LeBron James and the Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 93-89 to end Cleveland’s half-century title drought.
And what a Game 7 it was, a back-and-forth affair, with Golden State leading 76-75 after three quarters. A Klay Thompson layup tied things at 89 with 4:40 remaining. And then…nothing. Good defense, poor shooting, and a few turnovers combined to hold both teams scoreless until the 0:53 mark.
Good defense, including this:
That might be the best block in Finals history. Hyperbole is annoying, but considering everything involved, it has a decent case. Take a look at a few more angles:
https://twitter.com/iamjoonlee/status/744723213872168968
https://vine.co/v/5BuziKVTMtK
Wow. Just wow. That preserved the tie, and with 0:53 left, Kyrie broke it:
Then, after another empty Golden State possession, the LeBron attempted to end the game, series, and perhaps society altogether with a monster jam:
Draymond had to commit that foul, and LeBron was left shaking off a wrist injury. He made one of two free throws, pushing the lead to 93-89. The Warriors were left with a desperation possession:
And that was it. For the final 4:40, the Cavs had held Golden State scoreless. One of the best offensive teams of any NBA era, and Cleveland shut them down. Draymond Green had 32 in the loss, along with 15 rebounds and nine assists. But Steph Curry and Klay Thompson scored just 17 and 14, respectively; Steph’s 17 coming on 19 shots. It was an unfortunate end to a great season for the Warriors.
But LeBron was the story. He played 47 minutes, and had another triple-double (27 points, 11 boards, 11 assists, plus 2 steals and 3 blocks.) His defense was key all series, as well:
LeBron James had 10 weakside or chase down blocks in this series on shots that would otherwise have been near automatic baskets.
— Synergy Basketball (@SynergySST) June 20, 2016
Just a fantastic all-around series for the best basketball player alive, who was deservedly awarded Finals MVP.
Drought is over. Go nuts, Cleveland.
