Cavaliers forward LeBron James makes Finals history in losing effort

LeBron James is the first player in NBA Finals history to lead both teams in points, assists and rebounds for the entire series.

SI Wire | Jun 17, 2015

Cavaliers forward LeBron James makes Finals history in losing effort /

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James is the first player in NBA Finals history to lead both teams in points, assists and rebounds for the entire series, according to ESPN.

James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists across six Finals games. The Cavaliers fell to the Golden State Warriors, who won their first title since 1975.

The 30-year-old James scored 40 or more points three times in the series, including 44 points in Game 1, a career-high for James in the Finals. He recorded a triple double in Games 2 and 5 and just missed one in Game 6 with 32 points, 19 rebounds and nine assists.

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According to Tom Haberstroh of ESPN, James accounted for 38.3% of Cleveland's points in the Finals, the second-highest percentage of team points in Finals history. He is edged only by Michael Jordan scoring 38.4% of the Bulls' points in the 1993 Finals, which Chicago won.

James lost out on MVP honors for the series to Warriors guard Andre Iguodala. Had he been named Finals MVP, James would have been only the second NBA player in history to achieve it in a losing effort (Jerry West in 1969 is the first).

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Golden State Warriors Win The NBA Title

John W. McDonough for Sports Illustrated

The Golden State Warriors won Game 6 of the NBA Finals 105-97 over the Cleveland Cavaliers to clinch the franchise's first NBA title since 1975.

The Warriors are the third straight one-seed to win the title, following in footsteps of the San Antonio Spurs in 2014 and the Miami Heat in 2013.

Golden State trailed by two points early in the third quarter but quieted the crowd in Cleveland, which has seen the city's three pro teams go a combined 144 seasons without one of them winning a championship.

James was replaced in the final seconds, but before he left the court, the four-time MVP shook hands with Steph Curry and offered congratulations to coach Steve Kerr and the rest of the Warriors. (Text credit: AP)

Andre Iguodala was named Finals MVP and celebrates here with regular season MVP Steph Curry.

Inserted into the Warriors starting lineup for the first time all season in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Andre Iguodala proved his worth by helping lead Golden State to three consecutive wins and the title. He scored 25 in Game 6.

Draymond Green, pictured here holding down Timofey Mozgov, enjoyed a triple double in Game 6 -- 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Steph Curry goes to the left hand to score two of his 25 points.

LeBron James had 32 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists in the losing effort.

Klay Thompson scored five points for Golden State before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

Steph Curry and the Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 28-18 in the third quarter, quieting a rocking Cleveland crowd in the process. (Text credit: AP)

Cleveland outrebounded Golden State 56-39 in Tuesday's game.

Steph Curry made only three of his 11 three-point attempts and hit eight of 19 overall.

Tristan Thompson throws down two of his 15 points.

Draymond Green muscles up over LeBron James, who has now lost in four NBA Finals.

LeBron James returned to Ohio this season to try to end Cleveland's title drought but didn't have a strong enough supporting cast after season-ending injuries to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

Steph Curry, the Warriors' first MVP since Wilt Chamberlain, hustled from start to finish in Game 6.

- Molly Geary

Published Jun 17, 2015

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