The Toronto Raptors marked their NBA Finals debut with a convincing 118-109 victory over defending champions the Golden State Warriors.

Sometime in the next couple weeks, either the Toronto Raptors or Golden State Warriors will proclaim themselves to be world champions.

While football has rarely before had a decade like this one where two players have been streets out on their own, basketball during the same period hasn’t even had such a contest.

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.

I mentioned Netflix last week but I promise I lead a real life as well, one in which I get out and talk to human beings and have White Russians in Cask (and those are nice).

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

Clashmore rebounded from their ten-point loss to The Nire as a powerful finish caught Ballinacourty at the death in the Fraher Field sunshine on Saturday.

The provocateur president has drawn the ire of the sports world for saying players who kneel during the national anthem should be fired, writes Catherine Lucey and Arnie Stapleton

US president Donald Trump's criticism of American football players who kneel during the national anthem has sparked a mass increase in such protests around the NFL, as about 200 players sat, knelt or raised their fists in defiance.

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.

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

LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 128-96 win over the Detroit Pistons in the NBA.

Trump could do with some help from a major sports star these days, writes Kieran Shannon

The Cleveland Cavaliers won for an eighth time in nine NBA games this season as they had too much for the Charlotte Hornets.

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.

Nike shares rose yesterday despite the sporting goods giant’s quarterly revenue growth and its forecast for orders missing analysts’ estimates and underscoring its struggle to fend off competition from Adidas and others, especially in its home turf of north America.

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

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving led the way as the Cleveland Cavaliers completed a historic comeback to win the NBA title.

With the Wimbledon tennis championships just around the corner, the heavyweight global sports brands will once again battle for supremacy at one of the highest profile sporting events in the world.

It’s the two-time reigning MVP who is trying to finish off a record setting season with a second straight title, against a two-time champion who is tantalisingly close to finally ending Cleveland’s 52-year title drought.

Like everyone else, Draymond Green could only watch as LeBron James and Kyrie Irving sent the NBA Finals back to Cleveland.

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.

The Golden State Warriors' NBA play-off win over the Houston Rockets was overshadowed by another injury for reigning MVP Stephen Curry.

LeBron James had a night for the ages as he hauled the Cleveland Cavaliers level in the NBA Finals with a 95-93 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night.

On Monday, the Boston Celtics were the surprising beneficiaries of one of the most generous systems in professional sport.

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.

Pretty impressive.