2016 NBA Finals
The 2016 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA) 2015–16 season and conclusion of this 2016 playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors 4–3 at a rematch of the 2015 NBA Finals. This was the 14th rematch of the preceding NBA Finals ever, and also the very first Finals since 2008 where the number one seed in every conference fulfilled. It was the second right rematch in back-to-back years, since the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs played in 2013 and 2014.
Golden State, which earned home-court advantage with establishing the NBA regular season wins record (73–9), jumped to a 2–0 lead to the string while recording the biggest combined margin of victory (48) through two games in NBA Finals history. Cleveland returned home and reacted using a 120–90 win in Game 3, but the Warriors won Game 4 to take a 3–1 series lead. The Cavaliers won the next 3 games to become the first team in Finals history to successfully defeat a 3–1 shortage. It also marked the first time since 1978 that Game 7 was won by the road team.
For the first time since 2004, a new scheduling format was assessed for the Finals. In previous years, the Finals were played at a Thursday–Sunday. However, the league changed its scheduling to ensure an excess day off for both groups, which need to journey from 1 town to another throughout the series. This, together with the designated travel day, took place after Games 2, 5, 4, and 6.
The triumph from the Cavaliers has been the first major professional sports championship won by a team based in Cleveland since 1964, along with also the first-ever championship won by the Cavaliers franchise. NBA Finals MVP winner LeBron James propelled the Cavaliers into the historical comeback. James had a great Finals performance, becoming the first player in NBA history to lead all players at a playoff series in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks
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