2015 NBA Finals

2015 NBA Finals
TeamCoachWins
Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr 4
Cleveland Cavaliers David Blatt 2
Dates June 4–16
MVP Andre Iguodala
(Golden State Warriors)
Television U.S.:
English: ABC
Spanish: ESPN Deportes
Canada:
TSN
Announcers

ABC:

ESPN Deportes:

Radio network ESPN Radio
Announcers Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown
Referees
Game 1: Monty McCutchen, James Capers, and Jason Phillips
Game 2: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, and Zach Zarba
Game 3: Dan Crawford, Marc Davis, and Derrick Stafford
Game 4: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, and Ken Mauer
Game 5: Monty McCutchen, James Capers, and Jason Phillips
Game 6: Scott Foster, Marc Davis, and Zach Zarba
Eastern Finals Cavaliers defeated Hawks, 4–0
Western Finals Warriors defeated Rockets, 4–1

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. The Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeated the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers in six games (4–2) for the Warriors' first title in 40 years and their 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. Golden State's Andre Iguodala was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP).

The Warriors were led by 2014–15 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Stephen Curry, while the Cavaliers featured four-time league MVP LeBron James. Both teams entered the series with title droughts of four decades, with the Cavaliers having never won a title since their 1970–71 inception and the Warriors' last title having been in 1975.[1] This was also the first time that both participating teams had 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 was the fifth consecutive finals appearance 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, assists and rebounds for the entire series. He averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists for the series, although he shot 39.8% throughout the series. [4][5]

For the second straight year, the Finals was played in the 2–2–1–1–1 format (Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 were at Golden State, games 3, 4, and 6 were at Cleveland). The series began on June 4, 2015, and it ended on June 16, 2015, and in the United States, it was televised on ABC and in Canada, it was televised on TSN.

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. James then played for the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014, leading the Heat to 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, Cleveland dealt Wiggins and Anthony Bennett and received Love.[6]

James, Love, and guard Kyrie Irving became dubbed nationally as the "Big Three".[7] The Cavaliers got off to a shockingly bad start that led to intense media scrutiny and caused many to question David 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 LeBron James and "chemistry issues," with James "still learning how to play with his new teammates and vice versa,"[8] 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 Knicks in exchange for draft picks while sending Dion Waiters to the Thunder. The Cavaliers then acquired Timofey Mozgov. James's return to the Cavaliers' lineup (following a 2-week layoff) 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 from his playing days in San Antonio with the Spurs, and the uptempo principles Alvin Gentry used in Phoenix when Kerr was the GM.[9]

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 Chicago Bulls in 2010–11.[10] 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.[11] Curry also won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the 2014–15 season.[12] 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.[13][14][15] 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.[16][17] 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

Main article: 2015 NBA Playoffs
Cleveland Cavaliers (Eastern Conference Champion)Golden State Warriors (Western Conference Champion)
Eastern Conference
# Team W L PCT GB GP
1 c-Atlanta Hawks * 60 22 .732 – 82
2 y-Cleveland Cavaliers * 53 29 .646 7.0 82
3 x-Chicago Bulls 50 32 .610 10.0 82
4 y-Toronto Raptors * 49 33 .598 11.0 82
5 x-Washington Wizards 46 36 .561 14.0 82
6 x-Milwaukee Bucks 41 41 .500 19.0 82
7 x-Boston Celtics 40 42 .488 20.0 82
8 x-Brooklyn Nets 38 44 .463 22.0 82
9 Indiana Pacers 38 44 .463 22.0 82
10 Miami Heat 37 45 .451 23.0 82
11 Charlotte Hornets 33 49 .402 27.0 82
12 Detroit Pistons 32 50 .390 28.0 82
13 Orlando Magic 25 57 .305 35.0 82
14 Philadelphia 76ers 18 64 .220 42.0 82
15 New York Knicks 17 65 .207 43.0 82

2nd seed in the East, 7th best league record

 Regular season
Western Conference
# Team W L PCT GB GP
1 z-Golden State Warriors * 67 15 .817 – 82
2 y-Houston Rockets * 56 26 .683 11.0 82
3 x-Los Angeles Clippers 56 26 .683 11.0 82
4 y-Portland Trail Blazers * 51 31 .622 16.0 82
5 x-Memphis Grizzlies 55 27 .671 12.0 82
6 x-San Antonio Spurs 55 27 .671 12.0 82
7 x-Dallas Mavericks 50 32 .610 17.0 82
8 x-New Orleans Pelicans 45 37 .549 22.0 82
9 Oklahoma City Thunder 45 37 .549 22.0 82
10 Phoenix Suns 39 43 .476 28.0 82
11 Utah Jazz 38 44 .463 29.0 82
12 Denver Nuggets 30 52 .366 37.0 82
13 Sacramento Kings 29 53 .354 38.0 82
14 Los Angeles Lakers 21 61 .256 46.0 82
15 Minnesota Timberwolves 16 66 .195 51.0 82

1st seed in the West, best league record

Defeated the 7th seeded Boston Celtics, 4–0 First round Defeated the 8th seeded New Orleans Pelicans, 4–0
Defeated the 3rd seeded Chicago Bulls, 4–2 Conference Semifinals Defeated the 5th seeded Memphis Grizzlies, 4–2
Defeated the 1st seeded Atlanta Hawks, 4–0 Conference Finals Defeated the 2nd seeded Houston Rockets, 4–1

Regular season series

The Cavaliers and Warriors tied the regular season series 1–1, with each team winning its home game.

Series

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−4)

For the first time in NBA Finals history, the first two games went into overtime.[18] After Golden State fell behind 2–1 in the series, Kerr gave swingman Andre Iguodala his first start of the season, replacing center Andrew Bogut in Game 4, and the Warriors' small lineup helped turn the series around.[19] Golden State won the series in six games, claiming their first title since 1975 and their fourth overall in franchise history.[20] They played small ball in the Finals to a greater extent than any prior champion.[21] Combining regular season and playoff games, the Warriors finished 83–20, which was the third-best record ever behind the Chicago Bulls in 1995–96 (87–13) and 1996–97 (84–17).[20]

Iguodala was named the Finals MVP, becoming the first to win the award without having started every game in the series. He finished the Finals averaging 16.3 points, 4 assists, and 5.8 rebounds. He was also tasked with guarding Cleveland's LeBron James, who made only 38.1 percent of his shots when Iguodala was in the game, yet James still averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, 8.8 assists per game.[22] However, James received four of the 11 votes for Finals MVP despite his team losing by an average of 14 points in the final three games. [23] Stephen Curry was just the sixth player to win his first league MVP and his first NBA title in the same season. Shaquille O'Neal was the last player to have accomplished the feat in 1999–2000. Kerr became the first rookie coach to win a title since Pat Riley in 1981–82.[20]

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 prior Finals experience.[24] 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.[25] It was the first time since 1998 that none of the Finals participants were the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, or the Heat. This was also the first NBA Finals since then to not have featured either Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, or Dwyane Wade.[26]

Game 1

June 4
9:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 100, Golden State Warriors 108 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 29–19, 22–29, 22–25, 25–25, Overtime: 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
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Monty McCutchen, James Capers, Jason Phillips

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.[27] 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.[28]

Only three players scored for the Cavaliers after halftime: James, Irving, and Mozgov. The trio combined for 83 of the Cavaliers' 100 points.[28] James had a career NBA Finals high of 44 points, while attempting a postseason career-high 38 shots,[29] 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 the first round of the playoffs, and Anderson Varejão.[28]

Game 2

June 7
8:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 95, Golden State Warriors 93 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 27–25, 15–14, 25–28, Overtime: 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
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Zach Zarba

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 shot 11-for-35 in the game, 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.[30] Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 34 points. Curry added 19, but he struggled mightily against the Cavaliers' defense, shooting 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–for-8 against him.[31]

The margin was close through the first three quarters, with neither team leading by more than 8 points. 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 to take 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.[32]

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 Igoudala, 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.[33]

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 court 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 4th 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 on January 27). The victory for the Cleveland 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.[34]

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 Irving and Kevin Love.[35] 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.[36]

Game 3

June 9
9:00 pm
Golden State Warriors 91, Cleveland Cavaliers 96
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
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Dan Crawford, Marc Davis, Derrick Stafford

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.[37] 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.[37]

James led all scorers with 40 to go along with 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals. Through 3 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.[38] Dellavedova scored 20, a playoff career high. Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, 17 of which came in the fourth quarter.[37] 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.[39]

Game 4

June 11
9:00 pm
Golden State Warriors 103, Cleveland Cavaliers 82
Scoring by quarter: 31–24, 23–18, 22–28, 27–12
Pts: Curry, Iguodala 22 each
Rebs: three players 8 each
Asts: Curry 7		 Pts: Timofey Mozgov 28
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 13
Asts: LeBron James 8
Series tied, 2–2
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Joe Crawford, Mike Callahan, Ken Mauer

The Warriors routed the Cavaliers 103–82 in Game 4, evening the series at 2–2 and reclaiming homecourt advantage. Despite stating that there would be no changes to the starting lineup the morning of Game 4, Kerr inserted Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup in place of Andrew Bogut, while moving Draymond Green to the center position.[40] 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 suffered a laceration on his head from a courtside photographer's camera lens after a hard foul on Bogut, but he stayed in the game without any stitches.[41] The Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 23–18 in that period and led 54–42 at halftime.[42] 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.[43] 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 scoring production (7 points) was also a postseason low. Curry and Igoudala 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 20 points on 7–22 shooting.[41] After the game, Kerr admitted to his deception regarding the starting lineup, quipping, "I don't think they hand you the trophy based on morality."[40]

Game 5

June 14
8:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 91, Golden State Warriors 104
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
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Monty McCutchen, James Capers, Jason Phillips

Coming into this game with the series tied at 2 games apiece, the Game 5 winner had gone on to win the NBA championship in 20 of the previous 28 instances.[44]

The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 104–91 and took a 3–2 series lead heading back to Cleveland.[45] 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. They took a 6 point lead into the 4th quarter, leading 73–67. The Cavaliers opened the 4th quarter on a 13–6 run. LeBron 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.[46] 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.[47]

James had his second triple-double of this NBA Finals series, posting 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. James led all players in points, rebounds and assists, and was responsible for 70 of 91 Cavaliers points (40 scored, 30 assisted).[48] 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.[49][50]

Game 6

June 16
9:00 pm
Golden State Warriors 105, Cleveland Cavaliers 97
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
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Scott Foster, Marc Davis, Zach Zarba

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.[51] 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.[52] The Cavaliers, led by J.R. Smith, made a late surge to cut it to 4 with under 40 seconds remaining.[53] 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.[54] 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. Iguodala had the third lowest scoring average of any Finals MVP in NBA history.[55] James became the youngest player to score 5000 career points in the playoffs.[56] It was the first time since the 2011 Finals that a team has won the NBA championship on its opponent's home venue.

Rosters

2014–15 Golden State Warriors roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY–MM–DD) From
G 19 Barbosa, Leandro 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 194 lb (88 kg) 1982–11–28 Brazil
F 40 Barnes, Harrison 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1992–05–30 North Carolina
C 12 Bogut, Andrew 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1984–11–28 Utah
G 30 Curry, Stephen (C) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1988–03–14 Davidson
C 31 Ezeli, Festus 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1989–10–21 Vanderbilt
F 23 Green, Draymond 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1990–03–04 Michigan State
G/F 7 Holiday, Justin 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1989–04–05 Washington
G/F 9 Iguodala, Andre (C) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1984–01–28 Arizona
C 1 Kuzmić, Ognjen  7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1990–05–16 Serbia
F/C 10 Lee, David 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1983–04–29 Florida
G 34 Livingston, Shaun 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 182 lb (83 kg) 1985–09–11 Peoria Central HS (IL)
F 20 McAdoo, James Michael 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1993–01–04 North Carolina
G/F 4 Rush, Brandon 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1985–07–07 Kansas
F/C 5 Speights, Marreese 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 1987–08–04 Florida
G 11 Thompson, Klay 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1990–02–08 Washington State
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate
  • Injured

Roster • Transactions

2014–15 Cleveland Cavaliers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY–MM–DD) From
G 8 Dellavedova, Matthew 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1990–09–08 Saint Mary's
G 12 Harris, Joe 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1991–09–07 Virginia
C 33 Haywood, Brendan 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 263 lb (119 kg) 1979–11–27 North Carolina
G 2 Irving, Kyrie  (C) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 1992–03–23 Duke
F 23 James, LeBron (C) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1984–12–30 St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (OH)
G/F 1 Jones, James 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1980–10–04 Miami (FL)
F/C 0 Love, Kevin  6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 243 lb (110 kg) 1988–09–07 UCLA
F 31 Marion, Shawn 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 228 lb (103 kg) 1978–05–07 UNLV
G/F 18 Miller, Mike 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 1980–02–19 Florida
C 20 Mozgov, Timofey 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1986–07–16 Russia
C 3 Perkins, Kendrick 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 270 lb (122 kg) 1984–11–10 Clifton J. Ozen (TX)
G 4 Shumpert, Iman 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1990–06–26 Georgia Tech
G/F 5 Smith, J. R. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1985–09–09 St. Benedict's Prep (NJ)
F/C 13 Thompson, Tristan 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 238 lb (108 kg) 1991–03–13 Texas
F/C 17 Varejão, Anderson  6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 267 lb (121 kg) 1982–09–28 Brazil
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate
  • Injured

Roster • Transactions

Player statistics

Legend
  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
Golden State Warriors
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Curry, StephenStephen Curry 6 6 42.5 .443 .385 .885 5.2 6.3 1.8 0.2 26.0
Iguodala, AndreAndre Iguodala 6 3 37.1 .521 .400 .357 5.8 4.0 1.3 0.3 16.3
Thompson, KlayKlay Thompson 6 6 37.9 .409 .300 .917 4.3 1.7 0.5 1.0 15.8
Green, DraymondDraymond Green 6 6 37.0 .381 .263 .735 8.3 5.0 2.2 1.2 13.0
Barnes, HarrisonHarrison Barnes 6 6 32.9 .373 .421 .778 5.8 0.8 0.8 0.5 8.8
Lee, DavidDavid Lee 4 0 9.7 .533 .000 .545 2.5 1.5 0.3 0.0 5.5
Barbosa, LeandroLeandro Barbosa 6 0 10.7 .462 .429 1.000 1.7 0.5 0.5 0.2 5.2
Livingston, ShaunShaun Livingston 6 0 20.1 .480 .000 .750 3.5 2.2 0.3 0.3 5.0
Ezeli, FestusFestus Ezeli 5 0 10.0 .467 .000 .727 3.4 0.4 0.0 0.6 4.4
Speights, MarreeseMarreese Speights 3 0 5.3 .308 .000 .500 1.7 0.3 0.3 0.0 3.0
Bogut, AndrewAndrew Bogut 4 3 18.4 .444 .000 .500 6.0 1.5 0.3 1.3 2.5
Holiday, JustinJustin Holiday 1 0 2.1 .000 .000 .000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
McAdoo, James MichaelJames Michael McAdoo 1 0 1.2 .000 .000 .000 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Cleveland Cavaliers
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
James, LeBronLeBron James 6 6 45.7 .398 .310 .687 13.3 8.8 1.3 0.5 35.8
Irving, KyrieKyrie Irving 1 1 43.6 .455 .250 1.000 7.0 6.0 4.0 2.0 23.0
Mozgov, TimofeyTimofey Mozgov 6 6 28.3 .551 .000 .750 7.5 1.0 0.5 1.5 14.0
Smith, J. R.J. R. Smith 6 0 33.6 .312 .294 .600 4.3 1.0 0.5 0.8 11.5
Thompson, TristanTristan Thompson 6 6 41.1 .500 .000 .600 13.0 0.3 0.7 1.0 10.0
Dellavedova, MatthewMatthew Dellavedova 6 5 31.8 .283 .231 .818 2.7 2.7 1.2 0.0 7.5
Shumpert, ImanIman Shumpert 6 6 35.9 .256 .320 .643 3.8 0.7 1.8 0.7 6.5
Jones, JamesJames Jones 6 0 18.8 .316 .308 1.000 1.3 0.3 0.7 0.2 3.3
Perkins, KendrickKendrick Perkins 1 0 3.1 .000 .000 1.000 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.0
Miller, MikeMike Miller 5 0 5.7 .500 .500 .000 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.6
Harris, JoeJoe Harris 2 0 1.6 .000 .000 .500 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5

Broadcast

In the United States, the NBA Finals aired on ABC with Mike Breen as play-by-play commentator, and Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson serving as color 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.[57]

Game Ratings
(households) 		American audience
(in millions)
1 10.6[58] 17.77[59]
2 10.8[60] 19.17[61]
3 11.1[62] 18.77[62]
4 11.7[63] 19.84[64]
5 11.8[65] 20.86[66]
6 13.4[67] 23.25[67]

References

  1. ↑ "Warriors finish off Rockets, advance to NBA Finals for first time since 1975". ESPN. May 27, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Warriors' win over Rockets sets up dream Finals matchup vs. Cavaliers". ESPN. May 28, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  3. ↑ Zillgitt, Jeff (May 26, 2015). "Cavaliers sweep Hawks as LeBron James reaches fifth consecutive NBA Finals". USA Today. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  4. ↑ Rosenberg, Michael (2015-06-17). "LeBron James sets NBA Finals record in losing effort to Warriors - NBA". SI.com. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
  5. ↑ "SportsCenter on Twitter: "LeBron James is 1st player in NBA Finals history to lead BOTH teams in points, assists & rebounds for entire series. http://t.co/O4P5lex7IC"". Twitter.com. 2015-06-16. Retrieved 2015-12-24. External link in |title= (help)
  6. ↑ "Timberwolves Acquire Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and Thaddeus Young in Three-Team Trade". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. August 23, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Big Three even bigger". Fox Sports.com. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  8. ↑ Withers, Tom. "Chemistry issues at root of Cavaliers' 1-3 start". NBA.com. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ McMillen, Gabrielle (April 5, 2015). "Steve Kerr sets rookie coaching record as Warriors clinch home court". Sporting News. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Stephen Curry Breaks NBA Record with 273rd 3-Pointer of Season". YouTube. April 9, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Warriors Guard Stephen Curry Named 2014–15 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player". NBA.com. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ Amick, Sam (April 16, 2015). "Wild West: Warriors must navigate loaded playoff field". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Thompson named All-Star Game starter". KNBR. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015.
  17. ↑ "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.
  18. ↑ Mather, Victor (June 8, 2015). "N.B.A. Finals: In Overtime, Missed Shots and Foul Calls Were the Key". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2015.
  19. ↑ Holmes, Baxter (June 16, 2015). "Iguodala NBA's no-stats Finals MVP?". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 Holmes, Baxter (June 17, 2015). "Finals recap: The Warriors' road to the title". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015.
  21. ↑ Lowe, Zach (November 24, 2015). "How the small-ball virus has infected the NBA". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 24, 2015.
  22. ↑ Strauss, Ethan Sherwood (June 16, 2015). "Andre Iguodala named Finals MVP after coming off bench to begin series". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015.
  23. ↑ McMenamin, Dave (June 17, 2015). "NBA Finals: No consolation to be had for LeBron". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015.
  24. ↑ Pingue, Frank (June 17, 2015). "Lack of experience proves no problem for champion Warriors". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015.
  25. ↑ 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.
  26. ↑ 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. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Warriors overcome LeBron James' 44, breeze in overtime to go up 1–0". ESPN. June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  28. 1 2 3 "NBA finals 2015: Warriors ignite in overtime to down Cavaliers". The Guardian. June 5, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  29. ↑ Feldman, Ryan; McTigue, John (June 5, 2015). "The trouble with LeBron in isolation". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2015.
  30. ↑ Martin, Brian (June 7, 2015). "10 Key Numbers: NBA Finals, Game 2". National Basketball Association. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  31. ↑ "No, Stephen Curry is not worried about Matthew Dellavedova". Sporting News. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  32. ↑ "LeBron James' triple-double enables Cavs to tie Finals in ugly OT win". ESPN. June 7, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  33. ↑ "N.B.A. Finals: Matthew Dellavedova Shines in Cavaliers’ Taut Win". New York Times. June 8, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  34. ↑ "Cleveland Cavaliers show game two grit to level NBA finals at 1–1". The Guardian. June 7, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
  35. ↑ Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports (June 8, 2015). "Still the underdog, Cavaliers' 'Grit Squad' continues to strengthen through adversity". USA TODAY. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  36. ↑ "Cleveland Grit Squad". freshbrewedtees.com. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  37. 1 2 3 "LeBron James, Matthew Dellavedova steer Cavs to 2-1 lead over Warriors". ESPN. 2015-06-10. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  38. ↑ Fox Sports. "NBA Finals: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers fighting fatigue after hard-fought wins over Golden State Warriors". FOX Sports. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Cavs beat Warriors, 96-91, in Game 3 of NBA Finals; lead series 2-1". Fox 8 Cleveland. June 9, 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  40. 1 2 McManamon, Pat (June 12, 2015). "Steve Kerr admits to lying before Game 4 about starting Andrew Bogut". CBS Sports. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  41. 1 2 "Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala help Warriors knot Finals vs. Cavs at 2-2". ESPN. 2015-06-12. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  42. ↑ Withers, Tom (June 12, 2015). "Warriors even NBA Finals, beat Cavaliers 103-82 in Game 4". CBS Sports. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  43. ↑ "Warriors beat Cavaliers, 103-82, in Game 4 of NBA Finals, series tied 2-2". FOX 8 Cleveland. June 11, 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  44. ↑ ABC News. "Sports News". ABC News. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
  45. ↑ "Stephen Curry carries Warriors past LeBron, Cavs to brink of NBA title". ESPN. June 15, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  46. ↑ "NBA finals 2015: Cleveland Cavaliers 91–104 Golden State Warriors – as it happened". Guardian. June 15, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  47. ↑ "Golden State Warriors 104–91 Cleveland Cavaliers: Stephen Curry puts his side one win away from NBA title". Daily Mail. June 15, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  48. ↑ "SportsCenter on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  49. ↑ "ESPN Stats & Info on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  50. ↑ "2015 NBA Finals -- LeBron James of Cleveland Cavaliers remains confident -- 'I'm best in world'". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Curry, Iguodala combine for 50 as Warriors close out Cavs in Game 6". ESPN. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  52. ↑ "Golden State Warriors win first NBA title in 40 years – as it happened". The Guardian. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  53. ↑ Cacciola, Scott (June 17, 2015). "Golden State Warriors End N.B.A. Title Drought With Victory Over Cavaliers". New York Times. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  54. ↑ "Golden State Warriors 105-97 Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James loses in NBA Finals for the fourth time as Warriors win first championship in 40 years". Daily Mail. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  55. ↑ "Was Andre Iguodala the lowest-scoring Finals MVP ever?". AL.com (The Birmingham News). June 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  56. ↑ "Andre Iguodala named Finals MVP after coming off bench to begin series". ESPN.com. June 16, 2015.
  57. ↑ Carafdo, Ben (June 1, 2015). "2015 NBA Finals – Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – Exclusively on ABC SCHEDULE". Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  58. ↑ Cafardo, Ben (June 5, 2015). "NBA Finals Delivers Largest Game 1 Audience Ever on ABC with Record 17.8 Million Viewers". ESPN. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  59. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (June 5, 2015). "Thursday Final Ratings: Final Ratings for NBA Finals Game 1, 'Hannibal' & 'Wayward Pines'". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  60. ↑ Pucci, Douglas (June 9, 2015). "Sunday Final Nationals: Cavaliers-Warriors on ABC is Most-Watched NBA Finals Game 2 Since 1998". tvmediainsights. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  61. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (June 9, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: 'Golan The Insatiable' & Tony Awards Adjusted Up & Final NBA Finals Game 2 Numbers". TVbytheNumbers. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  62. 1 2 Thompson, Gianina (June 10, 2015). "Most-Watched & Highest-Rated NBA Finals Ever on ABC through Three Games". ESPN. Retrieved June 10, 2015.
  63. ↑ Nagle, Dave (June 10, 2015). "Most-Watched & Highest-Rated NBA Finals Ever on ABC through Four Games". ESPN. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  64. ↑ Bibel, Sara (June 12, 2015). "Thursday Final Ratings: 'Bones' Adjusted Up & Final Basketball Numbers". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  65. ↑ 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. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  66. ↑ Kondolojy, Amanda (June 17, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: No Adjustment for 'Golan the Insatiable' or 'A.D.: The Bible Continues' + Final Basketball Numbers". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 16, 2015.
  67. 1 2 Pucci, Douglas (June 17, 2015). "Tuesday Final Nationals: Highest-Rated NBA Finals Game 6 Since 2000, Fox Benefits with Most-Viewed Women’s World Cup Group Stage Match Ever". tvmediainsights. Retrieved June 16, 2015.

External links

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