2016 NBA playoffs

2016 NBA playoffs

Tournament details
Dates	April 16–June 19, 2016
Season	2015–16
Teams	16
Final positions
Champions	Cleveland Cavaliers (1st title)
Runner-up	Golden State Warriors
Semifinalists	Toronto Raptors Oklahoma City Thunder
← 2015 2017 →

The 2016 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2015–16 season. The tournament ended with the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers defeating the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors 4 games to 3 after the Warriors led the series 3 games to 1. In the NBA Finals, LeBron James was named NBA Finals MVP.

The Cavaliers swept their first two series and won the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Raptors to become the fourth team in NBA history to open a post-season with 10 straight victories. They matched the 2012 San Antonio Spurs, though the 1989 and 2001 Western Conference Los Angeles Lakers had won their first eleven games en route to sweeping the first three rounds of those playoffs. Cleveland wound up repeating this feat the next year when they swept the conference opening round, semifinal round, and winning the first 2 conference final games; this feat would be surpassed in those same 2017 NBA playoffs, when the Golden State Warriors won 15 straight games.

• The Golden State Warriors entered the playoffs with the best regular-season record in NBA history. The Warriors won 73 games, breaking the previous record of 72 wins set by the Chicago Bulls in the 1995–96 season. Golden State appeared in their fourth consecutive postseason for the first time since making six straight appearances from 1947 to 1952. However, they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder returned to the postseason after a one-season absence.
• The San Antonio Spurs finished just six games behind the Warriors for the best record in the NBA, entering their 19th consecutive postseason, having just one home loss in the regular season, setting a new single-season franchise record for wins. The Spurs' 40–1 home record equaled the feat set by the 1985–86 Boston Celtics. However, they lost in the Conference Semifinals to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

• The Toronto Raptors also finished with a franchise record for single-season victories, winning 56 games. They finished one game shy of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the Eastern Conference. However, they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals.
• The Detroit Pistons qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2009.
• The Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, and Indiana Pacers returned to the playoffs after a one-season absence.
• For the first time since 1999, all teams from the Eastern Conference finished with a better record against at least one team from the Western Conference. In addition, all Eastern Conference teams finished with records over .500 for the first time since 2012.

• Game 4 between the Cavaliers and the Pistons was the last playoff game played at the Palace of Auburn Hills, as well as the last major league postseason game played in Oakland County. The Pistons missed the playoffs the next year and moved to their new arena for the 2017–18 season.
• Game 7 between the Raptors and Pacers and the Heat and Hornets ensured a 17th straight postseason in which at least one Game 7 was played; 1999 was the last postseason to not feature a Game 7.
• With their Game 7 win over the Pacers, the Raptors won their first playoff series since 2001.

• With their Conference Semifinals victory over the Atlanta Hawks, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the fifth team (since the first round was extended to a best–of–seven series in 2003) to go 8–0 through the first two rounds and the first to do it twice; they first did so in 2009. This also marked the sixth consecutive year that LeBron James played in the Eastern Conference finals. James played in the Conference finals with the Miami Heat from 2011 to 2014, and with the Cavaliers in 2015.
• With their Game 6 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder made the Western Conference Finals for the third time in five seasons. As of 2023, this remains the most recent Thunder series victory.
• Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat marked the first time since 2001 that two teams that played a Game 7 in the previous round of the playoffs faced off against each other in another Game 7 in the next round.
• With their Game 7 win over the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors advanced to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in their history. This meant they also became the first Canadian–based and non–U.S. team to do so.

• For the first time since 2010, no Texas team was represented in the Western Conference finals.
• Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers was Toronto's first ever Eastern Conference finals win.
• Game 4 of the Western Conference finals marked the first time that the Golden State Warriors had lost consecutive games during the season.
• With their Eastern Conference Finals victory over the Toronto Raptors, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team in NBA history to go 8–0 in the first two rounds, and qualify to play in the NBA Finals. This also marked the sixth consecutive NBA Finals appearance for LeBron James. He became the first player since the 1960s to accomplish this feat.
• The Western Conference finals went to a Game 7 for the first time since 2002, when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings in overtime.
• With their 96–88 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, the Golden State Warriors became the tenth team in NBA History to come back from a 3–1 series deficit in the playoffs. As a result, this marked the second consecutive season an NBA team rallied from a 3–1 series deficit to win the series. The Warriors also became the first team to accomplish this feat in the Conference finals since the 1981 Boston Celtics.

• With their 104–89 and 110–77 wins over Cleveland in Game 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals, the Warriors posted the highest winning margin in the first two games in the NBA Finals with an +48 point differential.
• Thanks to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 120–90 Game 3 victory, the Golden State Warriors lost every Game 3 of their 2016 playoff run.
• Draymond Green became the first NBA player to be suspended for an NBA Finals game since Jerry Stackhouse in 2006. He was suspended for Game 5, due to incurring excessive flagrant foul points in Game 4 (in which the Warriors won 108–97).
• In Game 5, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving became the first pair to each record 40+ points in a single NBA Finals game in history, helping the Cavaliers win 112–97.
• In Game 6, Stephen Curry, the unanimous MVP of the regular season, was ejected for throwing a mouthpiece in the fourth quarter. His Golden State Warriors would go on to lose 101–115.
• The NBA Finals went to a Game 7 for the first time since 2013, when the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95–88.

• Game 7 of the NBA Finals was extremely notable for The Block (basketball), in which LeBron James blocked a layup by Andre Iguodala to keep the score tied at 89. This block, along with Kyrie Irving's title winning three pointer would seal the win for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
• With the win, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team to win Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road since the 1978 Washington Bullets accomplished the feat against the Seattle SuperSonics. They also became the first team overall to win a Game 7 on the road since the Brooklyn Nets (which was also decided on a game-winning block).
• With the loss, the Golden State Warriors became the first team to overcome a 3–1 series deficit and blow a 3–1 series lead in the same playoffs. They also became the first team in NBA History to win 70+ regular season games and fail to win the NBA Championship.
• The Cavaliers became the 11th team to overcome a 3–1 series deficit and the first to do so in the NBA Finals. It is also the first time in playoff history two NBA teams rallied from a 3–1 deficit in the same year. They also clinched Cleveland's first major sports title since 1964, effectively ending the Cleveland sports curse.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers became the first team since the 2006 Miami Heat to win an NBA Championship despite a midseason coaching change and despite trailing 2–0 (they became the fourth team overall to win the NBA Finals despite losing the first two games).
• The title the Cleveland Cavaliers won was clinched on Father's Day for the fourth time in NBA history (the previous occurrences were in 1996, 2003, and 2014). It also marked the first time since 2014 that when both teams made back-to-back Finals appearances, the team that lost in the Finals the year before won the title the next year.

Within each conference, the eight teams with the most wins qualify for the playoffs. The seedings are based on each team's record.

Each conference's bracket is fixed; there is no reseeding. All rounds are best-of-seven series; the team that has four wins advances to the next round. As stated above, all rounds, including the NBA Finals, are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format. The rule for determining home court advantage in the NBA Finals is winning percentage, then head-to-head record, followed by record vs. opposite conference.

On September 8, 2015, the NBA announced changes to how playoff teams were seeded. Previously, the division champions were guaranteed no worse than the fourth seed, while the team with the second-best record in the conference was guaranteed no worse than the second seed even if it wasn't a division champion. Starting with the 2016 playoffs, the eight playoff qualifiers in each conference will be seeded solely based on regular-season record. If two teams finish with identical records, the team that wins the regular-season series will get the higher seed. If the regular-season series is tied and one of the teams is a division champion, the division champion will get the higher seed.^[1] If three or more teams finish with identical records and one of the teams is a division champion, the division champion will get the higher seed.^[2]

On February 27, 2016, the Golden State Warriors became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.^[3] This was the earliest a team had clinched a playoff spot in February since the 1987–88 Los Angeles Lakers.^[4] The Cleveland Cavaliers became the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff spot on March 18, 2016.

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in Conference	Best record in NBA
1	Cleveland Cavaliers	57–25	March 18	March 21[5]	April 11	—
2	Toronto Raptors	56–26	March 23	March 31[6]	—	—
3	Miami Heat[a]	48–34	April 2	April 13	—	—
4	Atlanta Hawks[a]	48–34	March 29	—	—	—
5	Boston Celtics[a]	48–34	April 3	—	—	—
6	Charlotte Hornets[a]	48–34	April 2	—	—	—
7	Indiana Pacers	45–37	April 10	—	—	—
8	Detroit Pistons	44–38	April 8	—	—	—

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in Conference	Best record in NBA
1	Golden State Warriors	73–9	February 27[7]	March 13[8]	April 7	April 7
2	San Antonio Spurs	67–15	March 2[9]	March 12	—	—
3	Oklahoma City Thunder	55–27	March 18	March 20	—	—
4	Los Angeles Clippers	53–29	March 27	—	—	—
5	Portland Trail Blazers	44–38	April 6	—	—	—
6	Dallas Mavericks[b]	42–40	April 11	—	—	—
7	Memphis Grizzlies[b]	42–40	April 7	—	—	—
8	Houston Rockets	41–41	April 13	—	—	—

Notes

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage are shown in Italics.

First Round

Conference Semifinals

Conference Finals

NBA Finals

E1

Cleveland*

4

E8

Detroit

0

E1

Cleveland*

4

E4

Atlanta

0

E4

Atlanta

4

E5

Boston

2

E1

Cleveland*

4

Eastern Conference

E2

Toronto*

2

E3

Miami*

4

E6

Charlotte

3

E3

Miami*

3

E2

Toronto*

4

E2

Toronto*

4

E7

Indiana

3

E1

Cleveland*

4

W1

Golden State*

3

W1

Golden State*

4

W8

Houston

1

W1

Golden State*

4

W5

Portland

1

W4

LA Clippers

2

W5

Portland

4

W1

Golden State*

4

Western Conference

W3

Oklahoma City*

3

W3

Oklahoma City*

4

W6

Dallas

1

W3

Oklahoma City*

4

W2

San Antonio*

2

W2

San Antonio*

4

W7

Memphis

0

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−04:00)

In Game 3, Kyrie Irving hit the tough corner 3 late in the 4th quarter, with only 0.7 seconds remaining on the shot clock. In Game 4, Irving also hit a three to give the Cavaliers a 4-point lead with less than a minute left. Reggie Jackson would then drive and dunk the ball to cut the lead to 2. As Irving attempted another clutch 3, it went short and the players scrambled for the ball until the Pistons came up with it. As they looked for a 3 to force Game 5, or a 2 to send it to overtime, they look to Reggie Jackson. He took a 3 over Irving, but that went short as well, and the Cavaliers move on to the second round. Game 4 was also the last playoff game ever played at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Regular-season series

Detroit won 3–1 in the regular-season series

November 17, 2015 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Detroit Pistons 104 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan January 29, 2016 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 114, Detroit Pistons 106 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan February 22, 2016 Recap Detroit Pistons 96, Cleveland Cavaliers 88 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio April 13, 2016 Recap Detroit Pistons 112, Cleveland Cavaliers 110 (OT) Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning two out of the first three meetings.

Previous playoffs series^[10]

Cleveland leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
2006 Detroit Pistons 4, Cleveland Cavaliers 3 2006 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2007 Detroit Pistons 2, Cleveland Cavaliers 4 2007 Eastern Conference Finals 2009 Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Detroit Pistons 0 2009 Eastern Conference First Round

The Raptors won their first playoff series since the 2001 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals

Regular-season series

Toronto won 3–1 in the regular-season series

October 28, 2015 Recap Indiana Pacers 99, Toronto Raptors 106 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario December 14, 2015 Recap Toronto Raptors 90, Indiana Pacers 106 Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana March 17, 2016 Recap Toronto Raptors 101, Indiana Pacers 94 (OT) Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana April 8, 2016 Recap Indiana Pacers 98, Toronto Raptors 111 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario

This was the first meeting in the playoffs between the Raptors and Pacers.^[11]

With the series tied at two games apiece, Game 5 was a close one. After Kemba Walker misses a stepback jumper over Hassan Whiteside, Courtney Lee gets the offensive rebound and hits a clutch 3 with 25.2 seconds left. The Hornets then block 2 shots to seal it. It was their first playoff road win since game 4 of the 2002 playoffs against the Orlando Magic. By then, Charlotte was on the verge of an upset, but in Game 6, Dwyane Wade wouldn't let his team down. Although he hasn't hit a three since December 2015, he hits 2 clutch shots including a three with less than a minute to go, as the series goes back to Miami for a Game 7. There, the Heat closed out the series and advance to the second round, to face the Toronto Raptors, who also moved on to the second round for the first time since 2001.

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
October 28, 2015 Recap Charlotte Hornets 94, Miami Heat 104 AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami December 9, 2015 Recap Miami Heat 81, Charlotte Hornets 99 Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina February 5, 2016 Recap Miami Heat 98, Charlotte Hornets 95 Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, North Carolina March 17, 2016 Recap Charlotte Hornets 109, Miami Heat 106 AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the most recent meeting in 2014.

Previous playoffs series^[12]

Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
2001 Miami Heat 0, Charlotte Hornets 3 2001 Eastern Conference First Round 2014 Miami Heat 4, Charlotte Bobcats 0 2014 Eastern Conference First Round

Regular-season series

Atlanta won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 13, 2015 Recap Atlanta Hawks 93, Boston Celtics 106 TD Garden, Boston November 24, 2015 Recap Boston Celtics 97, Atlanta Hawks 121 Philips Arena, Atlanta December 18, 2015 Recap Atlanta Hawks 109, Boston Celtics 101 TD Garden, Boston April 9, 2016 Recap Boston Celtics 107, Atlanta Hawks 118 Philips Arena, Atlanta

This was the 12th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning ten of the first eleven meetings.

Previous playoff series^[13]

Boston leads 10–1 in all-time playoff series

1957 Boston Celtics 4, St. Louis Hawks 3 1957 NBA Finals 1958 St. Louis Hawks 4, Boston Celtics 2 1958 NBA Finals 1960 Boston Celtics 4, St. Louis Hawks 3 1960 NBA Finals 1961 Boston Celtics 4, St. Louis Hawks 1 1961 NBA Finals 1972 Boston Celtics 4, Atlanta Hawks 2 1972 Eastern Conference First Round 1973 Boston Celtics 4, Atlanta Hawks 2 1973 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1983 Boston Celtics 2, Atlanta Hawks 1 1983 Eastern Conference First Round 1986 Boston Celtics 4, Atlanta Hawks 1 1986 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1988 Boston Celtics 4, Atlanta Hawks 3 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2008 Boston Celtics 4, Atlanta Hawks 3 2008 Eastern Conference First Round 2012 Boston Celtics 4, Atlanta Hawks 2 2012 Eastern Conference First Round

The Warriors, after game 1, went through games 2 and 3 without Stephen Curry. He injured his ankle and would be lost until game 4. Game 4 saw him injure his knee, as he slipped on a wet spot on the floor at the Toyota Center in Houston.^[14] Curry's Warriors teammates stepped up and blew out the Rockets by 27 points. They would close out the series by blowing the Rockets out again, by 33 points.

Regular-season series

Golden State won 3–0 in the regular-season series
October 30, 2015 Recap Golden State Warriors 112, Houston Rockets 92 Toyota Center, Houston, Texas December 31, 2015 Recap Golden State Warriors 114, Houston Rockets 110 Toyota Center, Houston, Texas February 9, 2016 Recap Houston Rockets 110, Golden State Warriors 123 Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the first meeting being in 2015, as Golden State defeated Houston 4–1 in the Western Conference finals.

Previous playoffs series^[15]

Golden State leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2015 Golden State Warriors 4, Houston Rockets 1 2015 Western Conference Finals

Regular-season series

San Antonio won 4–0 in the regular-season series
November 21, 2015 Recap Memphis Grizzlies 82, San Antonio Spurs 92 AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas December 3, 2015 Recap San Antonio Spurs 103, Memphis Grizzlies 83 FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee March 25, 2016 Recap Memphis Grizzlies 104, San Antonio Spurs 110 AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas March 28, 2016 Recap San Antonio Spurs 101, Memphis Grizzlies 87 FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with San Antonio winning the most recent meeting in 2013.

Previous playoff series^[16]

San Antonio leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
2004 San Antonio Spurs 4, Memphis Grizzlies 0 2004 Western Conference First Round 2011 San Antonio Spurs 2, Memphis Grizzlies 4 2011 Western Conference First Round 2013 San Antonio Spurs 4, Memphis Grizzlies 0 2013 Western Conference Finals

Regular-season series

Oklahoma City won 4–0 in the regular-season series

November 22, 2015 Recap Dallas Mavericks 114, Oklahoma City Thunder 117 Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma January 13, 2016 Recap Dallas Mavericks 89, Oklahoma City Thunder 108 Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma January 22, 2016 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 109, Dallas Mavericks 106 American Airlines Center, Dallas February 24, 2016 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 116, Dallas Mavericks 103 American Airlines Center, Dallas

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two of the four meetings.

Previous playoff series^[17]

Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series
1984 Dallas Mavericks 3, Seattle SuperSonics 2 1984 Western Conference First Round 1987 Dallas Mavericks 1, Seattle SuperSonics 3 1987 Western Conference First Round 2011 Dallas Mavericks 4, Oklahoma City Thunder 1 2011 Western Conference Finals 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder 4, Dallas Mavericks 0 2012 Western Conference First Round

Regular-season series

Los Angeles won 3–1 in the regular-season series

November 20, 2015 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 91, Portland Trail Blazers 102 Moda Center, Portland, Oregon November 30, 2015 Recap Portland Trail Blazers 87, Los Angeles Clippers 102 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California January 6, 2016 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 109, Portland Trail Blazers 98 Moda Center, Portland, Oregon March 24, 2016 Recap Portland Trail Blazers 94, Los Angeles Clippers 96 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California

This was the first meeting in the playoffs between the Clippers and Trail Blazers.^[18]

In Game 2, the Cavaliers made history by hitting 18 three-pointers in the first half and 25 overall to break the record for most three-point field goals made by a team in a game.^[19] During Game 3's final minute, Jeff Teague pushed LeBron James into a Hawks fan, James would later claim that he was still okay. In Game 4, both teams were locked in battle until in the final seconds, a jump ball was called between Dennis Schröder and LeBron James, and the Hawks desperately won the tip, but the game-winning shot by Paul Millsap bounced off the rim as the Cavs make a second straight sweep.

This was the third time the Cavaliers swept the Hawks in the playoffs and it would be the second consecutive season the Cavaliers swept them.

Regular-season series

Cleveland won 3–0 in the regular-season series
November 21, 2015 Recap Atlanta Hawks 97, Cleveland Cavaliers 109 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio April 1, 2016 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 110, Atlanta Hawks 108 (OT) Philips Arena, Atlanta April 11, 2016 Recap Atlanta Hawks 94, Cleveland Cavaliers 109 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning the first two meetings.

Previous playoff series^[20]

Cleveland leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series.
2009 Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Atlanta Hawks 0 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals 2015 Atlanta Hawks 0, Cleveland Cavaliers 4 2015 Eastern Conference Finals

Even though the Raptors lost Game 1, Kyle Lowry hits a game-tying shot from half-court at the buzzer to force overtime. The play is similar to Chauncey Billups' half-court buzzer beater against the Nets in the 2004 playoffs, that also forced overtime. The end of Game 7 marks the Raptors' first ever trip to the Eastern Conference finals in their history.

Game 7 is noteworthy as being Dwyane Wade's last game with the Miami Heat (during his first stint with the team) as he would sign with the Chicago Bulls in the off-season. He would return to the Miami Heat in 2018 after being traded for a second-round pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Regular-season series

Toronto won 3–1 in the regular-season series
November 8, 2015 Recap Toronto Raptors 76, Miami Heat 96 AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami December 18, 2015 Recap Toronto Raptors 108, Miami Heat 94 AmericanAirlines Arena, Miami January 22, 2016 Recap Miami Heat 81, Toronto Raptors 101 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario March 12, 2016 Recap Miami Heat 104, Toronto Raptors 112 (OT) Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario

This was the first meeting in the playoffs between the Raptors and Heat.^[21]

In Game 4, when Stephen Curry came back from his knee injury, he scored 40 points, along with an NBA record 17 points in overtime to lead the Warriors to a 132–125 win. They closed out the series in Game 5, to advance and face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who defeated the 67-win San Antonio Spurs in their second round matchup.

Regular-season series

Golden State won 3–1 in the regular-season series

January 8, 2016 Recap Golden State Warriors 128, Portland Trail Blazers 108 Moda Center, Portland, Oregon February 19, 2016 Recap Golden State Warriors 105, Portland Trail Blazers 137 Moda Center, Portland, Oregon March 11, 2016 Recap Portland Trail Blazers 112, Golden State Warriors 128 Oracle Arena, Oakland, California April 3, 2016 Recap Portland Trail Blazers 111, Golden State Warriors 136 Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

This was the first meeting in the playoffs between the Warriors and Trail Blazers.^[22]

• Game 6 is Tim Duncan's final NBA game.

Regular-season series

Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series

October 28, 2015 Recap San Antonio Spurs 106, Oklahoma City Thunder 112 Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma March 12, 2016 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 85, San Antonio Spurs 93 AT&T Center, San Antonio March 26, 2016 Recap San Antonio Spurs 92, Oklahoma City Thunder 111 Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma April 12, 2016 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 98, San Antonio Spurs 102 (OT) AT&T Center, San Antonio

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning four of the first five meetings.

Previous playoff series^[23]

San Antonio leads 4–1 in all-time playoff series

1982 San Antonio Spurs 4, Seattle SuperSonics 1 1982 Western Conference Semifinals 2002 San Antonio Spurs 3, Seattle SuperSonics 2 2002 Western Conference First Round 2005 San Antonio Spurs 4, Seattle SuperSonics 2 2005 Western Conference Semifinals 2012 San Antonio Spurs 2, Oklahoma City Thunder 4 2012 Western Conference Finals 2014 San Antonio Spurs 4, Oklahoma City Thunder 2 2014 Western Conference Finals

Games 1 and 2 were easy victories for the Cavaliers, as they pushed their playoff winning streak to 10 consecutive games. However, in Game 3, the Raptors dominated the first half, building up an 18-point lead, the largest deficit the Cavaliers faced all playoffs long. J.R. Smith's hot three-point shooting tried to lead Cleveland back, cutting the lead to 5, but the Raptors inevitably held on to win the game. DeMar DeRozan scored 32 points and Bismack Biyombo grabbed a Raptors' franchise record 26 rebounds. This loss by Cleveland ended their playoff winning streak at 10 games. Things would get worse in Game 4 as the Cavs were unable to slow down Kyle Lowry who scored 20 first-half points. Cleveland once again attempted a second half comeback, only this time they turned the game into a back and forth battle. Lowry's drive and score at the basket sealed the win for Toronto, tying the series at 2 games apiece. It was time for recovery for James and the Cavaliers in Game 5. They delivered yet another blowout victory, as they took a 3–2 series lead. The Raptors needed a win back home to force a decisive Game 7, but the Cavaliers closed out the series in Game 6 and won their second straight Eastern Conference title. For the sixth consecutive season, LeBron James advances to the NBA Finals, along with his teammate, James Jones.

Regular-season series

Toronto won 2–1 in the regular-season series
November 25, 2015 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Toronto Raptors 103 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario January 4, 2016 Recap Toronto Raptors 100, Cleveland Cavaliers 122 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio February 26, 2016 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 97, Toronto Raptors 99 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario

This was the first ever meeting in any professional sports league's postseason between teams from Cleveland and Toronto.^[24] Teams from the two cities met again less than five months later (and again in the penultimate round of the playoffs) when the Cleveland Indians beat the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 American League Championship Series.

During the Thunder-Warriors series, Draymond Green became the subject of multiple controversial plays against Oklahoma City players, most notably Steven Adams.

In Game 1, the Thunder upset the Warriors 108–102 and took a 1–0 series lead. It marked the Warriors' first loss at Oracle Arena in Oakland in the playoffs, as well as their third home loss of the season. In Game 2, despite a close game at the half, the Warriors soundly defeated the Thunder 118–91. Television cameras appeared to show Draymond Green kicking Steven Adams in the groin while he was attempting a layup. In Game 3, in the comfort of a raucous Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Thunder dominated the Warriors 133–105. During the game, Green received a flagrant foul 1 for again appearing to kick Adams in the groin.^[25] In Game 4, the Thunder once again handed the Warriors a commanding 118–94 defeat to take a 3–1 series lead. Green appeared to trip Enes Kanter during the game. ^[26] Returning to Oracle Arena in Game 5, the Warriors held on to defeat the Thunder 120–111, cutting their series deficit to 3–2. Kevin Durant scored 40 points in the loss. Despite their Game 5 loss, the Thunder were favored to advance to the NBA Finals in the comfort of their home court in Game 6, but the Warriors stunned the Thunder thanks to Klay Thompson, who scored a series-high 41 points and made an NBA playoff record 11 3s. Klay's performance and a poor shooting night from Kevin Durant, as the Warriors won the game 108–101 and tied the series 3-3, forcing a Game 7 in the Bay Area.^[27][28] In Game 7, Oklahoma City built a 13-point lead during the game and led 48–42 at halftime. However, the Thunder lost focus in the third quarter. After the Warriors thwarted Oklahoma City's brief comeback attempt in the fourth quarter, Golden State won 96–88 and became the 10th team to win an NBA playoff series after being down 3 games to 1.^[29] Game 7 was the last game Kevin Durant played with the Oklahoma City Thunder, before joining his opponent in this series, the Golden State Warriors.

Regular-season series

Golden State won 3–0 in the regular-season series
February 6, 2016 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 108, Golden State Warriors 116 Oracle Arena, Oakland, California February 27, 2016 Recap Golden State Warriors 121, Oklahoma City Thunder 118 (OT) Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma March 3, 2016 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 106, Golden State Warriors 121 Oracle Arena, Oakland, California

This was the third meeting in the playoffs between the Warriors and Thunder, with both teams tied at one a piece.

Previous playoff series^[30]

Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
1975 Golden State Warriors 4, Seattle SuperSonics 2 1975 Western Conference Semifinals 1992 Golden State Warriors 1, Seattle SuperSonics 3 1992 Western Conference First Round

After winning three of the first four games in the Finals with relative ease, the Warriors appeared to be overwhelming the Cavaliers as they moved to being within one win from back-to-back championships. However, the series shifted dramatically after Golden State's All-Star forward, Draymond Green, was suspended for game 5 after an altercation with Cleveland's LeBron James in game 4. Absent Green, the Warriors were lacking defensively, as Kyrie Irving and LeBron James became the first teammates to score 40 or more points each in a Finals game and led the Cavaliers to a 112–97 win to force game 6.^[31] Back in the Quicken Loans Arena for their final home game of the season, the Cavaliers tied the series at 3 games apiece by defeating Golden State, 115–101. After receiving his sixth personal foul in the fourth quarter, Stephen Curry was ejected for the first time in his career after throwing his mouthpiece at a Cavaliers fan.^[32] Game 7 came down to the wire. Late in the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 89, Andre Iguodala received a bounce pass from Curry. As Iguodala went up for the layup, he was blocked from behind by James, in what has since been recognized as one of the most memorable blocks in NBA playoff history, and among the most iconic plays of James's career. Reverse camera angles showed that James should have been called with goaltending as James's hand had touched the rim. With less than a minute to play, Kyrie Irving converted a 3-point shot to give the Cavaliers the lead. On their next possession, James was fouled by Green while attempting a dunk, and made one of his two free throws to increase the lead to four. While the Warriors managed to get the ball into the hands of Curry for a chance to cut the deficit to one, he was guarded well by Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert, and Curry was forced to take a sub par shot that missed, sealing the game as the city of Cleveland, Ohio's 52-year sports curse finally ended. The Cavaliers became the eleventh team to win an NBA playoff series after trailing 3 games to 1, and the first to do so in the NBA Finals. The Warriors became the best team (by regular season record) to fail to capture an NBA championship. Cleveland also became only the fourth team to win Game 7 of the NBA Finals on the road. This was the first NBA championship for the Cavaliers.^[33]

Regular-season series

Golden State won 2–0 in the regular-season series
December 25, 2015 Recap Cleveland Cavaliers 83, Golden State Warriors 89 Oracle Arena, Oakland, California January 18, 2016 Recap Golden State Warriors 132, Cleveland Cavaliers 98 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio

This was the second meeting in the NBA Finals between the Warriors and Cavaliers, with the Warriors winning the first meeting last season.

Previous playoff series^[34]

Golden State leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2015 Golden State Warriors 4, Cleveland Cavaliers 2 2015 NBA Finals

Category	High			Average
	Player	Team	High	Player	Team	Avg.	Games played
Points	Paul Millsap	Atlanta Hawks	45	Kevin Durant	Oklahoma City Thunder	28.4	18
Rebounds	Bismack Biyombo	Toronto Raptors	26	DeAndre Jordan	Los Angeles Clippers	16.3	6
Assists	Russell Westbrook	Oklahoma City Thunder	15	Russell Westbrook	Oklahoma City Thunder	11.0	18
Steals	Russell Westbrook	Oklahoma City Thunder	7	Kawhi Leonard	San Antonio Spurs	2.60	9
	James Harden	Houston Rockets		Trevor Ariza	Houston Rockets		5
Blocks	Draymond Green	Golden State Warriors	5	Myles Turner	Indiana Pacers	3.29	7

ESPN, TNT, ABC, ESPN2, ESPNews and NBA TV broadcast the NBA playoffs nationally in the United States. In the first round, regional sports networks affiliated with the teams can also broadcast the games, except for games televised on ABC. Throughout the first two rounds, TNT televised games Saturday through Thursday, ESPN televised games Friday and Saturday, and ABC televised select games on Saturday and Sunday, usually in the afternoon. NBA TV, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS aired select weekday games in the first round. TNT televised the Western Conference finals and ESPN televised the Eastern Conference finals. ABC televised the NBA Finals for the 14th consecutive year.

In Canada, national coverage is divided between the TSN and Sportsnet families of channels, with each group carrying approximately half of all games featuring the Toronto Raptors (produced independently of the U.S. national broadcasts regardless of round), and half of all other games (simulcast from the applicable U.S. broadcaster).

ESPN Radio had exclusive national radio rights to broadcast the playoffs in the United States. They broadcast mostly ABC games during the first two rounds, all of the conference finals, and the NBA Finals.

In Canada, the playoffs were carried on TSN Radio.

• NBA records