Warriors close out Cavaliers in NBA Finals Game 6 for championship

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The final, 83rd victory couldn't come easily. A year of dominance couldn't conclude without LeBron James and his band of misfits making things a bit more difficult.

But the 2014-15 NBA season could not have concluded any other way. The Golden State Warriors are the NBA champions. The Cavaliers witnessed and challenged but ultimately lost 105-97 in Game 6, at home in Cleveland.

MORE: The best photos from the Finals

Game 6 was a true team effort from the best team in the NBA. NBA MVP Stephen Curry had 25 points and eight assists, while Finals hero Andre Iguodala had his best offensive showing of the series with 25 points, five assists and five rebounds. Power forward Draymond Green added a triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Even inconsistently used backup center Festus Ezeli chipped in with 10 points.

For the Cavaliers, it was more of the same. More of James. Two days after declaring himself "the best player in the world," James again was the best player on the court. He had 32 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists but again lacked for help and forced his shots more than we are used to, even as he became the sixth player in NBA history with 5,000 career postseason points. James exited the game in the final seconds to chants of MVP from his home crowd.

The Warriors seemed to end the game early, holding a 28-15 first-quarter lead. But the Cavaliers mucked things up in the second quarter and cut the deficit to 45-43 at halftime. The Warriors responded and distanced themselves again, only to have the Cavs keep it close to the end, thanks largely to J.R. Smith's 15 fourth-quarter points.

Still the Warriors prevailed because of Iguodala and Curry and Shaun Livingston and the rest. The title is the Warriors' first since 1975 and comes after a franchise-best 67-victory regular season.

Their path was marked by injuries, sure. The Warriors managed to not face a single team in the postseason with its first-string point guard healthy. The Cavaliers, in particular, were battered, without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, James' two best teammates.

But nothing takes away from what this team did in a truly dominant performance. Their shooting drew the attention, but their defense was dominant as well. And now they have the hardware to prove it.

Golden State's Andre Iguodala was named Most Valuable Player of the 2015 NBA Finals as he helped the Warriors clinch Game Six, and the title

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