2016 NBA Finals

Cleveland Cavaliers

This was Cleveland's second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, and third overall, seeking to win their first ever NBA championship. This would also be the sixth consecutive NBA Finals appearance for LeBron James, the most for any player not part of the 1960s Boston Celtics, and the fifth for James Jones (who technically qualified for the 2011 NBA Finals along with James, but did not play).^[8]

Despite holding the best record in the Eastern Conference at 30–11 midway through the season on January 22, 2016, the Cavaliers fired head coach David Blatt.^[9] Associate head coach Tyronn Lue was then promoted to replace Blatt. General Manager David Griffin cited "a lack of fit with our personnel and our vision" as the reason for Blatt's firing.^[10]

Cleveland finished the regular season with a 57–25 record, capturing the Central Division title and the top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. They then advanced to the Finals after sweeping both the Detroit Pistons during the first round and the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals before defeating the Toronto Raptors during the Eastern Conference Finals in six games. The Cavaliers were the first team in history to go to two consecutive NBA Finals with rookie head coaches.

Golden State Warriors

This was the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors' second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals and eighth overall. The Warriors broke the record set by the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls by finishing the regular season with a 73–9 record.^[11] In addition, the Warriors broke numerous other NBA records, including most road wins (34), best start to a season (24–0) and longest regular-season home win streak (54 dating back to the 2014–15 season). They also became the first team to make over 1,000 three-pointers in the regular-season with 1,077, eclipsing the previous record of 933 set by the 2014–15 Houston Rockets.^[12]

The Warriors were led by Stephen Curry, who was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second straight season. The Splash Brothers twosome of Curry and Klay Thompson were the highest scoring duo in the league, combining to average 52.2 points per game.^[13] Head coach Steve Kerr missed the first 43 regular season games because of a back injury. Assistant coach Luke Walton served as interim head coach during Kerr's absence and he led the Warriors to a 39–4 start.^[14]

In the playoffs, the Warriors defeated the Houston Rockets in the first round and the Portland Trail Blazers in the conference semifinals in five games each. Curry missed six games in the first two rounds due to injuries. He missed two games after tweaking his right ankle in Game 1 against the Rockets. In his first game back in Game 4, Curry sprained his right knee and was sidelined for two weeks, missing four games.^[15][16] In Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, the Warriors defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 96–88, becoming only the 10th team in NBA history to overcome a 3–1 series deficit, and advancing to a second straight NBA Finals for the first time since 1947 and 1948.^[17]

Road to the Finals

Regular season series

The Warriors won the regular season series 2–0.

The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 89–83 on Christmas 2015, in a low-scoring, NBA Finals rematch. Draymond Green led with 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Stephen Curry added 19 points despite calf issues. LeBron James led Cleveland with 25 points, but the Cavs shot just 5-of-30 from 3-point range. By their 2015 meeting, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love had recovered from their injuries that plagued them in the 2015 Finals. Their next match-up came during a 132–98 Warriors blow out win at Quicken Loans Arena on January 18, 2016. Just a few days later, head coach David Blatt was fired by general manager David Griffin, despite the team having the best record in the Eastern Conference, and assistant Tyronn Lue took over for the remainder of the season.^[18]

Game 1

The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 104–89 in Game 1 to take a 1–0 series lead. The Cavaliers led 68–67 before the Warriors broke the game open with a 29–9 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to take a 96–76 lead. Cleveland cut the deficit to within eleven points at 98–87 after an 11–2 run, but Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson nailed back-to-back three-pointers to essentially seal the victory for Golden State. While Curry and Thompson had a rough night combining for 20 points, the Warriors got a lift from its bench, outscoring the Cavaliers' bench 45–10.^[20] Shaun Livingston scored his playoff-career high 20 points to lead Golden State, while Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 26 points. LeBron James fell one assist shy of a triple-double (23 points, 12 rebounds, 9 assists).^[21]

Game 2

The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 110–77 in Game 2 to take a 2–0 series lead. Cleveland took a 28–22 lead about two minutes into the second quarter, but Golden State answered with a 20–2 run while outscoring the Cavs 30–16 the rest of the period. During the run, the Cavaliers' Kevin Love suffered a head injury while attempting to grab a defensive rebound. Love stayed throughout the remainder of the period but did not play the second half.^[22] The Warriors continued to dominate Cleveland from there, outscoring the Cavaliers 58–33 in the final two quarters. Draymond Green led all scorers with 28 points, including 5-of-8 from three-point range. Curry and Klay Thompson added 18 and 17 points, respectively, while drilling four three-pointers each.^[23]

With their victory, Golden State posted the highest winning margin in the first two Finals games with a 48-point differential.^[24] James led Cleveland with 19 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, and four steals, surpassing John Stockton for fourth on the all-time playoff steals list. However, James also committed seven turnovers in the loss.^[25]

Game 3

The Cavaliers avenged their lopsided defeat to Golden State by routing the Warriors 120–90 in Game 3 to cut the series deficit to 2–1. Cleveland scored the game's first nine points en route to outscoring the Warriors 33–16 after one quarter, but Golden State rallied to trim Cleveland's lead as low as seven points on a couple of occasions before the Cavaliers settled for a 51–43 halftime lead.^[26] In the second half, Cleveland continued to extend their lead and outscored Golden State 69–47.^[27] Love did not play due to a concussion.^[28] James led all scorers with 32 points, while Irving added 30 points for the Cavaliers. Curry led the Warriors with 19 points, while drilling four threes. Harrison Barnes also contributed 18 points in 33 minutes of play.^[29]

Game 4

The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108–97 in Game 4 to take a 3–1 series lead. After averaging just 16 points in the first three games of the series, Curry scored 38 and was 7-of-13 on three-pointers.^[30] Golden State made 17 three-pointers, then an NBA record for a single Finals game.^[31] They made only 16 two-point field goals, the first time in Finals history a team made more shots from three-point range.^[32] Klay Thompson added 25 points and four three-pointers for Golden State.^[31] It was the Warriors' 88th win of the season, which broke the 1995–96 Chicago Bulls record of 87 for most wins in an NBA season (regular-season and postseason combined).^[33][34]

Green and James had to be separated in the closing minutes of the game, when Green fell to the ground and James stepped over him.^[35] Feeling disrespected, Green swung his arm and appeared to make contact with James' groin.^[36]

Game 5

The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 112–97 in Game 5 to narrow the Warriors' series lead to 3–2. James and Irving each scored 41 points to become the first teammates in Finals history to score 40 or more in the same game. The former also added 16 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and three blocks, while the latter had six assists of his own.^[37] After Game 4, Green was assessed a Flagrant Foul 1 for his contact with James that was ruled "unnecessary" and "retaliatory", and James was given a technical foul for taunting.^[37][38] Having accumulated his fourth flagrant foul point in the playoffs, Green was suspended for Game 5,^[38] becoming the first player to be suspended from playing in an NBA Finals game since Jerry Stackhouse in 2006.^[39] Green watched the game from a luxury box in the nearby Oakland Alameda Coliseum, where the Oakland Athletics were also playing a game at the same time, hosting the Texas Rangers.^[40][41][42]

Warriors center Andrew Bogut suffered a season-ending injury to his left knee in the second half while jumping to block a layup attempt by Cavaliers guard J. R. Smith and came down awkwardly on Smith.^[43]

Postgame, Tyronn Lue famously took $200 from the whole Cavaliers roster and hid it in the ceiling of the visiting locker room as motivation to get back after they came back and won Game 7.^[44]

Game 6

The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 115–101 in Game 6 to even the series 3–3. Cleveland scored the game's first eight points en route to outscoring Golden State 31–11 after the first quarter. The Warriors rallied to trim the Cavaliers' lead as low as eight points on a couple of occasions before the Cavs settled for a 59–43 halftime lead, with Tristan Thompson having his best performance of the series, registering a double-double in the first half alone. In the second half, Cleveland continued to extend their lead and tied the series.^[45] LeBron James led the Cavs with a historic performance of 41 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, four steals, and three blocks while only committing one turnover. Kyrie Irving added 23 points, while Tristan Thompson had 16 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 30 points, drilling six threes, and Klay Thompson added 25 points. Back from suspension, Green was held to just eight points on 3-of-7 shooting.^[46][47]

James scored 18 straight points for Cleveland from the end of the third quarter to the seven-minute mark of the fourth. Late in the game with the Cavaliers up by 13, he blocked a Curry shot from behind and had some words for him afterward.^[48] With 4:22 left, Curry received his sixth foul and was fouled out of the game. He then threw his mouthpiece into the stands in frustration, resulting in a technical foul and his ejection from the game.^[49] Curry was the first MVP to foul out of an NBA Finals game since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000.^[50] The Cavaliers became the third team to fall behind 3–1 and force Game 7 (and the first in 50 years). James was the first player to have consecutive 40-point games in the Finals since, coincidentally, Shaquille O'Neal in the 2000 Finals.^[45] Following the game, Curry and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr were fined $25,000 each for their actions and public officiating criticism.^[51]

Game 7

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The day before Game 7, Tyronn Lue took the Cavs to San Quentin prison. They walked past the electric chair and spoke to inmates, and then Lue told the team: "That's pressure—not a Game 7."^[52]

This season's Finals marked the first time in NBA history in which both teams entered Game 7 with the same total points scored through six games (610 points each). The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 93–89 in Game 7 to win the series 4–3. The game was close, with 20 lead changes and 11 ties. This was the only game in the series to have a final margin of fewer than 10 points. At halftime, the Warriors led 49–42. In the second half, the Cavaliers outscored the Warriors 51–40 as the Warriors failed to score a basket during the last 4:39 of the game. In the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, LeBron James delivered what became known as "The Block" on a layup attempt by Andre Iguodala with the score tied at 89 and 1:50 remaining in the game. It is considered to be one of James's greatest clutch moments,^[53] and his performance across the series—the only time in which a single player has led both teams in points, assists, steals, and blocks—is considered to be one of the best in NBA Finals history.^[54][55] This is cited both as a key sequence in deciding the outcome of the game, and as one of the most clutch defensive plays in NBA history.^[56] After the game ended, James remarked to ESPN, "Iguodala is a bad motherfucker! I had to go chase it down."^[57] James later recalled to Cleveland.com, "I was just like do not give up on the play. If you got an opportunity, just try to make this play. I was also thinking like, 'J.R., please don't foul him. I know I'm right there, I can get it, I can get it.' I was like, 'J.R., don't foul him, and Bron, get the ball before it hit the backboard.' And we did that."^[58]

Mike Breen, who called the Finals for ESPN on ABC, added: "It's just another example of how he's just not going to let them lose. That was the thought as well after he blocked the shot: This guy is just not going to let this team lose tonight."^[A]

Breen described the play thus:

Iguodala to Curry, back to Iguodala, up for the layup! Oh! Blocked by James! LeBron James with the rejection!

The play was referenced by Nicki Minaj in the song Do You Mind by DJ Khaled, which she was featured in later that summer. Minaj raps, "Any baller tryna score, check them shot clocks/But I hit 'em with them 'Bron Iguodala blocks."

Andre Iguodala later gave his own perspective on the play, stating: "I'm like, 'dunk on his head.'" He then expressed how he knew Smith would have stolen the ball had he attempted the dunk. "Man, just put the ball up. Don't do nothin' stupid. And it was one of the loudest sounds I ever heard, BOOM! (referring to James' block)."

Kyrie Irving made a go-ahead three-point field goal over Stephen Curry to give Cleveland a 92–89 lead with 53 seconds remaining in the game.^{[citation needed]} Before Kyrie Irving's three-point field goal, both teams were tied at 699 points scored apiece in this series.^{[citation needed]} Immediately after Irving's three-pointer, Golden State brought the ball up-court, opting not to call a timeout, and although Golden State got a preferred switch and matchup of Curry on Kevin Love, Love made arguably "the biggest defensive stop of the entire NBA season", and forced Curry into a contested three-pointer, which he missed.^[59][60] After LeBron James hurt his right wrist on a dunk attempt in which he was fouled by Draymond Green, he virtually clinched the title for the Cavaliers by making one of two free throws, putting them four points ahead with only 10.6 seconds left in the game. The Cavaliers fouled Draymond Green with 6.5 seconds remaining. Stephen Curry received the ensuing inbounds pass, pump faked, and shot a three-pointer over Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert. The attempt missed, and was rebounded by Marreese Speights of the Warriors who then missed a three-point attempt as time expired.^[61] Draymond Green put up his best performance of the Finals, leading all scorers with 32 points, including 6-of-8 from three-point range to go along with 15 rebounds and nine assists. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson added 17 and 14 points, respectively. LeBron James led all Cavaliers with 27 points and became only the third player ever in NBA history to record a triple double in an NBA Finals Game 7 by adding 11 assists and 11 rebounds.^[62] Kyrie Irving added 26 points for Cleveland.^[63][64]

The Cavaliers became the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 series deficit to win the NBA Finals.^[65][66] They became the first NBA Champion to clinch all their playoff series on the road since the 1999 San Antonio Spurs, as well as the first road team to win a Finals Game 7 since the 1978 Washington Bullets. The Cavaliers won their first championship in franchise history, ending a 52-year pro sports championship drought for the city of Cleveland (whose previous victory was when the 1964 Cleveland Browns defeated the Baltimore Colts in the NFL Championship Game),^[67] as well as 26-year drought for the State of Ohio (whose previous championship was when the 1990 Cincinnati Reds defeated the Oakland Athletics in the World Series). LeBron James was named the unanimous Finals MVP, becoming only the fifth player in NBA history to earn the award three times or more.^[68][69] He also was the overall leader in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks during the series, a feat that had never been accomplished in an NBA playoff series.^[70] Tyronn Lue became the 14th coach to win an NBA championship as a head coach and player.^[71]

This marked the first time an NBA Finals went to a Game 7 under the 2–2–1–1–1 format since it was reinstated in 2014. This was also the most watched Game 7 in NBA history.

On July 13, Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals received the 2016 ESPY award for Best Game.

This was the last Game 7 of the NBA Finals until 2025.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Golden State Warriors