Greetings Bitlanders! It never occurred to me that I am going to make another NBA related blog here. I'm not really deep into sports, but the 2018 NBA finals were just too exciting that I am inspired to write another post.
Image Credit: NBA via Twitter.com
Some NBA experts and analysts predicted that the Warriors would bring home the 2018 NBA Championship Trophy in Game 6. Some NBA fans expect that the Warriors would want to win the championship in their home court in Game 5. Instead, the Golden State Warriors Sweeps the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cavalier's own court!
Perhaps the Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr, simply don't want to break their momentum and give the Cavaliers get a surge of confidence and decided to do whatever it takes to win the championship even if they are away from home.
Steve Kerr with Stephen Curry
Image Credit: http://www.sportingnews.com/
This gave the Golden State Warriors their back-to-back championship and their third in four years.
Home Court Advantage
Game 3
I wrote my post "Who will be the 2018 NBA Champion" before Game 3 started. Since it was played in Cleveland Cavaliers' home court Quick Loans Arena. Initially, I expected that the Cavaliers could make good use of the home court advantage.
In Game 3, Stephen Curry had only 11 points, perhaps his lowest score in a game. However, now two-time MVP Kevin Durant stepped up his game to another notch to gather 43 points which equal the number of minutes he played in the game.
LeBron James guarding Stephen Curry
Image Credit: http://www.dnaindia.com/
The scoring was tied and switched lead a number of times, until the last minute of the game.
Early in the first quarter, The Cavaliers took an early lead by as much as 10 points. Highlighted by Lebron James' alley-oop to himself using the backboard.
Lebron James alley-oop to himself
Video Credit: PHP via YouTube
However, the Warriors cut down the lead to a mere one point at the end of the first quarter.
The Warriors with the help of their players from the bench finished the game with an eight-point lead at 110-102 and made it a three to nothing standing. Kevin Durant leads the Warriors with 43 points with 4 other players with at least 10 points each. Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala, who missed the first two games, contributed eight points each.
Andre Iguodala
Image Credit: http://sport360.com/
Game 4
Game 4 is again played in the Quick Loans Arena. Again, I believe most NBA fans expected the Cavs to take at least a game in their own territory. However, the Golden State Warriors took control of the game early in the first quarter.
Stephen Curry seemed to have recovered from his pathetic performance in Game 3 and gathered 37 points to lead the Warriors to victory. He shot 7 3-pointers including a wild shot early in the first quarter.
Stephen Curry driving past LeBron James in Game 3
Image Credit: https://www.newsobserver.com/
James did whatever he could to keep his team in the game. With a dunk by LeBron, the Cavaliers was able to take the lead by one point in the second quarter. However, the Warriors' perimeter shots were deadly. The first half ended with the Warriors up by nine points.
In the second half, the Warriors kept drilling their shots while their defense kept the Cavs to a mere 13 points in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, LeBron James exited the game with only 23 points. The rest is history.
LeBron James against Daymond Green and Stephen Curry
Image Credit: https://durangoherald.com/
Second Finals MVP
With the Warriors winning their back-to-back title, Kevin Durant also is named the Finals MVP for the second time in a row.
Kevin Durant in Game 3
Image Credit: https://www.nytimes.com/
Warriors VS Cavaliers Rivalry
The Warriors and the Cavaliers first clashed in the NBA Finals back in 2015. The Warriors won their first Championship that season. The following season, the Cavaliers took their revenge and recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win the title. However, the Warriors took back the title the following 2016-2017 season.
The Warriors VS the Cavaliers
The Golden State Warriors earned their back-to-back Championship and their third championship in four years. All against the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the Cavs winning only once in their four-year finals rivalry.
With the 4-0 sweep, however, and the rumor that LeBron James might opt-out of the Cavs, does this mean this is the end of the Warriors VS Cavaliers Rivalry?
Here is the postseason history in the past four years
- 2015 NBA Finals: Warriors won, 4–2
- 2016 NBA Finals: Cavaliers won, 4–3
- 2017 NBA Finals: Warriors won, 4–1
- 2018 NBA Finals: Warriors won, 4–0
-reference Wikipedia.com
4-0 Sweep
It is quite uncommon to win with a 4-0 sweep during the NBA Finals. Before this season, there were only 8 4-0 sweeps. The Warriors became the 9th team to sweep their opponent in the finals. The Cleveland however, became the second team to be swept in the NBA Finals twice.
To note, their first 4-0 loss from Spurs happened in Cleveland and with LeBron playing Center at the time.
- 1958-59 Boston Celtics (4-0 over Minneapolis)
- 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks (4-0 over Baltimore)
- 1974-75 Golden State Warriors (4-0 over Washington)
- 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers (4-0 over LA Lakers)
- 1988-89 Detroit Pistons (4-0 over LA Lakers)
- 1994-95 Houston Rockets (4-0 over Orlando)
- 2001-02 L.A. Lakers (4-0 over New Jersey)
- 2006-07 San Antonio Spurs (4-0 over Cleveland)
- 2017–2018 Golden State Warriors (4–0 over Cleveland)
-Reference: https://www.quora.com/How-many-sweeps-have-happened-in-the-NBA-Finals
Game 4 Highlights
Game 4 highlights
Video Credit: Rapid Highlights via YouTube
Congratulations Warriors!
Stephen Curry and the Warriors celebrates after sweeping the Cavaliers
Image Credit: https://www.thenational.ae/
Congratulations to the Golden State Warriors and thanks for giving the fans and exciting 2018 NBA Finals season! Until the next season…
Thanks For Reading
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John Reynold Loberiza (a.k.a @artbytes) is a freelance graphic artist, web developer, and blogger. He is also a licensed Financial Adviser under Insular Life.
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