The Cleveland Cavaliers are NBA Champions, the drought is over, and it is the first title the state of Ohio has gotten since 1964, 52 years ago. This was an amazing accomplishment for LeBron James, who won Finals MVP, and his Cavaliers, who became the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit and win Game 7. The Cavs won in a thrilling fashion, winning 93-89. The game was tied at 89 with a minute to go, but the Cavs were able to close it out to claim the trophy.

On the Cavaliers’ side, the scoring came mostly from LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. LeBron had a triple double, with 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists, and it may seem as though he had an outstanding game. It was amazing, but he still was struggling with his jumpshot, going 9-24 from the field. He also had 1 three pointer from 5 tries, but did make 8 free throws out of 10. Kyrie Irving had an amazing game as well, scoring 26 points, going crazy in the third quarter. He was a close second for Finals MVP, as he helped the Cavs win the championship, delivering in the final moments. Kevin Love, who received a lot of criticism throughout the year, showed his worth to the team by grabbing 14 points, and Cleveland was +19 when he was on the court. JR Smith shot 2 for 8 from three, but those two makes came in good time, as the Cavs were down 7 heading into the half, and JR cut into that lead in the third with those threes. Tyronn Lue, who coached a fabulous game, did not go deep into his bench, as 5 of the 13 guys did not play. Everyone who played for the Cavs scored, even Mo Williams in his 5 minutes.

Then there was the Warriors. Draymond Green decided to show up in Game 7. At half, he had 22 points, 5-5 from three. He caught the Cavs defense sleeping many times, and drained open three pointers. Often the Cavs would not contest his shots at full strength, and he made them pay. He was extremely hot, but in the second half, Steve Kerr did not draw plays up for Draymond, and, as a result, Green only had 10 in the second half. It was disappointing, as the Warriors could have won if Green was fed the ball more. Stephen Curry, on the other hand, had an absolutely horrible night. He had 17 points, 6-19 from the field, 4-14 from three, and 4 turnovers. These are not the type of numbers we usually see from an MVP. Going into the fourth, it was extremely close, and many expected Curry to step up and make his mark on the Finals, but he did not do this. He shot 1 of 6 in the fourth quarter, and missed two threes in the final two minutes that could have kept the Warriors in the game. This Finals may been the worst showing by a regular season MVP in NBA history. Klay Thompson also did not help the Warriors’ cause much, as he had 14 points, shooting 20% from three, and 6-19 from the field. His shots were a lot closer than Curry’s shots in the fourth quarter, and two of Curry’s did not even hit the rim. Klay’s threes tended to go in-and-out, but still leaving the Warriors looking for answers. Steve Kerr decided to start Festus Ezeli instead of Iguodala to give the Warriors more size in the paint, but this proved to be a bad decision, as Ezeli only had 1 rebound and was 0 for 4 from the field. Although this was a close game, it was a disappointing showing from the Warriors.

The last two minutes of Game 7 were riveting, and most of the viewers were sitting on the edge of their seats. It began with the two teams tied at 89 apiece. The Warriors got a steal, and started a fastbreak, ending up with a 2 on 1. Curry bounce passed the ball to Iguodala, who avoided JR Smith and looked like it was about to be an easy layup for him. From out of nowhere, LeBron James jumped up to chasedown block Iguodala’s layup. Many see this as one of the greatest blocks in NBA history. After the teams swapped possessions for a minute, the Cavs took a timeout. They came out with a pick and roll to get Curry onto Irving. After dribbling the ball side to side, Irving stepped to his right and elevated, hitting a clutch three over Curry. The score was 92-89, and many see this play as the game winner. The Warriors came down court and put the ball in Curry’s hands. They got a switch, and it was now Kevin Love on Stephen Curry. When many hear that matchup, it is easy to think that Curry will put some moves on Love and hit a three, but Love played excellent defense , forcing a tough shot and a Curry miss. With 18 seconds left on the clock, 14 on the shot clock, the Cavs inbounded it to Kyrie, who pushed the ball to the rim, only to find LeBron James cutting to the hoop. James extended his arm and looked as though he was about to poster Draymond Green, but Green made a smart play and fouled LeBron. It took James time to get up, and he was seen grabbing his right wrist. He hit a clutch free throw, but missed one, leaving the Warriors down by 4 with 10 seconds. After the Cavs fouled with 6.5 left in Game 7, Curry got the ball and missed a decent look, one that he has been hitting all year. The game was over, and Cleveland were NBA Champions.

The Warriors historic season came to an end at the hands of the Cavaliers. This resulted in tears of happiness for LeBron James, who came home to Cleveland, promising a championship. Congratulations to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 2015-16 NBA Champions!

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