Cleveland, Golden State Set for 4th Straight NBA Finals

Both won Game 7s in conference finals
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted May 29, 2018 12:11 AM CDT
Cleveland, Golden State Set for 4th Straight NBA Finals
The Golden State Warriors pose with their trophy after defeating the Houston Rockets in Game 7 of the NBA basketball Western Conference finals, Monday, May 28, 2018, in Houston.   (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Here we go again. And again. And, well, again. Round 4—as many predicted, and others probably lamented—is happening. Cleveland and Golden State will meet for the fourth straight year in the NBA Finals, the Warriors looking for a third championship in that span and LeBron James and the Cavaliers trying to wrestle the crown away just as they did in the 2016 series. On one side, the best team of this era. On the other, the best player of this era and maybe any era. Game 1 will be hosted by the Warriors at Oracle Arena on Thursday night. You've got to appreciate the moment," Warriors guard Stephen Curry says. "Somebody asked, 'Four years in a row getting to the finals, do you appreciate it?' Yes."

Both teams are entering this title matchup with injury concerns. Cleveland's Kevin Love is in the concussion protocol and will need to complete a series of tests before he's cleared to return, and Golden State's Andre Iguodala—a former NBA Finals MVP—wasn't able to finish the Warriors-Rockets series because of a bone bruise in his leg. The Warriors hoped Iguodala would return to the Houston series, but his progress stalled. There wasn't a lot of similarity in Cleveland's and Golden State's seasons, but their last few days have been mirror images of one another, the AP reports. Both teams had to win Game 6s at home to fend off elimination, then had to go on the road and prevail in Game 7s to win their respective conference finals.

(More NBA Finals stories.)

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