For Steph and LeBron, an ultimate game to decide NBA title

That was why it was so jarring to see Curry lose his cool so completely following his sixth and disqualifying foul late in the fourth quarter of his Golden State Warriors’ 115-101 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday night in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. He’s the fifth player in NBA Finals history to post back-to-back games of 40 or more, a club whose only other members are Jerry West, Shaquille O’Neal, Rick Barry and Michael Jordan.

But that’s beside the point.

But after splitting the next two games, the resurgent Cavs used a sparkling Game Five performance to shift momentum in their favour and, perhaps, place a seed of doubt in the minds of the Warriors.

From the 5:00 mark of the third quarter until there was 2:59 left in the game, James scored 18 in a row and either scored or assisted on 35 of Cleveland’s 36 points. Maybe he has taken over the series. “I thought we had some good shots early that didn’t go in, and it was like 6-0 after about four minutes”. But in the end, he fouled out – and in frustration chucked his mouth guard, which will bring a fine from the league. And he knows it.

“He had every right to be upset”, Kerr said of Curry throwing his mouthpiece and getting ejected.

“I’m happy he threw his mouthpiece”, Kerr said with a laugh.

But Curry has never been pinned beneath the pressure he’s under right now.

“One more game left”, James said, “and we’re going to give it all we got and live with the results”.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr backed Curry and ripped officiating that he said allowed some players to be more physical than the league MVP.

Curry quickly apologized and made amends with the fan, who was identified as the son of one of the minority owners of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He acknowledged his failures.

“Special, very special”, Irving said. And standing on the opposite sideline is LeBron James, the human freight train that threatens to derail the Warriors’ once-certain title celebration.

But there’s nothing about Curry’s fouls tonight that suggests the league manipulated the game.

“However he wants to celebrate or whatever he wants to do to take in that moment, it is what it is”, Curry said. Having come this far with this team, I’m reluctant to underestimate the Warriors’ extra gear, unlocked only during times of true desperation.

Please, no more talk about Curry being 75 percent, about LeBron’s inferior supporting cast. Ditto for Curry and the Warriors.

It was against this backdrop that James stood strong, repelling the couple comeback bids Golden State mounted, carrying Cleveland to a seventh and deciding game of these freakish, badly-contested yet oddly compelling 2016 NBA Finals. “Our back was against the wall and he took it upon himself in the last couple games, himself and Kyrie, to really put this team on their backs and really get us to where we’re trying to get to and that’s a Game 7 in Golden State”. A victory by Curry and the Warriors completes Curry’s ascension as the new face of the National Basketball Association, completes a changing at the guard that seems inevitable. “He’s one of the greatest of all times”.

Now we go to Game 7 back at Oracle Arena. “So at the end of the day, seven games to figure out who is going to be holding that trophy on Sunday, you’ve got to love that kind of environment and that battle”.

And then we will have our answer because there will be no time at all.