. This was a reaction to the formation of the LeBron-era <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a>, huge payrolls for the <a href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> and L.A. <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a>, and a decade of blowing past the salary cap by Mark Cuban’s <a href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a>. </p>
<p id="nNc1QP">It will cost Joe Lacob and friends <em>a lot</em> of money in payroll and luxury tax penalties to keep this crew together. At some point, as the Warriors pay down their new bayfront San Francisco arena, the ownership group may cry “uncle” and seek to reduce payroll costs around Curry and Durant. </p>
<p id="uvQ6cb">A second caveat: No one knows how long Durant will stay in Golden State or if he’ll continue to sign short-term deals to maximize his earning potential. </p>
<p id="gdxYWA">But if Lacob and friends are willing to pay whatever it takes, and if Durant wants to remain a Warrior, there is nothing — <em>nothing —</em> the NBA can do to stop them until 2023. </p>
<p id="wECVNP">Buckle up. We may see a lot more titles from here on out.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2017/6/9/15767824/warriors-future-salaries-cap-nba-cba-free-agenyTom Ziller2017-06-13T00:31:20-04:002017-06-13T00:31:20-04:00Kevin Durant wins 2017 NBA Finals MVP award
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<p>Kevin Durant was named the 2017 NBA Finals MVP after leading the Warriors to their second championship in three years.</p> <p id="zgmL20"><span>Kevin Durant</span> was named the 2017 Bill Russell <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-finals">NBA Finals</a> MVP following the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Warriors</a>’ Game 5 elimination victory over the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> on Monday. He capped off the series with a 39-point performance to lead the Warriors to a 129-120 win.</p>
<p id="1FtWs1">“It’s a team sport, and we want to achieve the highest honor in a team sport, which is winning a championship. And to do it with these guys is amazing,” Durant said upon accepting the award.</p>
<p id="58cDo9">Durant became the most efficient scorer in NBA Finals history in the process. He is the first player to ever average more than 30 points per game in the Finals on better than 50 percent shooting from both the field, 47 percent from the three-point line, and 90 percent shooting from the foul line.</p>
<h4 id="ULsOmP">Durant went through a lot to hoist that trophy.</h4>
<p id="b6wO7K">After a season playing under scrutiny like we’ve rarely seen, Durant lifted the most important trophy in basketball after the most important game of the season. </p>
<p id="5d1FTp">First, he had to leave <span>Russell Westbrook</span>, the <a href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Thunder</a> organization, and the Oklahoma City community he held so dearly to his heart during the offseason. Then, he had to absorb the criticism that came with joining the same Warriors team that eliminated his Thunder in last year’s Western Conference Finals.</p>
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<p id="NT890A">There was even drama during the regular season. </p>
<p id="0VP4jY">Some weren’t sure if Durant and <span>Stephen Curry</span> could coexist down the season’s stretch. Others saw <span>Draymond Green</span> and Durant getting into <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2017/1/7/14198240/draymond-green-kevin-durant-yelling-video-golden-state-warriors">an animated conversation during a midseason loss</a> and took it as a turn for the worst. The Warriors even went on a 14-game winning streak after Durant went down with an MCL injury during the season. If he was so great, the argument went, then why did the Warriors excel without him?</p>
<p id="ogMrcQ">Durant proved why he and Golden State were a perfect fit in the playoffs, especially during Game 3 in Cleveland. For a game that was largely controlled by the Cavaliers, it was Durant who took over in the final three minutes. Durant iced the Cavaliers with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/2017/6/8/15761178/warriors-highlights-story-dominant-nba-finals-2017-game-3">a cold, game-winning pull-up three-pointer</a> over LeBron James’ arm. That was the moment he’d come to Golden State to secure. </p>
<p id="qhi4Kb">While the Warriors dropped Game 4 to find themselves with another 3-1 lead against <span>James</span>, it was Durant who proved again why he and the Warriors needed each other. In Game 5, Durant scored his 39 points on just 20 shot attempts in classic effort of killer efficiency.</p>
<p id="CfPvT9">Now, he has been named NBA Finals MVP, and is the top dog for a Warriors team that looks more like a dynasty each game. And if Durant’s game continues to evolve alongside this cast of selfless, defense-first Warriors teammates, this Bill Russell trophy won’t likely be the last one Durant holds high.</p>
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</div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BVRCquzllf3/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">After all the 3-1 jokes, Draymond Green wouldn't change a thing.</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by SB Nation (@sbnation) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2017-06-13T04:25:55+00:00">Jun 12, 2017 at 9:25pm PDT</time></p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/2017/6/13/15772320/nba-mvp-2017-kevin-durant-warriors-cavaliersKristian Winfield2017-06-10T08:00:05-04:002017-06-10T08:00:05-04:00Game 4 was the Cavaliers' Big 3 at their best. Can they do it again?
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<p>Cleveland’s Big 3 was amazing on Friday. Their only chance to win this series is to keep it up.</p> <p id="oWtFv7">In terms of firepower, the <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> are outgunned. They boast three All-Stars — the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a> have four. They have a former MVP in <span>LeBron James</span>, but the Warriors have two players who have combined to win the last three. They have three-point shooters galore, but they kept missing even open ones during the first three games — all losses — of the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-finals">NBA Finals</a>.</p>
<p id="lNLjKS">And yet despite all that, three All-Stars isn’t anything to scoff at. In Game 4, the Cavaliers finally got that trio locked in at the same time, and it was a fearsome thing.</p>
<p id="DUoGHw">LeBron James became the all-time leader in NBA Finals triple-doubles with his ninth career one, notching 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists on 11-of-22 shooting. <span>Kyrie Irving</span> exploded for his second 40-point game (with 40 points exactly, plus seven rebounds and four assists), becoming just the eighth player to record multiple games with that many points. <span>Kevin Love</span> didn’t make any NBA Finals history, unfortunately, unless he’s <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2016/11/14/13626210/kevin-love-banana-republic-jacket-3-1-warriors-joke-cavaliers">the first Banana Republic model</a> to win a finals game. Still, his 23 points and 6-of-8 shooting on threes was all Cleveland needed from him.</p>
<p id="r8WDU8">When the Warriors lit up Cleveland for three straight wins, we asked a lot of questions about this Big Three — namely, whether they would still be together by the start of next season. Those questions are still firmly in place because at times, they still don’t seem to fit together as well as they should. But when they do, it can be a glorious display of basketball.</p>
<p id="Xbtt4j">We saw it in the first quarter when the Cavaliers erupted to set an NBA record with 49 points. That’s right, <em>49</em> <em>damn points</em> in just 12 minutes. That’s a statistic that’s still mind-blowing for anything other than an <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-all-star-game">NBA All-Star game</a>, but we just saw it in the finals. Love led the way, scoring 14 points, while James only needed to drop eight while dishing out six assists.</p>
<p id="VOtips">And then there’s Irving, who can knock in dagger shots like this one:</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr">4️⃣0️⃣ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DefendTheLand?src=hash">#DefendTheLand</a> <a href="https://t.co/CCX5TDa3HW">pic.twitter.com/CCX5TDa3HW</a></p>— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs/status/873389161570418688">June 10, 2017</a>
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<p id="IzpKea">It was clear after Game 3 that James couldn’t do this alone — not when the Warriors outscored the Cavaliers by 12 points in the two minutes that he was off the court. The Cavaliers were still far and away at their best with James in Game 4 (plus-32), but Irving and Love showing up was a must. With 94 points combined out of the trio, it’s safe to say that happened.</p>
<p id="S5WaZf">At their best, this is what the Cleveland Big Three can be. Irving is an outright scorer who never holds back, and Love fills in the gaps as a sharpshooter who can muscle on the inside, too. James does a little bit of everything in between, picking up the slack scoring wise when he needs to or sitting back and delivering pinpoint passes within the flow of the offense if that’s what the situation calls for in the moment.</p>
<p id="qqJsF3">Questions about whether Love is the best option for the team over a more versatile two-way wing will persist, especially since the Cavaliers are still enormously unlikely to win the series. Debates about how much Irving really adds besides scoring can still be waged in the Twitter mentions of your favorite basketball nerd. But Game 4 showed the beauty of those three playing together as their best selves, and it was a gorgeous thing to watch.</p>
<p id="RoTctK">The Cavaliers will need it again if they have any hope of winning another game.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/10/15774718/cavaliers-game-4-big-three-nba-finals-2017Tim Cato2017-06-10T08:00:04-04:002017-06-10T08:00:04-04:00NBA referees take responsibility for confusion on Draymond Green’s technical fouls
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<p>The officiating crew says it didn’t clearly convey that Green’s first technical foul should have been assigned to Steve Kerr.</p> <p id="JkiPx8">It seemed like <span>Draymond Green</span> was ejected in the third quarter of Game 4 after receiving a second technical foul. <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cavaliers</a> fans thought he was tossed. The Cavaliers thought he was tossed. The entire arena thought he was tossed.</p>
<p id="U4EbZt">He wasn’t. Instead, the referees explained that the first technical foul was actually given to Steve Kerr, and the scorer’s table mistakenly assigned it to Green. That meant that Green could stay in the game with just one technical, much to everyone’s confusion.</p>
<p id="HAPyV9">After the game, officials Mike Callahan and John Goble took responsibility for not clearly informing the scorer’s table that the initial technical was on Kerr, not Green.</p>
<p id="MEKrQK">“In that moment, I thought I had verbalized to the table that the technical foul was on Coach Kerr,” Goble told pool reporter Brian Mahoney of the <em>Associated Press</em>. After looking at the video, I should have done a better job of making sure that the table knew the technical foul was on Coach Kerr.”</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The following was released by the NBA: <a href="https://t.co/KwfBulGj4b">pic.twitter.com/KwfBulGj4b</a></p>— NBA Official (@NBAOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAOfficial/status/873420015701299201">June 10, 2017</a>
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<p id="kWa7QR">Callahan also took responsibility for not correcting the public address announcement that the first technical was on Green.</p>
<p id="ygfdXS">The technical in question occurred when Green elbowed <span>Iman Shumpert</span> in the face in pursuit of a loose ball: </p>
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<p id="8rfANV">Green was shocked when he was called for it (though it was an obvious whistle) and reacted in a very Draymond way. Everyone thought that earned him a tech. It didn’t though.</p>
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<p id="FMrdz0">Behind him, Kerr made a fuss as well, which earned him the tech. Green said he knew that he didn’t receive that tech, but the viewers, and seemingly everyone in the arena, <a href="https://twitter.com/HowardBeck/status/873394869800140800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2F2017%2F6%2F9%2F15773654%2Fdraymond-green-ejected-officials-not-referees-nba-finals">including Kerr</a>, weren’t relayed that information:</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">First half box we were given on press row, for what it's worth. Clearly states Draymond had been given that 1st quarter tech <a href="https://t.co/wwDhCeophJ">pic.twitter.com/wwDhCeophJ</a></p>— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) <a href="https://twitter.com/sam_amick/status/873376961346908161">June 10, 2017</a>
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<p id="JIgumO">In fact, ABC’s Doris Burke confirmed during the broadcast that the scorer’s table thought the first tech was Draymond’s up until the refs corrected them after his second technical.</p>
<p id="sMdlDb">“They all agreed as a unit that they were told by the officials that that first-half technical was in fact on Draymond Green,” Burke said on ABC midway through the third quarter. “That’s why it was marked that way in the scorer’s table. It wasn’t until that last incident, when there was that stoppage in play, that the officials went to the scorers and said, ‘No, that first-half technical was on Steve Kerr.”</p>
<p id="dFsmaC">It was a confusing effort that took minutes to sort out and reflected poorly on the officiating crew. At least they are taking responsibility for the error.</p>
<aside id="r7SauZ"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"The referees were a disaster in Game 4","url":"https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/10/15772762/game-4-cavs-warriors-refs"}]}'></div></aside>
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/10/15773862/draymond-green-technical-foul-confusion-refereesMatt Ellentuck2017-06-10T07:00:02-04:002017-06-10T07:00:02-04:00Tristan Thompson might be back
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<figcaption>Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Golden State takes a 3-1 lead back home, but the Cavaliers might have a touch of confidence now.</p> <p id="IXc0W9"><span>Tristan Thompson</span> had a brutal first three games of these <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba-finals">NBA Finals</a>. The <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cavaliers</a> forward was averaging 2.7 points and 3.7 rebounds entering Friday’s Game 4. He was shooting a horrific 36 percent from the field, so it wasn’t just that Thompson was generally uninvolved on offense. He was both uninvolved and bad. </p>
<p id="lUrj12">Thompson made important strides in the Cavs’ 137-116 win against the <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Warriors</a> in Friday’s Game 4. He wasn’t an offensive focal point, and he’ll never be one in a series where he’s always matched against <span>Draymond Green</span> or Zaza Pachulia. But Thompson made two of his three shots from the field and, far more importantly, had 10 rebounds and five assists. He was particularly adept at grabbing offensive boards (four of them) and using them to set up open or cutting teammates for quality looks.</p>
<p id="ytDFTS">Cleveland almost never plays with a true center on the floor. Thompson is really a power forward, but he functions at the five. My favorite play of his on Friday was when he walked Pachulia, a behemoth of a “true” center, out beyond the arc. Thompson decided to try to be Kyrie Irving, and while it wasn’t pretty, he beat Pachulia off the dribble, sucked in a helping Green, and found a wide-open <span>Kevin Love</span> for a three-pointer.</p>
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<p id="kFabvL">On another Thompson-Love connection, Thompson took a pass from <span>LeBron James</span> in a phone booth under the basket. Love camped in the corner, and Thompson found him with a bullet pass that set up another open triple. (Three of Thompson’s five dimes on the night were to a gorgeously uncovered Love on the wing or in the corner.) </p>
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<p id="ttpSNw">When the Cavaliers are at their best, Thompson is using his most power forward-ish traits to put more lumbering centers at a defensive disadvantage. He did that in Game 4, and he was a key cog in the Cavs’ offensive outburst. That doesn’t mean the team’s defensive woes are anywhere near solved, but having a good Thompson is vital. </p>
<h4 id="d09ZnJ">Game 4 was a wild affair all the way around.</h4>
<p id="AU2Tme">It was <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/10/15772768/nba-finals-2017-game-4-cavaliers-warriors-mess">one monstrosity stacked on top of the next</a>.</p>
<p id="JBdjFY">Seriously, <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/10/15773656/warriors-cavaliers-game-4-dumb-ridiculous-what-we-needed">it was ridiculous</a>. </p>
<p id="F6ik27">The referees <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/10/15772762/game-4-cavs-warriors-refs">did not have a good night</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p id="8wWNFI">This is a series that has LeBron James, <span>Kevin Durant</span>, Steph Curry, and <span>Kyrie Irving</span> in it, among other likely future Hall of Famers. Everyone tuned in Friday to watch those players play, not to watch the officiating crew officiate.</p></blockquote>
<p id="WpPxeV">The Warriors wanted to win in Cleveland. <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/2017/6/10/15773504/cavs-warriors-nba-finals-2017">Irving didn’t like that</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p id="hvv4et">“We knew what we were faced with, that was what it was. But then you add of course, some chatter in there. That adds some extra motivation and you give us a day in between. We were ready to come out, especially me because that taste wouldn’t have been the same tonight if we would have lost on our home floor.”</p></blockquote>
<p id="tImsc5">Thompson was in the spotlight for a few minutes at the beginning of the game, when Jeff Van Gundy <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/9/15772792/khloe-kardashian-jeff-van-gundy-tristan-thompson">made an important point about criticism of Thompson’s girlfriend</a>. </p>
<p id="QeRYXW">I don’t know what a Gatorade baby is, <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2017/6/10/15774638/lebron-james-gatorade-baby-j-r-smith-cavaliers-nba-finals">but LeBron is one, per J.R. Smith</a>.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/10/15774654/cavs-warriors-2017-scores-nba-finals-tristan-thompsonAlex Kirshner2017-06-10T01:38:12-04:002017-06-10T01:38:12-04:00Steph Curry and Kevin Durant couldn't believe a reporter asked about Steph's squatting
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<p>They were all, *stale face emoji*</p> <p id="Nph2nJ">The <a href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Warriors</a> played a <a href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cavaliers</a> team on Friday night that just wasn’t going to lose. It was a hard night for the Warriors, who were hoping to complete the first 16-0 NBA postseason in history.</p>
<p id="0Xegre">So when <span>Stephen Curry</span> got a question about his Game 3 squat after the game-clinching <span>Kevin Durant</span> three-pointer, he understandably wasn’t happy about it.</p>
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<p id="CExuYx">The reporter asked, “Steph, I’m sorry we keep asking you about squatting, but while Draymond and Steve were arguing with the ref and one of them got the technical, it looked like you squatted down. And were you just stretching there, and what did <span>Richard Jefferson</span> say to you?”</p>
<p id="zZXllW">Curry and Kevin Durant couldn’t believe that was a question. “Are you serious right now?” Curry said with disbelief in his eyes.</p>
<p id="l08Vaj">Nearly interrupting, Durant added, “You got to be better,” aiming criticism at the reporter.</p>
<p id="o5j3tz">Curry finished by saying that he had no answer for the question, and that it was the craziest thing he had ever heard. He also said he doesn’t remember the particular situation.</p>
<p id="NMoaaB">The exchange ended with Durant telling the reporter, “You got to be better, man. I like you, but you got to be better.”</p>
<p id="HAPURa">It’s fair to say that we were all curious about Curry’s squat. It was new for many, and led some to believe <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2017/6/8/15759798/steph-curry-poop-on-cavs-floor-during-game-3-nba-finals">he was mimicking taking a dump on the floor in Game 3</a>.</p>
<p id="AF7hzu">But that’s probably on the list of questions you don’t want to ask after a game like the Warriors just had.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/2017/6/10/15773568/steph-curry-kevin-durant-squat-cavs-warriors-nba-finalsHarry Lyles Jr.