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Game 6: Warriors at Cavs
GAME 6
NBA FINALS
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (4-2) 105, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (2-4) 97
Quicken Loans Arena
Tuesday
Radio: WTAM-AM 1100, WMMS-FM 100.7, La Mega-FM 97.7
TV: ABC
1. Well, it's over. The Warriors closed out the series in six games. They won the last three games of the series to win, 4-2. The best team won the series. There's no question about that. The Warriors had superior talent. Other than LeBron James, of course.
2. James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the Finals. It's the first time an NBA player averaged those numbers for a playoff series. He also became the first player to lead both teams in scoring, rebounding and assists during the NBA Finals.
3. If the Cavs had all their players, perhaps they could have won a title. Now, it's going to be a challenge to bring back this entire unit. The odds are that it won't happen. But they do need to bring back the Big Three, and as many of the key role players are possible. The Cavs could very well be back in the Finals again next season. They can be that good.
4. I truly believe when Steve Kerr made the adjustment of going small for Game 4, that's when the momentum shifted in the Warriors' favor. They won the final three games of the series to close out the Cavs.
5. The Finals' MVP race came down to three players: Stephen Curry, James and the eventual winner, Andre Iguodala. He accepted the trophy from Bill Russell after the game. I kept waiting for him to falter in this series, and he never did. He made James work extremely hard in the series. He held James under 40 percent shooting in the series. He was 13 of 33 from the field in Game 6.
6. Curry just kept getting better as the series progressed. Matthew Dellavedova became less of a factor as the series progressed. I think it was never fair the way Delly was put on this pedestal early on in this series. It just set him up to fail. Let's face it, he's a backup point guard, a role player. He was undrafted for a reason. He's not real athletic and not terribly skilled. His best skill is his ability to play physical and hustle. Heck, he'll be a restricted free agent this summer. The Cavs can't go nuts trying to sign him. They do need to upgrade that position because you know Kyrie Irving is going to miss some games.
7. Speaking of getting paid, Tristan Thompson had his fourth consecutive double-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds and a block. He averaged 13.8 rebounds in the Finals.
8. Guard J.R. Smith had 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. He made the final score more respectable. It was his best game of the Finals. He was a big disappointment in the Finals. It's not a good thing when he's your second-best offensive player. He's a complementary players and that's all he should be.
9. We all probably remember the Rick Barry-led Warriors winning the 1975 title. But the Warriors also won the Basketball Association of America title in 1946-47 under coach/owner Eddie Gottlieb. They also won the NBA crown in 1955-56, the second year of the 24-second clock.
10. Iguodala averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the Finals to win MVP honors. He also shot 52 percent from the field.
STARTERS
SF LeBron James (6-8, 250) vs. Andre Iguodala (6-6, 215)
NBA FINALS
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (4-2) 105, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (2-4) 97
Quicken Loans Arena
Tuesday
Radio: WTAM-AM 1100, WMMS-FM 100.7, La Mega-FM 97.7
TV: ABC
1. Well, it's over. The Warriors closed out the series in six games. They won the last three games of the series to win, 4-2. The best team won the series. There's no question about that. The Warriors had superior talent. Other than LeBron James, of course.
2. James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists in the Finals. It's the first time an NBA player averaged those numbers for a playoff series. He also became the first player to lead both teams in scoring, rebounding and assists during the NBA Finals.
3. If the Cavs had all their players, perhaps they could have won a title. Now, it's going to be a challenge to bring back this entire unit. The odds are that it won't happen. But they do need to bring back the Big Three, and as many of the key role players are possible. The Cavs could very well be back in the Finals again next season. They can be that good.
4. I truly believe when Steve Kerr made the adjustment of going small for Game 4, that's when the momentum shifted in the Warriors' favor. They won the final three games of the series to close out the Cavs.
5. The Finals' MVP race came down to three players: Stephen Curry, James and the eventual winner, Andre Iguodala. He accepted the trophy from Bill Russell after the game. I kept waiting for him to falter in this series, and he never did. He made James work extremely hard in the series. He held James under 40 percent shooting in the series. He was 13 of 33 from the field in Game 6.
6. Curry just kept getting better as the series progressed. Matthew Dellavedova became less of a factor as the series progressed. I think it was never fair the way Delly was put on this pedestal early on in this series. It just set him up to fail. Let's face it, he's a backup point guard, a role player. He was undrafted for a reason. He's not real athletic and not terribly skilled. His best skill is his ability to play physical and hustle. Heck, he'll be a restricted free agent this summer. The Cavs can't go nuts trying to sign him. They do need to upgrade that position because you know Kyrie Irving is going to miss some games.
7. Speaking of getting paid, Tristan Thompson had his fourth consecutive double-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds and a block. He averaged 13.8 rebounds in the Finals.
8. Guard J.R. Smith had 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. He made the final score more respectable. It was his best game of the Finals. He was a big disappointment in the Finals. It's not a good thing when he's your second-best offensive player. He's a complementary players and that's all he should be.
9. We all probably remember the Rick Barry-led Warriors winning the 1975 title. But the Warriors also won the Basketball Association of America title in 1946-47 under coach/owner Eddie Gottlieb. They also won the NBA crown in 1955-56, the second year of the 24-second clock.
10. Iguodala averaged 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the Finals to win MVP honors. He also shot 52 percent from the field.
STARTERS
SF LeBron James (6-8, 250) vs. Andre Iguodala (6-6, 215)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-10, 238) vs. Harrison Barnes (6-8, 225)
C Timofey Mozgov (7-1, 250) vs. Draymond Green (6-7, 230)
SG Iman Shumpert (6-5, 220) vs. Klay Thompson (6-7, 215)
C Timofey Mozgov (7-1, 250) vs. Draymond Green (6-7, 230)
SG Iman Shumpert (6-5, 220) vs. Klay Thompson (6-7, 215)
PG Matthew Dellavedova (6-4, 200) vs. Stephen Curry (6-3, 190)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs - C Anderson Varejao, F Kevin Love
Warriors - C Ognjen Kuzmic, G Brandon Rush
OFFICIALS
Scott Foster, Marc Davis, Zach Zarba
Warriors - C Ognjen Kuzmic, G Brandon Rush
OFFICIALS
Scott Foster, Marc Davis, Zach Zarba
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