NBA Finals 2016: Analyzing where the Golden State Warriors lost the plot

Kyrie Irving’s masterclass

Irving shoots over Curry for the clutch 3-pointer in Game 7.

It was a matter of sweet revenge for Irving, who watched his team slump to a 4-2 series loss last year whilst in a hospital, nursing a fractured left kneecap. However, he looked like his old self in this series, completely dominating Stephen Curry.

He came up with the most clutch play of the series as well, draining a 3 pointer when the scores were level at 89. The game had only 53 seconds left, and both teams were tied at 89. Kyrie absorbed all the pressure, stepped back on the left-wing and put up a heavily contested 3-pointer. He was marked by Stephen Curry, who quickly turned around to see the outcome. Much to his chagrin and Irving’s delight, the ball swished through the net, giving the Cavs a 3 point lead, one which they would not relinquish. He had a wonderful series, averaging 27.1 points, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals against the Warriors. More importantly, he provided much-needed support to James and was absolutely sublime in his ball-handling throughout the series. He put in his best performance when the Cavs were facing elimination in Game 5, totalling 41 points (17-24 shooting, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds, going 70.8% from the field. LeBron James has finally delivered on his promise and the city of Cleveland can rejoice again. He has written his name in the history books and silenced his critics, at least for the time-being. Nobody can overlook the array of records and achievements he and the 2016 Cavaliers have amassed in this historic run all the way to becoming world champions. However, Curry and the Warriors will surely have a long hard look at a season that started like a fairytale by besting the 1996 Chicago Bulls’ record of 72 regular season wins but eventually ended in a nightmare.