OAKLAND, Calif. -- If the Golden State Warriors couldn’t achieve perfection, they’ll just have to settle for redemption and justification. After missing their shot at a 16-0 playoff record, they returned to Oracle Arena and finally secured the clinching victory they couldn’t pull off after winning three games against the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year’s NBA Finals.
This fall, Kevin Durant will have the answer to all the criticism he endured since last summer, when he announced his decision to join the Warriors as a free agent. He’ll get a championship ring after he scored 39 points -- 11 of them in the fourth quarter, in the Warriors’ 129-120 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.