| ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Dates: | June 4–16 | |||||||||
| MVP: | Andre Iguodala (Golden State Warriors) | |||||||||
| ||||||||||
| NBA Finals | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ← 2014 | ||||||||||
| 2016 → | ||||||||||
The 2015 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2014–15 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the conclusion of the season's playoffs.
This NBA Finals featured the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors. Golden State, who finished with the better regular–season record, held the home–court advantage. The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers in six games, winning their first NBA championship in 40 years and fourth in franchise history, becoming the first team since the 1990–91 Chicago Bulls to win a championship without any prior Finals experience from any player on their roster. 2015 also marked the first Finals since 1998 without either the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, or the Miami Heat (the latter two teams were in the previous two Finals). Andre Iguodala was named the NBA Finals MVP. This was the first Finals since 2007 to include the Cavs.
The Warriors were led by 2014–15 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Stephen Curry, while the Cavaliers featured four–time league MVP LeBron James. The Finals featured two teams with title droughts of four decades, with the Cavaliers having never won since their 1970–71 inception and the Warriors' last title in 1975.[1] This is also the first time that both participating teams have first–year head coaches since the inaugural league Finals in 1947, when the NBA was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[2] It is the fifth consecutive Finals appearance, and sixth overall, for James, who played for the Miami Heat the previous four seasons,[3] making him the first NBA player since the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1960s to achieve this accomplishment.
James also became the first player in NBA Finals history to lead both teams in points, rebounds, and assists for the entire series. He averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists for the series, although he shot just 39.8% throughout the series. Kevin Love missed the entire series due to a dislocated shoulder that he sustained in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs against the Celtics, and Kyrie Irving missed the final five games of the series due to a knee injury that he suffered in overtime of Game 1. For the second straight year, the Finals was played in the 2–2–1–1–1 format (Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 at Golden State, Games 3, 4, and 6 at Cleveland. Had it been necessary, Game 7 would have been held at Golden State). The series began on on June 4, 2015 and ended on June 16, 2015.[4] The Finals were televised in the United States on ABC and in Canada on TSN.
This is the last NBA Finals to be played on a Thursday–Sunday–Tuesday scheme, with the schedule format being changed beginning the following Finals.
Background[]
Cleveland Cavaliers[]
The Cavaliers entered the 2014–15 season after firing Mike Brown and replacing him with David Blatt as head coach, signing free agent Forward LeBron James, and trading for Forward Kevin Love. James previously played for Cleveland from 2003 to 2010, leading the Cavaliers to their only previous Finals appearance in 2007 where they got swept by the San Antonio Spurs. James then played for the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014, leading the Heat to the Finals every year, winning two NBA championships in 2012 and 2013. During the 2014 NBA Draft on June 26, 2014, Cleveland held the first overall pick and used it to select Andrew Wiggins. Later on August 23, a three–team trade was completed involving the Cavaliers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Philadelphia 76ers. As part of the deal, Wiggins and Anthony Bennett were traded from Cleveland to Minnesota, along with Thaddeus Young, then of Philadelphia. The Cavaliers received Love from Minnesota, whereas the Sixers received Luc Mbah a Moute and Alexey Shved from the Timberwolves and a 2015 first round draft pick from Cleveland.[5]
James, Love, and Guard Kyrie Irving became dubbed nationally as the "Big Three".[6] The Cavaliers got off to a shockingly bad start that led to intense media scrutiny and caused many to question Blatt's job security. The team got off to a 19–20 start in their first 39 games, which included a stretch where they were 2–10 in 12 games that began with a road loss to the Miami Heat on December 25. Injuries to James and chemistry issues were considered to be the primary reasons for the underwhelming start. However, a number of trades turned the season around. The Cavaliers acquired J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from the New York Knicks in exchange for draft picks while sending Dion Waiters to the Thunder. The Cavaliers then acquired Timofey Mozgov. LeBron's return to the Cavaliers' lineup following a 2–week layoff (his longest absence at the time) on January 12 completed the turnaround. The Cavaliers closed out the season on a high note, going 34–9 as Cleveland compiled a 53–29 regular–season record to win the Central Division title and the second–best record in the Eastern Conference behind the Atlanta Hawks. The Cavaliers advanced to the Finals after sweeping the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, defeating the Chicago Bulls in six games during the second round, and sweeping the Hawks in the Conference Finals.
Golden State Warriors[]
The Warriors entered the 2014–15 season after replacing Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr as head coach. This was Kerr's first ever head coaching job. After retiring as a player in 2003, he served as a broadcast analyst from 2003 to 2007 and 2010 to 2014, and as general manager of the Phoenix Suns from 2007 to 2010. Revamping Golden State's offense, Kerr employed elements of the triangle offense from his playing days with the Chicago Bulls under Phil Jackson, the spacing and pace of Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, and the uptempo principles Alvin Gentry used in Phoenix when Kerr was the GM.[7]
In Kerr's first year, the Warriors finished with the best regular season record at 67–15, including an incredible 39–2 mark in home games. Kerr became the winningest rookie head coach in NBA history, passing Tom Thibodeau and his 62 wins with the Bulls in 2010–11.[8] Point Guard Stephen Curry set the NBA record for three–pointers made in a regular season with 286, eclipsing his own record that he set in 2012–13.[9] Curry also won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the season.[10] He and fellow Guard Klay Thompson, together known as the Splash Brothers, finished first and second in the league in three-pointers made, respectively, and combined to make 525 threes, surpassing their previous league record for a duo by 41, while also converting an impressive 44 percent of those shots.[11][12][13] During the season, the backcourt mates both started in the NBA All–Star Game and were each named to the All–NBA Team, the first time in decades that either has been achieved by Guards on the same team.[14][15] Golden State advanced to the Finals after sweeping the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in six games during the second round, and eliminating the Houston Rockets in five games in the Conference Finals.
Road to the Finals[]
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| Golden State Warriors (Western Conference Champion) | Cleveland Cavaliers (Eastern Conference Champion) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67–15 (.817)
1st Pacific, 1st West, 1st Overall |
Regular season | 53–29 (.646)
1st Central, 2nd East, 7th Overall | ||
| Defeated the (8) New Orleans Pelicans, 4–0 | First Round | Defeated the (7) Boston Celtics, 4–0 | ||
| Defeated the (5) Memphis Grizzlies, 4–2 |
Conference Semifinals | Defeated the (3) Chicago Bulls, 4–2 | ||
| Defeated the (2) Houston Rockets, 4–1 | Conference Finals | Defeated the (1) Atlanta Hawks, 4–0 | ||
Regular season series[]
The Cavaliers and Warriors tied the regular season series 1–1, with each team winning on its home floor.
| January 9, 2015 | Template:NBA Recap | Cleveland Cavaliers 94, Golden State Warriors 112 | Oracle Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 19,596 Referees: Haywoode Workman, Dan Crawford, David Guthrie | |||
| Scoring by quarter: 32-30, 22-30, 22-24, 18-28 | ||||||
| Pts: J.R. Smith 27 Rebs: Kevin Love 14 Asts: Kyrie Irving 5 |
Pts: Klay Thompson 24 Rebs: Draymond Green 11 Asts: Stephen Curry 10 | |||||
| February 26, 2015 | Template:NBA Recap | Golden State Warriors 99, Cleveland Cavaliers 110 | Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Pat Fraher, John Goble, Bennett Salvatore | |||
| Scoring by quarter: 33-32, 23-29, 22-29, 21-20 | ||||||
| Pts: LeBron James 42 Rebs: LeBron James 11 Asts: James, Smith 5 each |
Pts: David Lee 19 Rebs: Green 8 Asts: Curry, Iguodala 6 each | |||||
Series summary[]
| Game | Date | Road Team | Result | Home Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | June 4 | Cleveland | 100–108 (OT) (0–1) | Golden State |
| Game 2 | June 7 | Cleveland | 95–93 (OT) (1–1) | Golden State |
| Game 3 | June 9 | Golden State | 91–96 (1–2) | Cleveland |
| Game 4 | June 11 | Golden State | 103–82 (2–2) | Cleveland |
| Game 5 | June 14 | Cleveland | 91–104 (2–3) | Golden State |
| Game 6 | June 16 | Golden State | 105–97 (4–2) | Cleveland |
Game summaries[]
- All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)
For the first time ever in NBA Finals history, the first two games went into overtime.[16] In Game 4, after Golden State fell behind 2–1 in the series, Kerr moved swingman Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup and brought Center Andrew Bogut off the bench. The Warriors' small lineup, which came to be known as the Death Lineup, helped turn the series around. Golden State won the series in six games, claiming their first title since 1975 and their fourth in franchise history.[17] They played small ball in the Finals to a greater extent than any prior champion. Combining regular season and playoff games, the Warriors finished 83–20, the third-best record ever behind the Chicago Bulls in 1995–96 (87–13) and 1996–97 (84–17).
Iguodala was named the Finals MVP, becoming the first to win the award without having started every game in the series. He averaged 16.3 points, four assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game in the series. Iguodala was also tasked with guarding Cleveland star LeBron James, who made only 38.1% of his shots when Iguodala was in the game, but still averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. James received four of the 11 votes for Finals MVP even though Cleveland lost by an average of 14 points in the final three games. Stephen Curry was just the sixth player to win his first league MVP and his first NBA title in the same season; the last player to accomplish this feat was Shaquille O'Neal in 1999–2000. Kerr became the first rookie coach to win a title since Pat Riley with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1981–82.
The Warriors were the first team since the 1990–91 Bulls to win a title with a roster that did not have any players with Finals experience. James and teammate James Jones made their fifth consecutive trip to the Finals, having qualified the previous four seasons while with the Miami Heat, though Jones did not play in the 2011 Finals.[18] It was the first time since 1998 that none of the Finals participants are the Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, or the Miami Heat. This was also the first NBA Finals since then to not have featured either Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, or Dwyane Wade.[19]
Game 1[]
| Game 1 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavaliers | 29 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 2 | 100 |
| Warriors | 19 | 29 | 25 | 25 | 10 | 108 |
| June 4 9:00 pm |
Boxscore | Cleveland Cavaliers 100, Golden State Warriors 108 (OT) | Oracle Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 19,596 Referees: Monty McCutchen, James Capers, Jason Phillips |
ABC | |||
| Scoring by quarter: 29–19, 22–29, 22–25, 25–25, OT: 2–10 | |||||||
| Pts: LeBron James 44 Rebs: Tristan Thompson 15 Asts: Irving, James 6 each |
Pts: Stephen Curry 26 Rebs: Andrew Bogut 7 Asts: Stephen Curry 8 | ||||||
| Golden State leads series, 1–0 | |||||||
The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108-100 in overtime, taking Game 1 and the 1-0 series lead. The Cavaliers got off to a strong start, opening up a 29-15 lead before settling for a 10-point lead after the 1st quarter. In the 2nd quarter, the Warriors went on a big run and led 46-41. However, the Cavaliers went on a 10-2 run to close out the first half, capped off by a J.R. Smith three with .7 seconds left in the first half. The Cavaliers led 51-48 at halftime. The second half was a back and forth affair, with neither team able to gain separation. Late in the 4th, Timofey Mozgov hit two free throws to tie the game at 98. The Warriors ran a play for Stephen Curry out of a timeout. Curry beat Kyrie Irving to the basket and went for a go-ahead layup, but Irving blocked the shot, and the Cavaliers called timeout after Smith secured the rebound.[20]
The Cavaliers had two chances to win in the final seconds of regulation. However, LeBron James' potential game-winning jumper was off. Iman Shumpert got the offensive rebound and threw a shot at the buzzer, but he also missed, sending the game to overtime. In overtime, the Warriors dominated. They opened overtime on a 10–0 run to seize control. The Warriors had 7 made free throws in the extra session, with Barnes' three pointer being the Warriors' lone made basket. Cleveland's only score in the extra period was James' layup with 9.5 seconds left as the Cavaliers shot 1/12 and committed 3 turnovers in the game's final 5 minutes.[21]
Only three Cavaliers players scored for the Cavaliers after halftime: James, Irving, and Mozgov. The trio combined for 83 of the Cavaliers' 100 points.[21] James had a then-career NBA Finals-high of 44 points while attempting a postseason career-high 38 shots in which he only made 18 of them,[22] and Curry led Golden State with 26 points. The Warriors' bench outplayed the Cavaliers' bench, outscoring them 34-9, with all 9 Cavaliers bench points coming from Smith. Andre Iguodala led the Warriors bench in scoring with 15 points. Irving suffered a knee injury in overtime and was forced to leave the game early. The following day, he was diagnosed with a fractured left kneecap that would require surgery and was ruled out for the rest of the Finals, joining Kevin Love, who suffered a dislocated shoulder against the Celtics in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs, and Anderson Varejao who was out for the season since December 23 against Love's former team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.[21]
Game 2[]
| Game 1 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavaliers | 20 | 27 | 15 | 25 | 8 | 95 |
| Warriors | 20 | 25 | 14 | 28 | 6 | 93 |
| June 7 8:00 pm |
Boxscore | Cleveland Cavaliers 95, Golden State Warriors 93 (OT) | Oracle Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 19,596 Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Zach Zarba |
ABC | |||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 27–25, 15–14, 25–28, OT: 8–6 | |||||||
| Pts: LeBron James 39 Rebs: LeBron James 16 Asts: LeBron James 11 |
Pts: Klay Thompson 34 Rebs: Green, Bogut 10 each Asts: Curry, Iguodala 5 each | ||||||
| Series tied, 1–1 | |||||||
The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 95-93 in overtime, tying the series at 1-1 and stealing homecourt advantage heading into Cleveland. For the first time in NBA Finals history, the first two games were decided in overtime, with the Cavaliers winning their first Finals game in franchise history. LeBron James tallied his fifth Finals triple-double with 39 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists while moving solely into second all-time in Finals triple-doubles behind Magic Johnson's 8. James, who was 11-for-35 in the game shooting, played 50 minutes and led all scorers. James either scored or assisted on 66 of Cleveland's 95 points, and his 83 points in the first two games of a Finals was also second all-time to Jerry West's 94 in the 1969 Finals.[23] Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 34 points. Stephen Curry added 19, but he struggled mightily against the Cavaliers' defense, going 5-for-23 from the floor, including 2-15 from 3-point range. Curry set an NBA record for most missed three-point attempts in an Finals game with 13. Matthew Dellavedova's defense on Curry was huge as Curry was 0-8 against him.
The margin was close through the first three quarters, with neither team leading by more than 8. The Warriors jumped out to a 20-12 lead, but the Cavaliers closed the quarter on a 8-0 run to tie the game at 20. The Warriors led 31-25 early in the 2nd quarter, but the Cavaliers went on a 15-2 run, taking a 40-33 lead. They settled for a 2-point lead at halftime, leading 47-45. The third quarter was low scoring, with the Cavaliers scoring 15 points and the Warriors 14 points. Heading into the 4th quarter, the Cavaliers led 62-59. After three tight quarters, the Cavaliers began to pull away, building an 83-72 lead with just over 3 minutes remaining in the fourth. However, the Cavaliers squandered the 11 point lead as the Warriors went on a 15-4 run to tie the game at 87, capped off by a Curry finger roll layup with eight seconds remaining. Out of a timeout, James drove towards the basket as he went for a game winning layup, but he misfired, and the rebound tipback attempt by Tristan Thompson was unsuccessful.[24]
In the overtime, Iman Shumpert hit a three-pointer, and James made two free throws, giving the Cavaliers a 92-87 lead. However, Draymond Green answered with back-to-back baskets, and Curry hit two free throws to give the Warriors a 93-92 lead. Out of the timeout, James's go-ahead layup was blocked by Green and recovered by Andre Iguodala, but he threw it out of bounds, giving possession back to the Cavaliers. The ensuing Cavaliers possession resulted in a three-point attempt by James Jones which missed, but Dellavedova grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled. Dellavedova hit both free throws to give the Cavaliers a 94-93 lead with 10.1 seconds remaining. After a timeout, the Warriors went to Curry, who airballed the potential go-ahead jumper. James rebounded the miss and was fouled.[25] James hit one of two at the line, giving the Cavaliers a 95-93 lead with 4 seconds left in overtime. With no timeouts remaining, the Warriors had to go the length of the floor to get off a game tying or game winning shot attempt. However, Curry's pass near midcourt was stolen by Thompson, and the Cavaliers ran out the clock. After getting badly outplayed in Game 1, the Cavaliers' bench outscored the Warriors 21-17 in Game 2. The Cavaliers handed the Warriors their fourth home loss of the season (including the postseason) and were only the second Eastern Conference team to win at Oracle Arena (the Chicago Bulls also won in overtime 113-111 on January 27). The victory for the Cavaliers was their first-ever single game Finals victory, having lost Game 1 of this series, and being swept in the 2007 Finals by the San Antonio Spurs.[26]
Following the game, James had dubbed the undermanned Cavaliers as "The Grit Squad", due to adopting a slower paced, more physical style of play in the absence of All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. This new moniker was quickly embraced by Cavaliers fans, in hopes that this new tough style of play would be enough to offset the Warriors' depth advantage.
Game 3[]
| Game 1 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors | 20 | 17 | 18 | 24 | 91 |
| Cavaliers | 24 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 96 |
| June 9 9:00 pm |
Boxscore | Golden State Warriors 91, Cleveland Cavaliers 96 | Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Dan Crawford, Marc Davis, Derrick Stafford |
ABC | |||
| Scoring by quarter: 20–24, 17–20, 18–28, 36–24 | |||||||
| Pts: Stephen Curry 27 Rebs: Ezeli, Green 7 each Asts: Stephen Curry 6 |
Pts: LeBron James 40 Rebs: Tristan Thompson 13 Asts: LeBron James 8 | ||||||
| Cleveland leads series, 2–1 | |||||||
The Cavaliers led wire to wire as they defeated the Warriors 96-91 and took a 2-1 series lead. The first half was close throughout, with the Cavaliers leading 24-20 after the first quarter. They led 44-37 at halftime. Stephen Curry's struggles in Game 2 carried over to the first half of this game as he was held to 3 points in the first half. In the third quarter, the Cavaliers seized control, outscoring the Warriors 28-18. They led by as many as 20 in the third quarter before taking a 72-55 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The 55 points scored by the Warriors was their lowest scoring output through three quarters all season. However, the Warriors fought back, making it a 1-point game as they cut the deficit to 81-80 late in the fourth quarter. However, Matthew Dellavedova banked in a circus shot as he tumbled to the floor while being fouled by Curry. He made the free throw to put the Cavaliers up 84-80. After Curry committed a turnover, LeBron James hit a three-pointer to give the Cavs an 87-80 lead. Curry hit a handful of three pointers down the stretch, but the Cavs made their free throws and closed out the win.
James led all scorers with 40 to go along with 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals on 14-34 shooting. Through three games, James scored 123 points, the most points scored by any player in the first three games of any NBA Finals series, surpassing Rick Barry's 122 from the 1967 NBA Finals between the then-San Francisco Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers. However, he also shot 43-107 which is a postseason record for most shots attempted and missed through three games. Dellavedova scored 20, a playoff career-high. Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, 17 of which came in the fourth quarter. This win marks the first time that the Cavaliers held a lead in a Finals series in their franchise history, as well as their first home win in a Finals series in their franchise history. It also marks the first time since the 1948 World Series that a professional sports team from Cleveland has held the lead in a major league championship series.
Game 4[]
| Game 1 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors | 31 | 23 | 28 | 27 | 103 |
| Cavaliers | 24 | 18 | 22 | 12 | 82 |
| June 11 9:00 pm |
Boxscore | Golden State Warriors 103, Cleveland Cavaliers 82 | Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, Ken Mauer |
ABC | |||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–24, 23–18, 22–28, 27–12 | |||||||
| Pts: Curry, Iguodala 22 each Rebs: Iguodala, Barnes, Livingston 8 each Asts: Curry 7 |
Pts: Timofey Mozgov 28 Rebs: Tristan Thompson 13 Asts: LeBron James 8 | ||||||
| Series tied, 2–2 | |||||||
The Warriors routed the Cavaliers 103–82, evening the series at 2–2 and reclaiming homecourt advantage. In Game 4, Andre Iguodala was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Andrew Bogut, and Draymond Green was moved to the Center position. The Cavaliers scored the first seven points of the game and led 16–9, but the Warriors closed out the first quarter on a 22–8 run to lead 31–24. In the second quarter, the Cavaliers got a scare when LeBron James, with no headband, suffered a laceration on his head from one of the courtside photographer's camera lens after a hard foul on Bogut, but he stayed in the game without any stitches. The Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 23–18 in that period and led 54–42 at halftime. The Cavaliers outscored the Warriors 28–22 in the third quarter as they cut a 15-point deficit down to 3 in two instances. The Cavaliers had it down to 65–62, but Harrison Barnes hit a three-pointer out of the timeout to stop the run. With the Warriors leading 73–70 late in the third quarter, Stephen Curry hit a three to give the Warriors a 76–70 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Warriors dominated the final period, leading by as many as 23 as they outscored the Cavaliers 27–12. The Cavaliers shot 4-for-27 from behind the 3-point line for the game and were 6-45 outside the paint, a season-worst. The 82 points that the Cavaliers scored were a postseason-low while the Cavaliers' bench's scoring production (7 points) was also a postseason low. Curry and Iguodala led the Warriors in scoring with 22 apiece. Timofey Mozgov led the Cavaliers with 28. After averaging 41 points in the first three games of the Finals, James was held to just 20 points on 7–22 shooting. The Warriors continued their streak of not losing three games in a row, which goes back to November of the 2013–2014 season. The Cavaliers' 21 point loss was tied for the fourth largest home loss in NBA Finals history. After the game, Steve Kerr admitted to his deception regarding the starting lineup, quipping, "I don't think they hand you the trophy based on morality."
Game 5[]
| Game 1 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavaliers | 22 | 28 | 17 | 24 | 91 |
| Warriors | 22 | 29 | 22 | 31 | 104 |
| June 14 8:00 pm |
Boxscore | Cleveland Cavaliers 91, Golden State Warriors 104 | Oracle Arena, Oakland, California Attendance: 19,596 Referees: Monty McCutchen, James Capers, Jason Phillips |
ABC | |||
| Scoring by quarter: 22–22, 28–29, 17–22, 24–31 | |||||||
| Pts: LeBron James 40 Rebs: LeBron James 14 Asts: LeBron James 11 |
Pts: Stephen Curry 37 Rebs: Harrison Barnes 9 Asts: Andre Iguodala 7 | ||||||
| Golden State leads series, 3–2 | |||||||
Coming into this game with the series tied at 2 games apiece, the Game 5 winner has gone on to win the NBA championship in 20 of the previous 28 instances.
The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 104-91 and took a 3-2 series lead heading back to Cleveland.[27] The first three quarters were tight, with neither team leading by more 7. Both teams scored 22 points in the 1st quarter. The Warriors led 51-50 at halftime on a Harrison Barnes' three-point play following a dunk over LeBron James, Timofey Mozgov, and Mike Miller. They took a 6-point lead into the 4th quarter, leading 73–67. The Cavaliers opened the 4th quarter on a 13–6 run. James' deep three-pointer gave the Cavaliers a 80–79 lead with just over 7:30 remaining in the 4th quarter. However, the Warriors responded with a huge run, outscoring the Cavaliers 25-11 the rest of the way.[28] Stephen Curry scored 37 points on 13–23 shooting in the victory, including 7–13 from 3-point range. 17 of his 37 points came in the 4th quarter.[29]
James had his second triple-double of this NBA Finals series, posting 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists on 15-34 shooting. Leading all players in points, rebounds, and assists, he was responsible for 70 of 91 Cavaliers points (40 scored, 30 assisted).[30] It was his sixth career Finals triple-double, second all-time behind only Magic Johnson with 8. James also tied Oscar Robertson for most 30–10–10 playoff games with 8. He became the second player in NBA Finals history to score 40 points in a triple-double after Jerry West in 1969.[31][32]
The Cavaliers lost consecutive playoff games for the first time this postseason. They had been 3–0 in playoff games following a loss. The Warriors avoided losing back-to-back home games, continuing a streak that goes back to January of the 2013–14 season. This was the fifth straight win for the home team in a Game 5 in a NBA Finals series that was tied 2–2 (2006 Heat, 2010 Celtics, 2011 Mavs, 2013 Spurs).
Game 6[]
| Game 1 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors | 28 | 17 | 28 | 32 | 105 |
| Cavaliers | 15 | 28 | 18 | 36 | 97 |
| June 16 9:00 pm |
Boxscore | Golden State Warriors 105, Cleveland Cavaliers 97 | Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Scott Foster, Marc Davis, Zach Zarba |
ABC | |||
| Scoring by quarter: 28–15, 17–28, 28–18, 32-36 | |||||||
| Pts: Curry, Iguodala 25 each Rebs: Draymond Green 11 Asts: Draymond Green 10 |
Pts: LeBron James 32 Rebs: LeBron James 18 Asts: LeBron James 9 | ||||||
| Golden State wins NBA Finals, 4-2 | |||||||
The Warriors finished off the Cavaliers 105–97, winning the series 4–2. The Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 28–15 in the 1st quarter. However, the Cavaliers went on a big run to cut the deficit to 2 at halftime, trailing 45–43. The Cavaliers led 47–45 early in the third quarter, their only lead of the second half. However, the Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 28–18 in the 3rd quarter, leading by as many 15 before taking a 12-point lead into the 4th, leading 73–61. In the 4th quarter, the Cavaliers cut the deficit down to 7, but the Warriors pushed the lead back to 15. The Cavaliers, led by J.R. Smith, made a late surge to cut it to 4 with under 40 seconds remaining. However, the Warriors hit their free throws and closed out the series, giving the franchise their first title since 1975, and the city of Oakland its first major league sports championship since the Oakland Athletics won the 1989 World Series. Andre Iguodala, who did not start for the Warriors until Game 4 of the Finals, was named the Finals MVP for his instrumental defense against LeBron James, who led the Cavaliers with 32 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists on 13-33 shooting. Iguodala had the third lowest scoring average of any Finals MVP in NBA history. James became the youngest player to score 5,000 career points in the playoffs.
Statistical leaders[]
| Category | High | Average | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Team | Total | Player | Team | Avg. | Games played | |
| Points | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | 44 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | 36.6 | 5 |
| Rebounds | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | 16 | Tristan Thompson | Cleveland Cavaliers | 13.7 | 4 |
| Assists | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | 11 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | 8.2 | 4 |
| Steals | Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | 5 | Iman Shumpert | Cleveland Cavaliers | 3.6 | 3 |
| Blocks | Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | 4 | Timofey Mozgov | Cleveland Cavaliers | 1.7 | 3 |
| Andrew Bogut | Golden State Warriors | ||||||
Rosters[]
Template:Golden State Warriors 2014–15 season roster Template:Cleveland Cavaliers 2014–15 season roster
Player statistics[]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leandro Barbosa | 6 | 0 | 10.7 | .462 | .429 | 1.000 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 5.2 |
| Harrison Barnes | 6 | 6 | 32.9 | .373 | .421 | .778 | 5.8 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 8.8 |
| Andrew Bogut | 4 | 3 | 18.4 | .444 | .000 | .500 | 6.0 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 2.5 |
| Stephen Curry | 6 | 6 | 42.5 | .443 | .385 | .885 | 5.2 | 6.3 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 26.0 |
| Fetus Ezeli | 5 | 0 | 10.0 | .467 | .000 | .727 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 4.4 |
| Draymond Green | 6 | 6 | 37.0 | .381 | .263 | .735 | 8.3 | 5.0 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 13.0 |
| Justin Holiday | 1 | 0 | 2.1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Andre Iguodala | 6 | 3 | 37.1 | .521 | .400 | .357 | 5.8 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 16.3 |
| David Lee | 4 | 0 | 9.7 | .533 | .000 | .545 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 5.5 |
| Shaun Livingston | 6 | 0 | 20.1 | .480 | .000 | .750 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 5.0 |
| James Michael McAdoo | 1 | 0 | 1.2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Marreese Speights | 3 | 0 | 5.3 | .308 | .000 | .500 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| Klay Thompson | 6 | 6 | 37.9 | .409 | .300 | .917 | 4.3 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 15.8 |
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Dellavedova | 6 | 5 | 31.8 | .283 | .231 | .818 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 7.5 |
| Joe Harris | 2 | 0 | 1.6 | .000 | .000 | .500 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Kyrie Irving | 1 | 1 | 43.6 | .455 | .250 | 1.000 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 23.0 |
| LeBron James | 6 | 6 | 45.7 | .398 | .310 | .687 | 13.3 | 8.8 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 35.8 |
| James Jones | 6 | 0 | 18.8 | .316 | .308 | 1.000 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 3.3 |
| Mike Miller | 5 | 0 | 5.7 | .500 | .500 | .000 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Timofey Mozgov | 6 | 6 | 28.3 | .551 | .000 | .750 | 7.5 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 14.0 |
| Kendrick Perkins | 1 | 0 | 3.1 | .000 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| Iman Shumpert | 6 | 6 | 35.9 | .256 | .320 | .643 | 3.8 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 6.5 |
| J.R. Smith | 6 | 0 | 33.6 | .312 | .294 | .600 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 11.5 |
| Tristan Thompson | 6 | 6 | 41.1 | .500 | .000 | .600 | 13.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 10.0 |
Broadcast[]
In the United States, the NBA Finals aired on ABC with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson serving as commentators. ESPN Radio aired it as well and had Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown as commentators. ESPN Deportes provided exclusive Spanish-language coverage of The Finals, with a commentary team of Álvaro Martín and Carlos Morales.[33]
| Game | Ratings (households) |
American audience (in millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10.6[34] | 17.77[35] |
| 2 | 10.8[36] | 19.17[37] |
| 3 | 11.1[38] | 18.77[38] |
| 4 | 11.7[39] | 19.84[40] |
| 5 | 11.8[41] | 20.86[42] |
| 6 | 13.4 | 23.35 |
| Avg. | 11.6 | 19.94 |
References[]
- ↑ "Warriors finish off Rockets, advance to NBA Finals for first time since 1975". ESPN. 27 May 2015. http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400796359. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ↑ "Warriors' win over Rockets sets up dream Finals matchup vs. Cavaliers". ESPN. 28 May 2015. http://www.si.com/nba/2015/05/28/warriors-cavaliers-nba-finals-lebron-james-stephen-curry-klay-thompson. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ↑ Zillgitt, Jeff (May 26, 2015). "Cavaliers sweep Hawks as LeBron James reaches fifth consecutive NBA Finals". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/playoffs/2015/05/26/cleveland-cavaliers-hawks-lebron-james-nba-finals/27993891/. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
- ↑ "Key dates for 2014-15 NBA season". National Basketball Association. http://www.nba.com/news/important-dates/. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ↑ "Timberwolves Acquire Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and Thaddeus Young in Three-Team Trade". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. August 23, 2014. http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/love-three-team-trade. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
- ↑ "Big Three even bigger". Fox Sports.com. http://www.foxsports.com/ohio/story/cleveland-cavaliers-big-three-bigger-with-newcomers-012115. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
- ↑ Gonzalez, Antonio (February 10, 2015). "Kerr coming to New York as an All-Star coach with Warriors". SFGate.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. http://www.webcitation.org/6Y58LgJmj.
- ↑ McMillen, Gabrielle (April 5, 2015). "Steve Kerr sets rookie coaching record as Warriors clinch home court". Sporting News. http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2015-04-05/warriors-coach-steve-kerr-sets-rookie-coaching-record-golden-state-nba. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Stephen Curry Breaks NBA Record with 273rd 3-Pointer of Season". YouTube. April 9, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhLFTDd5YxY. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
- ↑ "Warriors Guard Stephen Curry Named 2014-15 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player". NBA.com. May 4, 2015. http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/curry-mvp-20150504. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
- ↑ Simmons, Rusty (April 15, 2015). "Warriors put a bow on historic regular season by beating Nuggets". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. http://www.webcitation.org/6Xqhm64Qd.
- ↑ Dabe, Christopher (April 16, 2015). "Pelicans playoff foe Stephen Curry makes 77 consecutive 3-pointers at practice: Watch". The Times-Picayune. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. http://www.webcitation.org/6XqjPSTkq.
- ↑ Amick, Sam (April 16, 2015). "Wild West: Warriors must navigate loaded playoff field". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. http://www.webcitation.org/6XqhuJjkP.
- ↑ "Thompson named All-Star Game starter". KNBR. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150216015433/http://www.knbr.com/common/page.php?feed=11&pt=Thompson+named+All-Star+Game+starter&id=14842&is_corp=0.
- ↑ "Warriors' Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson earn All-NBA recognition for record-setting season". The Press Democrat. May 21, 2015. Archived from the original on May 22, 2015. http://www.webcitation.org/6Yi10Lpnq.
- ↑ Mather, Victor (8 June 2015). "N.B.A. Finals: In Overtime, Missed Shots and Foul Calls Were the Key". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/sports/basketball/nba-finals-in-overtime-missed-shots-and-foul-calls-were-the-key.html?_r=0. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
- ↑ Holmes, Baxter (June 16, 2015). "Iguodala NBA's no-stats Finals MVP?". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2015. http://www.webcitation.org/6ZKnoAwoc.
- ↑ Winderman, Ira (June 1, 2015). "James Jones thaws out to another NBA Finals reality". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 16, 2015. http://www.webcitation.org/6ZKzLleoc.
- ↑ McIntyre, Jason (May 4, 2015). "2015 NBA Finals Won't Have Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant for the 1st time Since 1998". USA Today Sports. http://thebiglead.com/2015/05/04/2015-nba-finals-wont-have-tim-duncan-dwyane-wade-or-kobe-bryant-for-the-1st-time-since-1998/. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Warriors overcome LeBron James' 44, breeze in overtime to go up 1-0". ESPN. 4 June 2015. http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400796845. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 "NBA finals 2015: Warriors ignite in overtime to down Cavaliers". Guardian. 5 June 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jun/05/nba-finals-2015-warriors-ignite-overtime-to-down-cavaliers. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ Feldman, Ryan; McTigue, John (June 5, 2015). "The trouble with LeBron in isolation". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2015. http://www.webcitation.org/6Z8gcChqm.
- ↑ Martin, Brian (June 7, 2015). "10 Key Numbers: NBA Finals, Game 2". NBA.com. http://stats.nba.com/featured/ten_key_numbers_finals_game_2_2015_06_08.html?cid=nbacomsocial_20150608_47147526&adbid=607875258020818944&adbpl=tw&adbpr=1373313666. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
- ↑ "LeBron James' triple-double enables Cavs to tie Finals in ugly OT win". ESPN. 7 June 2015. http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400796846. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ "N.B.A. Finals: Matthew Dellavedova Shines in Cavaliers’ Taut Win". New York Times. 8 June 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/sports/basketball/nba-finals-standing-in-for-a-star-matthew-dellavedova-shines-in-cavaliers-taut-win.html?ref=basketball&_r=0. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ "Cleveland Cavaliers show game two grit to level NBA finals at 1-1". Guardian. 7 June 2015. http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jun/07/cleveland-cavaliers-strike-back-in-game-2-thriller-to-tie-nba-finals. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
- ↑ Template:Citeweb
- ↑ Template:Citeweb
- ↑ Template:Citeweb
- ↑ https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/610433682353061888
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/610276335999692801
- ↑ http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13080316/2015-nba-finals-lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-remains-confident-best-world
- ↑ Carafdo, Ben (June 1, 2015). "2015 NBA Finals – Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – Exclusively on ABC SCHEDULE". http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/06/2015-nba-finals-golden-state-warriors-vs-cleveland-cavaliers-exclusively-on-abc/. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ Cafardo, Ben (June 5, 2015). "NBA Finals Delivers Largest Game 1 Audience Ever on ABC with Record 17.8 Million Viewers". ESPN. http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/06/nba-finals-delivers-largest-game-1-audience-ever-on-abc-with-record-17-8-million-viewers/. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (June 5, 2015). "Thursday Final Ratings: Final Ratings for NBA Finals Game 1, 'Hannibal' & 'Wayward Pines'". TVbytheNumbers. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/06/05/thursday-final-ratings-final-ratings-for-nba-finals-game-1-hannibal-wayward-pines/412645/. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (June 9, 2015). "Sunday Final Nationals: Cavaliers-Warriors on ABC is Most-Watched NBA Finals Game 2 Since 1998". tvmediainsights. http://www.tvmediainsights.com/tv-ratings/sunday-final-nationals-cavaliers-warriors-on-abc-is-most-watched-nba-finals-game-2-since-1998/. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (June 9, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Golan The Insatiable' & Tony Awards Adjusted Up & Final NBA Finals Game 2 Numbers". TVbytheNumbers. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/06/08/sunday-final-ratings-golan-the-insatiable-tony-awards-adjusted-up-final-nba-finals-game-2-numbers/414515/. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 Thompson, Gianina (June 10, 2015). "Most-Watched & Highest-Rated NBA Finals Ever on ABC through Three Games". ESPN. http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/06/most-watched-highest-rated-nba-finals-ever-on-abc-through-three-games/. Retrieved June 10, 2015. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "ratings5" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Nagle, Dave (June 10, 2015). "Most-Watched & Highest-Rated NBA Finals Ever on ABC through Four Games". ESPN. http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/06/most-watched-highest-rated-nba-finals-ever-on-abc-through-four-games/. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ Bibel, Sara (June 12, 2015). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Bones' Adjusted Up & Final Basketball Numbers". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/06/12/thursday-final-ratings-bones-adjusted-up-final-basketball-numbers/416645/. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ↑ Pucci, Douglas (June 16, 2015). "Sunday Final Nationals: Top-Rated NBA Finals Game 5 Since 2004 for ABC, Series-High for ‘Game of Thrones’ on HBO". tvmediainsights. http://www.tvmediainsights.com/tv-ratings/sunday-final-nationals-top-rated-nba-finals-game-5-since-2004-for-abc-series-high-for-game-of-thrones-on-hbo/. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
- ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (June 16, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: No Adjustment for 'Golan the Insatiable' or 'A.D.: The Bible Continues' + Final Basketball Numbers". TV by the Numbers. http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/06/16/sunday-final-ratings-no-adjustment-for-golan-the-insatiable-or-a-d-the-bible-continues-final-basketball-numbers/417914/. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
External links[]
| Preceded by 2014 |
NBA Finals 2015 |
Succeeded by 2016 |