NBA Final: Cavs Beat Warriors In Game 5 To Reduce Deficit To 3-2

Cleveland Cavaliers beat Golden State Warriors 112-97 to reduce the deficit to 3-2 in the best-of-seven NBA Finals.

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving each netted 41 points to become the first team-mates to score more than 40 points in the same NBA Finals match.

Steph Curry scored only 25 points and the Warriors also missed the suspended Draymond Green as they failed to clinch the title on their home court.

Warriors return to Cleveland, where they won the 2015 title, in game six.

No side has come back from 3-1 down to win the Finals but the Cavaliers will feel they now have the momentum on their home court on Thursday to take it to a decider on Sunday.

They hit 10 of 24 three-pointers to hand the Warriors their fourth home loss this season.

It was level at 61-61 at half-time, but Cleveland then outscored their hosts 51-36, with Curry particularly wasteful as the Warriors hit just three of 21 three-points during that period.

It is now 26 consecutive series for James with at least one road win, extending his NBA record.

NBA Final: Cavs Beat Warriors In Game 5 To Reduce Deficit To 3-2

NBA Final: Warriors" Draymond Green Suspended For Game 5

Golden State star Draymond Green has been suspended for Game 5 of the NBA Finals after the league assessed a Flagrant 1 foul from his scuffle with Cleveland’s LeBron James.

The NBA announced the retroactive decision Sunday, issuing James a technical on the fourth-quarter play Friday in which the two tussled and exchanged words.

Green has been on the cusp of trouble for much of the postseason.

This is his fourth flagrant foul, which resulted in the automatic suspension.

He also has five technicals and was fined $25,000 for kicking Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams in the groin during the Western Conference finals.

The Warriors lead the series 3-1 with a chance to clinch their second straight championship at home in Oracle Arena.

NBA Final: Warriors" Draymond Green Suspended For Game 5

NBA Final: Warriors Beat Cavs In Game 4 To Take 3-1 Lead

Steph Curry scored 38 points to help Golden State Warriors beat Cleveland Cavaliers 108-97 and open a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven NBA Finals.

The NBA’s most valuable player hit seven three-point baskets to put the Warriors on the brink of winning successive titles.

No side has come back from 3-1 down to win the Finals and Golden State have home advantage for Monday’s game five.

“He’s the MVP for a reason,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr of Curry.

“He doesn’t have the size and strength to dominate a game physically so he has to dominate with his skill.

“He trusts his shot and he just kept firing and they went in.”

Curry, who averaged 16 points in the first three games of the series, scored 13 points in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland went six minutes without scoring a basket in the final quarter and LeBron James tangled with Golden State’s Draymond Green in the final three minutes of the game as frustrations boiled over.

“Draymond said something that I don’t agree with,” said James, who won the NBA Finals in 2012 and 2013 with Miami but has lost the last two, including last year’s defeat by Golden State.

“I’m all cool with the competition, but some of the words that came out of his mouth were a little bit overboard.

“As a competitor, I love going against Draymond, and I’m all about going out there and leaving it out on the floor. But when it gets a little bit more than what it should be, that’s what caused me to have words with him.”

The Warriors won a record 73 regular season games, losing just nine.

NBA Final: Warriors Beat Cavs In Game 4 To Take 3-1 Lead

NBA Final: Green Stars As Warriors Romp To 2-0 Lead Over Cavs

The Golden State Warriors took a commanding 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals, blitzing the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-77 in Game 2 at the Oracle Arena.

The Warriors trailed by two at the end of the first quarter and led by eight at halftime, before clicking into overdrive after the main break, outscoring the Cavs by 12 in the third quarter and 13 in the final term.

With Cleveland focusing their defensive attention on Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, it was Draymond Green who stepped up, taking advantage of the plethora of open looks he was afforded. The Cavs’ plan backfired as Green top-scored with 28 points on 11-for-20 shooting – including 5-for-8 from three-point range.

Curry finished with 18 points – hitting half of his eight three-point attempts – but he had no qualms about playing second-fiddle to Green, clearly in celebratory mode on the bench as the Warriors ran away with it late.

LeBron James top-scored for Cleveland with 19 on disappointing 7-for-17 shooting, while Kyrie Irving scored only 10 points on 5-for-14 shooting.

The Finals move on to Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday morning (AEST) in a welcome reprieve for the Cavaliers, who are under pressure for virtually the first time in this year’s playoffs.

NBA Final: Green Stars As Warriors Romp To 2-0 Lead Over Cavs

NBA FINAL: Warriors Run Riot Over Cavs In Game 1

Defending champion Golden State opened their NBA Finals with a 104-89 home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

Warriors, who will host game two in the best-of-seven series on Sunday, showed depth of their reserves as MVP and NBA scoring champion Stephen Curry managed only 11 points and Klay Thompson hit only 4-of-12 for nine points.

Reserve guard Shaun Livingston stepped up to score a season-best and his career playoff high 20 points to lead seven double-figure scorers for the Golden State.

Andre Iguodala made a successful defense on Cleveland star LeBron James and scored 12 points while Brazil’s Leandro Barbosa added 11 off the bench. In all, Golden State reserves outscored Cleveland’s bench 45-10.

Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 26 points on 7-of-22 shooting while James had 23 points and 12 rebounds but shot 9-of-21 from the floor.

Draymond Green had 16 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and four steals for the Warriors while Kevin Love added 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

NBA FINAL: Warriors Run Riot Over Cavs In Game 1

Cavaliers Explode In Game 5 Against Spiritless Raptors (Highlights)

The Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 116-78 win in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, taking a 3-2 series lead against the Raptors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yktORdW0-zo

Game six will be played on Friday in Toronto.

Cavaliers Explode In Game 5 Against Spiritless Raptors (Highlights)

Raptors Overcome Cavaliers To Equal Series ( Game 4 Highlights)

The Toronto Raptors are for real. They survived a furious second-half comeback from the Cleveland Cavaliers and held on to win Game 4, 105-99, to even the Eastern Conference Finals at 2-2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L9WuoFxy-8

Kyle Lowry had 35 points and DeMar DeRozan added 32 as the Raptors outplayed the Cavaliers down the stretch after coughing up an 18-point lead.

LeBron James had 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists to lead the Cavaliers, and Kyrie Irving added 26. Channing Frye added 12 big points off the bench in the loss.

The Raptors led 13-5 early, but once Frye came in, the Cavaliers went on a 15-7 run to get back into the game. The Raptors continued to play well, though, and took a 27-24 lead after one.

 

Lowry poured it on in the second quarter — he had 15 in the frame and 20 in the first half as the Raptors lead grew to 18 at one point and went into the half with a 57-41 lead.

The Cavaliers came out with purpose in the second half and started making some threes. They cut the lead to seven early in the third, but the Raptors continued to have an answer, especially with Bismack Biyombo continuing his dominance in the paint.

Source : sbnation

Raptors Overcome Cavaliers To Equal Series ( Game 4 Highlights)

Unstoppable LeBron Dismantles Raptors In NBA Eastern Conf. Finals (Game 1 Highlights)

The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t slowing down yet. They dominated the Toronto Raptors to take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a 115-84 win on Tuesday night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obDdCvc4WLc

Kyrie Irving led the Cavaliers with 27 points, and LeBron James scored 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting and added six rebounds and four assists as the Cavaliers moved to 9-0 in the playoffs.

DeMar DeRozan had 18 points to lead the Raptors and Kyle Lowry added eight as Toronto was completely outclassed in its first conference finals game in franchise history.

The Raptors jumped out to a 9-2 lead, but the Cavaliers were just a little rusty after an eight-day layoff. The Raptors weren’t giving up the three-point shot, but the Cavaliers were getting into the lane at will. They shot 68.4 percent in the first quarter to take a 33-28 lead.

The Cavaliers kept it rolling in the second quarter, extending a 6-0 run that ended the first quarter into a 15-0 run to take a 14-point lead. They continued to pour it on with an easy path to the lane on nearly every possession. They outscored the Raptors 33-16 in the second quarter to take a 22-point lead into the half. This possession was a microcosm of the entire quarter.

Unstoppable LeBron Dismantles Raptors In NBA Eastern Conf. Finals (Game 1 Highlights)

NBA Eastern Conf. Finals : Cleveland Cavaliers Vs. Toronto Raptors

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers faces an uphill task as they face Kyle Lowry’s Toronto Raptors at the Quicken Loans Arena in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Cavaliers handily swept aside Detroit and Atlanta, the Raptors were battling through an up-and-down post-season. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry’s recent return to all-star form has been the big story-line heading into the Eastern final.

Over the past three games, Toronto’s dynamic duo have combined to average 60.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game. They clearly have momentum going into the series with Cleveland, but fatigue needs to be considered.

Probable starting line up

Toronto: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, DeMarre Carroll, Patrick Patterson, Bismack Biyombo.

Cleveland: Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson.

Key matchup: DeMarre Carroll vs. LeBron James. James has long been the toughest assignment in the Eastern Conference, but with a healthy supporting cast that’s shooting at an unprecedented clip — a playoff-best 134 threes made on 46.2 per cent shooting — he’ll be more difficult to check than ever.

Slowing James’ scoring is one thing, but if he’s finding his hot-shooting teammates, it creates another problem for the Raptors. The Raptors acquired Carroll for match-ups like these.

NEED TO KNOW

Kyle Lowry averaged 32 points in the final three games of the second round and and shot better than 50 per cent twice (Games 3 and Game 7). DeMar DeRozan averaged 28.3 points in the final three games . Kevin Love has found his fit with the Cavs. He’s averaging 19 points and 12.5 rebounds per game in the playoffs this year, after putting up 14 points and seven rebounds in the first round last year .

The Cavs will go into Game 1 with nine days of rest, while the Raptors head into their second straight series of a game every other day.

PREDICTION : Cavs to sweep series

 

NBA Eastern Conf. Finals : Cleveland Cavaliers Vs. Toronto Raptors

NBA Western Conference Finals Preview: Golden State vs. Oklahoma City

Defending champions Golden State Warriors in the first round defeated Houston by 4-1 series score and defeated Portland, 4-1 in the second round on other hand Oklahoma City in the First round defeated Dallas, 4-1 and a shocking series win over San Antonio after defeating them in a series that ended  4-2.

SEASON SERIES: Warriors 3-0.

KEY STATS

The Warriors are the highest-scoring team in the playoffs (114.3), guard Klay Thompson is third in scoring (27.2) and forward Draymond Green is fifth in assists (7.0) and fifth in blocked shots (2.30). Kevin Durant led all players in the playoffs in scoring (27.4), Russell Westbrook led in assists (10.8) and the Thunder were the fifth-highest in turnovers (13.9).

Three of the NBA’s most dynamic and game-altering players will be on display in the Warriors-Thunder series. Stephen Curry, the league MVP and widely considered best shooter in the game’s history, can strike from anywhere on the court for Golden State. The polarizing and sheer force of play from Westbrook and the lethal offense of Durant can take down any opponent for Oklahoma City.

Of course there are other characters in this series — namely Golden State’s do-everything Green and the two-way play and sharpshooting of Thompson and Oklahoma City’s big center Steven Adams and key reserve Dion Waiters — who will play pivotal roles.

The Warriors were supposed to be here, their league-best 73-win season an indication of how dominant they were. The Thunder were not supposed to be here, but Oklahoma City outclassed and out-executed the 67-win San Antonio Spurs in the second round. So this has the makings of an exciting, entertaining and high-scoring series.

PREDICTION: The defending NBA champion Warriors in seven.

NBA Western Conference Finals Preview: Golden State vs. Oklahoma City

Lebron"s Cavaliers Advance to Eastern Conference NBA Finals (Game 4 Highlights)

Lebron James is heading to the Eastern Conference Finals for the sixth consecutive year after the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Atlanta Hawks 100-99 to complete a 4-0 sweep in the second round playoff series.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFOm-RzxBYQ

 

Three-point shooting once again led the Cavaliers as they held off a hungry Hawks team in the fourth for a 100-99 win on Sunday in Atlanta.

Kevin Love led the way in Game 4 by making eight threes on his way to 27 points and 13 rebounds. LeBron James added 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and Kyrie Irving had 21 points. The Cavaliers were 16-of-37 from behind the three-point line.

Paul Millsap had 19 points in the loss as the Hawks were swept out of the playoffs by the Cavaliers for the second straight season.

The Hawks offense came out firing in the first. They put up 36 points in the first quarter and went into the half with a 58-56 lead, despite the Cavaliers going 10-of-16 from deep. The shooting didn’t slow in the third, as the Cavaliers made five more threes to take an 81-77 lead.

The Hawks did their best to hang, even briefly taking a lead in the fourth, but the Cavaliers once again proved too strong. Irving and James controlled the offense as the Cavaliers built up a five-point lead, but Dennis Schroder led a 6-0 Hawks run to give the Hawks a 97-96 lead with 1:31 to play.

LeBron James put the Cavaliers up with 1:16 left and Tristan Thompson came up with a huge block on the next possession before James added one more jumper to give the Cavaliers a three-point lead.

Lebron"s Cavaliers Advance to Eastern Conference NBA Finals (Game 4 Highlights)

Lebron Leads Cavs To Glory Against Hawks (Game 2 Highlights)

Lebron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers into the NBA Conference Semifinals against Atlanta Hawks helping them gain a  2-0 lead in Game two.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-scPU0MRaTU

Lebron Leads Cavs To Glory Against Hawks (Game 2 Highlights)

NBA 2016 Playoffs Spurs, Heat, Cavaliers, Clippers Win Game One

The 2016 National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs began over the weekend as the race to become champions heats up.

There were wins for the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heats.

Game One of the Playoffs in the Western Conference started with Golden State’s 104-78 blowout of Houston and followed with Oklahoma City’s 108-70 thumping of Dallas on Saturday.

On Sunday, it was San Antonio continuing the trend with a 104-76 drubbing of Memphis and the Los Angeles Clippers handing the Portland Trail Blazers a 20-point beatdown, 115-95.

In the Eastern Conference first round on Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers got 20 points each from LeBron James (22 points, 11 rebounds, six assists), Kyrie Irving (31 points, six assists, five rebounds) and Kevin Love (28 points, 13 rebounds) to take a 1-0 series lead over the Detroit Pistons, while Luol Deng (31 points, seven rebounds) and Hassan Whiteside (21 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks) led Miami to a 123-91 blowout of Charlotte.

Recap of the scores:

CAVALIERS 106, PISTONS 101 – Cleveland leads 1-0.

Game Two is on Wednesday in Cleveland.

HEAT 123, HORNETS 91 – Miami leads 1-0.

Game Two is on Wednesday in Miami.

SPURS 106, GRIZZLIES 74 – San Antonio leads 1-0

Game Two is on Tuesday in San Antonio.

CLIPPERS 115, TRAIL BLAZERS 95 – Los Angeles leads 1-0.

Game Two is on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Monday’s schedule:

Indiana Pacers will be at Toronto Raptors with the Pacers leading 1-0

Dallas Mavericks plays at Oklahoma City Thunder with Thunder leading 1-0.

Houston Rockets plays at Golden State Warriors with the Warriors leading 1-0.

NBA 2016 Playoffs Spurs, Heat, Cavaliers, Clippers Win Game One

NBA To Allow Shirt Sponsorship

National Basketball Association (NBA) teams will be able to sell advertising space on their playing jerseys for the first time starting from the 2017-18 season.

The NBA said teams in the league, encompassing the biggest basketball clubs in North America, could place a 2.5in (6.3cm) square sponsor’s logo.

Teams until now have been unable to exploit this lucrative commercial option enjoyed by many other sports.

Experts predict the deals will generate more than $4m (£2.8m) a year for clubs.

‘Deeper engagement’

The NBA, which is the first major North American sports league to announce plans to put ads on jerseys, said a small patch would appear on the front left of match jerseys as part of a three-year pilot programme.

“Jersey sponsorships provide deeper engagement with partners looking to build a unique association with our teams, and the additional investment will help grow the game in exciting new ways,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

Featuring their brand logo on shirts will give advertisers more opportunity to be seen by fans watching on TV.

David Carter from the USC Marshall Sports Business Institute said the pilot initiative was part of the NBA’s march towards “aggressively featuring corporate brands” on team shirts.

In June, the NBA signed a $1bn sponsorship deal with Nike that places the Nike’s “swoosh” logo on the right shoulder of all the NBA teams shirts.

The NBA’s 30 teams will be responsible for making their own deals with sponsors for this new patch space.

“Anything that makes the individual franchise more viable will pay a positive dividend to the league itself,” said Mr Carter.

The concern for teams and players will be how any new deal interacts with existing sponsorship agreements. A player, for example, that is endorsed by Pepsi may not be so keen to wear a Coke logo on their shirt.

Sport sponsorship

Company sponsorship is a huge revenue stream for sport globally.

According to Price Waterhouse Coopers global sport sponsorship revenue was worth $45.3bn (£32bn) in 2015.

Collectively, teams in England’s top football division, the Premier League, brought in £200m in the 2015-2016 season from shirt sponsorship alone.

The potential value of these deals for the NBA will vary greatly based on team.

“The big market teams already have hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, so as a percentage this won’t be much, but for the smaller teams the percentage this could add to sponsorship revenue will be better,” said Mr Carter.

Leading the way

The NBA is the first of the four big US sports to allow on shirt brand sponsorship.

The National Football League, Major League Baseball and National Hockey League do not allow sponsors logos to feature on playing shirts.

Leagues have been reluctant to put advertising on shirts for fear it will turn off fans.

The new sponsor patch will not appear on the retail version on the shirts sold at team or NBA stores, but the advertisers will be allowed to sell branded shirts at their own stores.

Credit: BBC

NBA To Allow Shirt Sponsorship

Golden State Warriors Set NBA Record With 73rd Win

The Golden State Warriors have made NBA history with a record 73 wins in a season by beating Memphis Grizzlies.

The 125-104 win in Oakland means the defending champions surpassed the previous record of 72 set by Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in 1995-96.

Steph Curry also became the first to net more than 400 three-pointers in a season, taking his tally to 402.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played for the 1996 Bulls team, said: “I never thought anyone would break it.”

Credit: BBC

Golden State Warriors Set NBA Record With 73rd Win

Kobe Bryant Scores 60 Points In Final NBA Game

Five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant scored 60 points in his final game after a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers as they came from behind to beat Utah Jazz 101-96.

It was the sixth time the NBA’s third highest scorer had scored 60 points in a game, beaten only by Wilt Chamberlain.

“You can’t write something better than this,” said 37-year-old Bryant, who made his Lakers debut in November 1996.

Basketball fans paid up to $27,500 (£19,315) to see Bryant’s final game.

Bryant attempted 50 shots on the night, the most by anyone in an NBA game in the last 30 seasons.

Kobe Bryant stats

Five-time NBA champion
Third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list
18-time an All-Star, 11 times first-team All-NBA
Tops Lakers’ all-time points, three-pointers, steals and games played

He led the Lakers as they overturned a 20-point deficit at half-time, scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter of his 1,556th game with the team.

Bryant finished with 33,643 regular-season points – third on the NBA’s all-time scoring list behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928).

He checked out with 4.1 seconds left, as a sell-out crowd at the Staples Center chanted: “Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!”

The 18-time All-Star addressed the crowd, saying: “What can I say? Mamba out.”

Lakers legend Magic Johnson had earlier told the crowd: “He never cheated us as fans, He has played hurt, and we have five championship banners to show for it.”

Credit: BBC

Kobe Bryant Scores 60 Points In Final NBA Game

Golden State Warriors Need One Win To Break NBA Record

The Golden State Warriors can make NBA history in their final regular-season game after equaling the record number of wins with their 72nd on Sunday.

Seeking to become the first team to win 73, they won at the San Antonio Spurs, who last lost at home in March 2015.

“We’re competitive, we’re hungry,” said Steph Curry, who scored 37 in the California-based team’s 92-86 victory.

Victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Wednesday would surpass the record set by Chicago Bulls in 1995-96.

Credit: BBC

Golden State Warriors Need One Win To Break NBA Record

Golden State Warriors Close In On NBA Wins Record

The Golden State Warriors became only the second NBA team to win 70 games in a regular season when the reigning champions beat the San Antonio Spurs.

Steph Curry scored 27 points in a 112-101 win as the Warriors hit back from their second loss in three home games.

The victory secured them home-court advantage throughout the play-offs.

The California-based team can break the Chicago Bulls record of 72 wins – set in the 1995-96 campaign – by winning their remaining three games.

Credit:BBC

Golden State Warriors Close In On NBA Wins Record

Spurs Win To Book Playoff Place

Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points and LaMarcus Aldridge added 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Spurs beat the Detroit Pistons 97-81 on Wednesday night to clinch their 19th straight playoff berth.

San Antonio won its 29th straight home game to open the season in its first game following a month-long road trip brought on by the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. The Spurs (51-9) joined the Golden State Warriors (54-5) as the only teams to clinch spots in the postseason.

 

Leonard and Aldridge excelled against a Detroit team thinned by injuries to forwards Anthony Tolliver and Stanley Johnson. They combined to shoot 23 for 38 from the field with Leonard scoring 17 points in the first half and Aldridge putting up 15 in the final two quarters.

 

Marcus Morris and Tobias Harris had 16 points each for the Pistons (31-30), who had a four-game winning streak snapped. Aldridge and Tim Duncan held Detroit center Andre Drummond to nine points and 14 rebounds, ending his career-high and the league’s season-high of consecutive double-doubles at 13 straight.

Drummond had six points in the first half as Detroit had 14 assists on its 22 baskets. That ball movement ended at halftime as the Pistons had just five assists in a 30-point second half. Aldridge, Duncan and Parker knocked down a series of mid-range jumpers in scoring four points each in a 12-2 run beginning early in the third quarter. Aldridge had 13 points in the quarter, coming within a point of matching Detroit’s total in the period as San Antonio built a double-digit lead for the first time in the game.

Duncan had 12 points and eight rebounds and Parker finished with 10 points and four assists.

 

Marcus Morris and Tobias Harris had 16 points each for the Pistons (31-30).

Spurs Win To Book Playoff Place