Tournament details | |
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Dates | April 14 – June 8, 2018 |
Season | 2017–18 |
Teams | 16 |
Final positions | |
Champions | Golden State Warriors (6th title) |
Runner-up | Cleveland Cavaliers |
Semifinalists |
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← 2017
2019 →
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The 2018 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2017–18 season. The playoffs began on April 14, 2018, and ended on June 8 with the Western Conference, and defending NBA, champion Golden State Warriors sweeping the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0. Kevin Durant was named the NBA Finals MVP for the second straight 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. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format. Home court advantage in any round belong to the higher-seeded team, who has the better regular season record (number 1 is the highest). If two teams with the same record meet in a round, standard tiebreaker rules are used. The rule for determining home court advantage in the NBA Finals is winning percentage, then head-to-head record, followed by intra-conference record.
On March 7, 2018, the Toronto Raptors became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.[3] On March 30, 2018, the Houston Rockets clinched the Western Conference ending a three-year run by the Golden State Warriors as the top seed.[4] The Rockets clinched the best record in the NBA a day later on March 31, 2018. For the first time since the 1996–97 NBA season, two teams played their last game against each other for the 8th and final spot in the playoffs. The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 112–106 in overtime to clinch the final playoff seed in the West. This also ended Minnesota's 13-year drought without a playoff appearance having last played in 2003–04 season.[5] For the first time since the 2010–11 NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers would miss the postseason following a loss to the Denver Nuggets on April 7, 2018. This is the first time since 1960 that none of the teams from New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago made the playoffs.[6] For the first time since 2005, both the Lakers and Clippers missed the playoffs in the same season.
Seed | Team | Record | Clinched | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Playoff berth | Division title | Best record in conference |
Best record in NBA | |||
1 | Toronto Raptors | 59–23 | March 7[7] | April 6[8] | April 6[8] | — |
2 | Boston Celtics | 55–27 | March 8[9] | — | — | — |
3 | Philadelphia 76ers | 52–30 | March 26[10] | — | — | — |
4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 50–32 | March 22[11] | April 10[12] | — | — |
5 | Indiana Pacers | 48–34 | March 25 [13] | — | — | — |
6 | Miami Heat | 44–38 | April 3[14] | April 11[15] | — | — |
7 | Milwaukee Bucks | 44–38 | April 4[16] | — | — | — |
8 | Washington Wizards | 43–39 | March 31[17] | — | — | — |
Seed | Team | Record | Clinched | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Playoff berth | Division title | Best record in conference |
Best record in NBA | |||
1 | Houston Rockets | 65–17 | March 11[18] | March 15[19] | March 29[20] | March 29[20] |
2 | Golden State Warriors | 58–24 | March 12[21] | March 15[22] | — | — |
3 | Portland Trail Blazers | 49–33 | April 1[23] | April 11[24] | — | — |
4 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 48–34 | April 9[25] | — | — | — |
5 | Utah Jazz | 48–34 | April 8[26] | — | — | — |
6 | New Orleans Pelicans | 48–34 | April 10[27] | — | — | — |
7 | San Antonio Spurs | 47–35 | April 10 [28] | — | — | — |
8 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 47–35 | April 11[29] | — | — | — |
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, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.
First round | Conference semifinals | Conference finals | NBA Finals | ||||||||||||||||
E1 | Toronto* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E8 | Washington | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
E1 | Toronto* | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
E4 | Cleveland* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E4 | Cleveland* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E5 | Indiana | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
E4 | Cleveland* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
Eastern Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
E2 | Boston | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
E3 | Philadelphia | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E6 | Miami* | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
E3 | Philadelphia | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
E2 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E2 | Boston | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
E7 | Milwaukee | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
E4 | Cleveland* | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
W2 | Golden State* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W1 | Houston* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W8 | Minnesota | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
W1 | Houston* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W5 | Utah | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
W4 | Oklahoma City | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
W5 | Utah | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W1 | Houston* | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
Western Conference | |||||||||||||||||||
W2 | Golden State* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W3 | Portland* | 0 | |||||||||||||||||
W6 | New Orleans | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W6 | New Orleans | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
W2 | Golden State* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W2 | Golden State* | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
W7 | San Antonio | 1 |
April 14 |
Washington Wizards 106, Toronto Raptors 114 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 36–27, 26–31, 21–28 | ||
Pts: John Wall23 Rebs: Markieff Morris11 Asts: John Wall 15 |
Pts: Serge Ibaka23 Rebs: Serge Ibaka 12 Asts: Kyle Lowry9 | |
Toronto leads series, 1–0 |
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario |
April 17 |
Washington Wizards 119, Toronto Raptors 130 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 27–44, 31–32, 32–24, 29–30 | ||
Pts: John Wall29 Rebs: Kelly Oubre Jr.5 Asts: John Wall 9 |
Pts: DeMar DeRozan37 Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas14 Asts: Kyle Lowry12 | |
Toronto leads series, 2–0 |
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario |
April 20 |
Toronto Raptors 103, Washington Wizards 122 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 32–39, 21–32, 21–21 | ||
Pts: DeMar DeRozan23 Rebs: Serge Ibaka6 Asts: Kyle Lowry8 |
Pts: Beal, Wall 28 each Rebs: Otto Porter8 Asts: John Wall 14 | |
Toronto leads series, 2–1 |
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C. |
April 22 |
Toronto Raptors 98, Washington Wizards 106 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 30–22, 21–18, 29–40, 18–26 | ||
Pts: DeMar DeRozan35 Rebs: Serge Ibaka10 Asts: DeMar DeRozan 6 |
Pts: Bradley Beal31 Rebs: three players 6 each Asts: John Wall14 | |
Series tied, 2–2 |
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C. |
April 25 |
Washington Wizards 98, Toronto Raptors 108 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 24–23, 23–25, 31–31, 20–29 | ||
Pts: John Wall26 Rebs: Marcin Gortat12 Asts: John Wall 9 |
Pts: DeMar DeRozan32 Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas13 Asts: Kyle Lowry10 | |
Toronto leads series, 3–2 |
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario |
April 27 |
Toronto Raptors 102, Washington Wizards92 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 20–30, 30–23, 23–25, 29–14 | ||
Pts: Kyle Lowry24 Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas12 Asts: Kyle Lowry 6 |
Pts: Bradley Beal32 Rebs: Markieff Morris15 Asts: John Wall8 | |
Toronto wins series, 4–2 |
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C. |
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Wizards winning the first meeting in 2015.[30]
Washington leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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April 15 |
Milwaukee Bucks 107, Boston Celtics 113 (OT) | ||
Scoring by quarter: 17–29, 30–15, 19–26, 33–29, Overtime: 8–14 | ||
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo35 Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo13 Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo7 |
Pts: Al Horford24 Rebs: Al Horford12 Asts: three players 4 each | |
Boston leads series, 1–0 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
April 17 |
Milwaukee Bucks 106, Boston Celtics 120 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–33, 29–27, 24–30, 31–30 | ||
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo30 Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 9 Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 8 |
Pts: Jaylen Brown30 Rebs: Jayson Tatum7 Asts: Terry Rozier8 | |
Boston leads series, 2–0 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
April 20 |
Boston Celtics 92, Milwaukee Bucks 116 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 12–27, 23–31, 32–27, 25–31 | ||
Pts: Al Horford16 Rebs: Greg Monroe12 Asts: Terry Rozier9 |
Pts: Khris Middleton23 Rebs: Khris Middleton 8 Asts: Khris Middleton 7 | |
Boston leads series, 2–1 |
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
April 22 |
Boston Celtics 102, Milwaukee Bucks 104 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 17–24, 18–27, 32–24, 35–29 | ||
Pts: Jaylen Brown34 Rebs: Aron Baynes11 Asts: Terry Rozier8 |
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo27 Rebs: Antetokounmpo, Parker 7 each Asts: Antetokounmpo, Bledsoe 5 each | |
Series tied, 2–2 |
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
April 24 |
Milwaukee Bucks 87, Boston Celtics 92 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 15–23, 22–25, 24–24, 26–20 | ||
Pts: Khris Middleton23 Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo10 Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 9 |
Pts: Al Horford22 Rebs: Al Horford 14 Asts: Terry Rozier5 | |
Boston leads series, 3–2 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
April 26 |
Boston Celtics 86, Milwaukee Bucks 97 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 15–26, 26–26, 21–23 | ||
Pts: Jayson Tatum22 Rebs: Al Horford10 Asts: Terry Rozier5 |
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo31 Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 14 Asts: Matthew Dellavedova6 | |
Series tied, 3–3 |
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
April 28 |
Milwaukee Bucks 96, Boston Celtics 112 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 17–30, 25–20, 25–31, 29–31 | ||
Pts: Khris Middleton32 Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo9 Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 5 |
Pts: Horford, Rozier 26 each Rebs: Al Horford 8 Asts: Terry Rozier 9 | |
Boston wins series, 4–3 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning four of the first five meetings.[31]
Boston leads 4–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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April 14 |
Miami Heat 103, Philadelphia 76ers 130 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 35–29, 25–27, 18–34, 25–40 | ||
Pts: Kelly Olynyk26 Rebs: Olynyk, Winslow 7 each Asts: Kelly Olynyk 5 |
Pts: JJ Redick28 Rebs: Ersan İlyasova14 Asts: Ben Simmons14 | |
Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
April 16 |
Miami Heat 113, Philadelphia 76ers 103 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–29, 34–13, 30–33, 27–28 | ||
Pts: Dwyane Wade28 Rebs: Johnson, Wade 7 each Asts: Kelly Olynyk6 |
Pts: Ben Simmons24 Rebs: Ersan İlyasova11 Asts: Ben Simmons 8 | |
Series tied, 1–1 |
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
April 19 |
Philadelphia 76ers 128, Miami Heat 108 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 37–33, 26–31, 33–30, 32–14 | ||
Pts: Joel Embiid23 Rebs: Ben Simmons12 Asts: Ben Simmons 7 |
Pts: Goran Dragić23 Rebs: Justise Winslow10 Asts: Goran Dragić 8 | |
Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 |
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida |
April 21 |
Philadelphia 76ers 106, Miami Heat 102 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 30–35, 23–22, 27–19 | ||
Pts: JJ Redick24 Rebs: Ben Simmons13 Asts: Ben Simmons 10 |
Pts: Dwyane Wade25 Rebs: Hassan Whiteside13 Asts: Josh Richardson7 | |
Philadelphia leads series, 3–1 |
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida |
April 24 |
Miami Heat 91, Philadelphia 76ers 104 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 25–23, 20–34, 25–24 | ||
Pts: Kelly Olynyk18 Rebs: Kelly Olynyk 8 Asts: Kelly Olynyk 6 |
Pts: JJ Redick27 Rebs: Joel Embiid12 Asts: Ben Simmons6 | |
Philadelphia wins series, 4–1 |
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
With the win, the Sixers won their first playoff series since 2012.
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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|
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first meeting.[32]
Miami leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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April 15 |
Indiana Pacers 98, Cleveland Cavaliers80 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 33–14, 22–24, 18–27, 25–15 | ||
Pts: Victor Oladipo32 Rebs: Myles Turner8 Asts: Darren Collison6 |
Pts: LeBron James24 Rebs: Kevin Love17 Asts: LeBron James 12 | |
Indiana leads series, 1–0 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
April 18 |
Indiana Pacers 97, Cleveland Cavaliers 100 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 18–33, 28–25, 21–16, 30–26 | ||
Pts: Victor Oladipo22 Rebs: Thaddeus Young6 Asts: Collison, Oladipo 6 each |
Pts: LeBron James46 Rebs: LeBron James 12 Asts: LeBron James 5 | |
Series tied, 1–1 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
April 20 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 90, Indiana Pacers 92 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 31–20, 26–20, 12–23, 21–29 | ||
Pts: LeBron James28 Rebs: LeBron James 12 Asts: LeBron James 8 |
Pts: Bojan Bogdanović30 Rebs: Myles Turner10 Asts: Victor Oladipo7 | |
Indiana leads series, 2–1 |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana |
April 22 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 104, Indiana Pacers 100 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 30–26, 20–28, 24–22 | ||
Pts: LeBron James32 Rebs: LeBron James 13 Asts: LeBron James 7 |
Pts: Domantas Sabonis19 Rebs: Thaddeus Young16 Asts: Darren Collison8 | |
Series tied, 2–2 |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana |
April 25 |
Indiana Pacers 95, Cleveland Cavaliers 98 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 31–26, 17–32, 22–17 | ||
Pts: Domantas Sabonis22 Rebs: Victor Oladipo12 Asts: Cory Joseph6 |
Pts: LeBron James44 Rebs: James, Love 10 each Asts: LeBron James 8 | |
Cleveland leads series, 3–2 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
LeBron James capped off his heroic Game 5 performance with a game-winning 3 at the buzzer to put the Cavaliers up 3–2 in the series. This was the fourth time James has hit a game-winning buzzer beater in the playoffs.
April 27 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 87, Indiana Pacers 121 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–29, 21–28, 20–35, 20–29 | ||
Pts: LeBron James22 Rebs: Kevin Love7 Asts: LeBron James 7 |
Pts: Victor Oladipo28 Rebs: Victor Oladipo 13 Asts: Victor Oladipo 10 | |
Series tied, 3–3 |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana |
April 29 |
Indiana Pacers 101, Cleveland Cavaliers 105 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 19–31, 24–23, 31–22, 27–29 | ||
Pts: Victor Oladipo30 Rebs: Victor Oladipo 12 Asts: Victor Oladipo 6 |
Pts: LeBron James45 Rebs: Tristan Thompson10 Asts: LeBron James 7 | |
Cleveland wins series, 4–3 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
Indiana won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series.[33]
Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
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April 15 |
Minnesota Timberwolves 101, Houston Rockets 104 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 26–27, 25–22, 29–28 | ||
Pts: Andrew Wiggins18 Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns12 Asts: Jeff Teague8 |
Pts: James Harden44 Rebs: Clint Capela12 Asts: James Harden8 | |
Houston leads series, 1–0 |
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas |
April 18 |
Minnesota Timberwolves 82, Houston Rockets 102 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 23–18, 17–37, 18–25, 24–22 | ||
Pts: Nemanja Bjelica16 Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns10 Asts: Jones, Wiggins 3 each |
Pts: Chris Paul27 Rebs: Clint Capela16 Asts: Chris Paul8 | |
Houston leads series, 2–0 |
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas |
April 21 |
Houston Rockets 105, Minnesota Timberwolves 121 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 23–25, 24–35, 30–34 | ||
Pts: James Harden29 Rebs: Clint Capela11 Asts: James Harden7 |
Pts: Jimmy Butler28 Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns16 Asts: Jeff Teague8 | |
Houston leads series, 2–1 |
Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
April 23 |
Houston Rockets 119, Minnesota Timberwolves 100 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 29–28, 50–20, 19–31 | ||
Pts: James Harden36 Rebs: Clint Capela17 Asts: Chris Paul6 |
Pts: Karl-Anthony Towns22 Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns15 Asts: Butler, Teague 5 each | |
Houston leads series, 3–1 |
Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota |
April 25 |
Minnesota Timberwolves 104, Houston Rockets 122 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 33–30, 15–30, 30–37 | ||
Pts: Karl-Anthony Towns23 Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns14 Asts: Jeff Teague7 |
Pts: Clint Capela26 Rebs: Clint Capela15 Asts: James Harden12 | |
Houston wins series, 4–1 |
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas |
Houston won 4–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first meeting.[34]
Houston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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April 14 |
San Antonio Spurs 92, Golden State Warriors 113 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 17–28, 24–29, 22–29, 29–27 | ||
Pts: Rudy Gay15 Rebs: Rudy Gay6 Asts: Pau Gasol4 |
Pts: Klay Thompson27 Rebs: Durant, Green 8 each Asts: Draymond Green11 | |
Golden State leads series, 1–0 |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California |
April 16 |
San Antonio Spurs 101, Golden State Warriors 116 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 28–24, 22–33, 26–36 | ||
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge34 Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge12 Asts: five players 3 each |
Pts: Kevin Durant32 Rebs: Iguodala, McGee 7 each Asts: Durant, Green 6 each | |
Golden State leads series, 2–0 |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California |
April 19 |
Golden State Warriors 110, San Antonio Spurs97 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 26–23, 32–26, 26–25 | ||
Pts: Kevin Durant26 Rebs: Kevin Durant9 Asts: Draymond Green7 |
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge18 Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge10 Asts: Aldridge, Murray 4 each | |
Golden State leads series, 3–0 |
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas |
April 22 |
Golden State Warriors 90, San Antonio Spurs 103 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–30, 20–26, 29–21, 19–26 | ||
Pts: Kevin Durant34 Rebs: Draymond Green18 Asts: Draymond Green9 |
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge22 Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge10 Asts: Ginóbili, Mills 5 each | |
Golden State leads series, 3–1 |
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas |
April 24 |
San Antonio Spurs 91, Golden State Warriors 99 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 20–22, 18–27, 27–30, 26–20 | ||
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge30 Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge12 Asts: Manu Ginóbili7 |
Pts: Kevin Durant25 Rebs: Draymond Green19 Asts: Draymond Green7 | |
Golden State wins series, 4–1 |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California |
Golden State won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning two of the first three meetings.[35]
Golden State leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||
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April 14 |
New Orleans Pelicans 97, Portland Trail Blazers95 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–18, 24–18, 30–27, 22–32 | ||
Pts: Anthony Davis35 Rebs: Anthony Davis14 Asts: Rajon Rondo17 |
Pts: CJ McCollum19 Rebs: Ed Davis13 Asts: Damian Lillard7 | |
New Orleans leads series, 1–0 |
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon |
April 17 |
New Orleans Pelicans 111, Portland Trail Blazers 102 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 29–36, 33–19, 24–24 | ||
Pts: Jrue Holiday33 Rebs: Anthony Davis13 Asts: Holiday, Rondo 9 each |
Pts: CJ McCollum22 Rebs: Al-Farouq Aminu15 Asts: CJ McCollum6 | |
New Orleans leads series, 2–0 |
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon |
April 19 |
Portland Trail Blazers 102, New Orleans Pelicans 119 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 20–36, 25–28, 25–27, 32–28 | ||
Pts: CJ McCollum22 Rebs: Al-Farouq Aminu8 Asts: Maurice Harkless4 |
Pts: Nikola Mirotić30 Rebs: Anthony Davis11 Asts: Rajon Rondo11 | |
New Orleans leads series, 3–0 |
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana |
April 21 |
Portland Trail Blazers 123, New Orleans Pelicans 131 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 31–32, 31–42, 36–31 | ||
Pts: CJ McCollum38 Rebs: Jusuf Nurkić11 Asts: Damian Lillard6 |
Pts: Anthony Davis47 Rebs: Davis, Mirotić 11 each Asts: Rajon Rondo16 | |
New Orleans wins series, 4–0 |
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana |
The Pelicans completed a sweep of the Trail Blazers for their 1st series win in the playoffs since the 2008 NBA playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks as the New Orleans Hornets.
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the first playoff meeting between the Trail Blazers and Pelicans.[36]
April 15 |
Utah Jazz 108, Oklahoma City Thunder 116 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 23–29, 24–27, 36–35 | ||
Pts: Donovan Mitchell27 Rebs: Donovan Mitchell10 Asts: Ricky Rubio5 |
Pts: Paul George36 Rebs: Russell Westbrook13 Asts: Russell Westbrook8 | |
Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0 |
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
April 18 |
Utah Jazz 102, Oklahoma City Thunder95 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 27–21, 21–33, 28–16 | ||
Pts: Donovan Mitchell28 Rebs: Derrick Favors16 Asts: Ricky Rubio9 |
Pts: Russell Westbrook19 Rebs: Paul George10 Asts: Russell Westbrook13 | |
Series tied, 1–1 |
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
April 21 |
Oklahoma City Thunder 102, Utah Jazz 115 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 30–22, 23–36, 22–31, 27–26 | ||
Pts: Paul George23 Rebs: Russell Westbrook11 Asts: Russell Westbrook9 |
Pts: Ricky Rubio26 Rebs: Rudy Gobert12 Asts: Ricky Rubio10 | |
Utah leads series, 2–1 |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah |
April 23 |
Oklahoma City Thunder 96, Utah Jazz 113 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 22–34, 21–32, 23–23 | ||
Pts: Paul George32 Rebs: Russell Westbrook14 Asts: Russell Westbrook3 |
Pts: Donovan Mitchell33 Rebs: Rudy Gobert10 Asts: Ricky Rubio8 | |
Utah leads series, 3–1 |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah |
April 25 |
Utah Jazz 99, Oklahoma City Thunder 107 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 34–29, 22–12, 22–37, 21–29 | ||
Pts: Jae Crowder27 Rebs: Ricky Rubio12 Asts: Ricky Rubio7 |
Pts: Russell Westbrook45 Rebs: Russell Westbrook15 Asts: Russell Westbrook7 | |
Utah leads series, 3–2 |
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
The Thunder trailed by as much as 25 points in the 3rd quarter. However, Russell Westbrook and Paul George combined for 47 second-half points to help keep their season alive. The Thunder outscored the Jazz 61-28 since the comeback started with 8:32 left in the 3rd quarter. The 25-point rally was their largest in franchise history and one of the biggest comebacks for a team facing elimination in playoff history.
April 27 |
Oklahoma City Thunder 91, Utah Jazz 96 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–18, 19–23, 29–37, 21–18 | ||
Pts: Russell Westbrook46 Rebs: Steven Adams15 Asts: Paul George8 |
Pts: Donovan Mitchell38 Rebs: Rudy Gobert13 Asts: Joe Ingles5 | |
Utah wins series, 4–2 |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah |
Oklahoma City won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the fifth playoff meeting between the SuperSonics/Thunder franchise and the Jazz, but the first since the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder in 2008. The two teams have split their previous four playoff matchups.[37]
Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May 1 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 113, Toronto Raptors 112 (OT) | ||
Scoring by quarter: 19–33, 38–27, 25–27, 23–18, Overtime: 8–7 | ||
Pts: LeBron James26 Rebs: Kevin Love13 Asts: LeBron James 13 |
Pts: DeMar DeRozan22 Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas21 Asts: Kyle Lowry10 | |
Cleveland leads series, 1–0 |
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario |
May 3 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 128, Toronto Raptors 110 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–29, 35–34, 37–24, 30–23 | ||
Pts: LeBron James43 Rebs: Kevin Love11 Asts: LeBron James 14 |
Pts: DeMar DeRozan24 Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas12 Asts: Kyle Lowry8 | |
Cleveland leads series, 2–0 |
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario |
May 5 |
Toronto Raptors 103, Cleveland Cavaliers 105 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 21–31, 25–24, 38–26 | ||
Pts: Kyle Lowry27 Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas11 Asts: Kyle Lowry 7 |
Pts: LeBron James38 Rebs: Kevin Love16 Asts: LeBron James 7 | |
Cleveland leads series, 3–0 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
LeBron James capped off a 38-point performance with a fadeaway bank shot floater[38] at the buzzer to lead the Cavs to a commanding 3–0 series lead.
May 7 |
Toronto Raptors 93, Cleveland Cavaliers 128 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–30, 21–33, 25–37, 21–28 | ||
Pts: Jonas Valančiūnas18 Rebs: DeRozan, Valančiūnas, 5 each Asts: Kyle Lowry10 |
Pts: LeBron James29 Rebs: LeBron James 8 Asts: LeBron James 11 | |
Cleveland wins series, 4–0 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
Cleveland won 2–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with Cleveland winning the first two meetings.[39]
Cleveland leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
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April 30 |
Philadelphia 76ers 101, Boston Celtics 117 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 23–31, 30–31, 26–30 | ||
Pts: Joel Embiid31 Rebs: Joel Embiid 13 Asts: Ben Simmons6 |
Pts: Terry Rozier29 Rebs: Terry Rozier 8 Asts: Marcus Smart9 | |
Boston leads series, 1–0 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 3 |
Philadelphia 76ers 103, Boston Celtics 108 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 31–22, 25–29, 19–28, 28–29 | ||
Pts: JJ Redick23 Rebs: Joel Embiid14 Asts: Ben Simmons7 |
Pts: Jayson Tatum21 Rebs: Al Horford12 Asts: Terry Rozier9 | |
Boston leads series, 2–0 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 5 |
Boston Celtics 101, Philadelphia 76ers 98 (OT) | ||
Scoring by quarter: 19–20, 29–31, 21–17, 20–21, Overtime: 12–9 | ||
Pts: Jayson Tatum24 Rebs: Aron Baynes10 Asts: Jayson Tatum 4 |
Pts: Joel Embiid22 Rebs: Joel Embiid 19 Asts: Ben Simmons8 | |
Boston leads series, 3–0 |
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
May 7 |
Boston Celtics 92, Philadelphia 76ers 103 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 21–26, 22–29, 27–27 | ||
Pts: Jayson Tatum20 Rebs: Al Horford10 Asts: Jayson Tatum 4 |
Pts: Dario Šarić25 Rebs: Embiid, Simmons 13 each Asts: McConnell, Simmons 5 each | |
Boston leads series, 3–1 |
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
May 9 |
Philadelphia 76ers 112, Boston Celtics 114 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 28–36, 30–22, 30–31 | ||
Pts: Embiid, Šarić 27 each Rebs: Joel Embiid 12 Asts: McConnell, Simmons 6 each |
Pts: Jayson Tatum25 Rebs: Aron Baynes9 Asts: Marcus Smart6 | |
Boston wins series, 4–1 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
Boston won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the 21st playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning 12 of the first 20 meetings.[40]
Boston leads 12–8 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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April 29 |
Utah Jazz 96, Houston Rockets 110 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–34, 18–30, 29–22, 28–24 | ||
Pts: Crowder, Mitchell 21 each Rebs: Rudy Gobert9 Asts: Ingles, Mitchell 5 each |
Pts: James Harden41 Rebs: Clint Capela12 Asts: James Harden 7 | |
Houston leads series, 1–0 |
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas |
May 2 |
Utah Jazz 116, Houston Rockets 108 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 36–28, 28–27, 22–30, 30–23 | ||
Pts: Joe Ingles27 Rebs: Rudy Gobert14 Asts: Donovan Mitchell11 |
Pts: James Harden32 Rebs: Clint Capela11 Asts: James Harden 11 | |
Series tied, 1–1 |
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas |
May 4 |
Houston Rockets 113, Utah Jazz92 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 39–22, 31–18, 23–25, 20–27 | ||
Pts: Gordon, Harden 25 each Rebs: Clint Capela8 Asts: James Harden 12 |
Pts: Royce O'Neale17 Rebs: Rudy Gobert9 Asts: Raulzinho Neto4 | |
Houston leads series, 2–1 |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 6 |
Houston Rockets 100, Utah Jazz87 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 30–23, 28–25, 21–17, 21–22 | ||
Pts: Chris Paul27 Rebs: Clint Capela15 Asts: Chris Paul 6 |
Pts: Donovan Mitchell25 Rebs: Rudy Gobert10 Asts: Joe Ingles4 | |
Houston leads series, 3–1 |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah |
May 8 |
Utah Jazz 102, Houston Rockets 112 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 16–21, 30–33, 32–21, 24–37 | ||
Pts: Donovan Mitchell24 Rebs: Rudy Gobert9 Asts: Donovan Mitchell 9 |
Pts: Chris Paul41 Rebs: Chris Paul 7 Asts: Chris Paul 10 | |
Houston wins series, 4–1 |
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas |
Houston won 4–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning five of the first seven meetings.[41]
Utah leads 5–2 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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April 28 |
New Orleans Pelicans 101, Golden State Warriors 123 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 34–35, 21–41, 19–27, 27–20 | ||
Pts: Anthony Davis21 Rebs: Anthony Davis 10 Asts: Rajon Rondo11 |
Pts: Klay Thompson27 Rebs: Draymond Green15 Asts: Draymond Green 11 | |
Golden State leads series, 1–0 |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California |
May 1 |
New Orleans Pelicans 116, Golden State Warriors 121 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 29–27, 26–31, 31–30, 30–33 | ||
Pts: Anthony Davis25 Rebs: Anthony Davis 15 Asts: Rajon Rondo12 |
Pts: Kevin Durant29 Rebs: Draymond Green9 Asts: Draymond Green 12 | |
Golden State leads series, 2–0 |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California |
May 4 |
Golden State Warriors 100, New Orleans Pelicans 119 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–30, 35–32, 19–30, 25–27 | ||
Pts: Klay Thompson26 Rebs: Draymond Green12 Asts: Draymond Green 9 |
Pts: Anthony Davis33 Rebs: Anthony Davis 18 Asts: Rajon Rondo21 | |
Golden State leads series, 2–1 |
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana |
May 6 |
Golden State Warriors 118, New Orleans Pelicans92 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 37–22, 24–32, 33–19, 24–19 | ||
Pts: Kevin Durant38 Rebs: Durant, Green 9 each Asts: Draymond Green 9 |
Pts: Anthony Davis26 Rebs: Anthony Davis 12 Asts: Rajon Rondo6 | |
Golden State leads series, 3–1 |
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana |
May 8 |
New Orleans Pelicans 104, Golden State Warriors 113 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 26–32, 30–27, 19–36, 29–18 | ||
Pts: Anthony Davis34 Rebs: Anthony Davis 19 Asts: Jrue Holiday11 |
Pts: Stephen Curry28 Rebs: Draymond Green14 Asts: Draymond Green 9 | |
Golden State wins series, 4–1 |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California |
Golden State won 3–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This was the second meeting in the playoffs between the two teams, with the Warriors winning the first meeting.[42]
Golden State leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||
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May 13 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 83, Boston Celtics 108 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 18–36, 17–25, 29–17, 19–30 | ||
Pts: Kevin Love17 Rebs: Tristan Thompson11 Asts: LeBron James9 |
Pts: Jaylen Brown23 Rebs: Marcus Morris10 Asts: Terry Rozier8 | |
Boston leads series, 1–0 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 15 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 94, Boston Celtics 107 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 27–23, 28–25, 22–36, 17–23 | ||
Pts: LeBron James42 Rebs: Kevin Love15 Asts: LeBron James 12 |
Pts: Jaylen Brown23 Rebs: Al Horford10 Asts: Marcus Smart9 | |
Boston leads series, 2–0 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 19 |
Boston Celtics 86, Cleveland Cavaliers 116 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 17–32, 24–29, 22–26, 23–29 | ||
Pts: Jayson Tatum18 Rebs: Al Horford7 Asts: Marcus Smart6 |
Pts: LeBron James27 Rebs: Kevin Love14 Asts: LeBron James 12 | |
Boston leads series, 2–1 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
May 21 |
Boston Celtics 102, Cleveland Cavaliers 111 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 18–34, 35–34, 23–21, 26–22 | ||
Pts: Jaylen Brown25 Rebs: Al Horford7 Asts: Terry Rozier11 |
Pts: LeBron James44 Rebs: Tristan Thompson12 Asts: four players 3 each | |
Series tied, 2–2 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
May 23 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 83, Boston Celtics 96 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 19–32, 23–21, 18–23, 23–20 | ||
Pts: LeBron James26 Rebs: LeBron James 10 Asts: LeBron James 5 |
Pts: Jayson Tatum24 Rebs: Al Horford12 Asts: Terry Rozier6 | |
Boston leads series, 3–2 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
May 25 |
Boston Celtics 99, Cleveland Cavaliers 109 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 25–20, 18–34, 30–29, 26–26 | ||
Pts: Terry Rozier28 Rebs: Al Horford9 Asts: Marcus Smart8 |
Pts: LeBron James46 Rebs: LeBron James 11 Asts: LeBron James 9 | |
Series tied, 3–3 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
May 27 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 87, Boston Celtics79 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 18–26, 21–17, 20–13, 28–23 | ||
Pts: LeBron James35 Rebs: LeBron James 15 Asts: LeBron James 9 |
Pts: Jayson Tatum24 Rebs: Marcus Morris12 Asts: Marcus Smart7 | |
Cleveland wins series, 4–3 |
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
It marked the first time since the 1987–88 season that the Celtics made two consecutive Conference finals. It was also the Celtics' first home loss of the postseason. Their loss at home after leading 3–2 in the series was the first time that had happened since 2009. This was the fifth time in NBA history that the road team won a Game 7 after the home team had won each of the first six games. LeBron James became the first non-Celtic to advance to 8 consecutive NBA Finals. It was also the second time in the Celtics' history that they had lost a playoff series in which they had taken a 2–0 lead.
Cleveland won 2–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||
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This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning four of the first seven meetings.[43]
Boston leads 4–3 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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May 14 |
Golden State Warriors 119, Houston Rockets 106 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 27–26, 31–24, 32–26 | ||
Pts: Kevin Durant37 Rebs: Draymond Green9 Asts: Draymond Green 9 |
Pts: James Harden41 Rebs: Chris Paul11 Asts: James Harden 7 | |
Golden State leads series, 1–0 |
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas |
May 16 |
Golden State Warriors 105, Houston Rockets 127 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 29–38, 29–31, 26–32 | ||
Pts: Kevin Durant38 Rebs: Stephen Curry7 Asts: Stephen Curry 7 |
Pts: Gordon, Harden 27 each Rebs: Capela, Harden 10 each Asts: Ariza, Paul 6 each | |
Series tied, 1–1 |
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas |
May 20 |
Houston Rockets 85, Golden State Warriors 126 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 21–23, 24–34, 18–38 | ||
Pts: James Harden20 Rebs: Chris Paul10 Asts: James Harden 9 |
Pts: Stephen Curry35 Rebs: Draymond Green17 Asts: Durant, Green 6 each | |
Golden State leads series, 2–1 |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California |
May 22 |
Houston Rockets 95, Golden State Warriors92 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 19–28, 34–18, 17–34, 25–12 | ||
Pts: James Harden30 Rebs: P. J. Tucker16 Asts: Harden, Paul 4 each |
Pts: Stephen Curry28 Rebs: Draymond Green13 Asts: Draymond Green 8 | |
Series tied, 2–2 |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California |
May 24 |
Golden State Warriors 94, Houston Rockets 98 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 17–23, 28–22, 27–26, 22–27 | ||
Pts: Kevin Durant29 Rebs: Draymond Green15 Asts: Stephen Curry6 |
Pts: Eric Gordon24 Rebs: Clint Capela14 Asts: Chris Paul6 | |
Houston leads series, 3–2 |
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas |
The game was a memorable back-and-forth affair that came down to the wire. In the final seconds (6.7 seconds to be exact) with the Rockets up 96–94, the Warriors had one last chance to tie or take the lead in the game, Draymond Green however lost his balance and turned the ball over to Eric Gordon who was then fouled and sealed the game making both of his free throws sending Houston within 1 game to their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1995, but it came at a cost however as Chris Paul suffered a "right hamstring injury" in the final minute, he did not play for the rest of the series.
Kevin Durant scored 29 points while Draymond Green had 15 rebounds & Stephen Curry had 6 assists for the Warriors
Eric Gordon scored 24 points while Clint Capela scored 14 rebounds & Chris Paul with 6 assists for the Rockets.
May 26 |
Houston Rockets 86, Golden State Warriors 115 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 39–22, 22–29, 16–33, 9–31 | ||
Pts: James Harden32 Rebs: Clint Capela15 Asts: James Harden 9 |
Pts: Klay Thompson35 Rebs: Draymond Green10 Asts: Draymond Green 9 | |
Series tied, 3–3 |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California |
Golden State rallied from a 17-point first quarter deficit by outscoring Houston 64–25 in the second half to force a Game 7. The Rockets' 25 second-half points tied a franchise record low for scoring in any half in the postseason.
May 28 |
Golden State Warriors 101, Houston Rockets92 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 24–30, 33–15, 25–23 | ||
Pts: Kevin Durant34 Rebs: Draymond Green13 Asts: Stephen Curry10 |
Pts: James Harden32 Rebs: P. J. Tucker12 Asts: Gordon, Harden 6 each | |
Golden State wins series, 4–3 |
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas |
The Rockets controlled the 1st half, leading by as much as 15 points, the half ended on an Eric Gordon buzzer-beating layup putting the score at halftime 54–43 in Favor of Houston. However, the game took a drastic change from that point as the Warriors would once again rally and took the lead with 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, a lead they never relinquished as they continued to cruise throughout the rest of the game to win their 4th Consecutive Western Conference title.
For The Warriors: Kevin Durant scored 34 points, Draymond Green scored 13 rebounds & Steph Curry scored 10 assists, the Team went 16-of-39 from the 3-point line during the game
For The Rockets: Although James Harden scored 32 points & 6 Assists with P.J. Tucker securing 12 rebounds, the Rockets missed 27 consecutive 3-pointers, which is a record for most ever missed consecutively in a playoff game. They also went 1-of-30 from the 3-point line to close out the game.
This is the Warriors' first game 7 road win since 1948 and the first Western Conference team to win a conference finals game 7 on the road since the 2001–02 Los Angeles Lakers.
Houston won 2–1 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||||||||
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This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning the first two meetings.[44]
Golden State leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||
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May 31 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 114, Golden State Warriors 124 (OT) | ||
Scoring by quarter: 30–29, 26–27, 22–28, 29–23, Overtime: 7–17 | ||
Pts: LeBron James51 Rebs: Kevin Love13 Asts: LeBron James 8 |
Pts: Stephen Curry29 Rebs: Draymond Green11 Asts: Green, Curry 9 each | |
Golden State leads series, 1–0 |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California |
June 3 |
Cleveland Cavaliers 103, Golden State Warriors 122 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 28–32, 18–27, 34–31, 23–32 | ||
Pts: LeBron James29 Rebs: Kevin Love10 Asts: LeBron James 13 |
Pts: Stephen Curry33 Rebs: Kevin Durant9 Asts: Stephen Curry 8 | |
Golden State leads series, 2–0 |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California |
June 6 |
Golden State Warriors 110, Cleveland Cavaliers 102 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 28–29, 24–29, 31–23, 27–21 | ||
Pts: Kevin Durant43 Rebs: Kevin Durant 13 Asts: Draymond Green9 |
Pts: LeBron James33 Rebs: Kevin Love13 Asts: LeBron James 11 | |
Golden State leads series, 3–0 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
June 8 |
Golden State Warriors 108, Cleveland Cavaliers85 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 34–25, 27–27, 25–13, 22–20 | ||
Pts: Stephen Curry37 Rebs: Kevin Durant12 Asts: Kevin Durant 10 |
Pts: LeBron James23 Rebs: Kevin Love9 Asts: LeBron James 8 | |
Golden State wins series, 4–0 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio |
Game 1 would go on to be an instant classic, with LeBron James scoring 51 points. The game was tight throughout, as neither team was able to gain separation. However, the final minutes did not come without controversy as Durant seemingly charged onto James when driving to the basket. The officials reviewed that James was not within the restricted area, and the call was then reversed into a blocking foul, thus allowing Durant to tie the game with a pair of free throws. Eventually, when the Warriors were leading 107–106, James passed the ball that went out of bounds while George Hill was fouled, thus giving him a pair of free throws. After making the first free throw to tie it at 107, he missed the second free throw, which was rebounded by J.R. Smith, who ran the clock as it was perceived that he believed the Cavaliers had the lead. He passed the ball to Hill, whose shot was blocked by Draymond Green at the buzzer. The Warriors dominated overtime 17-7 as they won the series opener 124–114.[45][46][47] Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson respectively scored 29, 26, and 24 points. In Game 2, the Warriors blew out the Cavs 122–103 as Curry sinked in 9 three-pointers and finished with 33 points and Durant dropped 26 points. The Warriors sent more double teams on James, holding him to 29 points.[48] As Game 3 shifted to Cleveland, the Cavaliers dominated the first half, leading by as many as 13. Curry and Thompson, the Splash Brothers, had a bad night only combining for only 21 points on 7-27 shooting.[49] However, in the second half, the Warriors fought back, making it a back-and-forth game as Kevin Durant scored 43 points, and made a key clutch shot in the closing minutes that put the Warriors up 106–100, and eventually winning 110–102 to put the Warriors up 3–0 for the second straight year.[50] After a close first half in Game 4, the Warriors dominated the third quarter and routed the Cavaliers 108–85 behind Stephen Curry's 37 points and seven three-pointers, as well as a triple-double by Durant, thus completing the sweep.[51] Durant won Finals MVP for the second straight year behind averages of 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists, while Curry averaged 27.5 points for the series. LeBron James led both teams in scoring and assists, putting up averages of 34.0 points and 10.0 assists in a losing effort.[52]
Golden State won 2–0 in the regular-season series | ||||||||||||
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This was the fourth meeting in the NBA Finals between these two teams, with the Warriors winning two of the first three meetings.[53]
Golden State leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series | ||||||||||||||||||
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Category | Game High | Average | |||||
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Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP | |
Points | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | 51 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | 34.0 | 22 |
Rebounds | Jonas Valančiūnas | Toronto Raptors | 21 | Anthony Davis | New Orleans Pelicans | 13.4 | 9 |
Assists | Rajon Rondo | New Orleans Pelicans | 21 | Rajon Rondo | New Orleans Pelicans | 12.2 | 9 |
Steals | Josh Richardson | Miami Heat | 7 | Victor Oladipo | Indiana Pacers | 2.43 | 7 |
Blocks | John Henson Clint Capela |
Milwaukee Bucks Houston Rockets |
6 | Anthony Davis | New Orleans Pelicans | 2.33 | 9 |
ESPN, TNT, ABC, NBA TV , ESPN2, and ESPNews televised the playoffs nationally in the United States. In the first round, regional sports networks affiliated with the teams also broadcast the games, except for games televised on ABC. Throughout the first two rounds, TNT televised games Sunday through Wednesday(2nd round), Thursday (1st round), ESPN televised games Thursday (2nd round)and Friday, and ABC televised selected games on Saturday and Sunday, usually in the afternoon. NBA TV, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS has aired select weekday games in the first round. ESPN/ABC televised the Eastern Conference finals, while the Western Conference finals was televised by TNT. ABC had exclusive television rights to the 2018 NBA Finals, which was the 16th consecutive year for the network.[54]
2017–18 NBA season by team
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