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OAKLAND -- They finished it off.

And they did it in style, with 19,596 souls at sold-out Oracle Arena spending the fourth quarter standing and staring and screaming.

The Warriors, considered by many as a Super Team, derided by some as Super Villains, are Super Champions.

With Kevin Durant scoring a team-high 39 points and Stephen Curry tossing in 34, the Warriors outlasted a resilient Cavaliers team 129-120 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals Monday night to win their second title in three years.

Andre Iguodala fired in 20 points off the bench, Klay Thompson had 11 and Draymond Green added 10, along with a team-high 11 rebounds as the Warriors concluded the postseason at 16-1, the highest postseason win percentage in NBA history.

The Warriors won despite giving away 25 points in turnovers, being outscored in the paint 62-52 and being outshot 53.4 percent to 51.1. Cleveland won the second-chance-points battle 20-15 and the fast-break points battle 25-18.

LeBron James poured in a game-high 41 points to lead Cleveland, while Kyrie Irving tossed in 26 -- 0 in the fourth quarter.

STANDOUT PERFORMER:

Iguodala was tremendous off the bench. Curry did plenty of damage. Green brought fire and hard-hat production. Durant punctuated a magnificent Finals performance with his best offensive show.

Durant’s line: 39 points (14-of-20 shooting from the field, including 5-of-7 beyond the arc, 6-of-6 from the line), seven rebounds and five assists. He played 40 minutes and finished plus-18.

TURNING POINT:

Trailing the Cavaliers 41-33 after a James dunk with 10:14 left in the second quarter, the Warriors reeled off a 21-2 run to go up 54-43 on a Curry floater with 4:40 left in the half.

The Cavs trailed by 11 (71-60) at the half, by five (98-93) after three quarters. They got as close as three (98-95) early in the fourth before the Warriors pulled away down the stretch, outscoring the 31-27 in the final quarter.

INJURY UPDATE:

Warriors: No injuries listed. C Damian Jones and F Kevon Looney were placed on the inactive list.

Cavs: No injuries listed. G Kay Felder and C Edy Tavares were placed on the inactive list.

WHAT’S NEXT:

The victory parade is set for Thursday in Oakland.</s>The Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant took the title of MVP for the 2017 NBA Finals and we could not be more psyched! Even though you know he’s all around awesome after watching him crush the championship, here are some things you may not have known!

Though he must have been extremely sweaty at the end of Game 5 of the NBA finals, Kevin Durant, 28, came out smelling like a rose. When the game ended with the Golden State Warriors defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the NBA Championship everyone was cheering, not just for the Warriors, but for Kevin specifically, who took home MVP. Here is everything you need to know about the all-star. Click here to see pics of of celebs at the NBA finals.

1. He played against the Warriors last year. Kevin was a powerhouse player for Oklahoma City Thunder from 2008-2016, during which time he played against his current team. In July of 2016 he announced he was signing with the Warriors, a move that fans and critics disapproved of and actually compared to when LeBron James left the Cavs for the Miami Heat

2. He’s an Olympic gold medalist. Kevin was a member of the men’s USA basketball team for the London 2012 Olympics. The team took home the gold and Kevin, with averages of 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, broke the record for most points scored in Olympic basketball.

3. He’s very close with his mother. After Kevin and the Cavs won the 2017 Championship he had this to say about sharing the moment with his mom, Wanda: “She’s seen me as a kid putting in work. She’s seen how I come home after losses and how tough I take it … it feels good to see it come full circle.” Then, when he won MVP he added, emotionally: “We did it. I told you when I was 8 years old. We did it.”

4. He is one of the highest-earning basketball players in the entire world. Kevin makes about $35 million a year and is signed to Jay-Z‘s Roc Nation group, with sponsors including Nike, Sprint, Gatorade, Panini, General Electric, and 2K Sports.

5. He’s a huge philanthropist. Kevin pledged $1 million to the American Red Cross for the victims of the 2013 Moore tornado in 2013 and was able to get the Thunder and Nike to match his donation. He is also the face of the Washington, D. C. branch of P’Tones Records, a nationwide non-profit after-school music program.

HollywoodLifers, what do you think of Kevin now that you know everything about the NBA Finals’ latest MVP? Give us all your thoughts below!</s>For the second time in three years, the Golden State Warriors are NBA champions.

Courtesy of a 129-120 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals, the Warriors earned the third title in franchise history in front of the home fans at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California Monday night.

On the way to his first NBA Championship, Warriors forward Kevin Durant scored 39 points on 14-of-20 shooting, including a five-of-eight showing from three-point range, to go along with seven rebounds, five assists and one steal.

Additionally, the Warriors got double-digit scoring efforts from shooting guard Stephen Curry (34 points), shooting guard Klay Thompson (11), power forward Draymond Green (10) and reserve forward Andre Iguodala (20).

Durant averaged 35.2 points over the five-game series against the Cavaliers.

Four of Cleveland’s five starters reached in double figures, led by small forward LeBron James. James converted 19 of his 30 attempts from the field en route to a game-high 41 points. James added 13 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and one blocked shot over 46 minutes of play.

Point guard Kyrie Irving (26 points), shooting guard J.R. Smith (25) and center Tristan Thompson (15) also finished in double figures.

11:11 p.m.-CAVALIERS CUT WARRIORS LEAD DOWN TO FIVE AFTER THIRD

Needing a run to get back into the game, the Cleveland Cavaliers outscored the Golden State Warriors by six points out of the halftime break, which cut the deficit down to five, 98-93, after the third quarter of Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Point guard Kyrie Irving emerged as the Cavaliers’ offensive leader early in the third quarter, as he used his mid-range game to score a game-high 10 points in the period on four-of-six shooting mixed in with a pair of free throws.

Small forward LeBron James and shooting guard J.R. Smith added six points each, while center Tristan Thompson converted two looks from the field and three of his four attempts from the free-throw line on his way to seven points.

As a team, the Cavaliers knocked down 12 of their 20 looks from the field, while they limited the Warriors to nine of 19 in the third quarter.

For the third straight quarter, Smith buried a three-pointer in the final 20 seconds of play, as he connected on an off-balance, contested triple from the left wing with just 18 seconds remaining in the period.

The Golden State Warriors put together a monster run in the second quarter, and by virtue of a 15-point edge in scoring, took a 71-60 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers at halftime of Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

The Cavaliers started the second quarter with a pair of baskets from small forward LeBron James, including a dunk over the outstretched arm of Warriors forward Kevin Durant, who appeared to smack James in the face on his way toward the rim.

During a timeout from Golden State, James took umbrage with an official about the lack of a call on Durant, but the complaints went for naught, and the Warriors used that break in the action to settle themselves.

Down by eight points, the Warriors responded with a 30-8 scoring run over the next seven-plus minutes of play.

Golden State started the run with six straight points, including an 18-foot jumper and second-chance bucket from forward David West. West missed a short jumper as it rolled off the rim, but after the Warriors hustled after the offensive rebound, West got the short-range jumper to fall.

Following a steal off of Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, reserve forward Andre Iguodala threw down an uncontested dunk and forced the Cavaliers to use a timeout with their lead down to two points, 41-39, with 7:58 to play in the first half.

Out of the break in the action, Durant hit a pair of three-pointers, which put the Warriors in front, 45-43, and then, point guard Stephen Curry hit his first triple of the game at the 6:13 mark of the second quarter.

Shooting guard J.R. Smith broke the Cavaliers out of their slump with a deep two-pointer from the right wing, but Warriors power forward Draymond Green answered with a three-pointer from the left corner of the floor that Durant followed with a triple of his own from the right wing.

Down by as many as 16 points, the Cavaliers outscored the Warriors, 8-2, over the final minute of play thanks to a pair of three-pointers from Smith, who buried the first from the right wing, and then, with the final seconds ticking off the clock, pulled up from well beyond the arc on the left side of the floor and sunk his third triple of the half.

The Cleveland Cavaliers came out like a team with its back against the wall, and their hustle on both ends of the floor, as well as unselfish passing and ability to attack the rim led to a 37-33 advantage over the Golden State Warriors after the first quarter of Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

The Warriors started the game on a 9-4 run, including back-to-back three-pointers from power forward Draymond Green and shooting guard Klay Thompson, but the Cavaliers had an answer in the form of a 9-0 run in just 95 seconds that forced a Golden State timeout with 8:44 to play in the period.

Shooting guard J.R. Smith got the run started with a driving layup on a pass from center Tristan Thompson, and then, small forward LeBron James continued the spurt with a driving layup of his own, which Smith set up with a pass in the lane.

Fouled on his drive to the hoop, James made it a three-point play with a free throw, which tied the score at 9-9, but it would not remain that way for long.

Point guard Kyrie Irving picked the pocket of his Warriors counterpart, Stephen Curry, and raced toward the hoop for a layup. Then, James intercepted a pass from small forward Kevin Durant and took it in for the basket.

Out of the timeout, the Warriors got a layup from Durant, but the Cavaliers answered that with a layup from Thompson and a pull-up three-pointer from James from the left wing, which gave Cleveland a 20-11 advantage.

Although the Warriors made it a two-point game, 22-20, with a 9-2 scoring run over the next two minutes, the Cavaliers outpaced the home team, 15-13, for the remainder of the quarter.

With the Cavaliers down, 31-30, with inside a minute left, Irving sunk a pair of free throws, and then, hit an off-balance two-pointer from 21 feet away. Then, in transition after a steal from reserve guard Deron Williams, Smith caught a pass from Irving and buried a three-pointer from the left wing with 4.7 seconds left.

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers fought their way to a 137-116 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the 2017 NBA Finals Friday night, which forced the best-of-seven series back to Oracle Arena in Oakland for tonight’s Game 5 matchup.

And in order for the Cavaliers to force The Finals back to Cleveland for Game 6, small forward LeBron James knows it will take a maximum effort against the best team in the league for the third straight season, who will go for the close-out win in front of its home fans.

“We have to bring our best game every game against this team,” James said. “Like I said before, they create so many different problems out on the floor, so much firepower, that we always have to play great in order to win.”

The last three times the Cavaliers played at Oracle Arena, including a regular-season game on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day back in January as well as Games 1 and 2 of The Finals, the Warriors dominated the pace of play and won by an average of 25.33 points.

“We didn’t play well in Game 1 or Game 2,” James said. “We have watched the film, we see what we didn’t do well, and if you don’t do something well, they will make you pay for it. So we have to be 20 times better in this building, and we understand that.

“If we don’t protect the three-point line and if we turn the ball over, then we don’t stand a chance. So we know what our keys to victory are that are going to give us the best possible chance to go back home with a Game 6. And if we don’t stick to that game plan, then we’ll be going back home without a game.”

After the Cavaliers won the Eastern Conference Championship at TD Garden in Boston late last month, James talked about how stressful it was to think about The Finals so quickly after clinching their third straight trip to the championship round.

But as the series continues, James is able to process the stress by focusing on the task at hand.

“The Playoffs (are) stressful and just the preparation, things of that nature, but that’s just from how I prepare,” James said. “There’s no added stress going on playing basketball. Your coaching staff is giving you a game plan, you just try to execute it. There’s no added stress of that.

“If you’re able to get a win or get two, get three, get four, you don’t win, I guess I’ve been a part of all of it. I don’t think you have more stress. You know what you need to do. If you’re prepared, then you’re prepared. There’s no reason to add more to it.”

And as for which team has the most pressure on it heading into Game 5, the Cavaliers, who are one win away from elimination, or the Warriors, who could win a championship in front of the home fans, James knows what he and his teammates are focused on.

“I feel like this is the game we’ve got to get, or it’s over with,” James said. “I think everybody’s feeling that way.”

You can interact with us all game long using the Twitter hashtag #3Cavs</s>OAKLAND, CA-Kevin Durant scored 39 points, Stephen Curry added 34 and the Golden State Warriors won their second NBA championship in three seasons with a 129-120 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the Finals on Monday night.

Durant capped his first season with the Warriors in triumphant fashion with another big shooting night that helped Golden State avoid a repeat of last year’s Finals collapse when Cleveland rallied from 3-1 down to win the title.

LeBron James scored 41 points and Kyrie Irving added 26 for the Cavs, who had won four straight potential elimination games against the Warriors before running out of gas in Game 5.</s>Kevin Durant’s maiden voyage as a member of the Golden State Warriors ended in the way that many envisioned. In Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals, Durant was unbelievably effective, scoring 39 points, grabbing seven rebounds and knocking down five three-point attempts in a clinching performance.

Moments later, he was named as the 2017 NBA Finals MVP and put on a show during the trophy presentation.

Nike, who pays Kevin Durant a hefty sum of money annually, was quick to release a video celebrating the occasion but there is something to be said for the raw reaction. One of the best moments came from Durant’s interaction with his mother and, even if the majority of that took place outside of the speech, the exclamation of “we did it!” certainly was affecting.

Furthermore, it wasn’t as if there was any level of mystery to the proceedings, as Durant was the unanimous choice.</s>OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: (L-R) Dell and Sonya Curry, parents of Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors sit with his wife Ayesha Curry in the stands during Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers at ORACLE Arena on June 12, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)</s>Kevin Durant finally has the NBA championship that eluded him for nine seasons.

After spurning the Thunder to join the Warriors as a free agent last offseason, Durant capped a dominant NBA Finals performance with 39 points to lead Golden State to a 129-120 victory over the Cavaliers and close out the series in five games.

Durant was 14 of 20 from the floor in Monday's win and added seven rebounds and five assists and finished the series with a five-game average of 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists. Durant was the difference as the Warriors won their second title in three years and won the rubber match in their so-called three-match with the Cavaliers.

Cavaliers forward LeBron James, playing in his seventh straight NBA Finals, scored a game-high 41 points and averaged a triple-double in the Finals. The first player Durant embraced following the victory was James, who gave a valiant effort himself and was matched up with Durant for most of the series.

Durant said he was "anxious and jittery" before Monday's game, but "prevailed" as he scored more than 30 points in each of the five games.</s>The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions, and we might be saying that for a while.

They have four superstars under the age of 30, led by 2017 NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant, who averaged 35 points per game in Golden State’s five-game Finals win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The rest of the league has a lot of catching up to do to reach the Warriors’ level. This team has almost no weaknesses. Unless injuries ruin the party, Monday night’s celebration could last for several seasons.

Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce believe’s Golden State’s reign over the basketball world is only beginning, and it’s hard to disagree.

This is why the Celtics, a team with tremendous young players and a treasure chest of future draft picks, should take the long view in their plan to build a champion.

Boston reached the Eastern Conference finals this season but was decisively beaten by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. It was a great season for the C’s, who earned valuable playoff experience for a young roster.

But if they weren’t close to beating the Cavs, taking down the Warriors would be a near-impossible task. Yes, the C’s have won in Golden State in each of the last two seasons, but this year’s upset at Oracle Arena came when Kevin Durant was sidelined with an injury.

The Celtics have the assets — most notably the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and a likely top-five pick via the Brooklyn Nets in the 2018 draft — to make a blockbuster trade for a superstar. But even the additions of Paul George or Jimmy Butler via trade, or Gordon Hayward as a free agent, wouldn’t elevate the Celtics to the Warriors’ level.

The best path to success for the C’s is using these draft picks on players who will reach their prime when the Warriors could be broken up (or old) and James and the Cavs no longer are elite.

Imagine a Celtics core of 2016 No. 3 overall pick Jaylen Brown, potential 2017 No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz and whoever next year’s Nets first-round pick turns out to be. Three talented players under 22 years old and signed to team-friendly rookie contracts.

Taking this long-term approach doesn’t hinder Boston’s ability to compete in the East in the short-term, either. Adding a high-end talent like Fultz to a roster that just played in the East Finals would be a substantial upgrade, and depending on how other young Celtics players develop, they might be able to challenge the Cavs soon.

It’s difficult to be patient, especially after a deep playoff run. The Celtics were just three wins away from the NBA Finals.

But it’s important to be realistic about the situation. The Celtics aren’t going to beat the Warriors as currently constructed. If the Celtics stay the course and build through the draft — like many championship squads are formed — they should give themselves the best chance to win when James is in his late thirties and the Warriors’ party could be nearing its end.</s>The Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 129-120 to win their second NBA Championship in three seasons with a 4-1 finals series victory.

The Warriors, who beat Cleveland in the 2015 finals only to lose to them in 2016 after squandering a 3-1 series lead, went a record-setting 15 victories and just one loss in the playoffs.

Kevin Durant led the way for the Warriors with 39 points, with Stephen Curry contributing 34.</s>The Golden State Warriors have won their second NBA championship within 3 years after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games.

See you at the parade!
In basketball, the Golden State Warriors defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games to win the 2017 NBA Finals. It is the second time they have won the Finals in last three years. Kevin Durant is declared NBA Finals MVP.