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'{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2016}} {{NBA Finals summary | image = [[File:The NBA Finals logo.svg|220px|NBA Finals logo]] | year = 2015 | champion = Cleveland cavaliers | champion_coach = Tyronn Lue | champion_games = 4 | runnerup = [[warriros] | runnerup_coach = [steve kerr]] | runnerup_games = 2 | date = June 4–16 | MVP = [[Lebron James]]<br>(Cleveland Cavaliers ) | television = U.S.:<br>English: [[NBA on ABC|ABC]]<br>Spanish: [[ESPN Deportes]]<br>Canada:<br> [[The Sports Network|TSN]] | announcers = ABC:{{unbulleted list|[[Mike Breen]] (play-by-play)|[[Mark Jackson (basketball)|Mark Jackson]] and [[Jeff Van Gundy]] (analysts)|[[Doris Burke]] (sideline reporter)}}ESPN Deportes:{{unbulleted list|[[Álvaro Martín (sports announcer)|Álvaro Martín]] (play-by-play), and |[[Carlos Morales (basketball)|Carlos Morales]] (analyst)}} | HOFers = | radio_network = [[ESPN Radio]] | radio_announcers = [[Mike Tirico]] and [[Hubie Brown]] | referees_1 = [[Monty McCutchen]], [[James Capers]], and [[Jason Phillips (referee)|Jason Phillips]] | referees_2 = [[Scott Foster (referee)|Scott Foster]], [[Tony Brothers]], and [[Zach Zarba]] | referees_3 = [[Dan Crawford]], [[Marc Davis (referee)|Marc Davis]], and Derrick Stafford | referees_4 = [[Joe Crawford (basketball, born 1951)|Joe Crawford]], [[Mike Callahan]], and [[Ken Mauer]] | referees_5 = [[Monty McCutchen]], [[James Capers]], and [[Jason Phillips (referee|Jason Phillips]] | referees_6 = [[Scott Foster (referee)|Scott Foster]], [[Marc Davis (referee)|Marc Davis]], and [[Zach Zarba]] | ECF result = [[2014–15 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cavaliers]] defeated [[2014–15 Atlanta Hawks season|Hawks]], 4–0 | WCF result = [[2014–15 Golden State Warriors season|Warriors]] defeated [[2014–15 Houston Rockets season|Rockets]], 4–1 }} The '''2015 NBA Finals''' was the [[NBA Finals|championship series]] of the [[2014–15 NBA season|2014–15 season]] of the [[National Basketball Association]] (NBA) and the conclusion of [[2015 NBA Playoffs|the season's playoffs]]. The [[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]] champion [[2014–15 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]] defeated the [[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]] champion [[2014–15 Cleveland Cavaliers season|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 season|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 [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|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 [[List of NBA franchise post-season droughts|title droughts of four decades]], with the Cavaliers having never won a title since their {{nbay|1970}} inception and the Warriors' last title having been in [[1975 NBA Finals|1975]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400796359|title=Warriors finish off Rockets, advance to NBA Finals for first time since 1975|date=May 27, 2015|work=ESPN|accessdate=May 28, 2015}}</ref> This was also the first time that both participating teams had first-year head coaches since the inaugural league finals in [[1947 BAA Finals|1947]], when the NBA was known as the [[Basketball Association of America]] (BAA).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.si.com/nba/2015/05/28/warriors-cavaliers-nba-finals-lebron-james-stephen-curry-klay-thompson|title=Warriors' win over Rockets sets up dream Finals matchup vs. Cavaliers|date=May 28, 2015|work=ESPN|accessdate=May 28, 2015}}</ref> It was the fifth consecutive finals appearance for James <!--***NOTE*** Do not include [[James Jones]], who did play in the last finals though he was on the team http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/sfl-miami-heat-james-jones-s060115-story.html ***NOTE***-->who played for the [[Miami Heat]] the previous four seasons,<ref>{{cite web|last=Zillgitt|first=Jeff|title=Cavaliers sweep Hawks as LeBron James reaches fifth consecutive NBA Finals|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/playoffs/2015/05/26/cleveland-cavaliers-hawks-lebron-james-nba-finals/27993891/|work=USA Today|date=May 26, 2015|accessdate=May 27, 2015}}</ref> making him the first NBA player since the [[Boston Celtics#1957–69: The Bill Russell Era|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. <ref>{{cite web|last=Rosenberg |first=Michael |url=http://www.si.com/nba/2015/06/17/nba-finals-lebron-james-stats-history-cavaliers-warriors |title=LeBron James sets NBA Finals record in losing effort to Warriors - NBA |publisher=SI.com |date=2015-06-17 |accessdate=2015-12-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/611024571366510593 |title=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" |publisher=Twitter.com |date=2015-06-16 |accessdate=2015-12-24}}</ref> 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 [[NBA on ABC|ABC]] and in [[Canada]], it was televised on [[The Sports Network|TSN]]. ==Background== ===Cleveland Cavaliers=== {{main|2014–15 Cleveland Cavaliers season}} The Cavaliers entered the 2014–15 season after firing [[Mike Brown (basketball, born 1970)|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 NBA Finals|2007]]. James then played for the [[Miami Heat]] from 2010 to 2014, leading the Heat to two NBA championships in [[2012 NBA Finals|2012]] and [[2013 NBA Finals|2013]]. During the [[2014 NBA draft]] on June 26, 2014, Cleveland held the [[List of first overall NBA draft picks|first overall pick]] and used it to select [[Andrew Wiggins]]. Later on August 23, a three-team trade was completed involving the Cavaliers, the [[2014–15 Minnesota Timberwolves season|Minnesota Timberwolves]], and the [[2014–15 Philadelphia 76ers season|Philadelphia 76ers]]. As part of the deal, Cleveland dealt Wiggins and [[Anthony Bennett (basketball)|Anthony Bennett]] and received Love.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/love-three-team-trade|title=Timberwolves Acquire Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and Thaddeus Young in Three-Team Trade|date=August 23, 2014|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.|accessdate=August 23, 2014}}</ref> James, Love, and guard [[Kyrie Irving]] became dubbed nationally as the "Big Three".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foxsports.com/ohio/story/cleveland-cavaliers-big-three-bigger-with-newcomers-012115 | title=Big Three even bigger | work=Fox Sports.com | accessdate=May 27, 2015}}</ref> 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,"<ref>{{cite web|last1=Withers|first1=Tom|title=Chemistry issues at root of Cavaliers' 1-3 start|url=http://www.nba.com/2014/news/11/06/cavaliers-struggling-early.ap/|website=NBA.com|accessdate=17 November 2015}}</ref> 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 [[2014–15 Atlanta Hawks season|Atlanta Hawks]]. The Cavaliers advanced to the Finals after sweeping the [[2014–15 Boston Celtics season|Boston Celtics]] in the first round of the playoffs, defeating the [[2014–15 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago Bulls]] in six games during the second round, and sweeping the Hawks in the conference finals. ===Golden State Warriors=== {{main|2014–15 Golden State Warriors season}} The Warriors entered the 2014–15 season after replacing [[Mark Jackson (basketball)|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 [[San Antonio Spurs|Spurs]], and the uptempo principles [[Alvin Gentry]] used in Phoenix when Kerr was the [[General manager (basketball)|GM]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Gonzalez|first=Antonio|title=Kerr coming to New York as an All-Star coach with Warriors|date=February 10, 2015|work=SFGate.com|agency=Associated Press|url=http://stats.sfgate.com/nba/story.asp?i=20150210031753362136008|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Y58LgJmj|archivedate=April 26, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref> 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 Chicago Bulls season|2010–11]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Gabrielle|last=McMillen|title=Steve Kerr sets rookie coaching record as Warriors clinch home court|date=April 5, 2015|work=Sporting News|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2015-04-05/warriors-coach-steve-kerr-sets-rookie-coaching-record-golden-state-nba|accessdate=May 28, 2015}}</ref> 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 NBA season|2012–13]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhLFTDd5YxY|title=Stephen Curry Breaks NBA Record with 273rd 3-Pointer of Season|date=April 9, 2015|work=YouTube|accessdate=April 9, 2015}}</ref> Curry also won the [[NBA Most Valuable Player Award]] for the 2014–15 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/curry-mvp-20150504|title=Warriors Guard Stephen Curry Named 2014–15 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player|date=May 4, 2015|work=NBA.com|accessdate=May 4, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Simmons|first=Rusty|title=Warriors put a bow on historic regular season by beating Nuggets|date=April 15, 2015|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|url=http://www.sfgate.com/warriors/article/Warriors-put-a-bow-on-historic-regular-season-by-6203163.php|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Xqhm64Qd|archivedate=April 17, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Dabe|first=Christopher|title=Pelicans playoff foe Stephen Curry makes 77 consecutive 3-pointers at practice: Watch|date=April 16, 2015|newspaper=The Times-Picayune|url=http://www.nola.com/pelicans/index.ssf/2015/04/stephen_curry_77_3-pointers.html|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6XqjPSTkq|archivedate=April 17, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Amick|first=Sam|title=Wild West: Warriors must navigate loaded playoff field|date=April 16, 2015|newspaper=USA Today|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/playoffs/2015/04/16/western-conference-playoffs-golden-state-warriors-stephen-curry/25900379/|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6XqhuJjkP|archivedate=April 17, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref> During the season, the backcourt mates both started in the [[2015 NBA All-Star Game|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.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thompson named All-Star Game starter|work=KNBR|url=http://www.knbr.com/common/page.php?feed=11&pt=Thompson+named+All-Star+Game+starter&id=14842&is_corp=0|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216015433/http://www.knbr.com/common/page.php?feed=11&pt=Thompson+named+All-Star+Game+starter&id=14842&is_corp=0|archivedate=February 16, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= Warriors' Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson earn All-NBA recognition for record-setting season|date=May 21, 2015|newspaper=The Press Democrat|url=http://www.pressdemocrat.com/sports/3965449-181/curry-thompson-earn-all-nba-recognition|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Yi10Lpnq|archivedate=May 22, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref> Golden State advanced to the Finals after sweeping the [[2014–15 New Orleans Pelicans season|New Orleans Pelicans]] in the first round of the playoffs, defeating the [[2014–15 Memphis Grizzlies season|Memphis Grizzlies]] in six games during the second round, and eliminating the [[2014–15 Houston Rockets season|Houston Rockets]] in five games in the conference finals. ===Road to the Finals=== {{Main|2015 NBA Playoffs}} {| style="width:100%; font-size:90%" class="wikitable" |- valign=top ! colspan="2" style="width:45%;"|[[2014–15 Cleveland Cavaliers season|Cleveland Cavaliers]] ([[Eastern Conference (NBA)|Eastern Conference]] Champion)!! colspan="2" style="width:45%;"|[[2014–15 Golden State Warriors season|Golden State Warriors]] ([[Western Conference (NBA)|Western Conference]] Champion) |- |align=right| {{2014–15 NBA East standings|team=CLE}} 2nd seed in the East, 7th best league record !colspan=2|[[2014–15 NBA season|Regular season]] |{{2014–15 NBA West standings|team=GSW}} 1st seed in the West, best league record |- |align=right|Defeated the 7th seeded [[2014–15 Boston Celtics season|Boston Celtics]], [[2015 NBA Playoffs|4–0]] !colspan=2|First round |align=left|Defeated the 8th seeded [[2014–15 New Orleans Pelicans season|New Orleans Pelicans]], [[2015 NBA Playoffs|4–0]] |- |align=right|Defeated the 3rd seeded [[2014–15 Chicago Bulls season|Chicago Bulls]], [[2015 NBA Playoffs|4–2]] !colspan=2|Conference Semifinals |align=left|Defeated the 5th seeded [[2014–15 Memphis Grizzlies season|Memphis Grizzlies]], [[2015 NBA Playoffs|4–2]] |- |align=right|Defeated the 1st seeded [[2014–15 Atlanta Hawks season|Atlanta Hawks]], [[2015 NBA Playoffs|4–0]] !colspan=2|Conference Finals |align=left|Defeated the 2nd seeded [[2014–15 Houston Rockets season|Houston Rockets]], [[2015 NBA Playoffs|4–1]] |} ===Regular season series=== The Cavaliers and Warriors tied the regular season series 1–1, with each team winning its home game. {{basketballbox | bg=#fff | date = January 9, 2015 | report = {{NBA Recap|2015|0109|id=CLEGSW}} | team1 = [[Cleveland Cavaliers]] |score1 = 94 | team2 = '''[[Golden State Warriors]]''' |score2 = '''112''' | place = [[Oracle Arena]], [[Oakland, California]] }} {{basketballbox | date = February 26, 2015 | report = {{NBA Recap|2015|0226|id=GSWCLE}} | team1 = [[Golden State Warriors]] | score1 = 99 | team2 = '''[[Cleveland Cavaliers]]''' | score2 = '''110''' | place = [[Quicken Loans Arena]], [[Cleveland]], [[Ohio]] }} ==Series== :''All times are in [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern Daylight Time]] ([[UTC−04:00|UTC−4]])'' For the first time in NBA Finals history, the first two games went into overtime.<ref name="First Overtime">{{cite news|last=Mather|first=Victor|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/sports/basketball/nba-finals-in-overtime-missed-shots-and-foul-calls-were-the-key.html?_r=0|title=N.B.A. Finals: In Overtime, Missed Shots and Foul Calls Were the Key|publisher=''The New York Times''|date=June 8, 2015|accessdate=June 14, 2015}}</ref> After Golden State fell behind 2–1 in the series, Kerr gave [[swingman]] [[Andre Iguodala]] his first start of the season, replacing [[Center (basketball)|center]] [[Andrew Bogut]] in Game 4, and the Warriors' small lineup helped turn the series around.<ref>{{cite news|last=Holmes|first=Baxter|title=Iguodala NBA's no-stats Finals MVP?|date=June 16, 2015|work=ESPN.com|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13086040/andre-iguodala-game-finds-acceptance-warriors|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6ZKnoAwoc|archivedate=June 16, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref> Golden State won the series in six games, claiming their first title since [[1975 NBA Finals|1975]] and their fourth overall in franchise history.<ref name=holmes_06172015>{{cite news|last=Holmes|first=Baxter|title=Finals recap: The Warriors' road to the title|date=June 17, 2015|work=ESPN.com|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13096505/2015-nba-finals-golden-state-warriors-road-title|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6ZLr0DeZs|archivedate=June 17, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref> They played [[small ball (basketball)|small ball]] in the Finals to a greater extent than any prior champion.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lowe|first=Zach|title=How the small-ball virus has infected the NBA|date=November 24, 2015|website=ESPN.com|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14209124/is-small-ball-dominance-golden-state-blip-trend|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6dHzQBfg1|archivedate=November 24, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref> 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 Chicago Bulls season|1995–96]] (87–13) and [[1996-97 Chicago Bulls season|1996–97]] (84–17).<ref name=holmes_06172015/> Iguodala was named the [[Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award|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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Strauss|first=Ethan Sherwood|title=Andre Iguodala named Finals MVP after coming off bench to begin series|date=June 16, 2015|work=ESPN.com|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13096860/andre-iguodala-golden-state-warriors-named-nba-finals-mvp|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6ZLZkTHuI|archivedate=June 17, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref> 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. <ref>{{cite news|last=McMenamin|first=Dave|title=NBA Finals: No consolation to be had for LeBron|date=June 17, 2015|work=ESPN.com|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13097404/lebron-personal-triumphs-afford-solace|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6ZLnEkkec|archivedate=June 17, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref> 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 NBA season|1999–2000]]. Kerr became the first rookie coach to win a title since [[Pat Riley]] in [[1981–82 NBA season|1981–82]].<ref name=holmes_06172015/> The Warriors were the first team since the [[1990–91 Chicago Bulls season|1990–91 Bulls]] to win a title with a roster that did not have any players with prior Finals experience.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pingue|first=Frank|title=Lack of experience proves no problem for champion Warriors|date=June 17, 2015|work=Reuters|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/17/us-nba-finals-warriors-win-idUSKBN0OX0JT20150617|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6ZLvsEFxi|archivedate=June 17, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref> James and teammate [[James Jones (basketball player)|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 NBA Finals|2011 Finals]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Winderman|first=Ira|title=James Jones thaws out to another NBA Finals reality|date=June 1, 2015|newspaper=South Florida Sun Sentinel|url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/sfl-miami-heat-james-jones-s060115-story.html|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6ZKzLleoc|archivedate=June 16, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref> It was the first time since [[1998 NBA Finals|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]].<ref>{{cite web|last=McIntyre|first=Jason|title=2015 NBA Finals Won't Have Tim Duncan, Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant for the 1st time Since 1998|url=http://thebiglead.com/2015/05/04/2015-nba-finals-wont-have-tim-duncan-dwyane-wade-or-kobe-bryant-for-the-1st-time-since-1998/|publisher=''USA Today Sports''|date=May 4, 2015|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref> ===Game 1=== {{Basketballbox|bg=#eee |date=June 4 |time=9:00 pm |place=[[Oracle Arena]], [[Oakland, California]] |TV=[[NBA on ABC|ABC]] |team1=[[Cleveland Cavaliers]] |score1=100 |team2='''[[Golden State Warriors]]''' |score2='''108''' |report=[http://www.nba.com/games/20150604/CLEGSW/gameinfo.html Boxscore] |Q1='''29'''–19 |Q2=22–'''29''' |Q3=22–'''25''' |Q4=25–25 |OT=2–'''10''' |points1=[[LeBron James]] 44 |points2=[[Stephen Curry]] 26 |rebounds1=[[Tristan Thompson]] 15 |rebounds2=[[Andrew Bogut]] 7 |assist1=[[Kyrie Irving|Irving]], [[LeBron James|James]] 6 each |assist2=[[Stephen Curry]] 8 |attendance=19,596 |referee=[[Monty McCutchen]], James Capers, Jason Phillips |series=Golden State leads series, 1–0 }} 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.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400796845|title=Warriors overcome LeBron James' 44, breeze in overtime to go up 1–0|date=June 4, 2015|work=ESPN|accessdate=June 8, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref name=guardian_gm1/> Only three Cavaliers players scored for the Cavaliers after halftime: James, Irving, and Mozgov. The trio combined for 83 of the Cavaliers' 100 points.<ref name=guardian_gm1/> James had a career NBA Finals high of 44 points while attempting a postseason career-high 38 shots,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Feldman|first1=Ryan|last2=McTigue|first2=John|title=The trouble with LeBron in isolation|date=June 5, 2015|work=ESPN.com|url=http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/73236/the-trouble-with-lebron-in-isolation|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6Z8gcChqm|archivedate=June 8, 2015|deadurl=no}}</ref> 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]].<ref name=guardian_gm1>{{cite web|url= http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jun/05/nba-finals-2015-warriors-ignite-overtime-to-down-cavaliers|title= NBA finals 2015: Warriors ignite in overtime to down Cavaliers|date=June 5, 2015|work=Guardian|accessdate=June 8, 2015}}</ref> ===Game 2=== {{Basketballbox|bg=#eee |date=June 7 |time=8:00 pm |place=[[Oracle Arena]], [[Oakland, California]] |TV=[[NBA on ABC|ABC]] |team1='''[[Cleveland Cavaliers]]''' |score1='''95''' |team2=[[Golden State Warriors]] |score2=93 |report=[http://www.nba.com/games/20150607/CLEGSW/gameinfo.html Boxscore] |Q1=20–20 |Q2='''27'''–25 |Q3='''15'''–14 |Q4=25–'''28''' |OT='''8'''–6 |points1=[[LeBron James]] 39 |points2=[[Klay Thompson]] 34 |rebounds1=[[LeBron James]] 16 |rebounds2=[[Draymond Green|Green]], [[Andrew Bogut|Bogut]] 10 each |assist1=[[LeBron James]] 11 |assist2=[[Stephen Curry|Curry]], [[Andre Iguodala|Iguodala]] 5 each |attendance=19,596 |referee=Scott Foster, [[Tony Brothers]], [[Zach Zarba]] |series=Series tied, 1–1 }} 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 was 11-for-35 in the game shooting, 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 NBA Finals|1969 Finals]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://stats.nba.com/featured/ten_key_numbers_finals_game_2_2015_06_08.html?cid=nbacomsocial_20150608_47147526&adbid=607875258020818944&adbpl=tw&adbpr=1373313666 | title=10 Key Numbers: NBA Finals, Game 2 | publisher=[[NBA.com]] | date=June 7, 2015 | accessdate=June 10, 2015 | author=Martin, Brian}}</ref> [[Klay Thompson]] led the Warriors with 34 points. Curry added 19, but he struggled mightily against the Cavaliers' defense, going 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/story/2015-06-08/stephen-curry-matthew-dellavedova-defense-warriors-cavaliers-game-2-nba-finals-2015|title=No, Stephen Curry is not worried about Matthew Dellavedova|work=Sporting News|accessdate=June 29, 2015}}</ref> The margin was close through the first three quarters, with neither team leading by more than 8. 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, taking 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|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.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400796846|title= LeBron James' triple-double enables Cavs to tie Finals in ugly OT win|date=June 7, 2015|work=ESPN|accessdate=June 8, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/08/sports/basketball/nba-finals-standing-in-for-a-star-matthew-dellavedova-shines-in-cavaliers-taut-win.html?ref=basketball&_r=0|title=N.B.A. Finals: Matthew Dellavedova Shines in Cavaliers’ Taut Win|date=June 8, 2015|work=New York Times|accessdate=June 8, 2015}}</ref> 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 floor 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 NBA Finals|2007 Finals]] by the [[San Antonio Spurs]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jun/07/cleveland-cavaliers-strike-back-in-game-2-thriller-to-tie-nba-finals|title= Cleveland Cavaliers show game two grit to level NBA finals at 1–1|date=June 7, 2015|work=Guardian|accessdate=June 8, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/playoffs/2015/06/08/cavaliers-grit-squad-lebron-james-triple-double-matthew-dellavedova-iman-shumpurt/28671861/|title=Still the underdog, Cavaliers' 'Grit Squad' continues to strengthen through adversity|author=Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports|date=June 8, 2015|work=USA TODAY|accessdate=June 29, 2015}}</ref> This new moniker was quickly embraced by Cavs fans, in hopes that this new tough style of play would be enough to offset the Warrior's depth advantage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freshbrewedtees.com/collections/wine-gold/cleveland-grit-squad.html|title=Cleveland Grit Squad|work=freshbrewedtees.com|accessdate=June 29, 2015}}</ref> ===Game 3=== {{Basketballbox|bg=#eee |date=June 9 |time=9:00 pm |place=[[Quicken Loans Arena]], [[Cleveland, Ohio]] |TV=[[NBA on ABC|ABC]] |team1=[[Golden State Warriors]] |score1=91 |team2='''[[Cleveland Cavaliers]]''' |score2='''96''' |report=[http://www.nba.com/games/20150609/GSWCLE/gameinfo.html Boxscore] |Q1=20–'''24''' |Q2=17–'''20''' |Q3=18–'''28''' |Q4='''36'''–24 |points1=[[Stephen Curry]] 27 |points2=[[LeBron James]] 40 |rebounds1=[[Festus Ezeli|Ezeli]], [[Draymond Green|Green]] 7 each |rebounds2=[[Tristan Thompson]] 13 |assist1=[[Stephen Curry]] 6 |assist2=[[LeBron James]] 8 |attendance=20,562 |referee=[[Dan Crawford]], Marc Davis, Derrick Stafford |series=Cleveland leads series, 2–1 }} 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.<ref name="ESPN-g3"/> 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.<ref name="ESPN-g3">{{cite news|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400796847|title=LeBron James, Matthew Dellavedova steer Cavs to 2-1 lead over Warriors|date=2015-06-10|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/nba-finals-lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-fighting-fatigue-after-hard-fought-wins-over-golden-state-warriors-061015|title=NBA Finals: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers fighting fatigue after hard-fought wins over Golden State Warriors|author=Fox Sports|work=FOX Sports|accessdate=June 29, 2015}}</ref> Dellavedova scored 20, a playoff career high. Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, 17 of which came in the fourth quarter.<ref name="ESPN-g3"/> 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.<ref name="fox8">{{cite news|url=http://fox8.com/2015/06/09/allincle-cavs-seek-first-nba-finals-home-win/|title=Cavs beat Warriors, 96-91, in Game 3 of NBA Finals; lead series 2-1|date=June 9, 2015|publisher=Fox 8 Cleveland|accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref> ===Game 4=== {{Basketballbox|bg=#eee |date=June 11 |time=9:00 pm |place=[[Quicken Loans Arena]], [[Cleveland, Ohio]] |TV=[[NBA on ABC|ABC]] |team1='''[[Golden State Warriors]]''' |score1='''103''' |team2=[[Cleveland Cavaliers]] |score2=82 |report=[http://www.nba.com/games/20150611/GSWCLE/gameinfo.html Boxscore] |Q1='''31'''–24 |Q2='''23'''–18 |Q3=22–'''28''' |Q4='''27'''–12 |points1=[[Stephen Curry|Curry]], [[Andre Iguodala|Iguodala]] 22 each |points2=[[Timofey Mozgov]] 28 |rebounds1=''three players'' 8 each |rebounds2=[[Tristan Thompson]] 13 |assist1=[[Stephen Curry|Curry]] 7 |assist2=[[LeBron James]] 8 |attendance=20,562 |referee=[[Joe Crawford (basketball, born 1951)|Joe Crawford]], Mike Callahan, [[Ken Mauer]] |series=Series tied, 2–2 }} 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.<ref name="ESPN">{{cite news|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13063006/2015-nba-finals-golden-state-warriors-coach-admits-lying-plans-game-4-starting-lineup|title=Steve Kerr admits to lying before Game 4 about starting Andrew Bogut|last=McManamon|first=Pat|date=June 12, 2015|publisher=CBS Sports|accessdate=20 August 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref name="ESPN-g4"/> The Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 23–18 in that period and led 54–42 at halftime.<ref name="CBS-g4">{{cite news|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20150611_GS@CLE|title=Warriors even NBA Finals, beat Cavaliers 103-82 in Game 4|last=Withers|first=Tom|date=June 12, 2015|publisher=CBS Sports|accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://fox8.com/2015/06/11/cavaliers-to-take-on-warriors-in-game-4-of-the-nba-finals-lead-series-2-1/|title=Warriors beat Cavaliers, 103-82, in Game 4 of NBA Finals, series tied 2-2|date=June 11, 2015|publisher=FOX 8 Cleveland|accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref name="ESPN-g4">{{cite news|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400796848|title=Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala help Warriors knot Finals vs. Cavs at 2-2|date=2015-06-12|publisher=ESPN|accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref> 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."<ref name="ESPN">{{cite news|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13063006/2015-nba-finals-golden-state-warriors-coach-admits-lying-plans-game-4-starting-lineup|title=Steve Kerr admits to lying before Game 4 about starting Andrew Bogut|last=McManamon|first=Pat|date=June 12, 2015|publisher=CBS Sports|accessdate=20 August 2015}}</ref> ===Game 5=== {{Basketballbox|bg=#eee |date=June 14 |time=8:00 pm |place=[[Oracle Arena]], [[Oakland, California]] |TV=[[NBA on ABC|ABC]] |team1=[[Cleveland Cavaliers]] |score1=91 |team2='''[[Golden State Warriors]]''' |score2='''104''' |report=[http://www.nba.com/games/20150614/CLEGSW/gameinfo.html Boxscore] |Q1=22–22 |Q2=28–'''29''' |Q3=17–'''22''' |Q4=24–'''31''' |points1=[[LeBron James]] 40 |points2=[[Stephen Curry]] 37 |rebounds1=[[LeBron James]] 14 |rebounds2=[[Harrison Barnes]] 9 |assist1=[[LeBron James]] 11 |assist2=[[Andre Iguodala]] 7 |attendance=19,596 |referee=[[Monty McCutchen]], James Capers, Jason Phillips |series=Golden State leads series, 3–2 }} 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/warriors-expect-play-home-game-nba-finals-31752553|title=Sports News|author=ABC News|work=ABC News|accessdate=June 29, 2015}}</ref> The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 104–91 and took a 3–2 series lead heading back to Cleveland.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400796849|title=Stephen Curry carries Warriors past LeBron, Cavs to brink of NBA title|date=June 15, 2015|work=ESPN|accessdate=June 16, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2015/jun/14/nba-finals-2015-cleveland-cavaliers-v-golden-state-warriors-live|title=NBA finals 2015: Cleveland Cavaliers 91–104 Golden State Warriors – as it happened|date=June 15, 2015|work=Guardian |accessdate=June 16, 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-3124220/Golden-State-Warriors-104-91-Cleveland-Cavaliers-Stephen-Curry-puts-one-win-away-NBA-title.html|title=Golden State Warriors 104–91 Cleveland Cavaliers: Stephen Curry puts his side one win away from NBA title |date=June 15, 2015|work=Daily Mail|accessdate=June 16, 2015}}</ref> James had his second triple double of this NBA Finals series, posting 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. Leading all players in points, rebounds and assists, he was responsible for 70 of 91 Cavaliers points (40 scored, 30 assisted).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/610433682353061888|title=SportsCenter on Twitter|work=Twitter|accessdate=June 17, 2015}}</ref> 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 NBA Finals|1969]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/610276335999692801|title=ESPN Stats & Info on Twitter|work=Twitter|accessdate=June 17, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13080316/2015-nba-finals-lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-remains-confident-best-world|title=2015 NBA Finals -- LeBron James of Cleveland Cavaliers remains confident -- 'I'm best in world'|work=ESPN.com|accessdate=June 17, 2015}}</ref> ===Game 6=== {{Basketballbox|bg=#eee |date=June 16 |time=9:00 pm |place=[[Quicken Loans Arena]], [[Cleveland, Ohio]] |TV=[[NBA on ABC|ABC]] |team1='''[[Golden State Warriors]]''' |score1='''105''' |team2=[[Cleveland Cavaliers]] |score2=97 |report=[http://www.nba.com/games/20150616/GSWCLE/gameinfo.html Boxscore] |Q1='''28'''–15 |Q2=17–'''28''' |Q3='''28'''–18 |Q4=32–'''36''' |points1= [[Stephen Curry|Curry]], [[Andre Iguodala|Iguodala]] 25 each |points2= [[LeBron James]] 32 |rebounds1= [[Draymond Green]] 11|rebounds2= [[LeBron James]] 18 |assist1= [[Draymond Green]] 10 |assist2= [[LeBron James]] 9 |attendance=20,562 |referee=Scott Foster, Marc Davis, [[Zach Zarba]] |series=Golden State wins NBA Finals, 4–2 |MVP= Andre Iguodala }} 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.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400796850|title= Curry, Iguodala combine for 50 as Warriors close out Cavs in Game 6|date=17 June 2015|work=ESPN|accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref> 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 Cavs cut the deficit down to 7, but the Warriors pushed the lead back to 15.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.theguardian.com/sport/live/2015/jun/16/nba-finals-2015-golden-state-warriors-v-cleveland-cavaliers-game-6-live|title= Golden State Warriors win first NBA title in 40 years – as it happened|date=17 June 2015|work=Guardian |accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref> The Cavaliers, led by J.R. Smith, made a late surge to cut it to 4 with under 40 seconds remaining.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/sports/basketball/nba-finals-2015-warriors-win-title-beating-cavaliers.html|title=Golden State Warriors End N.B.A. Title Drought With Victory Over Cavaliers|last=Cacciola|first=Scott|date=June 17, 2015|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-3127549/Golden-State-Warriors-105-97-Cleveland-Cavaliers-LeBron-James-loses-NBA-Finals-fourth-time-Warriors-win-championship-40-years.html|title= 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|date=17 June 2015|work=Daily Mail|accessdate=18 June 2015}}</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2015/06/was_andre_iguodala_the_lowest-.html#7 Was Andre Iguodala the lowest-scoring Finals MVP ever? | AL.com]</ref> James became the youngest player to score 5000 career points in the playoffs.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2015/story/_/id/13096860/andre-iguodala-golden-state-warriors-named-nba-finals-mvp |title=Andre Iguodala named Finals MVP after coming off bench to begin series |date=June 16, 2015 |work=ESPN.com }}</ref> It was the first time since the 2011 Finals that a team has won the NBA championship on its opponent's home venue. ==Rosters== {{NBA roster header|team=Golden State Warriors|season=2014–15}} <!-- begin player list --> {{player2 | num = 19 | first = Leandro | last = Barbosa | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 194 | from = Brazil | DOB = 1982–11–28 }} {{player2 | num = 40 | first = Harrison | last = Barnes | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 225 | college = North Carolina | DOB = 1992–05–30 }} {{player2 | num = 12 | first = Andrew | last = Bogut | pos = C | ft = 7 | in = 0 | lbs = 260 | college = Utah | DOB = 1984–11–28 }} {{player2 | num = 30 | first = Stephen | last = Curry | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 190 | college = Davidson | DOB = 1988–03–14 | note = C }} {{player2 | num = 31 | first = Festus | last = Ezeli | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 11 | lbs = 255 | college = Vanderbilt | DOB = 1989–10–21 }} {{player2 | num = 23 | first = Draymond | last = Green | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 230 | college = Michigan State | DOB = 1990–03–04 }} {{player2 | num = 7 | first = Justin | last = Holiday | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 185 | college = Washington | DOB = 1989–04–05 }} {{player2 | num = 9 | first = Andre | last = Iguodala | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 215 | college = Arizona | DOB = 1984–01–28 | note = C }} {{player2 | num = 1 | first = Ognjen | last = Kuzmić | pos = C | ft = 7 | in = 1 | lbs = 260 | from = Serbia | DOB = 1990–05–16 | inj=yes}} {{player2 | num = 10 | first = David | last = Lee | dab = basketball | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 245 | college = Florida | DOB = 1983–04–29 }} {{player2 | num = 34 | first = Shaun | last = Livingston | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 182 | school = [[Peoria High School (Peoria, Illinois)|Peoria Central HS (IL)]] | DOB = 1985–09–11 }} {{player2 | num = 20 | first = James Michael | last = McAdoo | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 230 | college = North Carolina | DOB = 1993–01–04 }} {{player2 | num = 4 | first = Brandon | last = Rush | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 220 | college = Kansas | DOB = 1985–07–07 }} {{player2 | num = 5 | first = Marreese | last = Speights | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 255 | college = Florida | DOB = 1987–08–04 }} {{player2 | num = 11 | first = Klay | last = Thompson | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 215 | college = Washington State | DOB = 1990–02–08 }} <!-- end player list --> {{NBA roster footer | head_coach = * [[Steve Kerr]] | asst_coach = * [[Ron Adams]] * [[Alvin Gentry]] * [[Luke Walton]] * [[Jarron Collins]] (player development) * Bruce Fraser (player development) * Keke Lyles (player performance) | ath_train = * Johan Wang | otherlegend = '''(DL)''' On [[assignment (NBA D-League)|assignment]] to D-League affiliate | roster_url = http://www.nba.com/warriors/roster/ | transaction_url = http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Golden-State-Warriors/9/Transaction_History/2015 | accessdate = }} {{NBA roster header|team=Cleveland Cavaliers|season=2014–15}} <!-- list of players --> {{player2 | num = 8 | first = Matthew | last = Dellavedova | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 4 | lbs = 200 | college = Saint Mary's | DOB = 1990–09–08 }} {{player2 | num = 12 | first = Joe | last = Harris | dab = basketball | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 215 | college = Virginia | DOB = 1991–09–07 }} {{player2 | num = 33 | first = Brendan | last = Haywood | pos = C | ft = 7 | in = 0 | lbs = 263 | college = North Carolina | DOB = 1979–11–27 }} {{player2 | num = 2 | first = Kyrie | last = Irving | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 3 | lbs = 193 | college = Duke | DOB = 1992–03–23 | note = C | inj=yes}} {{player2 | num = 23 | first = LeBron | last = James | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 250 | school = [[St. Vincent–St. Mary High School|St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (OH)]] | DOB = 1984–12–30 | note = C }} {{player2 | num = 1 | first = James | last = Jones | dab = basketball player | pos = F/G | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 215 | college = Miami (Florida) | DOB = 1980–10–04 }} {{player2 | num = 0 | first = Kevin | last = Love | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 243 | college = UCLA | DOB = 1988–09–07 | inj=yes}} {{player2 | num = 31 | first = Shawn | last = Marion | pos = F | ft = 6 | in = 7 | lbs = 228 | college = UNLV | DOB = 1978–05–07 }} {{player2 | num = 18 | first = Mike | last = Miller | dab = basketball player | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 8 | lbs = 218 | college = Florida | DOB = 1980–02–19 }} {{player2 | num = 20 | first = Timofey | last = Mozgov | pos = C | ft = 7 | in = 1 | lbs = 250 | from = Russia | DOB = 1986–07–16 }} {{player2 | num = 3 | first = Kendrick | last = Perkins | pos = C | ft = 6 | in = 10 | lbs = 270 | school = [[Beaumont Independent School District|Clifton J. Ozen (TX)]] | DOB = 1984–11–10 }} {{player2 | num = 4 | first = Iman | last = Shumpert | pos = G | ft = 6 | in = 5 | lbs = 220 | college = Georgia Tech | DOB = 1990–06–26 }} {{player2 | num = 5 | first = J. R. | last = Smith | pos = G/F | ft = 6 | in = 6 | lbs = 220 | school = [[Saint Benedict's Preparatory School|St. Benedict's Prep (NJ)]] | DOB = 1985–09–09 }} {{player2 | num = 13 | first = Tristan | last = Thompson | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 9 | lbs = 238 | college = Texas | DOB = 1991–03–13 }} {{player2 | num = 17 | first = Anderson | last = Varejão | pos = F/C | ft = 6 | in = 11 | lbs = 267 | from = Brazil | DOB = 1982–09–28 | inj = yes }} <!-- end list of players --> {{NBA roster footer | head_coach = * [[David Blatt]] | asst_coach = * [[Jim Boylan]] * Bret Brielmaier * [[Larry Drew]] * [[James Posey]] * [[Tyronn Lue]] (associate head coach) * Phil Handy (player development) * [[Vitaly Potapenko]] (player development) * [[Damon Jones]] (shooting consultant) | ath_train = * Michael Mancias * Yusuke Nakayama * Steve Spiro (head trainer) | str_cond = * Derek Millender (performance specialist) | otherlegend = '''(DL)''' On [[assignment (NBA D-League)|assignment]] to D-League affiliate | roster_url = http://www.nba.com/cavs/roster/ | transaction_url = http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Cleveland-Cavaliers/5/Transaction_History/2015 | accessdate = }} ==Player statistics== {{NBA roster statistics legend}} ;Golden State Warriors {{NBA roster statistics start|team=Golden State Warriors}} |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Stephen|Curry}} || 6 || 6 || '''42.5''' || .443 || .385 || .885 || 5.2 || '''6.3''' || 1.8 || 0.2 || '''26.0''' |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Andre|Iguodala}} || 6 || 3 || 37.1 || .521 || .400 || .357 || 5.8 || 4.0 || 1.3 || 0.3 || 16.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Klay|Thompson}} || 6 || 6 || 37.9 || .409 || .300 || .917 || 4.3 || 1.7 || 0.5 || 1.0 || 15.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Draymond|Green}} || 6 || 6 || 37.0 || .381 || .263 || .735 || '''8.3''' || 5.0 || '''2.2''' || 1.2 || 13.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Harrison|Barnes}} || 6 || 6 || 32.9 || .373 || .421 || .778 || 5.8 || 0.8 || 0.8 || 0.5 || 8.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|David|Lee|dab=basketball}} || 4 || 0 || 9.7 || '''.533''' || .000 || .545 || 2.5 || 1.5 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 5.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Leandro|Barbosa}} || 6 || 0 || 10.7 || .462 || '''.429''' || '''1.000''' || 1.7 || 0.5 || 0.5 || 0.2 || 5.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Shaun|Livingston}} || 6 || 0 || 20.1 || .480 || .000 || .750 || 3.5 || 2.2 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 5.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Festus|Ezeli}} || 5 || 0 || 10.0 || .467 || .000 || .727 || 3.4 || 0.4 || 0.0 || 0.6 || 4.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Marreese|Speights}} || 3 || 0 || 5.3 || .308 || .000 || .500 || 1.7 || 0.3 || 0.3 || 0.0 || 3.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Andrew|Bogut}} || 4 || 3 || 18.4 || .444 || .000 || .500 || 6.0 || 1.5 || 0.3 || '''1.3''' || 2.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Justin|Holiday}} || 1 || 0 || 2.1 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|James Michael|McAdoo}} || 1 || 0 || 1.2 || .000 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 {{s-end}} ;Cleveland Cavaliers {{NBA roster statistics start|team=Cleveland Cavaliers}} |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|LeBron|James}} || 6 || 6 || '''45.7''' || .398 || .310 || .687 || '''13.3''' || '''8.8''' || 1.3 || 0.5 || '''35.8''' |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Kyrie|Irving}} || 1 || 1 || 43.6 || .455 || .250 || '''1.000''' || 7.0 || 6.0 || '''4.0''' || '''2.0''' || 23.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Timofey|Mozgov}} || 6 || 6 || 28.3 || '''.551''' || .000 || .750 || 7.5 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 1.5 || 14.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|J. R.|Smith}} || 6 || 0 || 33.6 || .312 || .294 || .600 || 4.3 || 1.0 || 0.5 || 0.8 || 11.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Tristan|Thompson}} || 6 || 6 || 41.1 || .500 || .000 || .600 || 13.0 || 0.3 || 0.7 || 1.0 || 10.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Matthew|Dellavedova}} || 6 || 5 || 31.8 || .283 || .231 || .818 || 2.7 || 2.7 || 1.2 || 0.0 || 7.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Iman|Shumpert}} || 6 || 6 || 35.9 || .256 || .320 || .643 || 3.8 || 0.7 || 1.8 || 0.7 || 6.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|James|Jones|dab=basketball player}} || 6 || 0 || 18.8 || .316 || .308 || '''1.000''' || 1.3 || 0.3 || 0.7 || 0.2 || 3.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Kendrick|Perkins}} || 1 || 0 || 3.1 || .000 || .000 || '''1.000''' || 1.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 2.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Mike|Miller|dab=basketball player}} || 5 || 0 || 5.7 || .500 || '''.500''' || .000 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 0.2 || 0.0 || 0.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{sortname|Joe|Harris|dab=basketball}} || 2 || 0 || 1.6 || .000 || .000 || .500 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.0 || 0.5 {{s-end}} ==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 (basketball)|Mark Jackson]] serving as [[color commentator]]s. 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 (sports announcer)|Álvaro Martín]] and Carlos Morales.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carafdo|first=Ben|title=2015 NBA Finals – Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – Exclusively on ABC SCHEDULE|url=http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/06/2015-nba-finals-golden-state-warriors-vs-cleveland-cavaliers-exclusively-on-abc/|accessdate=June 9, 2015|date=June 1, 2015}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Game !! [[Nielsen ratings|Ratings]]<br>(households) !! American audience<br>(in millions) |- ! 1 | 10.6<ref name="ratings1">{{cite web |url=http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/06/nba-finals-delivers-largest-game-1-audience-ever-on-abc-with-record-17-8-million-viewers/|title=NBA Finals Delivers Largest Game 1 Audience Ever on ABC with Record 17.8 Million Viewers|publisher=ESPN|date=June 5, 2015|accessdate=June 9, 2015|last=Cafardo|first=Ben}}</ref> || 17.77<ref name="ratings2">{{cite web |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/06/05/thursday-final-ratings-final-ratings-for-nba-finals-game-1-hannibal-wayward-pines/412645/|title=Thursday Final Ratings: Final Ratings for NBA Finals Game 1, 'Hannibal' & 'Wayward Pines'|publisher=TVbytheNumbers|date=June 5, 2015|accessdate=June 9, 2015|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda}}</ref> |- ! 2 | 10.8<ref name="ratings3">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvmediainsights.com/tv-ratings/sunday-final-nationals-cavaliers-warriors-on-abc-is-most-watched-nba-finals-game-2-since-1998/|title=Sunday Final Nationals: Cavaliers-Warriors on ABC is Most-Watched NBA Finals Game 2 Since 1998|publisher=tvmediainsights|date=June 9, 2015|accessdate=June 9, 2015|last=Pucci|first=Douglas}}</ref> || 19.17<ref name="ratings4">{{cite web |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/06/08/sunday-final-ratings-golan-the-insatiable-tony-awards-adjusted-up-final-nba-finals-game-2-numbers/414515/|title=Sunday Final Ratings: 'Golan The Insatiable' & Tony Awards Adjusted Up & Final NBA Finals Game 2 Numbers|publisher=TVbytheNumbers|date=June 9, 2015|accessdate=June 9, 2015|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda}}</ref> |- ! 3 | 11.1<ref name="ratings5">{{cite web |url=http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/06/most-watched-highest-rated-nba-finals-ever-on-abc-through-three-games/|title=Most-Watched & Highest-Rated NBA Finals Ever on ABC through Three Games|publisher=ESPN|date=June 10, 2015|accessdate=June 10, 2015|last=Thompson|first=Gianina}}</ref> ||18.77<ref name="ratings5"/> |- ! 4 | 11.7<ref name="ratings8">{{cite web |url=http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/06/most-watched-highest-rated-nba-finals-ever-on-abc-through-four-games/|title=Most-Watched & Highest-Rated NBA Finals Ever on ABC through Four Games|publisher=ESPN|date=June 10, 2015|accessdate=June 12, 2015|last=Nagle|first=Dave}}</ref> ||19.84<ref name="ratings7">{{cite web |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/06/12/thursday-final-ratings-bones-adjusted-up-final-basketball-numbers/416645/|title=Thursday Final Ratings: 'Bones' Adjusted Up & Final Basketball Numbers|publisher=[[TV by the Numbers]]|date=June 12, 2015|accessdate=June 12, 2015|last=Bibel|first=Sara}}</ref> |- ! 5 | 11.8<ref name="ratings9">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvmediainsights.com/tv-ratings/sunday-final-nationals-top-rated-nba-finals-game-5-since-2004-for-abc-series-high-for-game-of-thrones-on-hbo/|title=Sunday Final Nationals: Top-Rated NBA Finals Game 5 Since 2004 for ABC, Series-High for ‘Game of Thrones’ on HBO|publisher=tvmediainsights|date=June 16, 2015|accessdate=June 16, 2015|last=Pucci|first=Douglas}}</ref>|| 20.86<ref name="ratings10">{{cite web |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2015/06/16/sunday-final-ratings-no-adjustment-for-golan-the-insatiable-or-a-d-the-bible-continues-final-basketball-numbers/417914/|title=Sunday Final Ratings: No Adjustment for 'Golan the Insatiable' or 'A.D.: The Bible Continues' + Final Basketball Numbers|publisher=[[TV by the Numbers]]|date=June 17, 2015|accessdate=June 16, 2015|last=Kondolojy|first=Amanda}}</ref> |- ! 6 |13.4<ref name="ratings11">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvmediainsights.com/tv-ratings/tuesday-final-nationals-highest-rated-nba-finals-game-6-since-2000-fox-benefits-with-most-viewed-womens-world-cup-group-stage-match-ever/|title=Tuesday Final Nationals: Highest-Rated NBA Finals Game 6 Since 2000, Fox Benefits with Most-Viewed Women’s World Cup Group Stage Match Ever|publisher=tvmediainsights|date=June 17, 2015|accessdate=June 16, 2015|last=Pucci|first=Douglas}}</ref>|| 23.25<ref name="ratings11"/> |} ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== {{portal|National Basketball Association}} *[http://www.nba.com/playoffs/2015/finals/index.html Official website] *[http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2015-nba-finals-cavaliers-vs-warriors.html 2015 NBA Finals] at Basketball-Reference.com {{NBA Finals}} {{Golden State Warriors 2014–15 NBA champions}} {{Golden State Warriors}} {{Cleveland Cavaliers}} {{2014–15 NBA season by team}} {{NBA on ABC}} {{DEFAULTSORT:2015 NBA Finals}} [[Category:2014–15 NBA season|Finals]] [[Category:National Basketball Association Finals]] [[Category:2010s in Oakland]] [[Category:21st century in Cleveland, Ohio]] [[Category:2015 in California|NBA Finals]] [[Category:2015 in Ohio|NBA Finals]] [[Category:Cleveland Cavaliers]] [[Category:Golden State Warriors]]'