Tag: B/R

Warriors vs. Cavs listed in Bleacher Report’s ‘Biggest Rivalries of Every NBA Decade’

After facing off in four consecutive NBA Finals, the Warriors vs. Cavaliers earned a spot in Bleacher Report’s ‘Biggest Rivalries of Every NBA Decade.’

While it doesn’t have the fame of the Boston Celtics versus the Los Angeles Lakers or the Chicago Bulls against the New York Knicks, the Golden State Warriors built a steady rivalry with one Eastern Conference foe. After becoming the first NBA team to meet in four consecutive Finals, it’s fair to say the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers held a memorable rivalry.

From 2015 to 2018, the Warriors faced off with the LeBron James led Cavs in the NBA Championship. Golden State bested Cleveland in three of the four Finals. To start the rivalry, the darling Golden State Warriors cemented their place at the top of the NBA pyramid with a win over Cleveland in the 2015 Finals.

In 2016, Cleveland put together a historic run to the title against a record-breaking Golden State squad. After blitzing to a 73-9 regular season campaign, the Warriors jumped out to a 3-1 lead against the Cavaliers in the Finals. James and Kyrie Irving stormed back to an improbable comeback in seven games to fuel the rivalry.

Adding more firepower to the clash, Golden State went on to add Kevin Durant alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala. With Durant on board, the Warriors went on to win back-to-back championships against Cleveland.

According to Bleacher Report, the Warriors battles against the Cavaliers ranked as the biggest rivalry of the 2010 decade.

Via @BleacherReport on Twitter:

Golden State’s feud with James Harden and the Houston Rockets were also considered in Bleacher Report’s rivalry rankings. When it came to individual contests, the matchups of James against Durant and Curry versus Kawhi Leonard made the cut.

With Curry and Thompson on the road back to the court and James linked alongside Anthony Davis in Los Angeles, Golden State could work their way towards another rivalry with a team led by the King.

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