So, the Golden State Warriors are your 2018 NBA Champions. The Warriors capped off the sweep to win back-to-back titles and three championships in four years. They didn't just beat the Cavs, but they destroyed them on their home floor in a 108-85 rout last night.
For Warriors fans, it was all smiles. But for Cavs fans, that was hard to watch. I was watching the game with a couple of my friends (die-hard Warriors fans) inside St. John's Bar & Grill in Sunnyvale. Of course, there were a lot Warrior fans inside and I was the lone Laker fan there just watching the game as an basketball fan of course. There's no question that this was the most complete game that the Golden State Warriors put together. They put on an absolute clinic on both ends of the floor. Remember when I said in the last recap that Curry is not going to have an off night next game as he did during Game 3? That came true and Steph reminded everyone why he's one of the best shooters in the world. Curry went off for 37 points and connected on 7-15 three-pointers this game. That's when you know that this game was under wraps. On the defensive side, the Warriors threw a block party with Draymond Green, JaVale McGee, and Curry each leading the team with 3 blocks. Andre Iguodala sparked the bench once again with 11 points and including hitting 3-6 from downtown. Nowadays, we rarely see Iggy pull up from three. Klay Thompson struggled, but he was able to knock down some 3-pointers in the third quarter to blow this game wide open for the Warriors.
On the Cleveland Cavaliers' side of the ball, that is one of the most embarrassing performances in the finals since LeBron returned. It's almost as if they threw the white flag, especially in the 3rd quarter when the Warriors started the rout. The defense was almost as bad as Game 3. Offensively, they were jacking up threes. 8-27 from beyond the arc! You're not going to beat Golden State like that, especially when Curry's going off for 37 points. Kevin Love was quiet. Tristan Thompson didn't crash the boards like he did, except making an accidental basket for the Warriors in the 3rd quarter. The Cavs looked defeated out there. LeBron James looked defeated out there. In fact, he almost fouled out of the game. When you saw the replay during the timeout where LeBron lashing out on his teammates in frustration, that's a telltale sign that he is done. He's looking elsewhere to find a team that can surround him with a reliable supporting cast. Because there's no way that the Cavs can build him that kind of team, especially when they took up the big contracts of Clarkson and Thompson who are average at best.
Perhaps the only unpredictable twist we saw in these finals was that KD took the Finals MVP once again. Steph Curry looked like the unanimous favorite to win Finals MVP, but Kevin Durant out of nowhere took the spotlight again. I can tell you, I saw some mixed reactions from Warriors fans when Adam Silver announced the 2018 NBA Finals MVP. Did Curry get robbed out of a Finals MVP? If we compare the stats, Durant shot the ball more efficiently and contributed in other categories. But, the biggest difference was Game 3 when Durant went off for 43 points and Curry went ice cold with 11 points, 3-16 shooting. I feel if Curry didn't have that kind of game in Game 3, it would've been neck-and-neck. But because that game happened, Curry lost all kind of momentum to get that elusive Finals MVP. KD mounted a monstrous comeback after an inefficient Game 1 to deserve Finals MVP honors.
With this win, the Warriors can officially declare themselves a dynasty. Three championship in four years. They could've won four in a row had they not blown a 3-1 lead in 2016 after a remarkable 73-9 season. It is a reminder that they're still the "gold standard" NBA teams look up to and they'll always be the overwhelming favorite as long as their Big 4 and coach Steve Kerr stick around. Oddsmakers currently have them as the favorites to win it all next season as we speak. For the Cavaliers, Cleveland's gotta brace themselves for dark times coming ahead. LeBron James is the hottest name in this year's free agent class and teams are gonna be at odds with each other to be the highest bidder. My Lakers included even though I did say a tandem of LeBron and Lonzo won't work out because of their over-unselfish mentality. But teams are going to want the best player on the planet on their team any day of the week. It's going to be one epic Summer. The Decision III coming soon. Thank you guys for following my coverage of the 2018 NBA Finals. Perhaps next year, we'll have different matchup this time around.
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