2016 NBA Finals

[Thespiralgoeson]

That might be the most important, clutch free throw in finals history.

[EricaLubarsky]

I'm happy for Cleveland

[GermanDunk]

Cavs over Dubs. Wow.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Wow! I don't know if this is THE biggest upset in finals history, but it's gotta be way up there. I didn't think the series was gonna go past game 5.

[GermanDunk]

I´m crying, too

[Thespiralgoeson]

So can anyone talk sh*t about Lebron's legacy now? By any conceivable measure, he has to at least be top 5 all-time. And honestly I think that's being conservative.

[Underdog]

Kevin Love does not deserve a championship ring.

[Thespiralgoeson]

So how bad did the Warriors choke in this series? Not just blowing a 3-1 lead, but man some of those shots towards the end were terrible. Shots they normally make too. And that last turnover by Curry was one of the dumbest things I've ever seen. It's always dumb to attempt a behind the back bounce pass behind the three point line. To do that in game 7 of the NBA finals, late in the 4th quarter and it's a one-possession game?? How arrogant and/or careless can you possibly be?

[EricaLubarsky]

Originally Posted by Underdog

Kevin Love does not deserve a championship ring.

Love doesn't deserve a cup that doesn't have a sippy top

[GhostFace]

I can't believe this actually happened, holy shit. I'm also happy for Cleveland. Congrats to them!

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

So do I. F*ck the Warriors.

You must spread some reputation around before giving it to Thespiralgoeson again.

[GhostFace]

.

[GhostFace]

Spiral - when does NBA TV show the encore?

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by GhostFace

Spiral - when does NBA TV show the encore?

Dunno about NBA TV but ESPN has one at 2:30.

[EricaLubarsky]

Now to wait for Thuraday for the actual season to start

[GhostFace]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

Dunno about NBA TV but ESPN has one at 2:30.

That's 3:30am for me, guess I'll be staying up.

[NeedlesKane]

Let's go Mavs!

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Happy for Cleveland fans. They definitely deserved this after all the drama of Lebron leaving and what not.

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by tap2390

What I saw was Shumpert trying to set a pick and Curry undercutting him preventing him from getting position. Considering that Kerr didn't argue the call I think it was correct.

Shumpert initiated the contact. He ran directly into Curry!

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Originally Posted by mac222b

Shumpert initiated the contact. He ran directly into Curry!

Yeah, it definitely wasn't a foul on Curry. Kerr not protesting is just Kerr being Kerr.

And that was a big foul that put Curry on the bench with three.

[mac222b]

Did Steve Kerr develop a prescription pill addiction after back surgery? He brought Ezelli(who has been terrible and isn't really good at anything)in with 6 mins to go in Game 7 of the Finals?! They had momentum. LeBron scored 6 straight on Ezelli. I swear that was the turning point.

That and nobody except Draymond showed up for GSW. Iggy played great defense but why didn't he dunk the shot LeBron blocked? Curry was lazy on offense and careless. Klay didn't impact the game much. All jump shots. didnt value posssesions. They just looked kinda soft.

Lost some respect for that organization this series I think.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Lebron is definitely MVP, but Kyrie deserves some kind of award too. The dude absolutely took over late in the game after GSW had gone on a big run, and that dagger at the end was one of the most cold-blooded things I've ever seen.

[mac222b]

Very curious to see which direction GS goes now this offseason. Bogut is almost done. Iggy is getting older. Livingston a FA? Barnes a RFA. Big decisions.

Championship windows close so fast. Being at home and losing a very winnable Game 7 after setting a regular season record. Could be big letdown on the horizon for theses guys. Barring some new blood infusion. Wonder if Durant just became a bigger priority.

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

Lebron is definitely MVP, but Kyrie deserves some kind of award too. The dude absolutely took over late in the game after GSW had gone on a big run, and that dagger at the end was one of the most cold-blooded things I've ever seen.

When Curry switched onto to him I said "use the foul to give, use the foul to give!" Out loud.
Kyrie owned Curry all series. Curry of all people should know you don't let a rhythm shooter get his rhythm. Kyrie is better off the dribble than as a catch and shoot.

[mac222b]

My hugest pet peeve, I'm constantly calling out Mavs for this on here, unnecessarily switching! Sometimes they just hand the guy off before the pick even comes. Drives me nuts. Kerr is so overrated. Or he lost something this season. Idk but allowing Curry to keep getting switched onto Bron and Kyrie, especially when in foul trouble, is just poor game planning. Or in game adjusting or both.

[Melonhead]

Has Curry been figured out? Wasnt great against the Thunder, and didnt do well at all vs Cleveland. Cavs punish him in the screens, double him hard, push him around etc. Obviously he cant be completely contained, but he's slowly coming down to earth.

[Melonhead]

Im not going to knock on lebron at all, but can we put to rest the "he has no help around him" excuse now? Kyrie deserves part of that MVP award.

[Melonhead]

Originally Posted by mac222b

Very curious to see which direction GS goes now this offseason. Bogut is almost done. Iggy is getting older. Livingston a FA? Barnes a RFA. Big decisions.

Championship windows close so fast. Being at home and losing a very winnable Game 7 after setting a regular season record. Could be big letdown on the horizon for theses guys. Barring some new blood infusion. Wonder if Durant just became a bigger priority.

Barnes is probably gone. Id hate to be a fan of whatever team he goes to. I cringe watching him in the finals. Bogut may stick around for cheap, I mean where else is he going to go at this age. Same with Iggy. Not sure about Livingston. Ezeli probably gone too. (But he suckss)

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by Melonhead

Barnes is probably gone. Id hate to be a fan of whatever team he goes to. I cringe watching him in the finals. Bogut may stick around for cheap, I mean where else is he going to go at this age. Same with Iggy. Not sure about Livingston. Ezeli probably gone too. (But he suckss)

Barnes will be solid wherever he goes. His touches are sporadic. With better rhythm and more trust in his off the bounce game he could be Chandler Parsons without the passing, but a better defender.
He just doesn't seem to have much dog in him.

[EricaLubarsky]

Holy crap.

Lebron is the first player to lead both teams in a series in points, rebounds, blocks, steals, and blocks

That has never happened before and may never happen again.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Holy crap.

Lebron is the first player to lead both teams in a series in points, rebounds, blocks, steals, and blocks

That has never happened before and may never happen again.

First thought- WOW!!

Second thought- Wait, he didn't also lead in assists?

[tap2390]

Originally Posted by mac222b

Shumpert initiated the contact. He ran directly into Curry!

Just because someone is setting a pick on you doesn't mean you can dip your shoulder and make them fall over. IMO it was an easy call.

Edit: just rewatched it, Shumpert ran into him first. Should've been a no-call.

[Thespiralgoeson]

I thought it was a foul on Shumpert, but honestly who cares. Some people might want to make the narrative about the officiating, but the fact is the Dubs just didn't play well any time after game 4.

[spreedom]

Thrilled for LeBron (literally the GOAT in my opinion), thrilled for Kevin Love, thrilled for Cleveland. Congrats to the Warriors on what was still an unbelievable season; zero to be ashamed of. The Cavs just outplayed them in these last three games.

Being on the off-season... Let's go Mavs.

[mac222b]

Originally Posted by spreedom

Thrilled for LeBron (literally the GOAT in my opinion), thrilled for Kevin Love, thrilled for Cleveland. Congrats to the Warriors on what was still an unbelievable season; zero to be ashamed of. The Cavs just outplayed them in these last three games.

Being on the off-season... Let's go Mavs.

Very cheery outlook Spree

Disagree mainly on the point about the Warriors. They were about 3-1 with homecourt. Green got suspended, Bogut got hurt, but still. I think it was a huge missed opportunity to start a "dynasty". They kinda chumped it. It's so hard to get through the gauntlet of the West every year. You need luck, good health. They were so close. Now it looks a little like if Kyrie is healthy in last years Finals maybe GS has zero rings. I realize that's a silly speculation on some level, impossible to know. I'm sorry but in light of this they look somewhat less legit.
73-9 and all

[mac222b]

Also, can't say I'm a huge Kevin Love fan. The fact that he and JR Smith have rings and guys like Stockton and Barkley don't is one of the sucky things about following pro sports.

[Thespiralgoeson]

For all the vitriol directed at Love, he had a pretty damn good game. Good enough that some of the comments throughout the night were confusing to me. He didn't shoot the ball well, but he ended the night with 9 pts 14 reb (4 Oreb) 3 ast 2 stl. He also had a +/- of +19, incidentally the best of any player for either team. Perhaps most importantly, he actually defended Curry very well when he got switched on the perimeter. Very good night all around.

I'll still be surprised if the Cavs don't trade him this summer, but I don't be shocked.

[Thespiralgoeson]

How LeBron James carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to a title
play

He did it.

LeBron James didn’t score the winning basket, but he did everything in his power to propel the Cleveland Cavaliers to one of the best comebacks in sports history and an NBA title after trailing 3-1 in the Finals to a Golden State Warriors team that finished with the best regular-season record in league history. The Cavaliers are the first team in NBA history to overcome that deficit in the Finals.

How did he do it? In simplest terms, James did it all.

He led all players on both teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots. Elias Sports Bureau research shows that it’s the first time any player has led both teams in all those categories in any playoff series of any length.

James scored 109 points in Games 5, 6 and 7, which Elias notes is the most by a player who was on a team that completed a comeback from a 3-1 deficit.

James finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in Game 7. Elias research shows that he’s the third player to record a triple-double in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The others were Jerry West in a losing effort for the 1969 Lakers against the Celtics and James Worthy in the 1988 Lakers’ win over the Pistons.

James scored or assisted on 50 percent of the Cavaliers' points in the Finals, his second-highest mark in a Finals, surpassed only by his 62 percent last season (when he was playing without Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love).

In Game 7, James scored or assisted on 52 of the Cavaliers 93 points, including 13 of 18 in the fourth quarter. In the first four games of the series, James scored or assisted on 45 percent of the Cavaliers' points. He was responsible for 57 percent in the last three games, all wins.

This postseason, James attempted 59 percent of his shots in the paint, his highest percentage in a single postseason. In the NBA Finals, James slightly upped the ante and attempted 60 percent of his shots in the paint. He made seven of nine shots in the paint in Game 7.

In the 2015 NBA Finals, Andre Iguodala won the MVP award, in part due to his defense against James. Iguodala limited James to 35 percent shooting in the series. In this Finals, James shot 54 percent against Iguodala.

James also got it done on defense. James held the Warriors to 36 percent shooting in the NBA Finals (21-of-58), best of any player on the Cavaliers. Stephen Curry was 1-of-7 against him. Klay Thompson was 2-of-6. The Warriors did not make any of their seven shots against James in Game 6.

James blocked seven shots in transition, including one on Andre Iguodala with 1:50 remaining in the fourth quarter of a tied Game 7 (which you can see atop this article). James was also the primary defender for 14 turnovers, tied for most of any player in the series.

This is James’ third NBA title. James, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only players to win three titles and four MVPs.

http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/po...ers-to-a-title

Lebron's performance in these finals really is just mind boggling. I've rarely watched the finals in recent years because I usually just tune out whenever the Mavs are eliminated. I'm sooooo glad I didn't do that this year.

[spreedom]

This is not an excuse for Golden State or any reason to diminish the Cavs' accomplishment, but Curry played the entire series with a sprained MCL. No doubt it had an effect on how he played.

[MavzMan]

I'm just getting caught up, so first of all Congrats to the Cavs. They fought harder and wanted it more to a player. Maybe I'm reading emotions wrong, but I feel some of the Warrriors weren't as determined to win another ring. All the Cavs and especially Lebron truly truly wanted it.

Originally Posted by Thespiralgoeson

So can anyone talk sh*t about Lebron's legacy now? By any conceivable measure, he has to at least be top 5 all-time. And honestly I think that's being conservative.

It's still too early to to legacy with Lebron. Wait until his career is done. And even Charles Barkley on the radio just this morning didn't have him top five ... or even top 7 honestly. You can't ride the emotion of winning this year's championship and declare him the GOAT.

Barkley's top:
#1-5 (in no order): Jordan, Kareem, Oscar Robertson, Wilt, Russel
#6 Kobe
#7 Tim Duncan
#8-13 (in no order): Magic, Bird, Lebron, and i forget the other two he said

Originally Posted by Melonhead

Has Curry been figured out? Wasnt great against the Thunder, and didnt do well at all vs Cleveland. Cavs punish him in the screens, double him hard, push him around etc. Obviously he cant be completely contained, but he's slowly coming down to earth.

I really think the ref calls helped OKC to some extent and helped Cavs to a lot. For whatever reason, the NBA decided to go to letting players get constantly bumped, pulled, and pushed on the outside. This is a HUGE change in playstyle and very nearly took Curry and Thompson out of the game/series. The NBA needs to figure out what type of game they want played and then call it throughout the season and playoffs. This changing it up for the playoffs is just bullshit.

That said, the Cavs won it. Yes, I think the NBA helped, but the Cavs stepped up and did what was needed for three straight games. Curry never adjusted his game and lost. Plain and simple. Congratulations Cleveland Cavaliers!

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by MavzMan

It's still too early to to legacy with Lebron. Wait until his career is done. And even Charles Barkley on the radio just this morning didn't have him top five ... or even top 7 honestly. You can't ride the emotion of winning this year's championship and declare him the GOAT.

Barkley's top:
#1-5 (in no order): Jordan, Kareem, Oscar Robertson, Wilt, Russel
#6 Kobe
#7 Tim Duncan
#8-13 (in no order): Magic, Bird, Lebron, and i forget the other two he said

Not riding any emotion at all. Just looking at his career accomplishments. I had him easily in my top 10 for a while now. A third title obviously is going to move him up a couple of spots. The guy just won is third finals MVP off the most dominant finals performance ever. Not too early at all to put in him in the top 5. The only other guys who have ever won finals MVP three times are MJ, Magic, Shaq, and Duncan.

Barkley's list is terrible. Oscar Robertson has got to be the most overrated player ever. No way should he sniff the top 10, let alone top 5. Russell doesn't get anywhere near my top 5 either. I'll also take Lebron over Kobe, Magic, Bird, and Duncan too. Really the only way you can argue Kobe, Magic, and Duncan over Lebron is that they have five titles each. Pretty much everything else favors Lebron. And I have no idea how you can realistically argue Bird over Lebron at this point.

I really think the ref calls helped OKC to some extent and helped Cavs to a lot. For whatever reason, the NBA decided to go to letting players get constantly bumped, pulled, and pushed on the outside. This is a HUGE change in playstyle and very nearly took Curry and Thompson out of the game/series. The NBA needs to figure out what type of game they want played and then call it throughout the season and playoffs. This changing it up for the playoffs is just bullshit.

That said, the Cavs won it. Yes, I think the NBA helped, but the Cavs stepped up and did what was needed for three straight games. Curry never adjusted his game and lost. Plain and simple. Congratulations Cleveland Cavaliers!

The finals are always going to be more physical. I don't necessarily disagree that the officiating should be more consistent, but I don't see it as some big advantage for Cleveland. It's not like the Cavs' roster is really built for tough, physical play more than GSW is. There were certainly more than a few plays where I thought the Cavs got mugged.