CLEVELAND — When your coach says you are lacking in energy, playing with very little life … Well, there really aren’t that many harsher words that can be used, are there? But those were the phrases Steve Kerr was uttering Tuesday night to describe the NBA’s reigning MVP, Stephen Curry, who came to life in the fourth quarter of Game 3 at the NBA Finals but again made too many untimely mistakes as the Golden State Warriors fell into a 2-1 hole
You don’t need to look at the MRI on Kyrie Irving’s knee to know the Cleveland Cavaliers are in trouble. Just look at the boxscore. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Irving was better than anyone could have imagined. Bothered by a nagging sore left knee since Cleveland’s first-round series win over Boston, Irving clearly benefited from the eight-day layoff following the conference finals and rediscovered his All-Star form. Irving collected 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists in nearly 44 minutes,
After a one-week wait, the NBA Finals are here. But that’s nowhere near as long as these teams have been waiting for a championship. For the Golden State Warriors, it has been 40 years since Rick Barry led them to what many believe is the greatest upset in NBA Finals history, a four-game sweep of the Washington Bullets in 1975. For the Cleveland Cavaliers, it has been, well, forever. The Cavaliers entered the NBA in 1970 and didn’t even make the Finals
It wasn’t that long ago when Golden State Warriors fans booed team owner Joe Lacob at Oracle Arena — at a Chris Mullin jersey retirement ceremony, no less. Lacob had failed to deliver on some bold promises at that point, and – coupled with the trade of local favorite Monta Ellis – he made for a convenient target at the time.’ A lot has changed in the Bay Area in the three years since, as anyone at Game 5 of the
There is a reason why I always wait until the 82nd game of the season is in the books before deciding on my postseason awards choices. Three words: What’s the hurry? This is a lesson I learned way back in 1999 when I was covering a late regular-season game at the Alamodome during the lockout-shortened 50-game season. There were still three of four games left, and I was sitting alongside a veteran reporter from USA Today and asked him which way he
I write this column every year two days before the regular season ends, and I usually get right to the point. But this year I am going to start a little differently. So let me get one item off my chest and out of the way: Michele Roberts is way off base. The new executive director of the NBA Players Association tried to reinvent the wheel this week when it was reported that she is instituting the Players Choice Awards, which will
Steve Kerr experimented with some very interesting lineups and rotations early in the season for the Golden State Warriors when David Lee and Andrew Bogut were both out of the lineup due to injuries. It involved going very, very small where Draymond Green became the center of the team. Going with an all-switch team where just about everyone on the floor is 6’7″ only works if one of those guys can protect the rim (assuming the other four on the floor
New York — It’s really hard to be a fan of the NBA and not like everything about Stephen Curry these days. First and foremost, you have the on-court aspect. By now, it’s well-documented that he is one of the most gifted shooters the league has ever seen, and that ability was on full display during Saturday night’s 3-point contest. His game has reached another level in recent years, thanks to his ability to handle the ball like few can in the league.