The 2016 NBA Championship goes to LeBron James’ team, Cleveland Cavaliers.
After a very close fight, the game ended with a slight four-point advantage over Golden State Warriors.
We did it, Cleveland. #NBAChampions | #OneForTheLand pic.twitter.com/7Hndm6YaB1
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) June 20, 2016
The game was so close that by the last four minutes of the NBA Game 7, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers were both tied at 89. It was not until Kyrie Irving made a bold shot at his signature 3-pointer game.
This memorable play by Irving was some sort of miracle considering that he had a foot injury during Game 6. However, before Game 7, Kyrie Irving reassured his fans that his foot is “fine” and that the rest days were good enough for his foot to be rested.
“I watched the play again, and I kind of made contact with Festus’ foot,” Irving said of Thursday’s injury. “It just was really bothering me toward the end of the game.”
The Golden State Warriors were keen to come back and even out the scores after the 3-point shot, but LeBron James got another chance at the ball after a foul. With one free-throw, James has succeeded in making a four-point gap between the scores.
This was the moment when everything became a lot more challenging for the Golden State Warriors. Everyone seemed to be looking out for Stephen Curry’s magic 3’s. Coach Kerr called a timeout and planned out their final attack for the game.
Stephen Curry tried to bury himself inside the three-point line in the hopes that his presence might be diminished. But the Cavaliers seemed to be ready with their attack.
Stephen Curry arose in his comfort zone, but struggled to get the right position to secure a 3-point shot. He tried multiple times, but since he was nearing the shot clock violation, Curry threw his best shot. Unfortunately, Curry missed.
Golden State Warriors were also counting on one last miracle during the last 10 seconds of the game. By the last 10.6 seconds, LeBron James was fouled when he fell back after a block. He got one free-throw, but since his right arm was already affected by the fall, the ball missed.
The Golden State Warriors were also counting on a foul from the Cavaliers. They got it, but there were no free-throws. It just gave them an option to restart their 10-second gameplay.
Still, after bouncing the ball back and forth, and one final attempt at three points, the game ended with a buzzer and the Cleveland Cavaliers have won the 2016 NBA Championship.
This win has been iconic since it prevented consecutive championships for the Golden State Warriors. The Cavaliers’ championship is also the first ever win in NBA history where a team came back to win it all after being down to 3-1 in the finals.
LeBron James led the team with his 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Kyrie Irving also added in 26 points.
Poppin champagne CUZ WE WON a championship game #NBAChampions https://t.co/CLUNU5K72h
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) June 20, 2016
[Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]