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|report=[http://www.nba.com/games/20150607/CLEGSW/gameinfo.html Boxscore]
|Q1=20–20 |Q2='''27'''–25 |Q3= |Q4=
|Q1=20–20 |Q2='''27'''–25 |Q3= 24-10|Q4=28-15
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Revision as of 01:34, 8 June 2015

2015 Finals
NBA Finals logo
TeamCoachWins
{{{champion}}} {{{champion_coach}}} {{{champion_games}}}
{{{runnerup}}} {{{runnerup_coach}}} {{{runnerup_games}}}
DatesJune 4–
Eastern finalsCavaliers defeated Hawks, 4–0
Western finalsWarriors defeated Rockets, 4–1
{{{league}}} Finals

The 2015 NBA Finals is the championship series of the 2014–15 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. This series will feature the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors. Golden State, who finished with the best regular season record, has home-court advantage. The Finals will be played in a 2–2–1–1–1 format (Games 1 and 2 at Golden State, Games 3 and 4 at Cleveland, Game 5 at Golden State, Game 6 at Cleveland, and Game 7 at Golden State). Game 1 was played on June 4, 2015.[1]

The Finals will be televised in the United States on ABC and in Canada on TSN. This is the first time since 1998 that none of the Finals participants are the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, or the Miami Heat. This is also the first NBA Finals to not feature either Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, or Dwyane Wade since 1998,[2] and the fifth consecutive NBA Finals appearance for Cleveland teammates LeBron James and James Jones, who both played for the Miami Heat the previous four seasons.[3] The finals feature two teams with title droughts of four decades, with the Cavaliers having never won since their 1970–71 inception and the Warriors' last title in 1975.[4]

This year's NBA Finals marks the first time that both participating teams have rookie head coaches since the first finals were played in 1947, when the NBA was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).[5]

This is the third time in the last four years that the season's reigning MVP has played in the NBA Finals, with James winning the MVP and playing in the Finals in 2012 and 2013, and Stephen Curry winning the MVP and playing in this year's Finals.

Background

Cleveland Cavaliers

Main article: 2014–15 Cleveland Cavaliers season

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, Wiggins and Anthony Bennett were traded from Cleveland to Minnesota, along with Thaddeus Young, then of Philadelphia. The Cavaliers received Kevin Love from Minnesota, whereas the Sixers received Luc Mbah a Moute and Alexey Shved from the Timberwolves and a 2015 first round draft pick from Cleveland.[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 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. LeBron'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 complied 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

Main article: 2014–15 Golden State Warriors season

The Warriors entered the 2014–15 season after replacing Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr as head coach. This was Kerr's first ever head coaching job. After retiring as a player in 2003, he served as a broadcast analyst from 2003 to 2007 and 2010 to 2014, and as general manager of the Phoenix Suns from 2007 to 2010. Revamping Golden State's offense, Kerr employed elements of the triangle offense from his playing days with the Chicago Bulls under Phil Jackson, the spacing and pace of Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs, and the uptempo principles Alvin Gentry used in Phoenix when Kerr was the GM.[8]

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.[9] 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.[10] Curry also won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the 2014–15 season.[11] Golden State then 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
#TeamWLPCTGBGP
1c-Atlanta Hawks *6022.732–82
2y-Cleveland Cavaliers *5329.6467.082
3x-Chicago Bulls5032.61010.082
4y-Toronto Raptors *4933.59811.082
5x-Washington Wizards4636.56114.082
6x-Milwaukee Bucks4141.50019.082
7x-Boston Celtics4042.48820.082
8x-Brooklyn Nets3844.46322.082
9Indiana Pacers3844.46322.082
10Miami Heat3745.45123.082
11Charlotte Hornets3349.40227.082
12Detroit Pistons3250.39028.082
13Orlando Magic2557.30535.082
14Philadelphia 76ers1864.22042.082
15New York Knicks1765.20743.082
2nd seed in the East, 7th best league record 		Regular season
Western Conference
#TeamWLPCTGBGP
1z-Golden State Warriors *6715.817–82
2y-Houston Rockets *5626.68311.082
3x-Los Angeles Clippers5626.68311.082
4y-Portland Trail Blazers *5131.62216.082
5x-Memphis Grizzlies5527.67112.082
6x-San Antonio Spurs5527.67112.082
7x-Dallas Mavericks5032.61017.082
8x-New Orleans Pelicans4537.54922.082
9Oklahoma City Thunder4537.54922.082
10Phoenix Suns3943.47628.082
11Utah Jazz3844.46329.082
12Denver Nuggets3052.36637.082
13Sacramento Kings2953.35438.082
14Los Angeles Lakers2161.25646.082
15Minnesota Timberwolves1666.19551.082
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 on its home floor.

Series

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

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		 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. 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. Only three Cavaliers players scored for the Cavaliers after halftime: James, Irving, and Mozgov. The trio combined for 83 of the Cavaliers' 100 points. James had a career NBA Finals high of 44 points, while Curry led Golden State with 26. 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.

Game 2

June 7
8:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors
Scoring by quarter: 20–20, 27–25, 24-10, 28-15

Game 3

Game 4

Game 5

Game 6

Game 7

Rosters

Golden State Warriors roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
F 1 Anderson, Kyle 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1993-09-20 UCLA
G — Beekman, Reece (TW) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 194 lb (88 kg) 2001-10-08 Virginia
G 30 Curry, Stephen 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1988-03-14 Davidson
F/C 12 Garuba, Usman (FA) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 229 lb (104 kg) 2002-03-09 Spain
F 23 Green, Draymond 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1990-03-04 Michigan State
G/F 17 Hield, Buddy 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1992-12-17 Oklahoma
F/C 32 Jackson-Davis, Trayce 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 2000-02-22 Indiana
F 00 Kuminga, Jonathan 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 2002-10-06 The Patrick School (NJ)
F/C 5 Looney, Kevon 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 222 lb (101 kg) 1996-02-06 UCLA
G 8 Melton, De'Anthony 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1998-05-28 USC
G 4 Moody, Moses 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 211 lb (96 kg) 2002-05-31 Arkansas
G/F 0 Payton, Gary II Injured (FA) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1992-12-01 Oregon State
G 2 Podziemski, Brandin 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 2003-02-25 Santa Clara
F/C — Post, Quinten (DP) 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 2000-03-21 Boston College
G/F 25 Quiñones, Lester (FA) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 208 lb (94 kg) 2000-11-16 Memphis
G 18 Robinson, Jerome (TW, FA) 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1997-02-22 Boston College
G 15 Santos, Gui 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 2002-06-22 Brazil
F/C 20 Šarić, Dario (FA) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1994-04-08 Croatia
G 61 Spencer, Pat (TW) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1996-07-04 Northwestern
G/F — Waters, Lindy III 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1997-07-28 Oklahoma State
F 22 Wiggins, Andrew 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 197 lb (89 kg) 1995-02-23 Kansas
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: July 3, 2024

Cleveland Cavaliers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
C 31 Allen, Jarrett 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 243 lb (110 kg) 1998-04-21 Texas
F 21 Bates, Emoni (TW, FA) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2004-01-28 Eastern Michigan
G 39 Brown, Darius II 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 1999-07-28 Utah State
G 10 Garland, Darius 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 2000-01-26 Vanderbilt
G 2 Jerome, Ty 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1997-07-08 Virginia
C 30 Jones, Damian (FA) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1995-06-30 Vanderbilt
G/F 3 LeVert, Caris 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1994-08-25 Michigan
G 5 Merrill, Sam 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1996-05-15 Utah State
G 45 Mitchell, Donovan 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1996-09-07 Louisville
F/C 4 Mobley, Evan 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 2001-06-18 USC
F 15 Mobley, Isaiah (TW, FA) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 238 lb (108 kg) 1999-09-24 USC
F — Morris, Marcus Sr. (FA) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 218 lb (99 kg) 1989-09-02 Kansas
F 8 Nance, Pete (TW, FA) 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 2000-02-19 North Carolina
F 20 Niang, Georges 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1993-06-17 Iowa State
G/F 35 Okoro, Isaac (FA) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 2001-01-26 Auburn
G 9 Porter, Craig Jr. 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 186 lb (84 kg) 2000-02-26 Wichita State
G/F 1 Strus, Max 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1996-03-28 DePaul
F/C 13 Thompson, Tristan (FA) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 254 lb (115 kg) 1991-03-13 Texas
G/F 24 Tyson, Jaylon 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 2002-12-02 California
F/C 32 Wade, Dean 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 228 lb (103 kg) 1996-11-20 Kansas State
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  • (L) On personal leave
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: July 8, 2024

References

  1. ^ "Key dates for 2014-15 NBA season". National Basketball Association. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  2. ^ 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. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Zillgitt, Jeff (May 26, 2015). "Cavaliers sweep Hawks as LeBron James reaches fifth consecutive NBA Finals". USA Today. Retrieved May 27, 2015.
  4. ^ "Warriors finish off Rockets, advance to NBA Finals for first time since 1975". ESPN. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  5. ^ "Warriors' win over Rockets sets up dream Finals matchup vs. Cavaliers". ESPN. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  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. ^ 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. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ McMillen, Gabrielle (April 5, 2015). "Steve Kerr sets rookie coaching record as Warriors clinch home court". Sporting News. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  10. ^ "Stephen Curry Breaks NBA Record with 273rd 3-Pointer of Season". YouTube. April 9, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  11. ^ "Warriors Guard Stephen Curry Named 2014-15 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player". NBA.com. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2015_NBA_Finals&oldid=665971658"