Warriors set to make their claim as NBA’s best ever

We learned a year ago to never count LeBron James and the Cavs out. He rebounded. He defended.

Cleveland had shot 29 percent from three through the first three games of this series, and they can’t win that way – certainly not against the high-powered Warriors (who also had a good offensive night Friday, it was just overwhelmed). With 71 combined points – 40 for Kyrie and 31 for James, who finished with yet another triple double – the Cavs’ cornerstones were the best players on the floor in Game 4.

The Warriors were on the brink of their second straight championship with a three games to one lead over the Cavaliers.

Golden State can win its second championship in three years by sweeping the Cavaliers in tonight’s Game 4.

“I’m not even thinking about that”, Durant said Thursday.

Cleveland had looked like they might prevail when they were ahead by six points with three minutes to play, but Kevin Durant led the Warriors on an impressive 11-0 run to close out the game.

James played 46 minutes of Wednesday night’s 48-minute affair. The crowd at Quicken Loans Arena shuffled to the exits in disbelief. It looked like James and Irving’s efforts were going to be enough. “We had an opportunity”. Not against the Warriors and their all-world assemblage of talent.

Toying with other teams, Golden State has turned the National Basketball Association postseason into its personal playground, storming to a record 15 straight wins and moving within a victory on Friday night in Game 4 of another title and into the conversation of the best teams ever.

Cleveland nearly had this one, and they probably should have won. It would be the starkest symbol of their dominance this season. Curry has hit at least one 3-pointer in all 73 career postseason games.

The Cavaliers stayed alive in the NBA Finals with a 137-116 victory in game four on Friday, which cut Golden State’s series lead to 3-1. Twelve teams have tried, and 12 teams have failed. This technical however was given to Warriors coach Steve Kerr, and Green remained in the game. It seems – what is the word? – unlikely. But then the Warriors scored the final 11 points to send the Cavaliers to their locker room – and the fans to the exits – in stunned silence. Cleveland is in an 0-3 hole, and they haven’t been able to keep the Warriors from scoring like insane once in this series. “So even when you’re playing well, you got to play like A-plus plus, because they’re going to make runs and they’re going to make shots and they got guys that’s going to make plays”.

After James went around Durant and beat JaVale McGee’s late help for a rim-rattler late in the first quarter, ABC announcer Mark Jackson, the former Warriors coach, said: “He tells JaVale McGee, “Mind yo” business'”.