OAKLAND — Game 4 erased the Warriors’ chance at playoff perfection. Game 5 was attached to plenty of ‘Could this really happen, this way, again?’ angst.
But what always felt inevitable was finally made official late Monday night: the Warriors are NBA champions again, for the second time in three years, clinching the 2017 title with a 129-120 Game 5 putaway of LeBron James and his powerful Cavaliers.
Before the final buzzer sounded, the Warriors shoveled the ball over the Kevin Durant, allowing him to dribble out the clock and bask in the moment, beginning an emotional celebration of the first major sports title won by a Bay Area team at home since 1974.