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2016 NBA playoffs

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2016 NBA playoffs
Tournament details
DatesApril 16–June 19, 2016
Season2015–16
Teams16
Final positions
ChampionsCleveland Cavaliers (1st title)
Runner-upGolden State Warriors
Semifinalists
← 2015
2017 →

The 2016 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2015–16 season. The tournament ended with the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeating the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors 4 games to 3 after the Warriors led the series 3 games to 1. In the NBA Finals, LeBron James was named NBA Finals MVP.

The Cavaliers swept their first two series and won the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Raptors to become the fourth team in NBA history to open a post-season with 10 straight victories. They matched the 2012 San Antonio Spurs, though the 1989 and 2001 Western Conference Los Angeles Lakers had won their first eleven games en route to sweeping the first three rounds of those playoffs. Cleveland wound up repeating this feat the next year when they swept the conference opening round, semifinal round, and winning the first 2 conference final games; this feat would be surpassed in those same 2017 NBA playoffs, when the Golden State Warriors won 15 straight games.

Overview

[edit]

Western Conference

[edit]

Eastern Conference

[edit]

First Round

[edit]
  • Game 4 between the Cavaliers and the Pistons was the last playoff game played at the Palace of Auburn Hills, as well as the last major league postseason game played in Oakland County. The Pistons missed the playoffs the next year and moved to their new arena for the 2017–18 season.
  • Game 7 between the Raptors and Pacers and the Heat and Hornets ensured a 17th straight postseason in which at least one Game 7 was played; 1999 was the last postseason to not feature a Game 7.
  • With their Game 7 win over the Pacers, the Raptors won their first playoff series since 2001.

Conference Semifinals

[edit]
  • With their Conference Semifinals victory over the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the fifth team (since the first round was extended to a best–of–seven series in 2003) to go 8–0 through the first two rounds and the first to do it twice; they first did so in 2009. This also marked the sixth consecutive year that LeBron James played in the Eastern Conference finals. James played in the Conference finals with the Miami Heat from 2011 to 2014, and with the Cavaliers in 2015.
  • With their Game 6 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder made the Western Conference Finals for the third time in five seasons. As of 2023, this remains the most recent Thunder series victory.
  • Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat marked the first time since 2001 that two teams that played a Game 7 in the previous round of the playoffs faced off against each other in another Game 7 in the next round.
  • With their Game 7 win over the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in their history. This meant they also became the first Canadian–based and non–U.S. team to do so.

Conference Finals

[edit]
  • For the first time since 2010, no Texas team was represented in the Western Conference finals.
  • Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers was Toronto's first ever Eastern Conference finals win.
  • Game 4 of the Western Conference finals marked the first time that the Golden State Warriors had lost consecutive games during the season.
  • With their Eastern Conference Finals victory over the Toronto Raptors, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team in NBA history to go 8–0 in the first two rounds, and qualify to play in the NBA Finals. This also marked the sixth consecutive NBA Finals appearance for LeBron James. He became the first player since the 1960s to accomplish this feat.
  • The Western Conference finals went to a Game 7 for the first time since 2002, when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings in overtime.
  • With their 96–88 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, the Golden State Warriors became the tenth team in NBA History to come back from a 3–1 series deficit in the playoffs. As a result, this marked the second consecutive season an NBA team rallied from a 3–1 series deficit to win the series. The Warriors also became the first team to accomplish this feat in the Conference finals since the 1981 Boston Celtics.

NBA Finals

[edit]
  • With their 104–89 and 110–77 wins over Cleveland in Game 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals, the Warriors posted the highest winning margin in the first two games in the NBA Finals with an +48 point differential.
  • Thanks to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 120–90 Game 3 victory, the Golden State Warriors lost every Game 3 of their 2016 playoff run.
  • Draymond Green became the first NBA player to be suspended for an NBA Finals game since Jerry Stackhouse in 2006. He was suspended for Game 5, due to incurring excessive flagrant foul points in Game 4 (in which the Warriors won 108–97).
  • In Game 5, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving became the first pair to each record 40+ points in a single NBA Finals game in history, helping the Cavaliers win 112–97.
  • In Game 6, Stephen Curry, the unanimous MVP of the regular season, was ejected for throwing a mouthpiece in the fourth quarter. His Golden State Warriors would go on to lose 101–115.
  • The NBA Finals went to a Game 7 for the first time since 2013, when the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95–88.

Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals

[edit]
  • Game 7 of the NBA Finals was extremely notable for The Block (basketball), in which LeBron James blocked a layup by Andre Iguodala to keep the score tied at 89. This block, along with Kyrie Irving's title winning three pointer would seal the win for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • With the win, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to win Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road since the 1978 Washington Bullets accomplished the feat against the Seattle SuperSonics. They also became the first team overall to win a Game 7 on the road since the Brooklyn Nets (which was also decided on a game-winning block).
  • With the loss, the Golden State Warriors became the first team to overcome a 3–1 series deficit and blow a 3–1 series lead in the same playoffs. They also became the first team in NBA History to win 70+ regular season games and fail to win the NBA Championship.
  • The Cavaliers became the 11th team to overcome a 3–1 series deficit and the first to do so in the NBA Finals. It is also the first time in playoff history two NBA teams rallied from a 3–1 deficit in the same year. They also clinched Cleveland's first major sports title since 1964, effectively ending the Cleveland sports curse.
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team since the 2006 Miami Heat to win an NBA Championship despite a midseason coaching change and despite trailing 2–0 (they became the fourth team overall to win the NBA Finals despite losing the first two games).
  • The title the Cleveland Cavaliers won was clinched on Father's Day for the fourth time in NBA history (the previous occurrences were in 1996, 2003, and 2014). It also marked the first time since 2014 that when both teams made back-to-back Finals appearances, the team that lost in the Finals the year before won the title the next year.

Format

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Within each conference, the eight teams with the most wins qualify for the playoffs. The seedings are based on each team's record.

Each conference's bracket is fixed; there is no reseeding. All rounds are best-of-seven series; the team that has four wins advances to the next round. As stated above, all rounds, including the NBA Finals, are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format. The rule for determining home court advantage in the NBA Finals is winning percentage, then head-to-head record, followed by record vs. opposite conference.

Seeding

[edit]

On September 8, 2015, the NBA announced changes to how playoff teams were seeded. Previously, the division champions were guaranteed no worse than the fourth seed, while the team with the second-best record in the conference was guaranteed no worse than the second seed even if it wasn't a division champion. Starting with the 2016 playoffs, the eight playoff qualifiers in each conference will be seeded solely based on regular-season record. If two teams finish with identical records, the team that wins the regular-season series will get the higher seed. If the regular-season series is tied and one of the teams is a division champion, the division champion will get the higher seed.[1] If three or more teams finish with identical records and one of the teams is a division champion, the division champion will get the higher seed.[2]

Playoff qualifying

[edit]

On February 27, 2016, the Golden State Warriors became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.[3] This was the earliest a team had clinched a playoff spot in February since the 1987–88 Los Angeles Lakers.[4] The Cleveland Cavaliers became the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff spot on March 18, 2016.

Eastern Conference

[edit]
Seed Team Record Clinched
Playoff berth Division title Best record
in Conference
Best record
in NBA
1 Cleveland Cavaliers 57–25 March 18 March 21[5] April 11
2 Toronto Raptors 56–26 March 23 March 31[6]
3 Miami Heat[a] 48–34 April 2 April 13
4 Atlanta Hawks[a] 48–34 March 29
5 Boston Celtics[a] 48–34 April 3
6 Charlotte Hornets[a] 48–34 April 2
7 Indiana Pacers 45–37 April 10
8 Detroit Pistons 44–38 April 8

Western Conference

[edit]
Seed Team Record Clinched
Playoff berth Division title Best record
in Conference
Best record
in NBA
1 Golden State Warriors 73–9 February 27[7] March 13[8] April 7 April 7
2 San Antonio Spurs 67–15 March 2[9] March 12
3 Oklahoma City Thunder 55–27 March 18 March 20
4 Los Angeles Clippers 53–29 March 27
5 Portland Trail Blazers 44–38 April 6
6 Dallas Mavericks[b] 42–40 April 11
7 Memphis Grizzlies[b] 42–40 April 7
8 Houston Rockets 41–41 April 13
Notes
  1. ^ a b c d Miami won the Southeast Division over Atlanta and Charlotte, and therefore clinched the #3 seed, by having the best record of the three teams in games against each other (5–3 record vs. Atlanta & Charlotte).
    Atlanta, Boston, and Charlotte were seeded based on record in games against each other (Atlanta: 6–2, Boston: 3–4, Charlotte: 2–5).
  2. ^ a b Dallas clinched #6 seed over Memphis based on 3–1 record in head-to-head games in regular season.

Bracket

[edit]

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage are shown in Italics.

First Round Conference Semifinals Conference Finals NBA Finals
            
E1 Cleveland* 4
E8 Detroit 0
E1 Cleveland* 4
E4 Atlanta 0
E4 Atlanta 4
E5 Boston 2
E1 Cleveland* 4
Eastern Conference
E2 Toronto* 2
E3 Miami* 4
E6 Charlotte 3
E3 Miami* 3
E2 Toronto* 4
E2 Toronto* 4
E7 Indiana 3
E1 Cleveland* 4
W1 Golden State* 3
W1 Golden State* 4
W8 Houston 1
W1 Golden State* 4
W5 Portland 1
W4 LA Clippers 2
W5 Portland 4
W1 Golden State* 4
Western Conference
W3 Oklahoma City* 3
W3 Oklahoma City* 4
W6 Dallas 1
W3 Oklahoma City* 4
W2 San Antonio* 2
W2 San Antonio* 4
W7 Memphis 0
  • * Division winner
  • Bold Series winner
  • Italics Team with home-court advantage

First round

[edit]
All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−04:00)

Eastern Conference first round

[edit]

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Detroit Pistons

[edit]
April 17
3:00 PM
Detroit Pistons 101, Cleveland Cavaliers 106
Scoring by quarter: 25–27, 33–26, 20–23, 23–30
Pts: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 21
Rebs: Andre Drummond 11
Asts: Reggie Jackson 7
Pts: Kyrie Irving 31
Rebs: Kevin Love 13
Asts: LeBron James 11
Cleveland leads series, 1–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Leroy Richardson, Zach Zarba
April 20
8:00 PM
Detroit Pistons 90, Cleveland Cavaliers 107
Scoring by quarter: 28–23, 25–32, 15–27, 22–25
Pts: Andre Drummond 20
Rebs: Caldwell-Pope, Harris 8 each
Asts: Reggie Jackson 6
Pts: LeBron James 27
Rebs: Kevin Love 10
Asts: Matthew Dellavedova 9
Cleveland leads series, 2–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Ken Mauer, Kane Fitzgerald, Brian Forte
April 22
7:00 PM
Cleveland Cavaliers 101, Detroit Pistons 91
Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 30–26, 25–20, 22–18
Pts: Kyrie Irving 26
Rebs: LeBron James 13
Asts: LeBron James 7
Pts: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 18
Rebs: Drummond, Harris 7 each
Asts: Reggie Jackson 12
Cleveland leads series, 3–0
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 21,584
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Jason Phillips, Michael Smih
April 24
8:30 PM
Cleveland Cavaliers 100, Detroit Pistons 98
Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 28–24, 28–26, 19–20
Pts: Kyrie Irving 31
Rebs: Kevin Love 13
Asts: LeBron James 6
Pts: Marcus Morris 24
Rebs: Tobias Harris 13
Asts: Reggie Jackson 12
Cleveland wins series, 4–0
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 21,584
Referees: Marc Davis, Bill Kennedy, Courtney Kirkland

In Game 3, Kyrie Irving hit the tough corner 3 late in the 4th quarter, with only 0.7 seconds remaining on the shot clock. In Game 4, Irving also hit a three to give the Cavaliers a 4-point lead with less than a minute left. Reggie Jackson would then drive and dunk the ball to cut the lead to 2. As Irving attempted another clutch 3, it went short and the players scrambled for the ball until the Pistons came up with it. As they looked for a 3 to force Game 5, or a 2 to send it to overtime, they look to Reggie Jackson. He took a 3 over Irving, but that went short as well, and the Cavaliers move on to the second round. Game 4 was also the last playoff game ever played at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning two out of the first three meetings.

(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (7) Indiana Pacers

[edit]

The Raptors won their first playoff series since the 2001 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

April 16
12:30 PM
Indiana Pacers 100, Toronto Raptors 90
Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 24–21, 27–22, 30–23
Pts: Paul George 39
Rebs: Lavoy Allen 12
Asts: Paul George 6
Pts: Cory Joseph 18
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 19
Asts: Kyle Lowry 7
Indiana leads series, 1–0
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,800
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Josh Tiven
April 18
7:00 PM
Indiana Pacers 87, Toronto Raptors 98
Scoring by quarter: 16–27, 32–26, 18–21, 21–24
Pts: Paul George 28
Rebs: Solomon Hill 6
Asts: Ellis, Lawson 3 each
Pts: Jonas Valančiūnas 23
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 15
Asts: Kyle Lowry 9
Series tied, 1–1
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,800
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tony Brown, Jason Phillips
April 21
7:30 PM
Toronto Raptors 101, Indiana Pacers 85
Scoring by quarter: 24–17, 29–19, 18–23, 30–26
Pts: DeRozan, Lowry 21 each
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 14
Asts: Kyle Lowry 8
Pts: Paul George 25
Rebs: Paul George 10
Asts: Paul George 6
Toronto leads series, 2–1
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: James Capers, Bennie Adams, Rodney Mott
April 23
3:00 PM
Toronto Raptors 83, Indiana Pacers 100
Scoring by quarter: 16–28, 26–29, 16–16, 25–27
Pts: Jonas Valančiūnas 16
Rebs: Bismack Biyombo 9
Asts: Kyle Lowry 5
Pts: Hill, Mahinmi 22 each
Rebs: Ian Mahinmi 10
Asts: Ian Mahinmi 5
Series tied, 2–2
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Danny Crawford, Ron Garretson, Bill Spooner
April 26
6:00 PM
Indiana Pacers 99, Toronto Raptors 102
Scoring by quarter: 35–20, 26–32, 29–25, 9–25
Pts: Paul George 39
Rebs: George, Turner 8 each
Asts: Paul George 8
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 34
Rebs: Bismack Biyombo 16
Asts: Kyle Lowry 5
Toronto leads series, 3–2
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,800
Referees: Marc Davis, Bill Kennedy, Zach Zarba
April 29
7:30 PM
Toronto Raptors 83, Indiana Pacers 101
Scoring by quarter: 22–20, 22–20, 20–31, 19–30
Pts: Carroll, Joseph 15 each
Rebs: Bismack Biyombo 10
Asts: Kyle Lowry 10
Pts: Paul George 21
Rebs: Paul George 11
Asts: Paul George 6
Series tied, 3–3
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
Attendance: 18,165
Referees: Mike Callahan, Kane Fitzgerald, John Goble
May 1
8:00 PM
Indiana Pacers 84, Toronto Raptors 89
Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 21–22, 20–28, 20–11
Pts: Paul George 26
Rebs: Paul George 12
Asts: Monta Ellis 7
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 30
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 15
Asts: Kyle Lowry 9
Toronto wins series, 4–3
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,669
Referees: Danny Crawford, Ron Garretson, Bill Spooner

This was the first meeting in the playoffs between the Raptors and Pacers.[11]

(3) Miami Heat vs. (6) Charlotte Hornets

[edit]
April 17
5:30 PM
Charlotte Hornets 91, Miami Heat 123
Scoring by quarter: 22–41, 28–26, 24–30, 17–26
Pts: Nicolas Batum 24
Rebs: Cody Zeller 7
Asts: Jeremy Lin 3
Pts: Luol Deng 31
Rebs: Hassan Whiteside 11
Asts: Goran Dragić 10
Miami leads series, 1–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,600
Referees: Ken Mauer, Sean Corbin, Ed Malloy
April 20
7:00 PM
Charlotte Hornets 103, Miami Heat 115
Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 31–43, 18–19, 25–24
Pts: Kemba Walker 29
Rebs: Nicolas Batum 7
Asts: Batum, Walker 3 each
Pts: Dwyane Wade 28
Rebs: Hassan Whiteside 13
Asts: Dwyane Wade 8
Miami leads series, 2–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,650
Referees: Marc Davis, Courtney Kirkland, Bill Spooner
April 23
5:30 PM
Miami Heat 80, Charlotte Hornets 96
Scoring by quarter: 28–29, 16–20, 14–26, 22–21
Pts: Luol Deng 19
Rebs: Hassan Whiteside 18
Asts: Goran Dragić 4
Pts: Jeremy Lin 18
Rebs: Marvin Williams 14
Asts: Kemba Walker 7
Miami leads series, 2–1
Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 19,604
Referees: Mike Callahan, James Williams, Sean Wright
April 25
7:00 PM
Miami Heat 85, Charlotte Hornets 89
Scoring by quarter: 26–19, 13–29, 22–21, 24–20
Pts: Joe Johnson 16
Rebs: four players 7 each
Asts: Dwyane Wade 10
Pts: Kemba Walker 34
Rebs: Spencer Hawes 8
Asts: Jefferson, Lin 3 each
Series tied, 2–2
April 27
8:00 PM
Charlotte Hornets 90, Miami Heat 88
Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 21–22, 16–24, 25–17
Pts: Marvin Williams 17
Rebs: Marvin Williams 8
Asts: Jeremy Lin 7
Pts: Dwyane Wade 25
Rebs: Hassan Whiteside 12
Asts: Dwyane Wade 4
Charlotte leads series, 3–2
American Airlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,685
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Kane Fitzgerald, Jason Phillips
April 29
8:00 PM
Miami Heat 97, Charlotte Hornets 90
Scoring by quarter: 27–24, 32–26, 16–20, 22–20
Pts: Dwyane Wade 23
Rebs: three players 7 each
Asts: Dwyane Wade 4
Pts: Kemba Walker 37
Rebs: Al Jefferson 9
Asts: Kemba Walker 5
Series tied, 3–3
Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina
Attendance: 19,636
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Bill Spooner, Tom Washington
May 1
1:00 PM
Charlotte Hornets 73, Miami Heat 106
Scoring by quarter: 18–29, 24–25, 11–29, 20–23
Pts: Frank Kaminsky 12
Rebs: Cody Zeller 7
Asts: Kemba Walker 6
Pts: Goran Dragić 25
Rebs: Hassan Whiteside 12
Asts: three players 4 each
Miami wins series, 4–3
AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,868
Referees: Mike Callahan, Bill Kennedy, Ed Malloy

With the series tied at two games apiece, Game 5 was a close one. After Kemba Walker misses a stepback jumper over Hassan Whiteside, Courtney Lee gets the offensive rebound and hits a clutch 3 with 25.2 seconds left. The Hornets then block 2 shots to seal it. It was their first playoff road win since game 4 of the 2002 playoffs against the Orlando Magic. By then, Charlotte was on the verge of an upset, but in Game 6, Dwyane Wade wouldn't let his team down. Although he hasn't hit a three since December 2015, he hits 2 clutch shots including a three with less than a minute to go, as the series goes back to Miami for a Game 7. There, the Heat closed out the series and advance to the second round, to face the Toronto Raptors, who also moved on to the second round for the first time since 2001.

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the most recent meeting in 2014.

(4) Atlanta Hawks vs. (5) Boston Celtics

[edit]
April 16
7:00 PM
Boston Celtics 101, Atlanta Hawks 102
Scoring by quarter: 19–30, 15–21, 31–21, 36–30
Pts: Isaiah Thomas 27
Rebs: Jae Crowder 10
Asts: Isaiah Thomas 8
Pts: Al Horford 24
Rebs: Al Horford 12
Asts: Jeff Teague 12
Atlanta leads series, 1–0
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 18,980
Referees: James Capers, Derrick Collins, Rodney Mott
April 19
7:00 PM
Boston Celtics 72, Atlanta Hawks 89
Scoring by quarter: 7–24, 21–19, 18–18, 26–28
Pts: Isaiah Thomas 16
Rebs: Amir Johnson 8
Asts: three players 3 each
Pts: Horford, Korver 17 each
Rebs: Kent Bazemore 9
Asts: Jeff Teague 6
Atlanta leads series, 2–0
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 18,972
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Josh Tiven
April 22
8:00 PM
Atlanta Hawks 103, Boston Celtics 111
Scoring by quarter: 20–37, 25–20, 33–22, 25–32
Pts: Jeff Teague 23
Rebs: Al Horford 13
Asts: Al Horford 6
Pts: Isaiah Thomas 42
Rebs: Jonas Jerebko 12
Asts: Evan Turner 7
Atlanta leads series, 2–1
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Marc Davis, Eric Lewis, Zach Zarba
April 24
6:00 PM
Atlanta Hawks 95, Boston Celtics 104 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 21–24, 27–22, 25–24, 19–22Overtime: 3–12
Pts: Paul Millsap 45
Rebs: Paul Millsap 13
Asts: Horford, Teague 5 each
Pts: Isaiah Thomas 28
Rebs: Jonas Jerebko 10
Asts: Thomas, Turner 6 each
Series tied, 2–2
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Bennie Adams, Jason Phillips
April 26
8:30 PM
Boston Celtics 83, Atlanta Hawks 110
Scoring by quarter: 20–15, 19–32, 23–42, 21–21
Pts: Evan Turner 15
Rebs: Jonas Jerebko 8
Asts: Terry Rozier 4
Pts: Mike Scott 17
Rebs: Horford, Millsap 8 each
Asts: Millsap, Schröder 6 each
Atlanta leads series, 3–2
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 18,987
Referees: Mike Callahan, Pat Fraher, John Goble
April 28
8:00 PM
Atlanta Hawks 104, Boston Celtics 92
Scoring by quarter: 20–17, 21–16, 39–26, 24–33
Pts: Paul Millsap 17
Rebs: Kyle Korver 9
Asts: Dennis Schröder 8
Pts: Isaiah Thomas 25
Rebs: Smart, Turner 7 each
Asts: Isaiah Thomas 10
Atlanta wins series, 4–2
TD Garden, Boston
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, James Williams

This was the 12th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning ten of the first eleven meetings.

Western Conference first round

[edit]

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) Houston Rockets

[edit]
April 16
3:30 PM
Houston Rockets 78, Golden State Warriors 104
Scoring by quarter: 15–33, 18–27, 27–22, 18–22
Pts: James Harden 17
Rebs: Clint Capela 12
Asts: Corey Brewer 6
Pts: Stephen Curry 24
Rebs: Draymond Green 10
Asts: Andre Iguodala 7
Golden State leads series, 1–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Danny Crawford, Ron Garretson, Mark Lindsay
April 18
10:30 PM
Houston Rockets 106, Golden State Warriors 115
Scoring by quarter: 30–33, 28–33, 21–20, 27–29
Pts: James Harden 28
Rebs: Dwight Howard 10
Asts: James Harden 11
Pts: Klay Thompson 34
Rebs: Draymond Green 14
Asts: Draymond Green 8
Golden State leads series, 2–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: James Capers, John Goble, Rodney Mott
April 21
9:30 PM
Golden State Warriors 96, Houston Rockets 97
Scoring by quarter: 18–31, 30–24, 24–23, 24–19
Pts: Marreese Speights 22
Rebs: Klay Thompson 8
Asts: Draymond Green 7
Pts: James Harden 35
Rebs: Howard, Motiejūnas 13 each
Asts: James Harden 9
Golden State leads series, 2–1
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,200
Referees: Scott Foster, Mark Ayotte, Tom Washington
April 24
3:30 PM
Golden State Warriors 121, Houston Rockets 94
Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 27–27, 41–20, 24–18
Pts: Klay Thompson 23
Rebs: Draymond Green 8
Asts: Shaun Livingston 9
Pts: Dwight Howard 19
Rebs: Dwight Howard 15
Asts: James Harden 10
Golden State leads series, 3–1
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,200
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Kane Fitzgerald, Zach Zarba
April 27
10:30 PM
Houston Rockets 81, Golden State Warriors 114
Scoring by quarter: 20–37, 17–22, 22–30, 22–25
Pts: James Harden 35
Rebs: Dwight Howard 21
Asts: James Harden 6
Pts: Klay Thompson 27
Rebs: Draymond Green 9
Asts: Draymond Green 8
Golden State wins series, 4–1
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Brian Forte

The Warriors, after game 1, went through games 2 and 3 without Stephen Curry. He injured his ankle and would be lost until game 4. Game 4 saw him injure his knee, as he slipped on a wet spot on the floor at the Toyota Center in Houston.[14] Curry's Warriors teammates stepped up and blew out the Rockets by 27 points. They would close out the series by blowing the Rockets out again, by 33 points.

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the first meeting being in 2015, as Golden State defeated Houston 4–1 in the Western Conference finals.

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Memphis Grizzlies

[edit]
April 17
8:00 PM
Memphis Grizzlies 74, San Antonio Spurs 106
Scoring by quarter: 13–22, 24–26, 14–33, 23–25
Pts: Vince Carter 16
Rebs: Chris Andersen 9
Asts: Xavier Munford 4
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 20
Rebs: Tim Duncan 11
Asts: Tony Parker 6
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Mike Callahan, Pat Fraher, Sean Wright
April 19
9:30 PM
Memphis Grizzlies 68, San Antonio Spurs 94
Scoring by quarter: 11–22, 24–27, 18–21, 15–24
Pts: Tony Allen 12
Rebs: Zach Randolph 12
Asts: Zach Randolph 3
Pts: Patty Mills 16
Rebs: Tim Duncan 9
Asts: Duncan, Parker 4 each
San Antonio leads series, 2–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Mike Callahan, Tom Washington, James Williams
April 22
9:30 PM
San Antonio Spurs 96, Memphis Grizzlies 87
Scoring by quarter: 26–18, 18–25, 26–28, 26–16
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 29
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 10
Asts: Tony Parker 7
Pts: Zach Randolph 20
Rebs: Barnes, Randolph 11 each
Asts: Jordan Farmar 6
San Antonio leads series, 3–0
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Kane Fitzgerald, Gary Zielinski
April 24
1:00 PM
San Antonio Spurs 116, Memphis Grizzlies 95
Scoring by quarter: 25–19, 22–26, 37–21, 32–29
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 21
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 10
Asts: Kawhi Leonard 4
Pts: Lance Stephenson 26
Rebs: Chris Andersen 13
Asts: Jordan Farmar 5
San Antonio wins series, 4–0
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: James Capers, John Goble, David Guthrie

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with San Antonio winning the most recent meeting in 2013.

(3) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks

[edit]
April 16
9:30 PM
Dallas Mavericks 70, Oklahoma City Thunder 108
Scoring by quarter: 11–26, 22–33, 18–34, 19–15
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 18
Rebs: Pachulia, Powell 6 each
Asts: Barea, Williams 3 each
Pts: Russell Westbrook 24
Rebs: Enes Kanter 13
Asts: Russell Westbrook 11
Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tony Brown, John Goble
April 18
8:00 PM
Dallas Mavericks 85, Oklahoma City Thunder 84
Scoring by quarter: 24–20, 21–23, 14–19, 26–22
Pts: Raymond Felton 21
Rebs: Raymond Felton 11
Asts: Deron Williams 5
Pts: Kevin Durant 21
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 14
Asts: Russell Westbrook 6
Series tied, 1–1
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Danny Crawford, David Guthrie, Bill Spooner
April 21
7:00 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder 131, Dallas Mavericks 102
Scoring by quarter: 27–21, 31–27, 39–30, 34–24
Pts: Kevin Durant 34
Rebs: Enes Kanter 8
Asts: Russell Westbrook 15
Pts: Wesley Matthews 22
Rebs: Nowitzki, Pachulia 6 each
Asts: José Juan Barea 7
Oklahoma City leads series, 2–1
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,150
Referees: Mike Callahan, Sean Wright, Pat Fraher
April 23
8:00 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder 119, Dallas Mavericks 108
Scoring by quarter: 33–18, 24–30, 32–31, 30–29
Pts: Enes Kanter 28
Rebs: Adams, Roberson 8 each
Asts: Russell Westbrook 15
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 27
Rebs: Dirk Nowitzki 8
Asts: Raymond Felton 11
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–1
American Airlines Center, Dallas
Attendance: 20,516
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Sean Corbin
April 25
8:00 PM
Dallas Mavericks 104, Oklahoma City Thunder 118
Scoring by quarter: 24–35, 37–33, 22–25, 21–25
Pts: Dirk Nowitzki 24
Rebs: Dwight Powell 9
Asts: Zaza Pachulia 9
Pts: Russell Westbrook 36
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 12
Asts: Russell Westbrook 9
Oklahoma City wins series, 4–1
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Scott Foster, Rodney Mott, Tom Washington

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two of the four meetings.

(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers

[edit]
April 17
10:30 PM
Portland Trail Blazers 95, Los Angeles Clippers 115
Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 21–24, 24–31, 29–34
Pts: Damian Lillard 21
Rebs: Al-Farouq Aminu 12
Asts: Damian Lillard 8
Pts: Chris Paul 28
Rebs: Griffin, Jordan 12 each
Asts: Chris Paul 11
LA Clippers lead series, 1–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,122
Referees: Marc Davis, Bill Kennedy, Eric Lewis
April 20
10:30 PM
Portland Trail Blazers 81, Los Angeles Clippers 102
Scoring by quarter: 17–22, 26–25, 18–20, 20–35
Pts: Lillard, Plumlee 17 each
Rebs: Aminu, Plumlee 10 each
Asts: Mason Plumlee 7
Pts: Chris Paul 25
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 18
Asts: Jordan, Paul 5 each
LA Clippers lead series, 2–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,127
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Bill Kennedy, Leroy Richardson
April 23
10:30 PM
Los Angeles Clippers 88, Portland Trail Blazers 96
Scoring by quarter: 19–22, 21–27, 27–21, 21–26
Pts: Chris Paul 26
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 16
Asts: Chris Paul 9
Pts: Damian Lillard 32
Rebs: Mason Plumlee 21
Asts: Mason Plumlee 9
LA Clippers lead series, 2–1
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 19,761
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Tom Washington
April 25
10:30 PM
Los Angeles Clippers 84, Portland Trail Blazers 98
Scoring by quarter: 20–24, 23–23, 21–19, 20–32
Pts: Green, Griffin 17 each
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 15
Asts: Chris Paul 4
Pts: Al-Farouq Aminu 30
Rebs: Mason Plumlee 14
Asts: Mason Plumlee 10
Series tied, 2–2
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 19,607
Referees: Ken Mauer, Brian Forte, Ed Malloy
April 27
10:00 PM
Portland Trail Blazers 108, Los Angeles Clippers 98
Scoring by quarter: 18–18, 27–32, 26–21, 37–27
Pts: CJ McCollum 27
Rebs: Mason Plumlee 15
Asts: Damian Lillard 5
Pts: JJ Redick 19
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 17
Asts: Crawford, Prigioni 4 each
Portland leads series, 3–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Attendance: 19,060
Referees: Danny Crawford, Ron Garretson, Bill Spooner
April 29
10:30 PM
Los Angeles Clippers 103, Portland Trail Blazers 106
Scoring by quarter: 24–24, 24–26, 34–30, 21–26
Pts: Jamal Crawford 32
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 20
Asts: Austin Rivers 8
Pts: Damian Lillard 28
Rebs: Mason Plumlee 14
Asts: Damian Lillard 7
Portland wins series, 4–2
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 19,768
Referees: Marc Davis, Sean Wright, Zach Zarba

This was the first meeting in the playoffs between the Clippers and Trail Blazers.[18]

Conference semifinals

[edit]

Eastern Conference semifinals

[edit]

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Atlanta Hawks

[edit]
May 2
7:00 PM
Atlanta Hawks 93, Cleveland Cavaliers 104
Scoring by quarter: 19–30, 22–21, 29–23, 23–30
Pts: Dennis Schröder 27
Rebs: Paul Millsap 13
Asts: Dennis Schröder 6
Pts: LeBron James 25
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 14
Asts: LeBron James 9
Cleveland leads series, 1–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Scott Foster, Eric Lewis, Zach Zarba
May 4
8:00 PM
Atlanta Hawks 98, Cleveland Cavaliers 123
Scoring by quarter: 20–35, 18–39, 32–32, 28–17
Pts: Paul Millsap 16
Rebs: Paul Millsap 11
Asts: Jeff Teague 6
Pts: LeBron James 27
Rebs: Kevin Love 13
Asts: Dellavedova, Irving 6 each
Cleveland leads series, 2–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Mike Callahan, Rodney Mott, Sean Wright
May 6
7:00 PM
Cleveland Cavaliers 121, Atlanta Hawks 108
Scoring by quarter: 31–28, 24–35, 30–28, 36–17
Pts: Channing Frye 27
Rebs: Kevin Love 15
Asts: LeBron James 8
Pts: Al Horford 24
Rebs: Paul Millsap 8
Asts: Jeff Teague 14
Cleveland leads series, 3–0
May 8
3:30 PM
Cleveland Cavaliers 100, Atlanta Hawks 99
Scoring by quarter: 27–36, 29–22, 25–19, 19–22
Pts: Kevin Love 27
Rebs: Kevin Love 13
Asts: LeBron James 9
Pts: Dennis Schröder 21
Rebs: Paul Millsap 9
Asts: Dennis Schröder 6
Cleveland wins series, 4–0
Philips Arena, Atlanta
Attendance: 19,031
Referees: Marc Davis, Bennie Adams, Jason Phillips

In Game 2, the Cavaliers made history by hitting 18 three-pointers in the first half and 25 overall to break the record for most three-point field goals made by a team in a game.[19] During Game 3's final minute, Jeff Teague pushed LeBron James into a Hawks fan, James would later claim that he was still okay. In Game 4, both teams were locked in battle until in the final seconds, a jump ball was called between Dennis Schröder and LeBron James, and the Hawks desperately won the tip, but the game-winning shot by Paul Millsap bounced off the rim as the Cavs make a second straight sweep.

This was the third time the Cavaliers swept the Hawks in the playoffs and it would be the second consecutive season the Cavaliers swept them.

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning the first two meetings.

(2) Toronto Raptors vs. (3) Miami Heat

[edit]
May 3
8:00 PM
Miami Heat 102, Toronto Raptors 96 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 18–18, 23–25, 27–20, 22–27Overtime: 12–6
Pts: Goran Dragić 26
Rebs: Hassan Whiteside 17
Asts: Dwyane Wade 4
Pts: Jonas Valančiūnas 24
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 14
Asts: Kyle Lowry 6
Miami leads series, 1–0
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,800
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Jason Phillips, Josh Tiven
May 5
8:00 PM
Miami Heat 92, Toronto Raptors 96 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 19–29, 22–19, 24–15, 21–23Overtime: 6–10
Pts: Goran Dragić 20
Rebs: Hassan Whiteside 13
Asts: Dragić, J. Johnson 4 each
Pts: DeMarre Carroll 21
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 12
Asts: Kyle Lowry 6
Series tied, 1–1
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,906
Referees: Ken Mauer, Derrick Collins, John Goble
May 7
5:00 PM
Toronto Raptors 95, Miami Heat 91
Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 26–21, 19–28, 27–23
Pts: Kyle Lowry 33
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 12
Asts: DeMar DeRozan 5
Pts: Dwyane Wade 38
Rebs: Dwyane Wade 8
Asts: Dwyane Wade 4
Toronto leads series, 2–1
AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,675
Referees: Ed Malloy, James Capers, Kane Fitzgerald
May 9
8:00 PM
Toronto Raptors 87, Miami Heat 94 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 14–19, 27–16, 21–23Overtime: 4–11
Pts: Joseph, Ross 14 each
Rebs: Bismack Biyombo 13
Asts: Kyle Lowry 9
Pts: Dwyane Wade 30
Rebs: Luol Deng 9
Asts: Goran Dragić 4
Series tied, 2–2
AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,600
Referees: Mike Callahan, Brian Forte, Bill Kennedy
May 11
8:00 PM
Miami Heat 91, Toronto Raptors 99
Scoring by quarter: 18–28, 27–27, 17–20, 29–24
Pts: Dwyane Wade 20
Rebs: Joe Johnson 8
Asts: T. Johnson, Wade 4 each
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 34
Rebs: Kyle Lowry 9
Asts: Kyle Lowry 6
Toronto leads series, 3–2
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,155
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Sean Wright
May 13
8:00 PM
Toronto Raptors 91, Miami Heat 103
Scoring by quarter: 20–21, 24–32, 28–29, 19–21
Pts: Kyle Lowry 36
Rebs: Bismack Biyombo 13
Asts: Kyle Lowry 3
Pts: Goran Dragić 30
Rebs: Goran Dragić 7
Asts: Dwyane Wade 5
Series tied, 3–3
AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami
Attendance: 19,757
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Sean Corbin, Marc Davis
May 15
3:30 PM
Miami Heat 89, Toronto Raptors 116
Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 23–28, 31–33, 11–30
Pts: Dragić, Wade 16 each
Rebs: Justise Winslow 8
Asts: Goran Dragić 7
Pts: Kyle Lowry 35
Rebs: Bismack Biyombo 16
Asts: Kyle Lowry 9
Toronto wins series, 4–3
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,257
Referees: Danny Crawford, James Capers, Zach Zarba

Even though the Raptors lost Game 1, Kyle Lowry hits a game-tying shot from half-court at the buzzer to force overtime. The play is similar to Chauncey Billups' half-court buzzer beater against the Nets in the 2004 playoffs, that also forced overtime. The end of Game 7 marks the Raptors' first ever trip to the Eastern Conference finals in their history.

Game 7 is noteworthy as being Dwyane Wade's last game with the Miami Heat (during his first stint with the team) as he would sign with the Chicago Bulls in the off-season. He would return to the Miami Heat in 2018 after being traded for a second-round pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

This was the first meeting in the playoffs between the Raptors and Heat.[21]

Western Conference semifinals

[edit]

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers

[edit]
May 1
3:30 PM
Portland Trail Blazers 106, Golden State Warriors 118
Scoring by quarter: 17–37, 34–28, 22–28, 33–25
Pts: Damian Lillard 30
Rebs: Mason Plumlee 13
Asts: Mason Plumlee 6
Pts: Klay Thompson 37
Rebs: Draymond Green 13
Asts: Draymond Green 11
Golden State leads series, 1–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Monty McCutchen, James Capers, John Goble
May 3
10:30 PM
Portland Trail Blazers 99, Golden State Warriors 110
Scoring by quarter: 34–21, 25–30, 28–25, 12–34
Pts: Damian Lillard 25
Rebs: Mason Plumlee 11
Asts: Damian Lillard 6
Pts: Klay Thompson 27
Rebs: Draymond Green 14
Asts: Draymond Green 7
Golden State leads series, 2–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Danny Crawford, Courtney Kirkland, Derrick Stafford
May 7
8:30 PM
Golden State Warriors 108, Portland Trail Blazers 120
Scoring by quarter: 28–22, 18–36, 34–35, 28–27
Pts: Draymond Green 37
Rebs: Draymond Green 9
Asts: Shaun Livingston 10
Pts: Damian Lillard 40
Rebs: Aminu, Davis 10 each
Asts: Damian Lillard 10
Golden State leads series, 2–1
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 19,673
Referees: Mike Callahan, Bill Kennedy, Pat Fraher
May 9
10:30 PM
Golden State Warriors 132, Portland Trail Blazers 125 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 18–26, 39–41, 29–18, 25–26Overtime: 21–14
Pts: Stephen Curry 40
Rebs: Bogut, Curry, Green 9 each
Asts: Stephen Curry 8
Pts: Damian Lillard 36
Rebs: Mason Plumlee 15
Asts: Damian Lillard 10
Golden State leads series, 3–1
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 19,583
Referees: Scott Foster, Ed Malloy, Tom Washington
May 11
10:30 PM
Portland Trail Blazers 121, Golden State Warriors 125
Scoring by quarter: 30–27, 33–31, 28–35, 30–32
Pts: Damian Lillard 28
Rebs: Al-Farouq Aminu 9
Asts: Damian Lillard 7
Pts: Klay Thompson 33
Rebs: Draymond Green 11
Asts: Stephen Curry 11
Golden State wins series, 4–1
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Marc Davis, James Williams

In Game 4, when Stephen Curry came back from his knee injury, he scored 40 points, along with an NBA record 17 points in overtime to lead the Warriors to a 132–125 win. They closed out the series in Game 5, to advance and face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who defeated the 67-win San Antonio Spurs in their second round matchup.

This was the first meeting in the playoffs between the Warriors and Trail Blazers.[22]

(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Oklahoma City Thunder

[edit]
April 30
8:30 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder 92, San Antonio Spurs 124
Scoring by quarter: 20–43, 20–30, 26–32, 26–19
Pts: Serge Ibaka 19
Rebs: Steven Adams 10
Asts: Russell Westbrook 9
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 38
Rebs: Kyle Anderson 7
Asts: Tony Parker 12
San Antonio leads series, 1–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, David Guthrie
May 2
9:30 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder 98, San Antonio Spurs 97
Scoring by quarter: 29–21, 27–32, 21–23, 21–21
Pts: Russell Westbrook 29
Rebs: Steven Adams 17
Asts: Russell Westbrook 10
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 41
Rebs: Tim Duncan 9
Asts: Tony Parker 6
Series tied, 1–1
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Ken Mauer, Sean Corbin, Marc Davis
May 6
9:30 PM
San Antonio Spurs 100, Oklahoma City Thunder 96
Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 20–22, 25–27, 28–27
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 31
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 11
Asts: Tony Parker 5
Pts: Russell Westbrook 31
Rebs: Steven Adams 11
Asts: Russell Westbrook 8
San Antonio leads series, 2–1
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Derrick Stafford, James Williams
May 8
8:00 PM
San Antonio Spurs 97, Oklahoma City Thunder 111
Scoring by quarter: 27–17, 26–28, 28–32, 16–34
Pts: Tony Parker 22
Rebs: David West 7
Asts: Mills, Parker 3 each
Pts: Kevin Durant 41
Rebs: Steven Adams 11
Asts: Russell Westbrook 15
Series tied, 2–2
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Danny Crawford, Bill Spooner, Zach Zarba
May 10
8:00 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder 95, San Antonio Spurs 91
Scoring by quarter: 22–16, 21–32, 26–24, 26–19
Pts: Russell Westbrook 35
Rebs: Enes Kanter 13
Asts: Russell Westbrook 9
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 26
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 9
Asts: Tony Parker 5
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–2
AT&T Center, San Antonio
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Monty McCutchen, John Goble, Jason Phillips
May 12
8:30 PM
San Antonio Spurs 99, Oklahoma City Thunder 113
Scoring by quarter: 19–25, 12–30, 34–36, 34–22
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 22
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 14
Asts: Kawhi Leonard 5
Pts: Kevin Durant 37
Rebs: Steven Adams 11
Asts: Russell Westbrook 12
Oklahoma City wins series, 4–2
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Bill Kennedy, Mike Callahan, Kane Fitzgerald

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning four of the first five meetings.

Conference finals

[edit]

Eastern Conference finals

[edit]

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (2) Toronto Raptors

[edit]
May 17
8:30 PM
Toronto Raptors 84, Cleveland Cavaliers 115
Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 16–33, 23–29, 17–20
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 18
Rebs: Biyombo, Johnson, Lowry 4 each
Asts: DeRozan, Lowry 5 each
Pts: Kyrie Irving 27
Rebs: Richard Jefferson 11
Asts: Kyrie Irving 5
Cleveland leads series, 1–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Scott Foster, Sean Corbin, Jason Phillips
May 19
8:30 PM
Toronto Raptors 89, Cleveland Cavaliers 108
Scoring by quarter: 28–30, 20–32, 21–24, 18–22
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 22
Rebs: Kyle Lowry 6
Asts: Patrick Patterson 4
Pts: Kyrie Irving 26
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 12
Asts: LeBron James 11
Cleveland leads series, 2–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Danny Crawford, James Capers, Sean Wright
May 21
8:30 PM
Cleveland Cavaliers 84, Toronto Raptors 99
Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 23–33, 23–20, 14–19
Pts: LeBron James 24
Rebs: James, Thompson 8 each
Asts: LeBron James 5
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 32
Rebs: Bismack Biyombo 26
Asts: DeMar DeRozan 4
Cleveland leads series, 2–1
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,207
Referees: Ken Mauer, Marc Davis, Pat Fraher
May 23
8:30 PM
Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Toronto Raptors 105
Scoring by quarter: 24–27, 17–30, 28–21, 30–27
Pts: LeBron James 29
Rebs: James, Thompson 9 each
Asts: Irving, James 6 each
Pts: Kyle Lowry 35
Rebs: Bismack Biyombo 14
Asts: Kyle Lowry 5
Series tied, 2–2
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,367
Referees: Monty McCutchen, David Guthrie, Derrick Stafford
May 25
8:30 PM
Toronto Raptors 78, Cleveland Cavaliers 116
Scoring by quarter: 19–37, 15–28, 26–35, 18–16
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 14
Rebs: Jason Thompson 5
Asts: Kyle Lowry 6
Pts: Kevin Love 25
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 10
Asts: LeBron James 8
Cleveland leads series, 3–2
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ed Malloy, Tom Washington
May 27
8:30 PM
Cleveland Cavaliers 113, Toronto Raptors 87
Scoring by quarter: 31–25, 24–16, 31–33, 27–13
Pts: LeBron James 33
Rebs: Kevin Love 12
Asts: Kyrie Irving 9
Pts: Kyle Lowry 35
Rebs: Bismack Biyombo 9
Asts: DeRozan, Lowry 3 each
Cleveland wins series, 4–2
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,605
Referees: Danny Crawford, Bill Kennedy, Jason Phillips

Games 1 and 2 were easy victories for the Cavaliers, as they pushed their playoff winning streak to 10 consecutive games. However, in Game 3, the Raptors dominated the first half, building up an 18-point lead, the largest deficit the Cavaliers faced all playoffs long. J.R. Smith's hot three-point shooting tried to lead Cleveland back, cutting the lead to 5, but the Raptors inevitably held on to win the game. DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points and Bismack Biyombo grabbed a Raptors' franchise record 26 rebounds. This loss by Cleveland ended their playoff winning streak at 10 games. Things would get worse in Game 4 as the Cavs were unable to slow down Kyle Lowry who scored 20 first-half points. Cleveland once again attempted a second half comeback, only this time they turned the game into a back and forth battle. Lowry's drive and score at the basket sealed the win for Toronto, tying the series at 2 games apiece. It was time for recovery for James and the Cavaliers in Game 5. They delivered yet another blowout victory, as they took a 3–2 series lead. The Raptors needed a win back home to force a decisive Game 7, but the Cavaliers closed out the series in Game 6 and won their second straight Eastern Conference title. For the sixth consecutive season, LeBron James advances to the NBA Finals, along with his teammate, James Jones.

This was the first ever meeting in any professional sports league's postseason between teams from Cleveland and Toronto.[24] Teams from the two cities met again less than five months later (and again in the penultimate round of the playoffs) when the Cleveland Indians beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 American League Championship Series.

Western Conference finals

[edit]

(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (3) Oklahoma City Thunder

[edit]
May 16
9:00 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder 108, Golden State Warriors 102
Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 26–33, 38–28, 23–14
Pts: Russell Westbrook 27
Rebs: Steven Adams 12
Asts: Russell Westbrook 12
Pts: Stephen Curry 26
Rebs: Stephen Curry 10
Asts: Stephen Curry 7
Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Derrick Stafford, Tom Washington
May 18
9:00 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder 91, Golden State Warriors 118
Scoring by quarter: 20–27, 29–30, 19–31, 23–30
Pts: Kevin Durant 29
Rebs: Steven Adams 10
Asts: Russell Westbrook 12
Pts: Stephen Curry 28
Rebs: Draymond Green 8
Asts: Draymond Green 7
Series tied, 1–1
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ed Malloy, Kane Fitzgerald
May 22
8:00 PM
Golden State Warriors 105, Oklahoma City Thunder 133
Scoring by quarter: 28–34, 19–38, 33–45, 25–16
Pts: Stephen Curry 24
Rebs: Brandon Rush 5
Asts: five players 3 each
Pts: Kevin Durant 33
Rebs: Enes Kanter 12
Asts: Russell Westbrook 12
Oklahoma City leads series, 2–1
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Zach Zarba
May 24
9:00 PM
Golden State Warriors 94, Oklahoma City Thunder 118
Scoring by quarter: 26–30, 27–42, 29–22, 12–24
Pts: Klay Thompson 26
Rebs: Draymond Green 11
Asts: Stephen Curry 5
Pts: Russell Westbrook 36
Rebs: André Roberson 12
Asts: Russell Westbrook 11
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–1
May 26
9:00 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder 111, Golden State Warriors 120
Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 29–33, 27–23, 34–39
Pts: Kevin Durant 40
Rebs: Steven Adams 10
Asts: Russell Westbrook 8
Pts: Stephen Curry 31
Rebs: Andrew Bogut 14
Asts: Andre Iguodala 8
Oklahoma City leads series, 3–2
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Marc Davis, James Capers
May 28
9:00 PM
Golden State Warriors 108, Oklahoma City Thunder 101
Scoring by quarter: 20–23, 28–30, 27–30, 33–18
Pts: Klay Thompson 41
Rebs: Draymond Green 12
Asts: Stephen Curry 9
Pts: Kevin Durant 29
Rebs: Adams, Ibaka, Westbrook 9 each
Asts: Russell Westbrook 11
Series tied, 3–3
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Ed Malloy, Derrick Stafford
May 30
9:00 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder 88, Golden State Warriors 96
Scoring by quarter: 24–19, 24–23, 12–29, 28–25
Pts: Kevin Durant 27
Rebs: André Roberson 12
Asts: Russell Westbrook 13
Pts: Stephen Curry 36
Rebs: Draymond Green 9
Asts: Stephen Curry 8
Golden State wins series, 4–3
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Danny Crawford, Mike Callahan, Jason Phillips

During the Thunder-Warriors series, Draymond Green became the subject of multiple controversial plays against Oklahoma City players, most notably Steven Adams.

In Game 1, the Thunder upset the Warriors 108–102 and took a 1–0 series lead. It marked the Warriors' first loss at Oracle Arena in Oakland in the playoffs, as well as their third home loss of the season. In Game 2, despite a close game at the half, the Warriors soundly defeated the Thunder 118–91. Television cameras appeared to show Draymond Green kicking Steven Adams in the groin while he was attempting a layup. In Game 3, in the comfort of a raucous Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Thunder dominated the Warriors 133–105. During the game, Green received a flagrant foul 1 for again appearing to kick Adams in the groin.[25] In Game 4, the Thunder once again handed the Warriors a commanding 118–94 defeat to take a 3–1 series lead. Green appeared to trip Enes Kanter during the game. [26] Returning to Oracle Arena in Game 5, the Warriors held on to defeat the Thunder 120–111, cutting their series deficit to 3–2. Kevin Durant scored 40 points in the loss. Despite their Game 5 loss, the Thunder were favored to advance to the NBA Finals in the comfort of their home court in Game 6, but the Warriors stunned the Thunder thanks to Klay Thompson, who scored a series-high 41 points and made an NBA playoff record 11 3s. Klay's performance and a poor shooting night from Kevin Durant, as the Warriors won the game 108–101 and tied the series 3-3, forcing a Game 7 in the Bay Area.[27][28] In Game 7, Oklahoma City built a 13-point lead during the game and led 48–42 at halftime. However, the Thunder lost focus in the third quarter. After the Warriors thwarted Oklahoma City's brief comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, Golden State won 96–88 and became the 10th team to win an NBA playoff series after being down 3 games to 1.[29] Game 7 was the last game Kevin Durant played with the Oklahoma City Thunder, before joining his opponent in this series, the Golden State Warriors.

This was the third meeting in the playoffs between the Warriors and Thunder, with both teams tied at one a piece.

NBA Finals: (E1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (W1) Golden State Warriors

[edit]
June 2
9:00 PM
Cleveland Cavaliers 89, Golden State Warriors 104
Scoring by quarter: 24–28, 19–24, 25–22, 21–30
Pts: Kyrie Irving 26
Rebs: Kevin Love 13
Asts: LeBron James 9
Pts: Shaun Livingston 20
Rebs: Draymond Green 11
Asts: Draymond Green 7
Golden State leads series, 1–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Marc Davis
June 5
8:00 PM
Cleveland Cavaliers 77, Golden State Warriors 110
Scoring by quarter: 21–19, 23–33, 18–30, 15–28
Pts: LeBron James 19
Rebs: LeBron James 8
Asts: LeBron James 9
Pts: Draymond Green 28
Rebs: Stephen Curry 9
Asts: Green, Livingston, Thompson 5 each
Golden State leads series, 2–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, James Capers
June 8
9:00 PM
Golden State Warriors 90, Cleveland Cavaliers 120
Scoring by quarter: 16–33, 27–18, 26–38, 21–31
Pts: Stephen Curry 19
Rebs: Harrison Barnes 8
Asts: Draymond Green 7
Pts: LeBron James 32
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 13
Asts: Kyrie Irving 8
Golden State leads series, 2–1
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Derrick Stafford, Zach Zarba
June 10
9:00 PM
Golden State Warriors 108, Cleveland Cavaliers 97
Scoring by quarter: 29–28, 21–27, 29–22, 29–20
Pts: Stephen Curry 38
Rebs: Draymond Green 12
Asts: Andre Iguodala 7
Pts: Kyrie Irving 34
Rebs: LeBron James 13
Asts: LeBron James 9
Golden State leads series, 3–1
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Danny Crawford, Mike Callahan, Jason Phillips
June 13
9:00 PM
Cleveland Cavaliers 112, Golden State Warriors 97
Scoring by quarter: 29–32, 32–29, 32–23, 19–13
Pts: Irving, James 41 each
Rebs: LeBron James 16
Asts: LeBron James 7
Pts: Klay Thompson 37
Rebs: Andre Iguodala 11
Asts: Andre Iguodala 6
Golden State leads series, 3–2
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Marc Davis and Derrick Stafford
June 16
9:00 PM
Golden State Warriors 101, Cleveland Cavaliers 115
Scoring by quarter: 11–31, 32–28, 28–21, 30–35
Pts: Stephen Curry 30
Rebs: Draymond Green 10
Asts: Draymond Green 6
Pts: LeBron James 41
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 16
Asts: LeBron James 11
Series tied, 3–3
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Scott Foster, Ken Mauer and Jason Phillips
June 19
8:00 PM
Cleveland Cavaliers 93, Golden State Warriors 89
Scoring by quarter: 23–22, 19–27, 33–27, 18–13
Pts: LeBron James 27
Rebs: Kevin Love 14
Asts: LeBron James 11
Pts: Draymond Green 32
Rebs: Draymond Green 15
Asts: Draymond Green 9
Cleveland wins series, 4–3
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Danny Crawford, Mike Callahan, Monty McCutchen

After winning three of the first four games in the Finals with relative ease, the Warriors appeared to be overwhelming the Cavaliers as they moved to being within one win from back-to-back championships. However, the series shifted dramatically after Golden State's All-Star forward, Draymond Green, was suspended for game 5 after an altercation with Cleveland's LeBron James in game 4. Absent Green, the Warriors were lacking defensively, as Kyrie Irving and LeBron James became the first teammates to score 40 or more points each in a Finals game and led the Cavaliers to a 112–97 win to force game 6.[31] Back in the Quicken Loans Arena for their final home game of the season, the Cavaliers tied the series at 3 games apiece by defeating Golden State, 115–101. After receiving his sixth personal foul in the fourth quarter, Stephen Curry was ejected for the first time in his career after throwing his mouthpiece at a Cavaliers fan.[32] Game 7 came down to the wire. Late in the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 89, Andre Iguodala received a bounce pass from Curry. As Iguodala went up for the layup, he was blocked from behind by James, in what has since been recognized as one of the most memorable blocks in NBA playoff history, and among the most iconic plays of James's career. Reverse camera angles showed that James should have been called with goaltending as James's hand had touched the rim. With less than a minute to play, Kyrie Irving converted a 3-point shot to give the Cavaliers the lead. On their next possession, James was fouled by Green while attempting a dunk, and made one of his two free throws to increase the lead to four. While the Warriors managed to get the ball into the hands of Curry for a chance to cut the deficit to one, he was guarded well by Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert, and Curry was forced to take a sub par shot that missed, sealing the game as the city of Cleveland, Ohio's 52-year sports curse finally ended. The Cavaliers became the eleventh team to win an NBA playoff series after trailing 3 games to 1, and the first to do so in the NBA Finals. The Warriors became the best team (by regular season record) to fail to capture an NBA championship. Cleveland also became only the fourth team to win Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road. This was the first NBA championship for the Cavaliers.[33]

This was the second meeting in the NBA Finals between the Warriors and Cavaliers, with the Warriors winning the first meeting last season.

Statistical leaders

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Category High Average
Player Team High Player Team Avg. Games played
Points Paul Millsap Atlanta Hawks 45 Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder 28.4 18
Rebounds Bismack Biyombo Toronto Raptors 26 DeAndre Jordan Los Angeles Clippers 16.3 6
Assists Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder 15 Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder 11.0 18
Steals Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder 7 Kawhi Leonard San Antonio Spurs 2.60 9
James Harden Houston Rockets Trevor Ariza Houston Rockets 5
Blocks Draymond Green Golden State Warriors 5 Myles Turner Indiana Pacers 3.29 7

Media coverage

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Television

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ESPN, TNT, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNews and NBA TV broadcast the NBA playoffs nationally in the United States. In the first round, regional sports networks affiliated with the teams can also broadcast the games, except for games televised on ABC. Throughout the first two rounds, TNT televised games Saturday through Thursday, ESPN televised games Friday and Saturday, and ABC televised select games on Saturday and Sunday, usually in the afternoon. NBA TV, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS aired select weekday games in the first round. TNT televised the Western Conference finals and ESPN televised the Eastern Conference finals. ABC televised the NBA Finals for the 14th consecutive year.

In Canada, national coverage is divided between the TSN and Sportsnet families of channels, with each group carrying approximately half of all games featuring the Toronto Raptors (produced independently of the U.S. national broadcasts regardless of round), and half of all other games (simulcast from the applicable U.S. broadcaster).

Radio

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ESPN Radio had exclusive national radio rights to broadcast the playoffs in the United States. They broadcast mostly ABC games during the first two rounds, all of the conference finals, and the NBA Finals.

In Canada, the playoffs were carried on TSN Radio.

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "NBA to seed conference playoff teams by record" (Press release). National Basketball Association. September 8, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  2. ^ "Clearing up NBA's tie-breaker rules". CSN New England. March 28, 2016. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  3. ^ "Stephen Curry's game-winning 32-footer caps record night in OT win". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  4. ^ "Stephen Curry and the D Favors Celtics earned a spot in the playoffs". kron4.com. Retrieved March 19, 2016.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "LeBron James notches triple-double as Cavs win 50th, division title". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
  6. ^ "Raptors clinch Atlantic Division title". Raptors Republic: ESPN TrueHoop Network Blog. April 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  7. ^ "Steph Curry's game-winning 32-footer caps record night in OT win". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  8. ^ "Warriors Clinch Pacific Division Title". NBA.com. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  9. ^ "Spurs clinch postseason berth with 29th straight home win". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
  10. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Cleveland Cavaliers versus Detroit Pistons (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  11. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Toronto Raptors versus Indiana Pacers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
  12. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Miami Heat versus Charlotte Hornets (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  13. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Boston Celtics (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  14. ^ "Curry could miss 2 weeks with sprained right knee". National Basketball Association. Associated Press. April 24, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  15. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Houston Rockets (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  16. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Memphis Grizzlies versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  17. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Dallas Mavericks versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  18. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Clippers versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  19. ^ "Cavaliers set NBA record for 3-pointers in game". National Basketball Association. Associated Press. May 4, 2016. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  20. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Cleveland Cavaliers versus Atlanta Hawks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  21. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Toronto Raptors versus Miami Heat (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  22. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
  23. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Oklahoma City Thunder versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  24. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Cleveland Cavaliers versus Toronto Raptors (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 15, 2016.
  25. ^ Duffy, Thomas (May 22, 2016). "Draymond Green Gets Flagrant-1 Foul for Kicking Steven Adams in the Groin". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  26. ^ Feldman, Dan (May 25, 2016). "Draymond Green trips Enes Kanter (video)". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  27. ^ Ingrassia, Nunzio (May 29, 2016). "Kevin Durant says he's 'a professional scorer' after his awful Game 6 shooting effort". Fox Sports. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  28. ^ Brunt, Cliff (May 29, 2016). "Thompson's 41 points leads Warriors past Thunder in Game 6, 108-101". The Oakland Press. Associated Press. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  29. ^ Amick, Sam (June 1, 2016). "Warriors take Game 7 over Thunder, secure NBA Finals rematch". USA Today. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  30. ^ "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
  31. ^ Powell, Shaun (June 14, 2016). "Cavs exploit Green's absence to stay alive in Game 5". National Basketball Association. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  32. ^ Reynolds, Tim (June 17, 2016). "Curry gets ejected late in Warriors' Game 6 loss". National Basketball Association. Associated Press. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  33. ^ Withers, Tom (June 19, 2016). "The End: Cleveland rocks as title drought ends in Finals". National Basketball Association. Associated Press. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
  34. ^ "Golden State Warriors versus Cleveland Cavaliers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved May 30, 2016.
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