Player grades as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Golden State Warriors repeat as champions

Jay Asser 08:00 09/06/2018
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  • Stephen Curry had 37 points in the clincher.

    The Golden State Warriors are back-to-back champions as they claimed their third title in four years with a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

    Stephen Curry had 37 points while Finals MVP Kevin Durant recorded a triple-double, but the Warriors’ defence was just as impressive as they locked down LeBron James and Co in 108-85 win in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

    Here are our the player grades for both teams.

    Cleveland Cavaliers

    George Hill – Had a terrible series and finished it with another poor performance in which he was a complete non-factor. D

    J.R. Smith – Did his part by hitting three triples and being an engaged defender, but also picked up a silly technical foul. B-

    LeBron James – Uncharacteristically played his worst game of the series facing elimination and displayed zero confidence in his jump shot. C

    Kevin Love – Thirteen points on 13 shots is simply not good enough for the Cavaliers’ number two offensive option. C-

    Tristan Thompson – Converted a few shots in the paint but only saw the floor for 16 minutes as Cleveland prioritised offence. B

    Rodney Hood – Carried over his play from the previous game to again give good minutes off the bench before it became a blowout. B+

    Jeff Green – Too many Cleveland possessions ended on Green isolations or post-ups, which unsurprisingly didn’t work out. C-

    Larry Nance Jr – Even when the game was getting out of hand, Nance was bringing his usual energy and scrapping. B+

    Kyle Korver – Shot 0-of-6 from the field as he was neutralised again to cap off a rough series for him. D

    LeBron

    Golden State Warriors

    Stephen Curry – Splashed seven bombs from deep for 37 points and also played well on defence, coming up with three blocks and three steals. A

    Klay Thompson – Got into foul trouble before the end of the first half and finished with a modest 10 points on 10 shots. B-

    Kevin Durant – Wasn’t nearly as efficient scoring the ball as the past two games, but had a triple-double with an all-around effort. A-

    Draymond Green – Was his usual disruptive self on the defensive end, while chipping in nine points and nine assists. B+

    JaVale McGee – Continued to give the Cavaliers problems as a roll man and rim protector whenever he was on the court. B+

    Andre Iguodala – Came off the bench to shoot 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, punishing Cleveland for leaving him open on the perimeter. A-

    Jordan Bell – His ability as a versatile defender who can guard inside and out was on full display in his 18 minutes. B

    Shaun Livingston – Only took one shot in his 14 minutes, but made an impact defensively as a stable presence off the bench. B-

    David West – Wasn’t asked to do much, yet his eight minutes were useful in that they allowed the starters to get a breather. B-

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