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Dates | June 2–16 | |||||||||
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MVP | Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) | |||||||||
Eastern Finals | Celtics defeated Heat, 4–3 | |||||||||
Western Finals | Warriors defeated Mavericks, 4–1 | |||||||||
The 2022 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2021–22 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeated the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics in six games, winning their fourth championship in eight years. Golden State's Stephen Curry was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the first time in his career.
The Warriors had home-court advantage in the series based on having the better regular-season record. The Celtics won the opening game on the road and returned to Boston with the series tied 1–1. They won their first home game to take a 2–1 lead, but the Warriors won the next three games to take the series 4–2. Golden State won their first title since 2018 and their seventh championship overall. Boston remained tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most titles in league history with 17. [1]
The NBA Finals returned to its normal June schedule for the first time since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic began. [2] The series started on June 2 and concluded on June 16. Sponsored by the streaming service YouTube TV, the series was officially known as the 2022 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV. [3] This edition of the Finals was a rematch of the 1964 NBA Finals, in which the Celtics defeated the then-San Francisco Warriors in five games. [4]
During the 2021 offseason, the Celtics named head coach Brad Stevens president of basketball operations, replacing Danny Ainge after he announced his retirement. [5] Stevens made his first transaction in his new position trading away Kemba Walker, a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for Al Horford, Moses Brown, and a 2023 second-round pick. [6] Needing a replacement for Stevens, Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Ime Udoka was hired as the new head coach. After starting the season 16–19 and in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings, the Celtics finished the regular season with a record of 51–31, winning 35 of their final 47 games to finish with the second-best record in the conference. [7]
In the first round of the playoffs, the Celtics won in a four-game sweep over the seventh-seeded Brooklyn Nets, with numerous experts expecting a more competitive series as the Nets, with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and initially James Harden before he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, were seen as the preseason favorites. [8] The Celtics then faced the 2021 Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, going down 3–2 in the series before eventually winning the series in seven games. After going down 2–1 in the conference finals against the first-seeded Miami Heat led by Jimmy Butler, the Celtics won in seven games, reaching the Finals for the first time since 2010 and for the 22nd time in their history. [9]
After reaching the Finals for five consecutive seasons (2015–2019), the Warriors were struck with injuries for the next two seasons, with Klay Thompson out for the entire 2019–20 and 2020–21 campaigns, and Stephen Curry playing a combined 68 games during that span. [10] In 2021–22, Golden State began the season winning 18 of their first 20 games. [11] Curry became the NBA career leader in 3-pointers, [12] and Thompson returned on January 9, 2022, his first NBA game in 941 days. [13] Andrew Wiggins, acquired by the Warriors in 2020 after six seasons with Minnesota, [14] was named a starter for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. [15] The Warriors finished as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 53–29, [12] [16] [17]
In the first round of the playoffs, the Warriors got past the sixth-seeded Denver Nuggets and 2022 league MVP Nikola Jokić in five games, with Curry coming off the bench in four of the five games after he returned from a foot injury. [18] The Warriors then eliminated the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and the 2022 NBA Most Improved Player, Ja Morant, beating them in six games. After defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the conference finals, the Warriors advanced to the Finals for the sixth time in eight seasons and the 12th time in franchise history. [19]
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Notes
Boston Celtics (Eastern Conference champion) | Golden State Warriors (Western Conference champion) | |||
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Defeated the 7th seeded Brooklyn Nets, 4–0 | First round | Defeated the 6th seeded Denver Nuggets, 4–1 | ||
Defeated the 3rd seeded Milwaukee Bucks, 4–3 | Conference Semifinals | Defeated the 2nd seeded Memphis Grizzlies, 4–2 | ||
Defeated the 1st seeded Miami Heat, 4–3 | Conference Finals | Defeated the 4th seeded Dallas Mavericks, 4–1 |
The Warriors and Celtics tied the regular season series 1–1, with the away team winning each game.
Game | Date | Road team | Result | Home team |
---|---|---|---|---|
Game 1 | June 2 | Boston Celtics | 120–108 (1–0) | Golden State Warriors |
Game 2 | June 5 | Boston Celtics | 88–107 (1–1) | Golden State Warriors |
Game 3 | June 8 | Golden State Warriors | 100–116 (1–2) | Boston Celtics |
Game 4 | June 10 | Golden State Warriors | 107–97 (2–2) | Boston Celtics |
Game 5 | June 13 | Boston Celtics | 94–104 (2–3) | Golden State Warriors |
Game 6 | June 16 | Golden State Warriors | 103–90 (4–2) | Boston Celtics |
June 2 9:00 pm (6:00 pm PDT) |
Boston Celtics 120, Golden State Warriors 108 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 28–32, 28–22, 24–38, 40–16 | ||
Pts: Al Horford 26 Rebs: Jaylen Brown 7 Asts: Jayson Tatum 13 | Pts: Stephen Curry 34 Rebs: Draymond Green 11 Asts: Curry, Green, Looney 5 each | |
Boston leads series, 1–0 |
Chase Center, San Francisco, California Attendance: 18,064 Referees:
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After playing 141 playoff games without an NBA Finals appearance, [20] Al Horford helped lead the way for Boston with 26 points, including going on an 8–0 run by himself to give his team the lead in the fourth quarter as the Celtics outscored the Warriors 40–16. Jaylen Brown also helped spark a 17–0 run in the fourth, scoring 10 of his 24 points in the final quarter. Jayson Tatum had a poor shooting performance, going 3-for-17 from the field and scoring 12 points, [21] but he finished with a career-high 13 assists, the most ever for a player in his Finals debut. [22] Boston's other four starters shot 30-for-50 (60%) in the game, along with shooting 12-for-23 (52%) from beyond the arc, as the Celtics hit their first seven three-point attempts in the fourth. [23] Marcus Smart added 18 points, and Derrick White came off the bench to score 21 points. [24]
For the Warriors, Stephen Curry got off to a hot start, scoring 21 points and shooting 6-for-8 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, the most three-pointers made in a single quarter in Finals history. [25] In addition, the 21 points were the most in a single quarter since Michael Jordan's 22 in the fourth quarter of Game 4 in 1993. [26] However, Curry struggled for the rest of the game, shooting 5-of-16 in the final three quarters as the Warriors blew a 92–80 lead heading into the fourth quarter. [27] Despite collecting 11 rebounds, Draymond Green shot just 2-for-12 from the field and 0-for-3 on free throws, fouling out with a minute to go in the fourth. [28]
The Celtics' comeback was the biggest in the Finals after three quarters since the Chicago Bulls overcame a 15-point deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 6 in 1992. [29] The win also brought the Celtics record to 8–2 on the road this postseason, while the Warriors dropped to 9–1 at home. Both teams also made a combined 40 three-pointers, the most ever in an NBA Finals game, surpassing the previous record of 35 set in 2017. [30]
June 5 8:00 pm (5:00 pm PDT) |
Boston Celtics 88, Golden State Warriors 107 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 30–31, 20–21, 14–35, 24–20 | ||
Pts: Jayson Tatum 28 Rebs: Al Horford 8 Asts: Marcus Smart 5 | Pts: Stephen Curry 29 Rebs: Kevon Looney 7 Asts: Draymond Green 7 | |
Series tied, 1–1 |
Chase Center, San Francisco, California Attendance: 18,064 Referees:
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Curry scored 29 points and Golden State outscored Boston 35–14 in the third quarter to tie the series with a 107–88 win. The Warriors outscored the Celtics 43–14 from late in the second quarter to early in the fourth, transforming a tie game into a blowout. [31] Jordan Poole added 17 points for Golden State, including a 3-point shot from 39 feet (12 m), just past midcourt, with only seconds left in the third quarter, giving them a 23-point lead. [31] [32] Boston committed 19 turnovers, which the Warriors converted into 33 points. [31]
Green had nine points, five rebounds, and seven assists for Golden State, but impacted the game with his aggressiveness on defense and physical play. He forced a jump ball on Horford 13 seconds into the game, and he was the primary defender on Brown, holding him to 5-of-17 shooting. [33] [34] Tatum recovered from his poor shooting in Game 1, scoring 21 points in the first half of Game 2 on 7-of-16 shooting. Brown added 15 points in the first half, but Boston still trailed by two at halftime. In the third quarter, Tatum shot just twice in the third period, even though he played all 12 minutes. Horford scored just two points on four shots in the game after scoring 26 in the opener. [32] The Celtics made just 37.5% of their shots in the game, scoring their fewest points since December 29, when they were 16–19. [33]
The Warriors' Andre Iguodala missed the game due to inflammation in his right knee. [31] Teammate Gary Payton II, who played for the first time since fracturing his elbow one month ago in their series against Memphis, scored seven points in 25 minutes. [35]
June 8 9:00 pm |
Golden State Warriors 100, Boston Celtics 116 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–33, 34–35, 33–25, 11–23 | ||
Pts: Stephen Curry 31 Rebs: Looney, Wiggins 7 each Asts: Otto Porter Jr. 4 | Pts: Jaylen Brown 27 Rebs: Robert Williams III 10 Asts: Jayson Tatum 9 | |
Boston leads series, 2–1 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 19,156 Referees:
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Brown scored 27 points and Tatum had 26 in a 116–100 Boston win for a 2–1 series lead. The Celtics led by as many as 18 points in the first half, but Golden State again surged in the third quarter, outscoring Boston 33–25 behind 15 points from Curry. The Warriors briefly took the lead at 83–82, but the Celtics were back up at 93–89 at the end of the period. Boston outscored Golden State 23–11 in the fourth quarter. [37] The Celtics were the more physical team, [38] outscoring the Warriors 52–26 in the paint and outrebounding them 47–31. [37] Boston's Robert Williams III had 10 rebounds and four of the team's seven blocks. [38]
Curry finished with 31 points and six 3-pointers, and Thompson added 25 points and five 3s made. [37] Green was held to two points, four rebounds, and three assists before fouling out for the second time in the series. [39] He became the first player in Finals history to foul out after playing at least 34 minutes with less than five points, five rebounds and five assists. [40] Curry was injured late in the fourth when Horford fell on his leg while chasing a loose ball. [37] Green received his sixth foul, which ejected him from the game when he pushed a Celtic from the pile; Green said Curry was howling in pain at the bottom of the pileup. The following day, Curry was confident that he would play in Game 4, saying that it was "just a pain tolerance thing that you've got to deal with." He said it was not as bad as the injury that kept him out for the final 12 games of the regular season when Boston's Smart rolled over his foot when they went for a loose ball. [41]
June 10 9:00 pm |
Golden State Warriors 107, Boston Celtics 97 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 22–26, 30–24, 28–19 | ||
Pts: Stephen Curry 43 Rebs: Andrew Wiggins 16 Asts: Draymond Green 8 | Pts: Jayson Tatum 23 Rebs: Robert Williams III 12 Asts: Jayson Tatum 6 | |
Series tied 2–2 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 19,156 Referees:
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Curry scored 43 points and had 10 rebounds in a 107–97 win to even the series 2–2. He made two baskets during a 10–0 run for the Warriors in the fourth quarter, turning a four-point Boston advantage into a 100–94 lead for Golden State. He played 41 minutes and made 14 of 26 shots in the game, including 7 of 14 on 3-pointers. [42] Andrew Wiggins added 17 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for the Warriors, who outrebounded Boston in the game, 47–31, including 15–6 on the offensive end. [43]
Golden State changed their starting lineup, replacing Kevon Looney with Otto Porter Jr. Curry and the Celtics' Tatum each scored 12 points in the first quarter, which ended with a 28–27 lead for Boston. Brown scored 10 points in the second quarter, giving the Celtics a 54–49 lead at halftime. There had been six lead changes in the game at that point, along with five ties. Curry scored 14 in the third for 33 going into the fourth. The teams were tied at 86 with eight minutes remaining. [44] Boston led 94–90 with about five minutes left, but scored just once more, with 1:18 left. [42] [44] Golden State outscored them 17–3 to end the game, with Curry alone outscoring them 10–3. [43]
Curry became the third Warriors player with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in a Finals game, joining Rick Barry (1967), and Kevin Durant (2018). He also joined Jordan and LeBron James as the only player's age 34 or older to score 40 or more points in an NBA Finals contest. [44] Green scored two points on 1-of-7 shooting, but added nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals. [42] [45] Golden State head coach Steve Kerr benched him for parts of the fourth quarter, while Looney remained on the floor for his rebounding—11 in 28 minutes, along with a plus–minus of +21. [43] The Warriors were down four points with around seven minutes remaining when Green was pulled, and they went on an 11–3 run over the next four minutes before he returned. [43] [46] With his offensive struggles, he alternated offensive and defensive possessions with Poole. [43] [45] Tatum finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds, but he made only one basket while playing the entire fourth quarter. Brown scored 21 points, and Williams had 12 rebounds for the Celtics. [42]
June 13 9:00 pm (6:00 pm PDT) |
Boston Celtics 94, Golden State Warriors 104 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 16–27, 23–24, 35–24, 20–29 | ||
Pts: Jayson Tatum 27 Rebs: Jayson Tatum 10 Asts: Brown, Tatum 4 each | Pts: Andrew Wiggins 26 Rebs: Andrew Wiggins 13 Asts: Stephen Curry 8 | |
Golden State leads series, 3–2 |
Chase Center, San Francisco, California Attendance: 18,064 Referees:
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Wiggins had 26 points and 13 rebounds to lead Golden State to a 104–94 victory, placing them within a game of a championship. Thompson added 21 points to help the Warriors overcome an off night for Curry, who had 16 points and eight assists but went 0 for 9 from 3-point range. [47] Boston was more aggressive in double-teaming Curry beyond the 3-point line. Prior to Game 5, he had NBA-record streaks of 38 consecutive games with multiple 3-pointers, 132 straight playoff games with a least one 3-point basket, and 233 consecutive games with a 3-pointer in the regular season and postseason combined. [48] Tatum had a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who lost consecutive games for the first time in these playoffs. [47] [49]
The Warriors led by as many as 16 points in the first quarter. Boston whittled away at the lead with Curry on the bench, but he made a layup to give Golden State a 51–39 advantage at halftime. Wiggins had 16 points and seven rebounds at the break, and Green was forceful with 8 points after totaling just 17 in the first four games. The Warriors were moving the ball well but shot just 3 for 17 on 3-pointers in the first half. Tatum had 13 points and eight rebounds to keep Boston in the game. After the break, the Celtics scored the first 10 points of the second half and took the lead after a 19–4 run. [49] They made eight consecutive 3s after missing their first 12 of the game, [47] while Golden State missed their first eight in the second half. [49] Poole banked in a 33-foot (10 m) three-pointer to beat the third-quarter buzzer, giving the Warriors a 75–74 lead to enter the fourth. [47] [49]
Thompson shot 7 for 14 and made five 3-pointers. The Warriors were 9 of 40 on their 3s, including 0 of 6 from Wiggins. Green, who fouled out with 3:01 left, exited with eight points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Golden State got 15 points off the bench from Payton and 14 from Poole. Boston shot 11 of 32 from behind the arc, with Brown going 0 for 5 and shooting 5 of 18 overall; he finished with 18 points. Williams had 10 points and eight rebounds. [47]
June 16 9:00 pm |
Golden State Warriors 103, Boston Celtics 90 | ||
Scoring by quarter:27–22, 27–17, 22–27, 27–24 | ||
Pts: Stephen Curry 34 Rebs: Draymond Green 12 Asts: Draymond Green 8 | Pts: Jaylen Brown 34 Rebs: Al Horford 14 Asts: Marcus Smart 9 | |
Golden State wins NBA Finals, 4–2 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 19,156 Referees:
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Coming into the game, Golden State was 0–3 in closeout games on the road, and the Celtics were 3–0 when facing elimination. [50] Boston took a 14–2 lead to start the game, but they made just one basket in the final 3:30 of the first quarter, and Golden State led 27–22 at the end of the period. [51] The Warriors forced 12 turnovers in the first half and used a 21–0 run to take a 54–39 halftime lead. [52] The 21–0 run was the longest such run in modern Finals history. [53] They expanded their lead to 22, before the Celtics rallied to trail 76–66 after three quarters. [54] Golden State maintained their lead through the fourth quarter to win the game 103–90 for their fourth NBA title in eight seasons. [55] This was the second time that a road team won an NBA championship in Boston, the other being the Los Angeles Lakers in 1985. [56]
Curry scored 34 points in the game, shooting 12-of-21 overall and 6-of-11 on 3-pointers, and added seven rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. [57] He was voted the Finals MVP for the first time in his career, unanimously selected after averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in the series. [58] He scored 30 or more points in three consecutive games in Boston, the first player to do so in the playoffs since LeBron James in 2017. [59] Green scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, grabbing 12 rebounds, recording eight assists with two steals and two blocks. He also hit two 3-pointers after missing his first 12 attempts of the series. [57] For head coach Steve Kerr, he won his ninth championship overall, after winning five as a player. [60] He became the sixth coach to capture four titles, joining Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla, Gregg Popovich and Pat Riley. [61] The Warriors also became the first team to go from the NBA's worst record (2019–20) to a championship within a three-season span. [62] With the win, the Warriors earned their seventh double-digit comeback win this postseason, which tied the 2011 and 2012 Miami Heat for the most double-digit comeback wins by any team in the past 25 postseasons. [50]
Brown led the Celtics with 34 points but Tatum finished with just 13, shooting just 6-of-18 from the field. The Celtics' bench also performed poorly, receiving just five points on 2-for-10 shooting from the field from their primary reserves—White, Grant Williams, and Payton Pritchard. [63] Boston also committed 22 turnovers, dropping to 1–8 this postseason when committing 16 or more. Tatum set the NBA record for most turnovers in a single postseason with 100. [64] The Celtics' Finals series record dropped to 17–5, remaining tied with the Lakers for the most championships in league history. [65]
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Roster |
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
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Jaylen Brown | 6 | 6 | 38.8 | .431 | .340 | .806 | 7.3 | 3.7 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 23.5 |
Jayson Tatum | 6 | 6 | 40.7 | .367 | .455 | .656 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 21.5 |
Marcus Smart | 6 | 6 | 35.5 | .430 | .412 | .750 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 15.2 |
Al Horford | 6 | 6 | 31.8 | .605 | .625 | .667 | 8.5 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 12.5 |
Robert Williams III | 6 | 6 | 26.3 | .769 | .000 | .833 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 7.5 |
Derrick White | 6 | 0 | 26.5 | .327 | .400 | .929 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 9.8 |
Grant Williams | 6 | 0 | 17.0 | .529 | .300 | .667 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 4.2 |
Payton Pritchard | 6 | 0 | 11.2 | .300 | .214 | .500 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2.7 |
Luke Kornet | 3 | 0 | 2.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .000 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.7 |
Daniel Theis | 2 | 0 | 10.0 | .500 | .500 | .000 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 |
Aaron Nesmith | 5 | 0 | 3.2 | .333 | .000 | .750 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.4 |
Malik Fitts | 3 | 0 | 2.0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
Sam Hauser | 5 | 0 | 2.2 | .333 | .500 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
Nik Stauskas | 5 | 0 | 1.8 | .250 | .250 | .000 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
Juwan Morgan | 4 | 0 | 1.3 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
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Stephen Curry | 6 | 6 | 37.5 | .482 | .437 | .857 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 31.2 |
Andrew Wiggins | 6 | 6 | 39.2 | .446 | .297 | .692 | 8.8 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 18.3 |
Klay Thompson | 6 | 6 | 38.3 | .356 | .351 | 1.000 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 17.0 |
Draymond Green | 6 | 6 | 36.2 | .333 | .125 | .583 | 8.0 | 6.2 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 6.2 |
Otto Porter Jr. | 6 | 3 | 17.0 | .588 | .563 | 1.000 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 5.2 |
Kevon Looney | 6 | 3 | 21.7 | .636 | .000 | 1.000 | 7.5 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 5.0 |
Jordan Poole | 6 | 0 | 20.8 | .435 | .385 | .909 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 13.2 |
Gary Payton II | 5 | 0 | 18.6 | .591 | .286 | .700 | 3.2 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 7.0 |
Andre Iguodala | 4 | 0 | 4.8 | .750 | 1.000 | .000 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 |
Nemanja Bjelica | 5 | 0 | 5.8 | .500 | .500 | .000 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.8 |
Moses Moody | 4 | 0 | 2.8 | 1.000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
Jonathan Kuminga | 4 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Damion Lee | 4 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Juan Toscano-Anderson | 4 | 0 | 2.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
On April 13, the NBA released a reimagined version of the classic NBA Finals wordmark that was used between 1986 and 1995 and from 2004 to 2017. The new logo also features a depiction of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in the background. [67]
The NBA then announced on May 12 that the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy and the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Trophy have also been redesigned. Among the new changes to the Larry O'Brien Trophy, its base now consists of two disks that list the names of all the previous winning teams. The Bill Russell Trophy has been changed from a gold ball and silver net to primarily gold with silver accents. [68]
The Finals was televised in the United States by ABC for the 20th consecutive year. [69]
Lead play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and lead analyst Jeff Van Gundy both missed Game 1 due to COVID-19 protocols. [70] ESPN's No. 2 play-by-play announcer, Mark Jones, filled in for Breen during games 1 and 2. Jones, Mark Jackson and Lisa Salters made history in Game 1 as the first all-African American broadcast team to cover an NBA Finals game. [71] Van Gundy returned to the broadcast booth for Game 2, followed by Breen in Game 3. [72]
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver missed games 5 and 6 due to the league’s health and safety protocols. In his absence, the Larry O’Brien Trophy was presented to the Warriors by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum instead. [73]
ESPN put together a Megacast option for Game 1 called NBA Finals: Celebrating 75, hosted by Michael Eaves alongside New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum and Tim Legler. It was broadcast on ESPN2 due to ESPN's commitments to have the Women's College World Series on the main network. [74]
Game | Ratings (American households) | American audience (in millions) | Ref |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 6.4 | 11.90 | [75] |
2 | 6.2 | 11.91 | [76] |
3 | 6.2 | 11.52 | [77] |
4 | 6.2 | 12.06 | [78] |
5 | 7.0 | 13.03 | [79] |
6 | 7.5 | 13.99 | [80] |
Avg | 6.6 | 12.40 |
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Kyrie Andrew Irving is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. A seven-time All-Star and three-time member of the All-NBA Team, he won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016.
The 2013 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2012–13 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat defeating the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. LeBron James was named NBA Finals MVP.
The 2015 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2014–15 season 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. 2015 also marked the first Finals since 1998 without either the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, or the Miami Heat. Golden State's Andre Iguodala was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP).
The 2015–16 NBA season was the 70th season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 27, 2015 at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls, with their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2016 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on February 14, 2016. The regular season ended on April 13, 2016. Golden State's Stephen Curry became the first unanimous MVP in league history. The playoffs started on April 16, 2016 and ended with the 2016 NBA Finals on June 19, 2016, with the Cleveland Cavaliers becoming NBA Champions for the first time in franchise history after defeating the Golden State Warriors in seven games and ending the city's 52-year sports drought. This would also be the final season for Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
Jaylen Marselles Brown is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball for the California Golden Bears, being named first-team all-conference and Freshman of the Year in the Pac-12 Conference.
The 2015–16 Golden State Warriors season was the 70th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 54th in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Warriors entered the season as the defending NBA champions and they set the best ever regular-season record of 73–9, breaking the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls record of 72–10. Golden State broke over twenty-five NBA records and more than ten franchise records that season, including most wins ever recorded in a season ; with 88. However, they were defeated in the NBA Finals by the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games, having lost the series after leading 3–1.
The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2015–16 season and conclusion of the 2016 playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors four games to three in a rematch of the previous year's Finals. The Cavaliers became the fourth team to win the championship after losing the first two games, joining the 1969 Boston Celtics, 1977 Portland Trail Blazers, and 2006 Miami Heat. It was the 14th rematch of the previous NBA Finals in history, and the first Finals since 2008 in which the number one seed in each conference met. It was the second straight rematch in back-to-back years, as the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs played each other in 2013 and 2014. Cleveland's LeBron James was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). James won the Finals MVP award unanimously, receiving all 11 Finals MVP votes.
Jayson Christopher Tatum Sr. is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A McDonald's All-American in high school in Missouri, he played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils before entering the 2017 NBA draft. He was selected with the third overall pick by the Boston Celtics. A three-time NBA All-Star, Tatum was named the NBA Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player in 2022 and helped the Celtics reach the NBA Finals. He also won a gold medal on the 2020 U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo.
The 2017 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the 2016-17 NBA season, which began on April 15, 2017 and concluded on June 12, 2017. It concluded with the Golden State Warriors defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals, their third consecutive meeting in the Finals. Kevin Durant was named the NBA Finals MVP in his first year on the team.
The 2017 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2016–17 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeated the defending NBA champion and Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers four games to one. This Finals was the first time in NBA history the same two teams had met for a third consecutive year. The Cavaliers sought to repeat as champions after winning the championship in 2016, while the Warriors won their first meeting in 2015. Golden State earned home court advantage with a 2016–17 regular season record of 67–15, while Cleveland finished the regular season with a 51–31 record. The Warriors entered the 2017 Finals after becoming the first team in NBA playoff history to start 12–0, while the Cavaliers entered the 2017 Finals with a 12–1 record during the first three rounds of the postseason. The Warriors' 15–0 start in the playoffs is the most consecutive postseason wins in NBA history and their 16–1 record is the best winning percentage (.941) in NBA playoff history. Golden State's Kevin Durant was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP). Durant won the Finals MVP award unanimously, receiving all 11 Finals MVP votes.
The Block was a defensive basketball play that occurred in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, played between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors on June 19, 2016, at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. With less than two minutes remaining in the deciding game of the championship series, Cavaliers’ forward LeBron James chased down Warriors’ forward Andre Iguodala and blocked his layup attempt, ensuring the game remained tied. It is considered to be one of James' greatest clutch moments, and his performance across the series—the only time in which a single player has led both teams in points, assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks—is considered by some to be the best in NBA Finals history.
The 2018 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2017–18 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff, the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors swept the defending Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers four games to zero. The Warriors became the 7th NBA franchise to win back-to-back championships, joining the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Miami Heat. This year's Finals was the first time in any of North America's four major professional sports leagues that the same two teams met for the championship four years in a row. This was also the first time that a team was swept in the NBA Finals since 2007, in which the Cavaliers were also the losing team. LeBron James, in his eighth consecutive NBA Finals appearance and ninth appearance overall, suffered the second Finals sweep of his career, having also played in the 2007 Finals. Warriors small forward Kevin Durant was named NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year.
The Cavaliers–Warriors rivalry is a National Basketball Association (NBA) rivalry between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. The rivalry primarily focuses on the four consecutive NBA Finals appearances between the two teams from 2015 to 2018. Cleveland and Golden State's Finals matchups are the most consecutive championships to feature the same teams in the four major North American sports.
The 2019 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2018–19 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In the best-of-seven playoff series held from May 30 through June 13, 2019, the Eastern Conference champion Toronto Raptors defeated the two-time defending and six-time NBA champion Golden State Warriors, 4–2, earning the franchise its first NBA championship as well as the first win by an NBA team based outside the United States. Acquired by the Raptors via a trade during the off-season, Kawhi Leonard was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second time in his career.
The 2021–22 Golden State Warriors season was the 76th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA), its 60th in the San Francisco Bay Area, and its third season at the Chase Center. After failing to make the playoffs the previous two seasons, the Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 4–2 in the Finals. It was the Warriors' fourth championship in eight years, and seventh overall. With the win, many analysts claimed the Warriors as one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.
The 2022 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2021–22 season. The playoffs began on April 16 and ended on June 16 with the conclusion of the 2022 NBA Finals. The playoffs also returned to its normal April–June schedule for the first time since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in two postponements in 2020 and 2021. Sponsored by electronic devices brand Google Pixel, the playoffs were officially known as the 2022 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel.