A Sense of Doubt blog post #2677 - GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS WIN FOURTH NBA CHAMPIONSHIP in Eight Years!
I am so happy to write this post to share that my second favorite team, and right now, the number one favorite as my Pistons can't even make the playoffs, was NOT jinxed by my post yesterday that they could win the championship with a Game Six win.
WOW.
It wasn't easy, but they managed it through grit, determination, intensity, and most of all, experience.
Congratulations Warriors!
Now get number five next year!!
This is today's share. Thanks for tuning in.
Golden State Warriors' Big Three say NBA title feels 'different' after dealing with past failures
Kendra AndrewsESPNJune 16, 2022
BOSTON -- As the final seconds wound down in Game 6 of the NBA Finals between the Warriors and Celtics, Stephen Curry crouched down on the baseline and placed his head in his hands.
At center court, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole shared a long embrace. On the left side of the court, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala exchanged several high-fives before going in for a hug.
Golden State was just two seconds away from clinching its fourth NBA title in the past eight years with Thursday's 103-90 victory.
The moment the emotions sink in after a championship win isn't new for Curry, Green and Thompson. But this title, this moment, felt different.
"This one is definitely different because of the three years of baggage we carried coming out of that Game 6 in 2019," Curry said. "I can say it now, I don't know how many teams could carry that as long as we have with the expectations of comparing us now to teams of past and make it to the mountaintop again."
The Warriors won their first title since 2018 and became the first team to go from the NBA's worst record to a championship in a three-season span. They were a league-worst 15-50 in 2019-20.
The previous Game 6 of the Finals the Warriors played is considered one of the most difficult and crushing nights in Golden State history. It was the night they lost the championship. It was the final night of their superteam roster. And most importantly, it was the night Thompson tore his left ACL.
This time last year, Thompson was just starting to run again, after he also tore his right Achilles in the fall of 2020. But after Game 6 of this year's Finals, Thompson wouldn't leave the trophy presentation stage.
"I was feeling absolutely incredible," Thompson said.
At the start of the season, any discussion of the Warriors' title aspirations would have to be prefaced with "once Klay returns." But even before Thompson's return, he saw something in his team.
"People called me crazy. I said championship or bust because I saw how we came out of the gates," Thompson said. "I knew we had a chance to do something special, and here we are. It's so incredible. Wow."
But Thompson and Curry haven't forgotten those who said they couldn't do it.
"A lot of chatter. A lot of doubters. But you know what, you just put that in your fuel tank and you just keep going. And it does definitely hit different," Thompson said. "I've got a memory like an elephant. I don't forget. There were a lot of people kicking us down."
Curry added: "The conversations about who we were as a team and what we were capable of ... we hear all that, and you carry it all and you try to maintain your purpose, not let it distract you, but you carry that weight. And to get here, it all comes out. It's special."
In Green's case, he issued the league a warning early in the season, then reminded everyone of it after the game: "I told y'all on there before, don't let us win ... and they let us win a championship, and you going to hear about it."
Of the Warriors' trio of Curry, Thompson and Green, Green was the player who was around the organization the most as it went through its turbulent past two years. While Thompson was rehabbing his multiple injuries, Curry was nursing a broken hand. Green, meanwhile, was trying to be the lone veteran leader among a team of newbies.
His series against the Celtics was far from consistent -- and he'll be the first to tell you.
"You watch Game 1, I did not have a bad Game 1, and I had an incredible Game 2," Green said. "And Game 3 was kind of, like, terrible, awful. And Game 4 was not my best effort but not totally special. And Game 5, Game 5 I was pretty solid. Came out with great energy. Game 6, I dominated."
In Game 6, Green scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting with 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. He also hit two 3-pointers after missing his first 12 attempts of the series. He struggled on the other end, however. With Green as the primary defender, the Celtics shot 9-of-17 from the floor.
Curry led the way for Golden State on his way to his Finals MVP award, finishing with 34 points on 12-of-21 shooting, including 6-of-11 from 3-point range. He added 7 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steals. Thompson had 12 points.
"Steph, Klay, Draymond, what they have done in this league and the foundation they have been able to build, you've got to give them a lot of credit," Iguodala said. "In a hundred years, you're going to be talking about some of the best players and teams and foundations, and those three guys, they kind of did a template of how do you build championship pedigree."
But Thompson was quick to note that the Warriors' championship-clinching game -- and their title run in general -- wasn't just done by the three cornerstones.
"This is a collective season," he said. "Strength in numbers is alive and well."
On Thursday, Andrew Wiggins continued his strong series, finishing with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Poole added 15 off the bench, while Gary Payton II, although scoring just six points, finished with a plus-18 net rating.
Throughout the series and their playoff stretch, the Warriors saw the emergence of Kevon Looney, got reliable performances from Otto Porter Jr. and even saw contributions from teenagers Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
It was a synopsis of what carried the Warriors through the regular season, as they battled injuries and didn't have a fully healthy roster until the playoffs. Even then, their lineups and rotations were still evolving.
"We kind of limped our way into the postseason, and we clearly said, we have to peak at the right time, not knowing what our rotation was going to look like and what our chemistry was going to look like, because that's what the situation called for," Curry said. "But, damn, we did it. It's crazy to think about."
He added: "These last two months of the playoffs, these last three years, this last 48 hours, every bit of it has been an emotional roller coaster on and off the floor, and you're carrying all of that on a daily basis to try to realize a dream and a goal like we did tonight."
The smell of champagne and cigar smoke filled the tunnels of TD Garden as the Warriors' locker room celebration ensued. The sound of popping bottles was distinct, while chants and hollers rang out of the room.
Poole danced down the hallway as he made his way to his teammates. Wiggins draped the Canadian flag over his shoulders and kissed his daughter. Damion Lee said he was still shaking, as he snacked on a slice of pizza. General manager Bob Myers stood barefoot on the court drenched in champagne and beer.
The Warriors were two hours removed from winning the NBA title. But the emotions were still running high. There was a familiar feeling racing through the locker room, but at the same time, it was brand new.
"You get goosebumps just thinking about, you know, all those snapshots and episodes that we went through to get back here, individually, collectively," Curry said. "And that's why I said I think this championship hits different. That's why I have so many emotions, and still will, just because of what it took to get back here."
Warriors beat Celtics 103-90 to win 4th NBA title in 8 years
BOSTON -- — The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions once again, topping the Boston Celtics 103-90 on Thursday night for their fourth title in the last eight seasons.
Stephen Curry scored 34 points and was named the NBA Finals MVP as the Warriors claimed the franchise’s seventh championship overall. And this one completed a journey like none other, after a run of five consecutive finals, then a plummet to the bottom of the NBA, and now a return to greatness just two seasons after having the league’s worst record.
“We found a way to just get it done,” Curry said after the Warriors accepted the championship trophy and celebrated on the court.
With tears in his eyes and hoarse with emotion, Curry struggled to speak as he explained what allowed the Warriors to capture their latest crown.
“It’s part of a championship pedigree, our experience,” he said. “We built this for 10-11 years. That means a lot when you get to this stage.”
For Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, it’s a fourth championship. The first three rings came in 2015, 2017 and 2018, when Golden State was dynastic and made five consecutive trips to the finals.
“They’re all unique, they’re all special," coach Steve Kerr said of the multiple titles. “This one might have been the most unlikely. ... It takes a group effort to get it done and we had a great group.”
Injuries, including ones that sidelined Thompson for 2 1/2 years, and roster changes changed everything. But this season, with Thompson returning around the midway point, the Warriors were finally back.
Back on top, too. Champions, again, denying the storied Celtics what would have been their record 18th championship, one that would have allowed Boston to break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.
This tale for the Warriors ended much differently than what was their most recent finals appearance against Toronto in 2019, one that saw Kevin Durant tear his Achilles tendon in Game 5 and then Thompson tear his ACL in what became the Raptors’ title-clincher in Game 6.
The aftermath of that loss was exacerbated by Durant’s decision to leave that summer in free agency to join the Brooklyn Nets and Thompson’s own Achilles injury while rehabilitating his knee injury.
“It all paid off,” Thompson said. “It was dog days, a lot of tears shed. ... You knew it was a possibility, but to see it in real time. … It’s crazy.”
It thrust a Golden State team into a rebuild that became a reload. The Warriors used their two-year hiatus from the NBA’s biggest stages to retool their roster – adding a past No. 1 draft pick in Andrew Wiggins, who excelled in his first finals, along with another rising star in Jordan Poole.
“This one hits different for sure knowing what the last three years meant, what it’s been like," Curry said. “Injuries, the changing of the guard, rosters, the young guys. ... Now, we got four championships. Me, Dray, Klay and Andre.
“Finally got that bad boy," Curry added, referring to the MVP trophy. “It’s special. ... Everybody mattered in that process.”
Yes, it all clicked.
For Kerr, it’s a ninth championship overall after winning five as a player. He’s the sixth coach to capture four titles, joining Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla, Gregg Popovich and Pat Riley.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 34 points but Jayson Tatum finished with just 13, shooting just 6 of 18 from the field. Boston also committed 22 turnovers, dropping to 1-8 this postseason when committing 16 or more.
It was just the fifth defeat in 22 title-series appearances for Boston, which turned its season around to have a chance at this crown. Boston was 25-25 after 50 games, then went on a tear to get to the finals and nearly claim what would have been just the franchise’s second championship since 1986.
It was the third consecutive season where things were affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and while things were closer to normal, pictures and video of the championship celebration will serve as a forever reminder that the virus was still an issue.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver could not be at the game because he remained in the league’s health and safety protocols related to the virus. The redesigned Larry O’Brien Trophy – the golden souvenir given to the NBA champions – was presented to the Warriors by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum instead.
Boston trailed by as many as 22 points but battled back and cut the deficit to eight. A Jaylen Brown 3-pointer made it 86-78 with 5:33 to play, but the Warriors never relinquished the lead.
“Just couldn’t withstand their runs,” Celtics center Robert Williams said. “Messing up. They played harder and won tonight.”
Curry sent Boston fans streaming toward the exits with his sixth 3 of the night to give the Warriors a commanding 15-point lead, 96-81 — then clasped his hands against face as he ran back down the court, signaling an end to Boston's hopes of extending the series.
“We’ve had so many great players," Kerr said, “but Steph, ultimately is why this run happens."
TIP-INS
Warriors: Went 19 of 45 from the 3-point line. … Improved to 20-1 when Green makes a 3-pointer.
Celtics: Boston's 13-point loss marked the first finals without a single-digit game. ... Former Celtic Ray Allen, a member of Boston’s last championship team in 2008, sat courtside. Hall of Famer Robert Parish was also in attendance.
A RUN, AND A RESPONSE
The Celtics came out firing, riding the energy from a deafening TD Garden crowd to take an early 14-2 lead.
Golden State wasn’t rattled and responded with a 35-8 run that stretched into the second quarter on the way to building as much as a 22-point lead. The Warriors outscored the Celtics 27-17 for the period and carried a 54-39 lead into the second half as some Celtics fans booed the home team as they left the court.
Boston fought back in the third, but the Warriors found their range from beyond the arc, connecting on six 3s in the quarter.
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2206.17 - 10:10
- Days ago = 2541 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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