Warriors join Cavs in Finals
Golden State KOs Rockets, aims for first title in 40 years
The Golden State Warriors are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975.
Stephen Curry scored 26 points, Harrison Barnes added 24 and Klay Thompson added 20 as the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets 104-90 Wednesday night in Oakland, Calif., winning the Western Conference finals 4-1.
LeBron, title-starved Cleveland celebrate
Escorted by family members and friends, LeBron James walked out of Quicken Loans Arena cradling his sleepy youngest son with his left arm while clutching an expensive bottle of champagne in his right hand.
It was time for one James to go to bed, the other to have a latenight drink and get some much-needed rest.
The NBA Finals lie ahead.
Taking his magnificent game to a higher level, James sent the Cavaliers into the Finals for the second time in franchise history Tuesday night with a 118-88 romp over the Atlanta Hawks, who couldn’t stop the four-time league MVP and were swept in four games.
Driven by the chance to end the city’s half-century-old championship drought, James was brilliant from start to finish. He averaged 30.3 points, 11 rebounds and 9.3 assists, the first player in postseason history to put up that statistical line. He’s never been better in the playoffs.
The Cavs didn’t know their opponent until late Wednesday, when Golden State eliminated Houston. But in the East, one team stands above all the others — the one with James, who will appear in his fifth consecutive Finals after going four times in a row with the Miami Heat.
He came back to Ohio to win a title for his home region, where second place has been as good as it gets since the Browns ruled the NFL in 1964. There has been heartbreak in the years since as the Indians lost two World Series, the Browns were denied in three AFC championship games by Denver’s John Elway and the Cavs were swept by San Antonio in 2007.
With four wins, James can change that.
“We all know how long it’s been since a champion has been in this city,” he said. “We will give our best shot.”
In the delirious moments after Game 4, James stood at midcourt as adoring Cleveland fans chanted: “N-B-A Finals.” He turned to teammate J.R. Smith with a simple message: “Four more.”