Twists and turns that catapulted Cleveland Cavaliers to coveted title

Chicago Bulls forward and Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen used to say: “72 and 10 don’t mean a thing, if you don’t get the ring.” In the 1995-96 season, Chicago Bulls famously crowned their then record-breaking 72-win season with a ring, and the Golden State Warriors have made no secret of their ambitions of bettering this record.

After beating Bulls in regular season this year, they were unable to immortalise themselves in sports. Warriors at times seemed invincible in the ended season. For long stretches, they were unbeatable but their quest to join the pantheon of great NBA teams will have to wait.

The regular season doesn’t matter in the NBA except giving you home court advantage in the playoffs. For the Warriors, a season in which they set too many records to enumerate here ended with failure. The team that never lost two games in a row in the regular season — another league first — eventually suffered three straight losses in a week. 

Retrospectively, the Cavs looked good, going into the finals. They swept the misfiring Pistons and the Hawks in record-breaking fashion, making 25 three-pointers in one game. Against Toronto Raptors, it ended 4-2. The finishing blow could have been landed a lot sooner, but coach Tyronn Lue decided to experiment with different line-ups in preparation for the final.

The Eastern Conference is usually underpowered. In the East, LeBron James practically has a timeshare in the NBA Finals, making it six straight times with two different teams.

The finals started off on a wrong footing for the Cavs. In the first game, Leandro Barbosa came off the bench to make all his shots. Warriors’ bench looked overpowered against Cavaliers.

Stephen Curry watched on as the Cavs were torched. It looked like Cavaliers had again been ground down by the Warriors’ fast-paced passing game. Going back to the finals last year, the Cavs had lost seven straight against the Warriors.    

By the time Curry was scoring 38 points at the Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena to make the series 3-1, all looked lost for Cleveland. No other team had ever come back from a trough that deep. The funeral rites could have been done for the season. It looked even more ominous when the team opposing the Cavs had the best record in the association’s history. Then it happened.

Draymond Green, the Warriors leader and defensive anchor of the “death line-up” got into an incident with James. Hands were swung, groins were hit and words traded.

Green is the most combustible on Warriors’ roster and also the team’s best. He is the enforcer on the squad tasked with defending men half a foot taller than he. His nastiness on the court is usually overlooked because he plays for the champions.

In the playoffs, he was one foul away from a suspension. He wrestled a Houston player to the ground. In the Conference Finals against Thunder, he did battle with Steven Adams. He accidentally kicked Adams in the unmentionables. The league looked the other way.

He “accidentally” kicked Kevin Durant in the head. Russell Westbrook complained to the referees about the stream of obscenities Green sent his way after blocking his shot in one game. He kicked Adams in the groin again.

The league fined him and looked away. Lesser players were suspended for punching opponents in the ribs. Green made intimidating gestures, taunted the crowd but all his excesses were indulged.

NBA has become a defanged league. Too many times in the past, games descend into fights, driving away sponsors and families. The league eventually clamped down on rough play and hard fouls. NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton complained that he didn’t think he could play in the NBA today due to the rules that favoured offence.

The league’s capacity to always look away where Green was concerned began looking problematic. It seemed like he too readily got a pass for bad behaviour. The Warriors were the most watched team in the league. Curry had increased viewership of the NBA. The Warriors’ popularity had earned them capital to showboat, gloat and taunt in ways that other teams had been punished for.

When Green had an altercation with LeBron, the league’s most famous star, NBA was forced to act. Green was suspended for Game Five. Curry may have been the Warriors’ biggest star but his talent feeds off Green.

The Warriors had proved they could win without Curry many times this season. They lost both games that Green didn’t play. Curry maybe the NBA’s MVP but Draymond was the Warriors’ MVP.

James also got his old legs back. He bullied his way to the basket. His dunks became more forceful. LeBron even rediscovered his jump shot, which he had left in Miami. Even with Green back from suspension in Game Six, the Warriors juggernaut had lost momentum.

Andrew Bogut, Warriors’ best rim protector, also got injured in Game Four. The series went down to the wire and in Game Seven, James showed up. In the final moments of the game, Irving delivered the dagger three that slayed the Warriors.

James’s dominance in the finals seemed otherworldly. After all the claims that Curry had taken over the league we find out that the “King” isn’t dead. Long live the King!  Cavs may have won its first title but the league still stands under the shadow of the Warriors.