Emma Mayerson and Ben Richeda react after a Warriors score as they watch the Warriors take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Golden State watch party at Oracle Arena.
The Golden State Warriors are NBA Champions.
In Game 6 of the NBA Finals, the Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97, claiming the 2014-15 NBA Title.
With glory on the horizon, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told his team prior to Game 6 not to even think about playing another game, just stay focused on the task at hand.
The Warriors took Kerr’s advice, executing a precise 48 minutes of basketball en route to a 4-2 NBA Finals win before hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy for the first time since 1975.
Soaked in champagne, Kerr sat in front of reporters at Quicken Loans Arena relieved and satisfied trying to explain the scene in the locker room and on the stage accepting the Larry O’Brien trophy:
“It was chaos. Pure joy … One of the greatest moments for me was standing on that stage and hearing the Warriors chants from, I don’t know, 500, yellow-clad Warriors fans.”
Behind 25 points from both league MVP Stephen Curry and NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, Golden State avoided playing in an elimination game by staving off surges from LeBron James (32 points) and the Cavaliers.
Iguodala was named the Finals MVP after being tasked with guarding James throughout the Finals. Draymond Green told reporters the award was well deserved and not at all surprising:
“He was great this entire series, but he saved this season for us … He’s a pro’s pro.”
58-0 in games they’ve led by 15 points or more, the Warriors maintained that perfect record, with the foreshadowing bucket coming from Green with just over a minute to play in the third quarter, for a 78-53 Golden State lead.
Through a 40-year drought and a dozens of dreadful seasons, to Curry, the Splash Brothers, and a historically great season the Warriors capped off a 67-win season with an NBA crown.
A sellout crowd at Oracle Arena soaked in every minute of their team’s moment of glory, spilling out into the plazas and parking lots to continue their celebration.
Photos by Jeffery Bennett/SFBay
After the game and celebration, Curry said thinking back on his NBA journey that started six years ago as a rookie makes him appreciate the greatness of the moment:
“I love every single one of my teammates that sacrificed and put in the time for us to be able to enjoy this … It just makes it that much more special to have gone through some bumps and work your way up gradually every year and for it to all come to fruition with a championship trophy.”
In a battle between the best team vs. the best player, the Warriors proved it takes more than just one man, and emerged as NBA Champions.
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Last modified June 18, 2015 2:39 am
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