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James spurs Cavs into NBA finals
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THE championship LeBron James craves more than any other, the one he came back home to get, is within reach after Cleveland routed Atlanta 118-88 on Tuesday to complete a series sweep and secure its place in the National Basketball Association finals.
James scored 23 points and Kyrie Irving provided a boost after missing two games as Cleveland cruised to victory and set up a meeting with either Golden State or Houston.
It is only the second time the Cavaliers have made it to the finals, but the fifth straight visit for James, who returned to Cleveland this season after four successful years with Miami.
None of Cleveland’s top sports teams — in the NBA, NFL or MLB — have won a title since 1964. The Cavaliers are four wins from ending that drought, and if they can, James will have a title that would put him in a class by himself. Other players have won more championships, but none has ever done it for his success-starved home region.
“We have everything it takes to win,” James said after the Cavaliers were presented with the conference trophy.
However, they’ve got their eyes on more than the Eastern Conference crown.
“Cleveland,” owner Dan Gilbert said, addressing the crowd. “We’re not settling for this.”
Jeff Teague scored 17 and Paul Millsap 16 for Atlanta, which won a team-record 60 games in regular season and made the conference finals for the first time since 1970. But the Hawks were no match for the Cavaliers and had no answer for James, who nearly averaged a triple-double in the four games.
JR Smith added 18 points and Tristan Thompson had 16 points for the Cavaliers.
Unlike 2007, when James celebrated at the final horn, he was very business-like after the clock hit zero. Standing at center court, he turned to Smith and said “four more”.
“It hasn’t always been easy the last 51 years, waiting,” first-year Cavaliers coach David Blatt said. “We know the people are behind us and that’s part of our motivation.”
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