Warriors cruise to Game 4 victory over Cavs, capture back-to-back titles

Jordan Greer

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Warriors cruise to Game 4 victory over Cavs, capture back-to-back titles image

Behind stellar efforts from their former MVPs, the Warriors dominated the Cavs in Game 4 on Friday night, winning by a final score of 108-85 and earning back-to-back titles.

Stephen Curry scored a game-high 37 points, hitting 7-of-15 from 3-point range, and Kevin Durant earned Finals MVP honors, finishing the deciding game with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Golden State jumped on Cleveland to start the second half, winning the third quarter 25-13 and essentially securing the sweep before garbage time.

It was a rough night for the Cavs. They shot 34.5 percent as team and left Warriors shooters open all over the place. LeBron James left the floor near the end of the fourth quarter with 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, but even the league's best player couldn't slow down the champs.

Check out the best highlights from Game 4...

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Game 4 box score

Final: Warriors 108, Cavs 85

11:30 p.m. ET — And that's it. The Warriors are the 2018 NBA champions. Congratulations to Golden State on back-to-back titles.

11:22 p.m. ET — LeBron James heads to the bench. He's done for the night. His final line of the season: 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in 41 minutes.

11:09 p.m. ET — Stephen Curry only looks at the 3-point line as a suggestion. 

End of third quarter: Warriors 86, Cavs 65

11:02 p.m. ET — The Warriors hold the Cavs to 13 points in the third and stretch out their lead. It's only a matter of time now. Golden State can see the Larry O'Brien trophy.

10:52 p.m. ET — And now Klay Thompson is catching fire. The Warriors' lead is up to 16 points. The Cavs are letting go of the rope a bit here.

10:42 p.m. ET — Come on, Kevin. That's just silly.

10:35 p.m. ET — It's a 6-0 run for Golden State to the start the second half. It's always the third quarter...

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Halftime: Warriors 61, Cavs 52

10:18 p.m. ET — That was an appropriate way to close the half. Stephen Curry drills a 3-pointer from the wing with five seconds left to give the Warriors a nine-point lead. He has a game-high 20 points with four assists and two steals. Kevin Durant is filling up the box score with 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

LeBron James is doing his best to keep the Cavs alive with 16 points, five assists and three rebounds, but the biggest issue is Cleveland's defense. The Warriors had way too many open looks in the first 24 minutes. That has to change, or this series is over. 

10:06 p.m. ET — Stephen Curry is looking like a guy who wants the Finals MVP trophy. He's got 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field. And he's hitting some bombs.

9:56 p.m. ET — Give the Cavs credit. LeBron James' dunk pushes Cleveland ahead after a rough start.

9:52 p.m. ET — Not the ideal start for Klay Thompson: one shot, two turnovers, three fouls, nine minutes. Yikes.

9:45 p.m. ET — Like a good neighbor, Larry Nance Jr. is there... to grab an offensive rebound and finish the play.

End of first quarter: Warriors 34, Cavs 25

9:42 p.m. ET — That was a terrific first quarter for Golden State. The Warriors shot 59.1 percent from the field, including 6-of-10 from 3-point range, and got just about any shot they wanted. The Cavs really need to tighten up the defense. Shooters were open all over the floor.

9:35 p.m. ET — The Warriors jumped out to an early 11-point lead, but the Cavs are fighting back. Kevin Love has nine points for Cleveland and is actively looking for his shot.

9:24 p.m. ET — OK, this is just ridiculous. Stephen Curry tried to draw a foul and made it anyway.

9:15 p.m. ET — As we all predicted, Game 4 starts with a Stephen Curry tip-in off a JaVale McGee miss.

8:58 p.m. ET — And here come the Cavs. It's win-or-go-home time. Tipoff coming up next!

8:43 p.m. ET — The Cavs could sure use another big boost from Rodney Hood after a productive outing in Game 3.

8:30 p.m. ET —  Not sure this move is legal, Kevin...

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.