OAKLAND, Calif. — LeBron James delivered on a promise from two years ago to bring a championship to his native northeast Ohio, and he and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the defending champion Golden State Warriors, 93-89, on Sunday night in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
The Cavaliers’ victory ended a 52-year championship drought in major professional sports in Cleveland and made them the first team to recover from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.
James almost single-handedly carried the Cavaliers back into the series and finished with 27 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds as the Cavaliers captured their first championship.
An emotional James fell to the floor once the game ended and was surrounded by his teammates. Moments earlier, he went down in pain with 10.6 seconds left after being fouled by Draymond Green while attempting an emphatic final dunk, then provided the final margin by making the second of two free throws.
Kyrie Irving scored 26 points to cap his brilliant performance in the NBA Finals, including a 3-pointer over MVP Stephen Curry with 53 seconds left.
Curry sat briefly on the bench to take in the scene after the Warriors made their last basket with 4:39 left.
Green had 32 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, but the Warriors’ record-setting season ended without a second-consecutive title. Golden State went 73-9 during the regular season, setting a record for the most wins.
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