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Lue: 'A lot of guys cried' after losing Game 5

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Action Images

No one can say the Cleveland Cavaliers' players and coaching staff didn't care about losing in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors, even knowing they had captured the title the previous year.

After coming up short in Game 5 on Monday night at Oracle Arena in an effort to extend the series, the Cavaliers were emotionally spent, and that was evident in the team's locker room afterward.

"We had a moment. I broke down so I couldn't really finish my speech. A lot of guys cried because they wanted it bad," head coach Tyronn Lue said following Cleveland's 129-120 loss. "And that's all you can ask. If you give all your effort and all the fight and all the heart you got, it doesn't necessarily mean you're going to win, and that's what's tough about sports.

"I credit our guys. I thought they gave everything they had, and we fought, we competed, and we never gave in, but they beat us."

Related: 10 things to remember about the 2017 Finals

The Cavaliers steamrolled their way through the Eastern Conference on the back of a 12-1 record prior to colliding with the brick wall that was the Warriors. They were blown out in Games 1 and 2 on the road, had a fantastic opportunity in Game 3 before falling apart in the final three minutes, then bounced back in Game 4 with a convincing 21-point victory.

Yet, at the end of the day, the Cavaliers wound up with nothing to show for their efforts after dropping Game 5. There was no ring, no miraculous comeback for a second year in a row, and no parade through the streets of Cleveland.

"My first time being in this position as a head coach and you get the guys here and you play The Finals and you're starting to play better and play well, and then you look up and the season's over," Lue added. "And it just is tough for me because I know all the fight these guys have and how much they wanted to win. And when you come up short like this, it's just tough."


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