OKC may lag behind Golden State since Kevin Durant’s defection – but Saturday’s bad-tempered clash showed there’s plenty of needle between the two teamsDo Steven Adams and Russell Westbrook haunt the Warriors’ dreams? If you watched Saturday’s game, the first between the two teams since Kevin Durant defected to the Warriors, without paying attention to the score, the question would seem absurd. Related: James Dolan's feud with Charles Oakley: what was the Knicks owner thinking? Continue reading...
Golden State’s emphatic 126-91 victory revealed a shift in the power dynamic – but this is just the start of a tug-of-war that could continue for years to comeWarriors lay waste to Cavaliers in potential NBA finals previewWith three small words, Draymond Green confirmed what we’ve all been wondering about the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.“It’s a rivalry.” Related: See you in June: Warriors lay waste to Cavaliers in potential finals preview Draymond Green: "It's a rivalry" pic.twitter.com/a0bheZsdyiNot. A. Rivalry pic.twitter.com/dIOqcaFSXB Continue reading...
The Golden State Warriors’ dream season ends in a LeBron James nightmare; legends leave the game; the basketball world mourns Pat SummittYou can be forgiven for thinking that the Cleveland Cavaliers were finished. After all, no team in NBA history had ever come back from a 3-1 NBA Finals lead and they were playing a Golden State Warriors team that wasn’t just good but historically unprecedented. Having gone 73-9 in the regular season, the 2015-16 Warriors were arguably a single win away from being in the “best NBA team ever” conversation. Continue reading...
For those in a rush to bury the Warriors after Monday’s lopsided loss to the Spurs, it’s worth remembering how difficult it can be to integrate a new starCome with me, if you will, to a time not too long ago; a simpler, more civilized time before the NBA arms race went positively nuclear. 31 October 2014, to be exact. The Cleveland Cavaliers were playing the New York Knicks, not unlike this very year. Just like this year, the Cavs were heavily favored, and the Knicks were predicted to lay down and play dead because, well, they’re the Knicks. It was a festive atmosphere in Cleveland then, too. LeBron James was playing in his first game as a Cav since...