NBA Click & Roll: LeBronto, the Raptors' demise and Houston's chance to knock off Golden State
Welcome to Paste BN Sports' NBA Click & Roll newsletter.
This is where we bring you exclusive content from Paste BN's NBA reporters Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt, including updates on all their exploits on the NBA beat. Plus, we catch you up on the *biggest* moments, quotes and news from the week.
QUICK DISH: THINGS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Call it LeBronto or deem him LeBrontosaurus, but no matter how you slice it, LeBron James owns the Toronto Raptors. Wheezing after an exhausting seven-game series, the Cavaliers promptly swept the top-seeded Raptors in embarrassing fashion. It's the third consecutive year Cleveland has ousted Toronto.
Who better to discuss the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James than Tiger Woods?
It wasn't just LeBron, though, despite the timely Saturday Night Live sketch roasting "the other" Cavaliers. Who knew their center was a golden retriever and not All-Star Kevin Love? Love somehow played out of position, and it worked.
Everybody chipped in throughout the sweep, even former teammate Richard Jefferson. The only blemish on an otherwise perfect series came from reserve Rodney Hood, who won't be suspended after he refused to enter the game late in Game 4.
What now for the Raptors? Would Coach of the Year candidate Dwane Casey really be fired? That's the power of James. He's played a role in dismantling several East teams before.
His dominance demoralizes opponents and flips his teams from the brink of elimination to the conference favorites in a matter of a week. James is four wins away from reaching his eighth consecutive NBA Finals.
On the other side of the ledger, both the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors advanced, setting up the showdown everyone both predicted and hoped for. Are the Rockets Golden State's biggest obstacle to a repeat title?
As the unofficial spokesperson for the defending champs, Draymond Green doesn't sound too concerned with taking on Houston.
Perhaps he should be. After three consecutive Finals runs, complacency could be an issue, especially considering how Rockets guard Chris Paul has never even played in a conference finals, let alone an NBA Finals.
Paul's runningmate James Harden found himself in lukewarm water after slapping a phone away from a heckling fan. It was hardly the mess Utah rookie Donovan Mitchell created when cameras caught him cursing about Harden in the middle of their second-round series.
Just in case you were enjoying the brief respite from Lavar Ball, he has a take on how his son compares to perennial MVP candidate Kawhi Leonard. We're sure you missed him dearly.
Check back next week as Sam and Jeff hit the road for the conference finals