Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors celebrate their 105 to 97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game Six of the 2015 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 16, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo : Getty Images/Jason Miller)
The Golden State Warriors may have lost to rivals Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day after a controversial 108-109 defeat but they maintained their status as kings of the National Basketball Association, a proof of that is their 28-5 win-loss record that still leads the league.
Five days ago, the Warriors saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end with a debatable loss from defending NBA champions Cleveland. But if critics let the numbers talk, the Warriors are at the top of the league in terms of offense and defense, SB Nation reported.
Golden State leads the league in points per game (117.3 points), blocks per game (6.3), steals per game (9.5) and field goal percentage (49.7). Aside from the four statistical categories, the Warriors also lead the net rating (12.2) while being second on the offensive rating (113.3) just behind Toronto Raptors' 113.5 and on the defensive rating (101.2) just behind the Memphis Grizzlies which has a rating of 100.2.
Even though the Raptors lead the NBA's offense, their defense is subpar with a 104.5 defensive rating. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies may be the league's best defensively but they are one of the NBA's worst offensively, residing at 27th place with a 100.9 rating.
The Warriors may be kings of the league for now but the Cavs are within striking distance to take the top spot. Cleveland are NBA champs for a reason and they are the favorites to win it all in the Eastern Conference and to book a possible third straight finals duel with the Warriors. The Cavs are ranked first in Bleacher Report's power rankings.
It would be an interesting 2017 for both squads with both their key cogs, LeBron James for the Cavaliers and Kevin Durant for the Warriors, as the former looks like he is not aging after dominating game after game even at 32 years old. Durant, meanwhile, seems to be the rim protector Golden States needs after swatting six shot against the Raptors on Wednesday.
Watch the video below to see the highlights of the Warriors' latest win over the Raptors:
