The biggest game of the season was played on Monday night as the Golden State Warriors hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers. It was Game 5 of their NBA Finals matchup, with Golden State leading the series 3-1. Oracle Arena in downtown Oakland was fully packed with 20,000 Warriors fans ready to celebrate their title with a possible win in Game 5.
The season was on the line for the Cavaliers on Monday night, and they knew it was a "win or go home" situation for them. The Cavaliers wanted to cut the deficit down to 3-2 in the series with a win in Game 5 as they tried to send the series back to Cleveland.
But the Warriors had other things in their minds.
Golden State wins the championship
Teams opened up the game with a high-scoring first quarter, and Cleveland had an early 26-20 lead midway through the period. After the first quarter, the Cavaliers were up 37-33. Golden State played great in the second quarter, as they outscored Cleveland 38-23 in the period. They shot 52% from the field and made five three-pointers in the second quarter, and at halftime, the Warriors held a 71-60 lead.
Cleveland managed to cut that lead down to five points (82-77) early in the third quarter, and they outscored Golden State 33-27 in the period. Heading into the final period of the game, the home team held a 98-93 lead.
The closest the Cavaliers would come in the fourth quarter was three points (98-95) at the start of the period. The Warriors routinely closed out the game with a 31-point fourth quarter, and they ended up winning the game comfortably 129-120.
Golden State outrebounded Cleveland 42-40 in this one and finished the game with 27 team assists.
They shot 51 percent from the field and 23-for-28 from the free-throw line. The Cavaliers committed 14 turnovers in the game.
Kevin Durant named Finals MVP
Five players finished in double-digit scoring for Golden State in Game 5 victory that gave them their second NBA title in three years. Kevin Durant led the way for the Warriors with 39 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
He shot 14-for-20 from the field, including 5-for-8 from behind the arc. Durant was named the MVP of this year's NBA Finals as he scored 30 or more points in all five games of the Finals. Stephen Curry contributed with 34 points and ten assists, while Andre Iguodala added 20 points off the bench for Golden State.
LeBron James led all scorers on Monday night as he finished with 41 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists. Kyrie Irving scored 26 points and added six assists for the Cavaliers, while J.R. Smith contributed with 25 points (seven three-pointers).
Golden State wins the series 4-1 as they celebrate their second title in three years, and fifth overall in franchise history.
