And now, they wait. Again. The Golden State Warriors have gotten used to going to the NBA Finals, and their win in Portland on Monday night clinched their fifth consecutive trip.

The Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 110-106 to seal a series sweep and become the first team to advance to the second round of the NBA play-offs.

The NBA starts again on Tuesday night with a high-profile doubleheader.

The odds are longer than a Stephen Curry three-pointer, Kevin Durant’s wingspan, or Draymond Green’s catalogue of technical fouls.

The only statline James’s critics were interested in was that he was now three from eight in the NBA finals, in contrast to Michael Jordan’s flawless six for six record.

Can LeBron James lift a fourth NBA title and be compared to Michael Jordan as the sport’s GOAT, or will he lose in the finals for the sixth time? asks Kieran Shannon

As a fresh NBA champions cap sat a tad off-kilter on his head, Kevin Durant embraced mother Wanda. Then he moved across the podium and hugged Stephen Curry before accepting his shiny MVP trophy, holding out his arms and hoisting it for everyone to see.

One victory left for the Golden State Warriors to claim another title. Not the one as NBA champions. The one as the best team ever.

Martin O’Neill is an avid consumer, a voracious reader. Forever aware and always interested in the topics of the day. At Ireland training on Tuesday afternoon, he was heard enquiring on the rolling updates of Tiger Woods’ latest sorry episode.

Kevin Durant does not need to be told that Golden State Warriors should have a muted celebration after winning the Western Conference finals.

No Stephen Curry? No LeBron James? No problem. Despite missing the game’s two best players, the US men’s basketball team are still the slam dunk favorite to return home from the Rio Olympics with the gold medal.

The drought is over for Cleveland, and the debate is over as well.

Two Irish sport stars have been named in Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s highest paid athletes in the world.

Stephen Curry scored 36 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 96-88 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder and into an NBA title rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James continued his love affair with the Eastern Conference play-offs as the Cleveland Cavaliers booked their place in the final.

I’ve always felt managers, coaches and physical trainers get far much credit when their team wins — and a completely disproportionate degree of blame when they lose.

Or you’ll quickly reconsider once you get "the look".

LeBron James returned to Miami for the first time on Christmas Day but there was no generosity afforded from the Heat who saw off his Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91.

The first openly gay athlete to compete in one of the four major American sports received a standing ovation upon making his home debut last night.

Pretty impressive.

One of the signposts welcoming traffic to Brooklyn from Queens calls on those who pass by to “Believe the Hype”, paraphrasing that classic Public Enemy hip-hop track.

It was a good weekend for two of the greatest, most divisive athletes in the world.

If sportswriting was a sport itself, then America would dominate it something like it dominates basketball.

United States 107 Spain 100

These used to be the moments that suffocated LeBron James.

LeBron James led the way with a triple-double as the Miami Heat completed a 4-1 series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder to secure the NBA title last night.

Americans like their team sports to be reduced to duels, the battle of stars who are more often than not defined by recent form.