Copy Link Icon Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Game 4 Live Updates, Score and Highlights for 2018 NBA Finals Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers Cleveland, OH Stephen Curry poured in 37 points, Kevin Durant notched his first career playoff triple-double and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-85 to win the 2018 NBA Finals. Golden State successfully repeated as league champions and has now hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy in three of the last four seasons. Durant posted 20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and won his second straight Finals MVP honor. LeBron James tallied 23 points and eight assists in what could be the final game of his second Cleveland tenure.<doc-sep>David Liam Kyle/Getty Images After the Golden State Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers to capture the 2018 NBA title, guard Stephen Curry has won not one, not two, but three championships. That's not a subtle shot at LeBron James. However, it's a reminder of who's racking up the rings. The Warriors' recent success under head coach Steve Kerr has been called the Dub Dynasty after knocking off the team with arguably the best player in the league three times for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. On a sweeter note for the champions, aside from the champagne, their core will remain together for at least another season. According to ESPN's Rachel Nichols, forward Kevin Durant intends to re-sign to stay alongside Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Curry. As for Cleveland, there's uncertainty, which starts with James' decision on a player option. Looking back on the series sweep, it's clear the Cavaliers will need to undergo changes whether the 33-year-old stays or leaves via free agency. Let's take a look at how the Warriors closed the series and what the participants said after the game. Video Play Button Videos you might like Game 4 Result: Warriors 108, Cavaliers 85 The Cavaliers held the lead for short stints during the second quarter but failed to keep pace once the Warriors shifted into another gear in the third quarter, which has been a common trend throughout the postseason, per ESPN Stats & Info: In Game 4, the Warriors shot their lowest percentage from the field (45.3) in any contest this series, but the Cavaliers struggled during the second half. They allowed open looks all over the floor and finished converting just 35 percent of their field-goal attempts. Curry shot 12-of-27 from the field and made seven three-pointers, finishing with 37 points to lead the Warriors in scoring. He made a strong case for NBA Finals MVP, but his off night in Game 3 (11 points) proved too much to overcome when compared to Durant's four-game stretch: Durant goes two-for-two on titles and Finals MVP honors in Golden State. Game 4 Highlights The Warriors didn't show any signs of complacency, which underscores the reason for the sweep. Eager to put a poor shooting performance behind him, Curry scored 12 in the opening quarter to push Golden State off to a fast start: The Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 34-25 in the opening quarter, but Cleveland showed signs of life and took the lead with 7:13 left in the second quarter. Despite a few bright spots here and there, Golden State controlled the game's pace throughout the contest: Thompson experienced early foul trouble, but he contributed to the Warriors' third-quarter barrage that separated the two teams. The Cavaliers started to unravel shortly after halftime: Thompson finished with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting, but the champions didn't need all of their sharpshooters on target Friday. Cleveland didn't have the firepower from three-point territory or the efficiency from the field to compete in this contest. Game 4 Quotes After James' 51-point performance in Game 1, his scoring totals tapered off. A logical explanation emerged during the postgame press conference: The Cavaliers suffered a crushing 124-114 overtime defeat in the first outing. Tied at 107, George Hill missed a free throw then JR Smith dribbled the clock out. Cleveland still had a chance to win the game in the extra period but fell short. James' emotions after a frustrating loss likely compromised his ability to shoot from a distance. He shot seven three-pointers in Game 1 and only attempted 11 between Games 2-4. Against a Warriors team that scores in bunches, James neutralized himself as a perimeter threat for a majority of the series. He made a bad situation worse at the most critical time of the year. What's next for the Cavaliers' shining star? Whether you believe James or not, his pathway remains undecided. "I have no idea at this point. The one thing that I've always done is consider my family," he said. According to OddsShark, the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and Cavaliers rank as the top three in that order. Among the three teams, Cleveland seems like a long shot with a majority of its core and role players on the books for the upcoming season with little trade value. Smith's contract will deal a $14.7 million cap hit and Tristan Thompson's will take $17.5 million, per Spotrac. The team James hopes to knock off doesn't seem concerned with individual awards. Golden State thrives on the court with constant ball movement. Sure, Durant will run some isolation plays, but he averaged 7.5 assists in the NBA Finals series. During Curry's first championship run, he listed as the best player on the roster. In the last two Finals appearances, he's taken a backseat to Durant. According to Kerr, it's doesn't weigh heavily on the 30-year-old's mind: Essentially, their team accomplishments come before individual feats, and it's not a surprise considering Golden State's unselfish play style. Don't feel too sorry for Curry, he signed a five-year, $201 million super-max deal in 2017. The Warriors paid him handsomely, and they're collecting titles. There's nothing to complain about when you're well compensated and sipping champagne in June.<doc-sep>How to watch Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Warriors and Cavaliers. After a hard-fought win in Game 3, the Warriors have the chance to close out the NBA Finals with a win against the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Friday night. Kevin Durant led the way for Golden State in Wednesday’s game with 43 points on 15-23 shooting, making up for poor performances from Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. LeBron was LeBron for Cleveland in third game of series, but the Cavs also got a stong contribution from Rodney Hood, who had 15 points in 26 minutes off the bench. If the Warriors win, it would be their third championship in four years and the first time the NBA Finals ended in a sweep since 2007, when the Spurs swept LeBron’s Cavs. If Cleveland wins, Game 5 would be Monday in Oakland. How to watch Time: Friday, June 8, 9 p.m. ET TV Channel: ABC Live Stream: WatchESPN<doc-sep>
CLEVELAND — Elimination games are weird. Everyone knows that there’s a trophy in the building. That the commissioner is in the building, champagne is on ice and plastic sheeting is ready to be hung. A “potential clinch game procedure” advisory is handed out to the media. But everyone involved pretends it’s just a normal game. The feeling in the Quicken Loans Arena on Friday night wasn’t much different than it was on Wednesday, in terms of how everyone was going about their daily game-preparation tasks. Except for the looming overall knowlege that the season could end in a few hours. Out on the streets of downtown Cleveland, fans were pre-gaming, but not with the exuberance they would have if the Cavs had won Game 3. Most people were wearing No. 23 James jerseys. There was a sign outside a club on crowded 4th streeet that read “LA & Philly had their say: for all the good you do please stay!” One assumes it was directed at LeBron James, who is being linked to the 76ers and Lakers. The Warriors came in on different buses. Young guys early. Other guys, including Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala, came in around 6:30 p.m. On the last bus, arriving two hours before the 9 p.m. local time tip-off, were Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green — the latter wearing a black and white plaid outfit. Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue was asked if he reached out to Terry Francona. The Cleveland Indians manager once managed a Boston Red Sox team that famously came back from an 0-3 deficit in the American League championship seris to beat the New York Yankees. Lue did not. “No team has ever come back from 3-1 either, but we did it,” Lue said. “Our main focus is not winning four, but winning Game 4.” Early in the day, Steve Kerr was asked if he had any waterproof clothes. He did not appreciate the question. Nobody wants to jinx anything, nobody wants to make any assumptions. Everyone wants to pretend it’s just another game. Interactive How Curry's 3-point shooting changed the game Stephen Curry has not only led a Warriors resurgence since entering the league, he has changed the game with his long-distance shooting. Kerr thinks his team is more prepared after dealing with potential clinching games over the past four seasons. “I’m pleased with our maturity,” he said. “In 2015, things seemed choatic. Now it seems businesslike. We’re more poised.” Why? “Having been through the battles for four years now, I think you gain from that,” Kerr said. “You gain wisdom, you gain experience. I sense that our team is more settled going into tonight than maybe we would have been two or three years ago. I hope I’m right.” Ann Killion is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: akillion@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annkillion