CLEVELAND -- LeBron James hasn't slowed the Warriors, and he's hardly alone.
Toying with other teams, Golden State has turned the NBA postseason into its personal playground, storming to a record 15 straight wins and moving within a victory on Friday night in Game 4 of another title and into the conversation of the best teams ever.
And although it appears James, playing in his seventh straight Finals, will again fall short of a championship, Cleveland's superstar isn't faulting the Warriors for adding Kevin Durant to a 73-win team.
He'd do the same thing.
"It's part of the rules," James said Thursday, hours after the Cavs fell 118-113 to slip into a 3-0 hole. "But is it fair? I don't care. It's great for our league. Right now, look at our TV ratings, look at the money our league is pouring in. I mean, guys are loving the game, our fans love the game. I mean, who am I to say if it's fair or not?"
James, who left Cleveland in 2010 to join All-Stars Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami, said he doesn't begrudge the Warriors for signing Kevin Durant and adding him to a roster that already had Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. He pointed out that the NBA isn't the only league where dynasties have been built by owners throwing around money, using the New York Yankees and Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s as examples.
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"I'm not one to judge and say if it's fair or not if guys are adding players to their team," he said. "It happens. It's sports. You have an opportunity to sign one of the best players, and you can do it, go ahead and do it. Why not? If I become an owner, I'm going to try to sign everybody" (see full story).
Warriors: No questioning Durant's decision now
CLEVELAND -- Kevin Durant never demanded he'd get to take the biggest shot of the NBA Finals.
The Golden State Warriors made no promises and he knew there were no guarantees. When they met last summer in New York to discuss the biggest decision of his career, neither side even focused on winning titles.
They talked about having fun, and now Durant is on the verge of having the time of his basketball life.
One win from his first championship and probably the NBA Finals MVP award along with it, Durant is the perfect player in the perfect place.
"I think I said it last night, it just looks like he understands this is his moment, this is his time," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Thursday. "He's earned it. He's been in this league for a long time, and he's, I think, at the top of his game at the biggest time."
Durant was widely criticized last year when he left Oklahoma City for Golden State, chided for trying to take the easiest route to a title by joining what was already a stacked team.
But that wasn't the way he looked at it. Durant wasn't thinking about lifting trophies or being fitted for championship rings. He loves to play basketball, and loved the way the Warriors play it.
"I didn't envision anything but just being around good people and getting better every single day. That's exactly what happened throughout the season," Durant said. "I didn't talk to these guys when I made my decision and say we better make it to the Finals and be up in the series around this time, this exact date, or I'm not coming. I mean, it was just, `Let's just have some fun playing ball, let's just all get better and let's see what happens'" (see full story).
NBA: Game 3 of Finals up 22 percent from last season
CLEVELAND -- Game 3 of the NBA Finals drew 20.5 million viewers on ABC, an increase of 22 percent from last season.
Golden State's 118-113 victory over Cleveland was the closest game of the series and the most-watched Game 3 ever on ABC, according to Nielsen numbers announced Thursday.
The overall ratings for the series, the first time the same two teams have played in three straight Finals, are the highest since 1998, when Michael Jordan won his last championship. It is averaging 20 million viewers, up 11 percent from 2016.
Bucks: Developmental League team will be named Herd
OSHKOSH, Wis. -- The Milwaukee Bucks will be rounding up the Herd.
The Bucks announced that their new NBA Developmental League team in Oshkosh will be known as the Wisconsin Herd. A new arena is being built for the team, which starts play in November.
A logo for the Herd will be unveiled on June 22. The Bucks say they chose the "Wisconsin Herd" name to reflect the NBA team's brand and connections to the state.
Oshkosh is about 90 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
