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Warriors One NBA Finals Win Away From Being Champs

By Ernest Shepard
Published on: 15:20 PST, Jun 14, 2015

Plenty was at stake in Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. LeBron James was looking to rebound after a dismal performance in Game 4. The Warriors were looking to keep the momentum from their blowout win in Cleveland. The 104-83 victory was the first double-digit win by either team in the NBA Finals that was tied at two games apiece.

Game 4 was a day in infamy for LeBron James.

First there was a wardrobe malfunction. The “King’s” parts, for lack of a better word, was exposed to the viewing public. The incident went viral, even shutting down the internet for a spell.

Then his momentum carried him out of bounds after receiving a hard foul at the hands of Andrew Bogut. Once James went scrawling about, he collided with a camera leaving a gash that required several stitches. According to Philly, James said he was fine after the fact, he just had a “slight headache.” Fans had to wait until he took the court tonight to see if there were any lingering results.

All questions about how James would fare were answered right away. It was James’ near triple-double by halftime of Game 5 which kept the Cavaliers competitive. James finished the game with 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists in the 104-91 loss.

LeBron James had some help in the box score tonight. This time it was Tristan Thompson who had 19 points and 10 rebounds. J.R. Smith chipped in 14 points, all coming in the first half.

The game was close throughout the first half with both the Cavaliers and Warriors going on scoring runs on separate occasions. Game 5 clearly showed just how close both things have been in the NBA Finals. The second half was also a back and forth affair, with both teams taking turns with the lead just like the first half.

As the third quarter was nearing its end, James and Stephen Curry traded three-point shots, before a Klay Thompson three pointer gave the Warriors an 85-80 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Midway into the final quarter Golden State got hot. Their 19-7 run to close out the game, taking a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals.

Curry led Golden State with 37 points and seven rebounds defending the home court. Curry scored 17 of those points in the fourth quarter, besting LeBron James by one point in the final 12 minutes.

It was Curry’s offensive explosion and Andre Iguodala’s defense on James, making him take tough shots is what keyed the win.

The Warriors are now one win away from winning the NBA Championship.

Game 5 of the NBA Finals was close until Golden State blew things wide open. Will they clinch it in Cleveland on Tuesday?

[Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Image Sports]

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