New York Knicks: 2025-26 NBA Champions

 

The New York Knicks are NBA champions.

Oklahoma City Thunder: 2024-25 NBA Champions

 

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court for the final time this season, collapsed into the arms of coach Mark Daigneault and finally smiled.

It was over.

The climb is complete. The rebuild is done. The Oklahoma City Thunder are champions.

The best team all season was the best team at the end, bringing the NBA title to Oklahoma City for the first time. Gilgeous-Alexander finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers - who lost Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes - 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.

“It doesn’t feel real,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, the Finals MVP. “So many hours. So many moments. So many emotions. So many nights of disbelief. So many nights of belief. It’s crazy to know that we’re all here, but this group worked for it. This group put in the hours and we deserve this.”

Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished off a season for the ages. Oklahoma City won 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season.

Only Golden State (88 in 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 in 2015-16) won more.

It’s the second championship for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979; the team was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. There’s nothing in the rafters in Oklahoma City to commemorate that title.

In October, a championship banner is finally coming. A Thunder banner.

“They behave like champions. They compete like champions,” Daigneault said. “They root for each other’s success, which is rare in professional sports. I’ve said it many times and now I’m going to say it one more time. They are an uncommon team and now they’re champions.”

The Pacers led 48-47 at the half even after losing Haliburton to what his father said was an Achilles tendon injury about seven minutes into the game. But they were outscored 34-20 in the third quarter as the Thunder built a 13-point lead and began to run away.

“Deflated, but proud of everything we’ve accomplished,” Pacers guard TJ McConnell said.

Bennedict Mathurin had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, which still is waiting for its first NBA title. The Pacers - who were 10-15 after 25 games and were bidding to be the first team in NBA history to turn that bad of a start into a championship - had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the series, but they simply didn’t have enough in the end.

Home teams improved to 16-4 in NBA Finals Game 7s. And the Thunder became the seventh champion in the last seven seasons, a run of parity like none other in NBA history.

Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was part of the Toronto team that won in 2019, Thunder guard Alex Caruso was part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that won in the pandemic “bubble” in 2020, Milwaukee won in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Pacers forward Thomas Bryant and Denver prevailed in 2023, and Boston won last year’s title.

And now, the Thunder get their turn. The youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century has reached the NBA mountaintop.

The Thunder are the ninth franchise to win a title in NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's 12 seasons. His predecessor, David Stern, saw eight franchises win titles in his 30 seasons as commissioner.

“It really hurts on the one hand,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “On the other hand, this team has given all of Pacer Nation something to be very proud of.”

Boston Celtics: 2023-24 NBA Champions

At long last, Banner 18 will be raised to the rafters. 

The Boston Celtics captured their first NBA championship since 2008 on Monday night, defeating the Dallas Mavericks, 106-88, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals — capping off a dominant run for a roster poised to reign atop the NBA for years to come. 

Sixteen years to the day since the 2007-08 Celtics secured the franchise’s 17th championship on the parquet floor, the 2023-24 Celtics penned a similar ending on Causeway Street. 

The 2023-24 Celtics were cut from a similar cloth as that 2008 club — both featuring rosters anchored by homegrown talent, and further elevated through several savvy offseason maneuvers by a Boston front-office hellbent on putting this franchise back on top. 

But unlike that 2008 team — which seized basketball immortality in its first year together — this Celtics core trudged through several heartbreaking missteps and stumbles on basketball’s highest stage before finally reaching the summit. 

From an unexpected run cut short by LeBron James in 2018, to a 2022 Finals campaign snapped by Steph Curry, to an unprecedented 0-3 rally against the Heat extinguished in 2023, the path to a title hasn’t always been easy for Boston.

But as the confetti rained down on the parquet floor on Monday night amid a cacophony of cheers and other delirium, it was only fitting that Boston’s record-setting 18th title was sealed via a pair of dominant performances from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The two pillars of Boston’s latest era of dominance further cemented themselves as franchise legends in Game 5. Tatum led the way for Boston with 31 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, while Jaylen Brown added 21 points.

Jrue Holiday secured his second ring with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Derrick White added 14 points

Kristaps Porzingis, returning to the court on Monday after missing the last two games with an ankle injury, added five points over 16 minutes. Al Horford finally secured his first title, with the 38-year-old big man contributing nine points.

Boston’s march to a title hit a setback on Friday night, with the Celtics’ hopes of a dominant sweep of the Mavericks snapped off of a 38-point blowout loss in Game 4. 

Despite that lopsided result, the Celtics remedied several of the woes that plagued them down at American Airlines Center. Boston sank 45.2% of its shots and routinely extended possessions by way of diving plays and scrappy second-chance baskets in the paint. 

Boston separated itself from Dallas in the first half, with a Sam Hauser 3-pointer fueling a 9-0 run that capped the opening quarter — giving Boston a 28-18 lead after 12 minutes of play.

While Tatum did a majority of the heavy lifting in the second quarter, it was yet another buzzer-beating, halfcourt heave from Payton Pritchard that ended the first half, opening a 21-point cushion for Boston. 

Even with Boston’s offense stalling at several points in the second half, Dallas was unable to claw back from such a sizable deficit — with Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic combining for 43 points on Monday. 

As the final seconds ticked off the clock, cheers of “Let’s Go Celtics” and “We Want Boston” echoed across the Celtics’ arena — a rallying cry of victory that will undoubtedly echo down Boylston Street in just a couple of days.

Denver Nuggets: 2022-23 NBA Champions

 

DENVER (AP) Confetti flying in Denver. The Nuggets sharing hugs while passing around the NBA championship trophy.

Those scenes that, for almost a half-century, seemed impossible, then more recently started feeling inevitable, finally turned into reality Monday night.

The Nuggets outlasted the Miami Heat 94-89 in an ugly, frantic Game 5 that did nothing to derail Nikola Jokic, who bailed out his teammates with 28 points and 16 rebounds on a night when nothing else seemed to work.

Jokic became the first player in history to lead the league in points (600), rebounds (269) and assists (190) in a single postseason. Not surprisingly, he won the Bill Russell trophy as the NBA Finals MVP - an award that certainly has more meaning to him than the two overall MVPs he won in 2021 and ’22 and the one that escaped him this year.

“We are not in it for ourselves, we are in it for the guy next to us,” Jokic said. “And that’s why this (means) even more.”

Denver's clincher was a gruesome grind.

Unable to shake the tenacious Heat or their own closing-night jitters, the Nuggets missed 20 of their first 22 3-pointers. They missed seven of their first 13 free throws. They overcame that to take a late seven-point lead, only to see Miami’s Jimmy Butler go off. He scored eight straight points to give the Heat a one-point lead with 2:45 left.

Butler made two free throws with 1:58 remaining to help Miami regain a one-point lead. Then, Bruce Brown got an offensive rebound and tip-in to give the Nuggets an edge they wouldn't give up.

Trailing by three with 15 seconds left, Butler jacked up a 3, but missed it. Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made two free throws each down the stretch to clinch the title for Denver.

Butler finished with 21 points.

“Those last three or four minutes felt like a scene out of a movie,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Two teams in the center of the ring throwing haymaker after haymaker, and it’s not necessarily shot making. It’s the efforts.”

Grueling as it was, the aftermath was something the Nuggets and their fans could all agree was beautiful. There were fireworks exploding outside Ball Arena at the final buzzer. Denver is the home of the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time in the franchise’s 47 years in the league.

“The fans in this town are unbelievable,” said team owner Stan Kroenke, who also owns the Colorado Avalanche, the team that won its third Stanley Cup last year. “It means a lot to us to get this done.”

The Heat were, as Spoelstra promised, a gritty, tenacious bunch. But their shooting wasn’t great, either. Miami shot 34% from the floor and 25% from 3. Until Butler went off, he was 2 for 13 for eight points. Bam Adebayo finished with 20 points.

The Heat, who survived a loss in the play-in tournament and became only the second No. 8 seed to make the finals, insisted they weren’t into consolation prizes.

They played like they expected to win, and for a while during this game, which was settled as much by players diving onto the floor as sweet-looking jump shots, it looked like they would.

The Nuggets, who came in shooting 37.6% from 3 for the series, shot 18% in this one. They committed 14 turnovers.

The tone was set with 2:51 left in the first quarter, when Jokic got his second foul and joined Aaron Gordon on the bench. Jeff Green and Jamal Murray, who finished with 14 points and eight assists on an off night, joined them there, too.

It made the Nuggets tentative on both sides of the court for the rest of the half. Somehow, after shooting 6.7% from 3 - the worst first half in the history of the finals (10-shot minimum) they only trailed by seven.

True to the Nuggets' personality, they kept pressing, came at their opponent in waves and figured out how to win a game that went against their type. Their beautiful game turned into a slugfest, but they figured it out nonetheless.

“What I was most proud about is, throughout the game, if your offense is not working and your shots are not falling, you have to dig in on the defensive end,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.

It felt almost perfect that an unheralded and once-chubby second-round draft pick from Serbia would be the one to lift Denver to the top of a league that, for decades, has been dominated by superstars, first-round draft picks and players who lead the world in sneaker and jersey sales.

Over their near five-decade stay in the league, the Nuggets have been the epitome of a lovable NBA backbencher – at times entertaining, adorned by rainbows on their uniforms and headlined by colorful characters on the floor and bench. But never quite good enough to break through against the biggest stars and better teams to the east, west and south of them.

Before this season, there were only two teams founded before 1980 – the Nuggets and Clippers – that had never been to an NBA Finals. The Nuggets took their name off that list, then joined San Antonio as the second original ABA team to capture the NBA’s biggest prize. The other two ABAers, the Pacers and Nets, have been to the finals but lost.

It was the Joker’s blossoming into a do-everything force that made the Nuggets a team to watch. Not everybody did. A shift to winning couldn’t change Denver’s location on the map – in a weird time zone in flyover territory – and it didn’t shift everyone’s view of the Nuggets.

Even in Denver.

There’s little doubt that this has always been a Broncos-first sort of town. No single Denver victory will outshine the day in 1998 when John Elway broke through and that team’s owner, Pat Bowlen, held the Lombardi Trophy high and declared: “This one’s for John!”

But this one? It won't take a back seat to much. It’s for every Dan (Issel), David (Thompson), Doug (Moe) or Dikembe (Mutombo) who ever came up short or got passed over for a newer, shinier model with more glitter and more stars.

For the first time in 47 seasons, nobody in the NBA shines brighter than the Nuggets.

“You live vicariously through these guys,” said Denver great LaPhonso Ellis, as he pointed to the big scoreboard announcing the Nuggets as champions. “And to see that there, ‘2023 NBA Champions’ here in Denver, that's so cool, and I'm honored to be a part of it."

Golden State Warriors: 2021-22 NBA Champions

Warriors beat Celtics 103-90 to win 4th NBA title in 8 years

Friday, June 17th, 2022 1:07 AM

By KYLE HIGHTOWER - AP Sports Writer

Game Recap

BOSTON (AP) The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions once again, topping the Boston Celtics 103-90 on Thursday night for their fourth title in the last eight seasons.

Stephen Curry scored 34 points and was named the NBA Finals MVP as the Warriors claimed the franchise's seventh championship overall. And this one completed a journey like none other, after a run of five consecutive finals, then a plummet to the bottom of the NBA, and now a return to greatness just two seasons after having the league's worst record.

''We found a way to just get it done,'' Curry said after the Warriors accepted the championship trophy and celebrated on the court.

With tears in his eyes and hoarse with emotion, Curry struggled to speak as he explained what allowed the Warriors to capture their latest crown.

''It's part of a championship pedigree, our experience,'' he said. ''We built this for 10-11 years. That means a lot when you get to this stage.''

For Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, it's a fourth championship. The first three rings came in 2015, 2017 and 2018, when Golden State was dynastic and made five consecutive trips to the finals.

''They're all unique, they're all special,'' coach Steve Kerr said of the multiple titles. ''This one might have been the most unlikely. ... It takes a group effort to get it done and we had a great group.''

Injuries, including ones that sidelined Thompson for 2 1/2 years, and roster changes changed everything. But this season, with Thompson returning around the midway point, the Warriors were finally back.

Back on top, too. Champions, again, denying the storied Celtics what would have been their record 18th championship, one that would have allowed Boston to break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.

This tale for the Warriors ended much differently than what was their most recent finals appearance against Toronto in 2019, one that saw Kevin Durant tear his Achilles tendon in Game 5 and then Thompson tear his ACL in what became the Raptors' title-clincher in Game 6.

The aftermath of that loss was exacerbated by Durant's decision to leave that summer in free agency to join the Brooklyn Nets and Thompson's own Achilles injury while rehabilitating his knee injury.

''It all paid off,'' Thompson said. ''It was dog days, a lot of tears shed. ... You knew it was a possibility, but to see it in real time. . It's crazy.''

It thrust a Golden State team into a rebuild that became a reload. The Warriors used their two-year hiatus from the NBA's biggest stages to retool their roster - adding a past No. 1 draft pick in Andrew Wiggins, who excelled in his first finals, along with another rising star in Jordan Poole.

''This one hits different for sure knowing what the last three years meant, what it's been like,'' Curry said. ''Injuries, the changing of the guard, rosters, the young guys. ... Now, we got four championships. Me, Dray, Klay and Andre.

''Finally got that bad boy,'' Curry added, referring to the MVP trophy. ''It's special. ... Everybody mattered in that process.''

Yes, it all clicked.

For Kerr, it's a ninth championship overall after winning five as a player. He's the sixth coach to capture four titles, joining Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla, Gregg Popovich and Pat Riley.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 34 points but Jayson Tatum finished with just 13, shooting just 6 of 18 from the field. Boston also committed 22 turnovers, dropping to 1-8 this postseason when committing 16 or more.

It was just the fifth defeat in 22 title-series appearances for Boston, which turned its season around to have a chance at this crown. Boston was 25-25 after 50 games, then went on a tear to get to the finals and nearly claim what would have been just the franchise's second championship since 1986.

It was the third consecutive season where things were affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and while things were closer to normal, pictures and video of the championship celebration will serve as a forever reminder that the virus was still an issue.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver could not be at the game because he remained in the league's health and safety protocols related to the virus. The redesigned Larry O'Brien Trophy - the golden souvenir given to the NBA champions - was presented to the Warriors by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum instead.

Boston trailed by as many as 22 points but battled back and cut the deficit to eight. A Jaylen Brown 3-pointer made it 86-78 with 5:33 to play, but the Warriors never relinquished the lead.

''Just couldn't withstand their runs,'' Celtics center Robert Williams said. ''Messing up. They played harder and won tonight.''

Curry sent Boston fans streaming toward the exits with his sixth 3 of the night to give the Warriors a commanding 15-point lead, 96-81 - then clasped his hands against face as he ran back down the court, signaling an end to Boston's hopes of extending the series.

''We've had so many great players,'' Kerr said, ''but Steph, ultimately is why this run happens.''

TIP-INS

Warriors: Went 19 of 45 from the 3-point line. . Improved to 20-1 when Green makes a 3-pointer.

Celtics: Boston's 13-point loss marked the first finals without a single-digit game. ... Former Celtic Ray Allen, a member of Boston's last championship team in 2008, sat courtside. Hall of Famer Robert Parish was also in attendance.

A RUN, AND A RESPONSE

The Celtics came out firing, riding the energy from a deafening TD Garden crowd to take an early 14-2 lead.

Golden State wasn't rattled and responded with a 35-8 run that stretched into the second quarter on the way to building as much as a 22-point lead. The Warriors outscored the Celtics 27-17 for the period and carried a 54-39 lead into the second half as some Celtics fans booed the home team as they left the court.

Boston fought back in the third, but the Warriors found their range from beyond the arc, connecting on six 3s in the quarter.

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Los Angeles Lakers: 2019-20 NBA Champions

They set themselves up with plenty of time to digest the magnitude of their accomplishment in those last game moments by building the second-largest halftime lead in the NBA Finals history. The ending was a long time coming in that sense—and in many other ways, too. After the final buzzer and just before the confetti flew, LeBron James reveled in the embraces of teammates on the court, and Anthony Davis sat alone nearby with his eyes buried in a towel.

Led by James and Davis in their first season together, the Lakers won the 2020 NBA championship Sunday with a 106-93 rout of the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. It was a unique accomplishment for this tightly knit group isolated for 95 consecutive days in Florida, playing a season that covered more than a calendar year because of the pandemic.

James spoke afterward about the incomparable elation of seeing teammates become champions—and explained how his personal sentiment is shaped by how long his journey goes.

“Live about the process,” James said, “and see the results. … We all live for that moment.”

It was a long time coming also for the legions of Lakers fans, who are frankly unaccustomed to going a decade without an NBA championship and rejoicing at the return to glory now.

The Lakers’ only other such drought in the past 50 years started after their 1987-88 NBA championship won in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s age-40 season, the penultimate season of his career. It’s fair to start wondering whether James, who turns 36 in December, can produce that kind of excellence in longevity. It would likely see him overtake Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s all-time leading scorer despite losing much of 2019 to injury and 2020 to the pandemic.

James was this team’s true captain, offering “must-win” text messages to teammates to spur their Game 4 and Game 6 victories. He delivered 28 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists against just one turnover Sunday after urging his teammates to “treat it like it was Game 7.”

James made the most of this entire bubble opportunity the NBA created to finish his second Lakers season. He became the only players besides Abdul-Jabbar and legendary Boston Celtics Bill Russell and Sam Jones to appear in 10 NBA Finals series. Once there, he earned his fourth Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award, but his first with the Lakers—a distinction that matters to him.

James came via free agency to join the list of great Lakers champions rather than shiver in fear of their shadow. It’s why in a long embrace with Lakers governor Jeanie Buss on the court Sunday that James said he offered this sentiment: “I’m proud to be a Laker.”

It’s why Buss said on the Spectrum SportsNet postgame show about James: “A Laker through and through.”

Unlike many of his peers who went anti-bandwagon when it came to successful franchises, James has long been a fan of the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and Lakers.

“I’m a supporter of winners,” he once said.

James had said last week that it’s particularly meaningful for him to help Buss to her first championship as Lakers governor. He referred to her as “an incredible owner” and “a powerful woman.”

“I’m just honored to be a part of it,” James said. “I love the history of the game, and I've read so much about Dr. Buss and his teams and his success. To be playing while his daughter is the owner of the team, I think is pretty cool.”

James averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists in the NBA Finals in his 17th professional season.

“He’s the greatest player the basketball universe has ever seen,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Sunday night.

The clinching victory showcased several facets of the jewel that Vogel polished this season: players starring in their roles, bouncing back after any defeat, suffocating defense played till exhaustion.

Rajon Rondo had told everyone in the team meeting Saturday: “If we’re going to win a championship, it has to be with defense.”

That’s how the Lakers’ lead swelled to 28 points by halftime, with surprise starter Alex Caruso adding to the team’s perimeter agility.

The last time the Lakers won a title, Rondo was on the other other team. He is the only player on either the Lakers or Boston Celtics from the 2010 NBA Finals who is still an active player in the league—and on Sunday he again looked an awful lot like the same player as back then. Sharp with decisions and his finishes at the rim after puppeteer mastery in manipulating the Heat defense to create the openings he sought, Rondo finished with 19 points and four assists off the bench.

Davis added 18 points, but his all-out defense and 15 rebounds were crucial. As usual, it all revolved around Davis and James.

Recalling that previous lull in championships for the Lakers, after Magic Johnson led them to the 1988 title, it wasn’t until 2000 when the Lakers won again. It was because of what Shaquille O’Neal came to call in himself and Kobe Bryant the “greatest Laker one-two punch ever,” which is saying something.

Johnson, whose work in the front office with Rob Pelinka turned the direction of the franchise, helped bring James to town—and Pelinka did the deal to trade for Davis. The traditions of tremendous Lakers tandems and dominant big men certainly continued with this title. But Davis was someone who ranked first in the league in loose balls recovered while towering at the rim, too.

The harmony between the two set the tone for this team. James even said after winning the title: “I want A.D. to be better than me.”

“Respect. True friendship,“ said Davis, who won his first championship at age 27—same as legendary winners James and Michael Jordan. “We’re just two guys who want to win. We were able to do it tonight.”

What they did was something Jerry Buss mentioned often wanting to accomplish: a 17th all-time title, matching the Celtics for the most in league history. The Lakers returned to the top, creating yet another formula for building a team around two stars, and committing to find an ultimate positive at a time in the world when there had been plenty of negative.

“It’s remarkable,” Kyle Kuzma said. “We are such a mentally tough team. Everybody sacrificed something for the betterment of the team.” 

Toronto Raptors: 2018-19 NBA Champions

Raptors capture first NBA title, beat Warriors in Game 6
By JANIE McCAULEY | AP Sports Writer

Jun. 14, 2019 1:11 AM ET

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Kawhi Leonard raised his arms high in triumph and celebrated Canada's first NBA championship.

''We the North!'' is now ''We the Champs!''

Leonard and the Toronto Raptors captured the country's first major title in 26 years with their most remarkable road win yet in the franchise's NBA Finals debut, outlasting the battered and depleted two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors 114-110 on Thursday night in a Game 6 for the ages.

''I wanted to make history here. That's what I did,'' a soaking wet Leonard said, ski goggles perched on his forehead and sporting a fresh black champions hat.

Stephen Curry missed a contested 3-pointer in the waning moments before Golden State called a timeout it didn't have, giving Leonard a technical free throw with 0.9 seconds left to seal it. Leonard, the NBA Finals MVP for a second time, then got behind Andre Iguodala for a layup as the buzzer sounded, but it went to review and the basket was called off before Leonard's two free throws. That only delayed the celebration for a moment.

When it actually ended, the typically stoic Leonard could let it all out. A Canadian team - and we're not talking hockey here - stood on top of one of the traditional major sports leagues for the first time since the Toronto Blue Jays won the 1993 World Series.

Serge Ibaka pulled his head up through the hoop by the Golden State bench as the crowd chanted ''Warriors! Warriors!'' after a sensational send-off at Oracle Arena.

Curry walked away slowly, hands on his head on a night Splash Brother Klay Thompson suffered a left knee injury and departed with 30 points.

Fred VanVleet rescued the Raptors down the stretch with his dazzling shooting from deep to score 22 points with five 3s off the bench, while Leonard wound up with 22 points. Kyle Lowry scored the game's first eight points and finished with 26 in all to go with 10 assists and seven rebounds.

Fans poured into the streets in Toronto, screaming and honking horns after the Raptors pulled off a third straight win on Golden State's home floor that said goodbye to NBA basketball after 47 seasons. And the Raptors did it with the very kind of depth that helped define Golden State's transformation into a dynasty the past five seasons.

This time, the Warriors were wounded.

Golden State already was down two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant, who had surgery Wednesday for a ruptured right Achilles tendon. Then, the Warriors lost Thompson - and they couldn't overcome just one more heartbreaking injury.

''A lot of bad breaks in the finals, to be honest,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. ''Like us, they kept on playing. We just had to keep on playing no matter who was out there. And I think they were super intense high-level games and both teams desperately trying to win.''

This thrilling back-and-forth game featured 18 lead changes, nine ties and neither team going ahead by more than nine points.

Curry scored 21 points but shot just 6 for 17 and went 3 of 11 on 3s. Iguodala added 22 for his biggest game this postseason as the Warriors did everything until the very last moment to leave a lasting legacy at Oracle.

Thompson provided his own dramatic memory. He injured his knee when fouled by Danny Green on a drive at the 2:22 mark of the third, was helped off the court and walked partially down a tunnel toward the locker room, then - shockingly - re-emerged to shoot his free throws before going out again at 2:19. He didn't return and left the arena on crutches.

''More than the what-ifs is just feeling bad for the players involved. Injuries are always part of the NBA season - any professional sport, injuries play a huge role,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''It's just the nature of these injuries, the severity of these injuries. And we'll know more about Klay. But we can sit here and say, well, if this hadn't happened or that hadn't happened, that doesn't matter. What matters is Kevin Durant is going to miss next season with an Achilles tear and Klay suffered a knee injury.''

In their best Bay Area version of Jurassic Park - Toronto's jam-packed gathering spot to cheer the Raptors - hundreds of red-clad fans stayed long after the game ended to watch the Larry O'Brien trophy ceremony. They waved the Maple Leaf and sang ''O Canada'' just as they did here after winning previously this series.

Lowry's hot start was almost fitting. It was the Toronto guard who got shoved on the sideline in Game 3 by Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens, now banned by the league and team for a year.

The Raptors, in their 24th season of existence, rallied from two games down to beat the Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals then took down the mighty Warriors on their home floor to deny Golden State a three-peat.

The Raptors went 8 for 32 on 3s in a 106-105 Game 5 defeat as the Warriors staved off elimination Monday in Toronto. They started 5 of 6 from long range in this one and finished 13 of 33 and converted 23 of 29 free throws.

Curry and these Warriors never, ever count themselves out. Yet down 3-1 in their fifth straight NBA Finals, they didn't have the health it took to win the past two titles and three of the past four against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

''This five-year run's been awesome but I definitely don't think it's over,'' Curry said.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Leonard scored 732 points this postseason and on Thursday passed Allen Iverson (723) for fourth place and Hakeem Olajuwon (725) for third on the NBA's single-postseason scoring list. James is second with 748 accomplished last year behind Michael Jordan's 759 points in 1992. ... Toronto 9-16 all-time at Oracle Arena but 4-0 overall this season.

Warriors: Thompson's 374 career postseason 3s passed James (370) for third place on the career playoff list, trailing only Curry (470) and Ray Allen (385). ... Thompson notched his second 30-point performance this postseason, 13th of his career and fourth in a finals game despite not playing the entire fourth quarter.

FOR OAKLAND

A gold rally towel read FOR OAK on one line and LAND on the next with the K and D lined up in white - a clever way to also pay tribute to Durant with his initials ''KD.''

Kerr narrated a pregame tribute to Oracle's legacy on the big screen.

In the 2,070th game at Oracle, the Warriors sold out their 343rd consecutive game and said farewell at last to the place they called home nearly five decades. Now, Golden State will move its games, practices and day-to-day operations to new Chase Center in San Francisco beginning next season.

Golden State Warriors: 2017-18 NBA Champions

Golden Still: Warriors sweep Cavs for second straight title
By TOM WITHERS | AP Sports Writer

Jun. 8, 2018 10:56 PM ET

CLEVELAND (AP) There were still a few seconds left on the clock when the Golden State Warriors stormed off their bench to begin a celebration that wasn't guaranteed.

They couldn't wait any longer.

They had reached their destination: dynasty.

Stephen Curry scored 37 points, Kevin Durant added a triple-double and another NBA Finals MVP trophy and the Warriors won their second straight title and third in four years Friday night, 108-85 over the Cleveland Cavaliers to complete a sweep and perhaps drive LeBron James from his home again to chase championships.

Love `em or hate `em, there is no denying them.

''That's how you know we're a great team, is when everybody's coming after us,'' Durant said. ''Whether it's opponents, whether it's different coaches panning for us, whether it's the fans, the media that hate us, it feels good when you're the team that everybody's gunning for. It makes us better.''

No team is better.

Golden State. Golden standard.

Overcoming obstacles all season long, the Warriors won their fourth straight finals matchup against James and Cleveland with ease.

''Looking at this playoff journey, we knew it wasn't going to be as easy as last year,'' Curry said. ''Then the challenges that faced us. In October we wanted to be back in this moment, and a lot went into it. It's a great feeling to be back here.''

It was the first sweep in the NBA Finals since 2007, when James was dismissed by a powerful San Antonio team in his first one. His eighth straight appearance didn't go well either, and now there's uncertainty where the superstar will play next.

James, who said he ''pretty much played the last three games with a broken hand'' after injuring himself in frustration following Game 1, finished with 23 points and spent the final minutes on the bench, contemplating what went wrong and maybe his next move.

Following the game, he sat quietly in his corner locker with a towel draped over his head. He arrived at his postgame news conference with a large black brace on his right hand and explained the injury was ''self-inflicted'' following an overtime loss in Game 1, which included a reversed official's call and teammate J.R. Smith dribbling out the clock to end regulation.

''I had emotions of you just don't get an opportunity like this on the road versus Golden State to be able to get a Game 1, and I let the emotions get the best of me,'' James said. ''Pretty much played the last three games with a broken hand, so that's what it is.''

Act IV between the Warriors and Cavs featured a drama-filled Game 1. But from there on, Durant, Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green and the rest of this California crew showed why they're the game's gold standard.

And they may stay that way.

Not wanting to give the Cavs or their fans any hope despite the fact that no team has ever overcome a 3-0 deficit in the NBA playoffs, the Warriors built a nine-point halftime lead when Curry ignored a closeout by James and dropped a 3-pointer.

Then the league's best team tightened the screws on Cleveland in the third quarter, outscoring the Cavs 25-13 and prompting Golden State fans to begin those drawn-out ''War-eee-orrss'' chants that provide a perfect musical accompaniment to their 3-point barrages.

By the start of the fourth, the only question was whether Curry would win his first NBA Finals MVP or if it would go to Durant for the second year in a row.

And again, it was Durant, who added 12 rebounds and 10 assists - more satisfaction and validation for a player who couldn't beat the Warriors so he joined them.

After surviving a rougher-than-usual regular season and beating top-seeded Houston in Game 7 on the road in the West finals, the Warriors pushed aside James and joined an elite group of teams to win multiple championships in a four-year span.

Only Bill Russell's Boston Celtics, the ''Showtime'' Lakers and the Los Angeles squad led by Kobe and Shaq, and Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls have been as dominant in such a short period of time.

The Dub Dynasty.

The path to this title was more precarious than the first two for coach Steve Kerr and the Warriors, who overcame injuries, expectations, a built-to-dethrone-them Rockets team and the brilliance of James, who may have played his final game in Cleveland.

The 33-year-old, who came back to the Cavs and ended the city's 52-year championship drought in 2016, is expected to opt out of his $35.6 million contract and become a free agent.

''I have no idea at this point,'' he said when asked if he played his final game for the Cavs. ''The one thing that I've always done is considered, obviously, my family. So sitting down and considering everything, my family is a huge part of whatever I'll decide to do in my career, and it will continue to be that.''

James averaged 34 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10 assists in the series, but as has been the case in the past, he didn't have enough help.

Another Summer of LeBron is officially underway and there are already teams stretching from Philadelphia to Los Angeles hoping to land the three-time champion, who may have to go elsewhere to put together a cast strong enough - and as James made clear this week, smart enough - to bring down the Warriors.

Right now, Golden State is on another tier and with Durant expected to re-sign with them in weeks and Curry, Thompson, Green and the rest still young and hungry, their reign could last much longer.

''We've got a lot of three-time, two-time champs in there, and we'll have plenty of time in our lives to discuss that later,'' Curry said. ''So want to keep this thing going as long as we can.''

TIP-INS

Warriors: Curry made a 3-pointer in his record 90th consecutive postseason game and extended his mark for 3s in road playoff games to 44. . Became the ninth team to sweep the finals. ... Won a road game in 19 straight playoff series, tying the Heat's NBA record.

Cavaliers: James scored 748 points in the playoffs, the second most in a postseason behind Jordan, who scored 759 in 1992. Appeared in their 26th NBA Finals game, moving past Atlanta/St. Louis into 10th place all-time. ... James averaged 34 points in his 13th postseason, his second-highest total.

LUE BACK

James' future isn't the only one in question. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue, who took a medical leave this season while battling anxiety, said he intends to return.

''I had some tough problems going on throughout the course of the season, and I probably could have folded myself, but I wasn't going to do that,'' he said. ''I knew that even if I wasn't feeling a hundred percent, I had to get back for the playoffs. That's my time. That's my moment. I had to fight through it. That's what champions do. I gave everything I had.''

Golden State Warriors: 2014-15 NBA Champions

CLEVELAND (AP) Revived by a fresh-faced shooting superstar and a first-year coach who made them believe, the Golden State Warriors again reign supreme.

Their 40-year NBA championship drought is finally over.

A half century of misery in Cleveland drags on. LeBron James just didn't have enough help.

Stephen Curry and finals MVP Andre Iguodala scored 25 points apiece, Draymond Green recorded a triple-double and the Warriors - using a barrage of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter - won their first title since 1975 by finishing off James and the Cavaliers 105-97 on Tuesday night in Game 6.

For the first time since Gerald Ford was in the White House, disco was in vogue and Rick Barry was flicking in free throws under-handed, the best pro basketball team resides in the Bay Area.

And these Warriors are a lot like Barry and his old crew: fluid, balanced, together. Just like coach Steve Kerr hoped.

After falling behind by two points early in the third quarter, the Warriors took control with Curry, the league's MVP, and Iguodala, who made his first start of the season in Game 4, leading the way.

"World champs," Curry said, letting the title sink in. "This is truly special. This group is a special group. From the time we started the season this is what we envisioned and a lot of hard work goes into it, all the way down to the last minute of this game. This is what it's all about. ... We're going to remember this for a long time."

Golden State allowed the Cavaliers to creep within eight points in the fourth before unleashing a flurry of 3s to ensure they would be taking the Larry O'Brien Trophy back to California. Curry's step-back made it 78-68, and after the Cavs closed within seven on J.R. Smith's trey, Iguodala, Curry and Klay Thompson each drained one in a span of 81 seconds to make it 89-75.

Iguodala added another long shot for good measure before he strutted back on defense holding out three fingers on each hand.

He could have shot an index finger into the air at that point - Golden State is No. 1.

James returned from Miami to deliver a title to his home region, but the 30-year-old, left to do most of the work by himself after All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were injured in the postseason, came two wins shy of giving Cleveland its first pro sports championship since 1964.

They city's three pro teams - the Cavs, Browns and Indians - have gone a combined 144 seasons without one of them winning it all.

James had 32 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists in Game 6 and was dominant during the series, showing why he's the world's best player.

The Warriors were simply the better team.

James was replaced in the final seconds, but before he left the court, the four-time MVP shook hands with Curry and offered congratulations to Kerr and the rest of the Warriors.

"The sacrifice every guy made from Andre and David (Lee) stepping away from the starting lineup, we just played," Kerr said. "And they were all in it just to win. That's all that mattered. This is an amazing group of guys."

This series, which opened with two overtime games in Oakland, flipped when Kerr employed a small lineup in the fourth quarter of Game 3 and the Warriors nearly overcame a 20-point deficit before losing.

Kerr stuck with revamped lineup in Game 4, giving Iguodala a start, switching Green to center and benching the ineffective Andrew Bogut. The move was as golden as the Warriors, who finished with 83 wins, the third-highest single-season total in history.

Only the 1995-96 and 1996-97 Bulls won more, and Kerr was on both of those teams.

Cleveland fans did all they could to force a Game 7.

They entered the building chanting "Let's Go Cavs!" and joined Marlana VanHoose for the final stanza of the national anthem, a touching moment that showed Cleveland was "All In" to take on Golden State.

The Warriors, though, were ready.

Down early after missing open shots, they began finding their range. Golden State capitalized on nine turnovers in the first quarter, made four 3s and built a 13-point lead when Harrison Barnes knocked down a long 3 - a shot that sent several dozen gold-and-blue Warriors fans sitting near their bench into a frenzy.

This was their night, the one they've waited for 40 years.

While Golden State had some solid teams in the past - the "Run TMC" version coached by Don Nelson and featuring Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond among them - the franchise has been undermined by dysfunction. Along with long playoff gaps, there were bad trades, poor drafts and numerous coaching changes.

The Warriors often made headlines for the wrong reasons. Remember when Latrell Sprewell choked coach P.J. Carlesimo?

Well, those days are gone, washed away by Curry and Thompson - the "Splash Brothers" - and a roster of selfless players who bonded under Kerr and have returned basketball glory to Oakland.

These new Warriors have been a model team: sharing the ball, defending together and sacrificing individual goals.

"Strength in Numbers" was their motto as the Warriors used depth and balance to jump from 51 wins to a franchise-record 67 during the regular season.

Kerr molded them. Hired last summer after spurning an offer from the Knicks, the 49-year-old former NBA guard who won three of his five titles as Michael Jordan's teammate in Chicago and two playing for Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, Kerr brought out the best in his team.

From the first day of training camp, he emphasized unity. A California-born kid who still surfs and would prefer to wear jeans and a pair of Vans on the sideline, he kept things loose by taking the Warriors bowling and letting them blare music during practices.

With Curry, the team's first MVP since Wilt Chamberlain, leading them, the Warriors outgunned everyone in the rugged Western Conference and entered the postseason as a No. 1 seed. They swept New Orleans, rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Memphis and then blew through Houston in five games to make the finals for the first time since `75.

They then held off James and the undermanned Cavs, who just didn't have enough.

Not against a team as golden as the trophy its taking home.

San Antonio Spurs: 2013-14 NBA Champions

Summing it up

The Spurs started Game 5 of the Finals poorly at the AT&T Center, giving coach Gregg Popovich an unsettling flashback to one of the worst moments in franchise history. Much like their collapse in the 2012 Western Conference Finals, they were sluggish and stagnant, a far cry from consecutive beatdowns at Miami in which they elevated the game to artistic levels.

“I told my team we looked exactly like we did two years ago when we won the first two against OKC and then they won four in a row because we stopped moving the ball,” he said. “The ball didn’t move, it didn’t change sides. And that’s what the game looked like in the first six or seven minutes of the game.”

The Spurs trailed the Heat by 16 at that point, and visions of a return flight to Miami and squandered control were looming. But unlike last year, when fate conspired to steal the championship from their grasp, they simply would not be denied, crushing the Heat by 37 over the next two quarters and cruising to a 104-87 victory that capped their fifth championship and the most lopsided Finals triumph in NBA history.

The Spurs did lose a game in the series, winning 4-1. But their 14-point average margin of victory over those five games was a championship series record, as was their 52.8 team shooting percentage. That it came at the expense of the Heat, whose 4-3 victory in last year’s series continued to torment the Spurs well into this season, made it all the better. It said something about the depth of that heartbreak, and the achievement of getting back and earning redemption, that Tim Duncan said it was the most satisfying of his five championships dating back to 1999.

“It is sweeter than any other,” said Duncan, who became the first player to start for three different championship teams in three decades. “Whether it be because of the time frame, because I’m coming towards the end of my career, because I can have these two (his children) here and really remember it and enjoy the experience, all of those things make it that much more special.”

Having been beaten like no other team in the Finals, the Heat could only lavish praise on the team they devastated last year to win their second straight championship.

“We got smashed,” Chris Bosh said. “They exposed us. They picked us apart. They played the best basketball I’ve ever seen.”

Said LeBron James, “That’s how team basketball should be played. It’s selfless. Guys move, cut, pass. You get a shot, you take it, but it’s all for the team and it’s never about the individual. That’s (their) brand of basketball, and that’s how team basketball should be played.”

Even Manu Ginobili, so single-minded in his pursuit of another title that he said he couldn’t sit still to even read during the Finals, admitted getting caught up in the artistry of the Spurs’ play.

“There were some possessions on the court and seeing what was going on, some others on the bench, I was so proud,” he said. “Sometimes I felt like saying, ‘Wow, this is sweet.’ It was really fun to play like this.”

And, of course, to win and atone for last year’s defeat.

“To be so close last year, it was very cruel,” Tony Parker said. “But that’s the beauty of sport. Sometimes it’s tough. And sometimes it can be beautiful like today, because it shows a lot of character of the team to take a loss and to come back the following year and win the whole thing.

“It just makes the journey even more worth it. It was worth all the pain. It’s so sweet to win a championship the way we did. I would change nothing. It makes it even better, the fact that we had to go through that, to go through a tough loss, and to be able to come back.

“It just makes the journey even more worth it.”

Player of the game

Popovich wasted little time inserting bench captain Ginobili — less than three minutes, in fact. Yet the Spurs’ poor start got even worse, spiraling to a 22-6 deficit with five minutes left in the first quarter. That’s when Ginobili went to work, scoring six of his 19 points during a 12-0 surge that started the Spurs’ turnaround. Ginobili got into it with Miami counterpart Shane Battier to draw an offensive foul, then exchanged elbows with Chris Andersen on the ensuing timeout.

Rather than shrink, Ginobili lives for such confrontations. He later lifted off for a poster dunk in Bosh’s face as the Spurs padded their lead late in the first half, well on their way to victory. Ginobili averaged 14.4 points and shot 50 percent in the series, a huge performance after committing a total of 12 turnovers over the last two games of last year’s Finals.

“I’m not skilled enough to explain properly how we feel,” he said. “It was a tough summer. We all felt guilty. We all felt that we let teammates down. But we work hard. We got (back) to this spot, and we didn’t let go.”

The turning point

The game was barely seven minutes old, with anticipation of a championship celebration still thick in the air, when the Spurs found themselves on the wrong side of a 22-6 broadside. They responded in kind, destroying Miami’s lead and whatever was left of its collective psyche with an extended 59-22 surge spanning nearly two full quarters. The Spurs led by 21 at that point, and never fewer than 14 the rest of the way as they earned their fourth victory of at least 15 points in the series, and 12th in the entire postseason to extend their NBA record.

Miami Heat: 2012-13 NBA Champions

That’s three titles for a town and two crowns for its king.

With a season, a playoffs, an NBA Finals and a Game 7 that will echo for years to come, the Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 on Thursday night at AmericanAirlines Arena to win its second NBA championship in a row and cap the most exciting two weeks in South Florida sports history.

LeBron James played stunning, brilliant basketball to earn the NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year and Dwyane Wade, who played throughout the playoffs despite knee problems, saved his best for the final game of a grueling postseason. James finished with 37 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, going 12 of 23 from the field, 5 of 10 from three-point range and 8 of 8 from the free-throw line. Wade had 23 points, 10 rebounds and an assist and made 11 of his 21 attempts.

“This team is amazing, and the vision that I had when I decided to come here is all coming true,” James said. “Through adversity, through everything we’ve been through, we’ve been able to persevere and to win back-to-back championships. It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’m happy to be part of such a first-class organization.”

FINALLY, BACK TO BACK WINS

To repeat as champion, the Heat had to win back-to-back games for the first time since Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Miami won Game 7s in back-to-back series, providing South Florida with one of the most exhilarating rides professional sports can offer.

It was the Heat’s first Finals Game 7 in the 25-year history of the franchise and it was a classic. The teams seemed to swap the lead on nearly every possession throughout the third quarter, and the final period provided nail-biting drama until the final minute. Game 7 was tied 11 times and the lead changed hands seven times.

“This was a tremendous game,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It wouldn’t end any other way.”

James, who scored 22 points in the second half, nailed a 19-foot jumper with 27.9 seconds left to give the Heat a 92-88 lead and then, to seal the championship, stole a pass from Manu Ginobili after a timeout. He then made a pair of free throws to kick-start the celebration.

James scored 69 points in the final two games of the Finals and here’s a jaw-dropping statistic: Throughout his career, James has averaged 34.4 points in five career Game 7s.

“He made enough shots to make us change our defense over and over again,” Heat center Tim Duncan said. “We just couldn’t find a way to stop him.”

CHALMERS HITS KEY THREE

Mario Chalmers banked in a long three-pointer at the end of the third quarter to give the Heat a 72-71 lead. From there, the madness began. Consider this for a measure of how crazy Game 7 truly was: Only five players scored for the Heat, yet James, Wade, Chalmers and Shane Battier outscored the Spurs 92-88.

“Shane ain’t hit a shot since I don’t know when and tonight he was unconscious,” Wade said.

Battier, who redeemed himself 1,000 times over for his performance in the Eastern Conference finals, scored 18 points, going 6 of 8 from three-point range. Chalmers had 14 points, and Chris Andersen had three points to round out the uneven scoring. Ray Allen, Mike Miller and Chris Bosh shot 0 of 14 combined.

“It’s better to be timely than good,” Battier said. “I believe in basketball gods and I felt like they owed me big-time.”

For Duncan, the Spurs’ four-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer, it was his first loss in a Finals. He finished with 24 points, going 8 of 18 from the field, but went 2 of 6 in the fourth quarter. As a team, the Spurs shot 30 percent (6 of 20) from the field in the final period.

San Antonio led by three with 46.4 seconds left in the third quarter before Battier tied the score with his fourth three-pointer of the game.

“Game 7 is always going to haunt me,” Duncan said.

A STORYBOOK SEASON

Alongside the 1972 undefeated Dolphins, the 2013 Heat will go down as one of the greatest professional sports teams in South Florida history. The unforgettable run began with a franchise-best 66-win regular season, which included a 27-game winning streak, and ended on a makeshift stage in the middle of AmericanAirlines Arena with Heat owner Micky Arison raising his franchise’s third Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“Go party,” someone screamed into the stage’s microphone to the 19,900 fans in attendance and an entire city watching from homes and parties and bars throughout South Florida.

Thursday night marked the seven-year anniversary of the Heat’s first championship. In that time, Miami has celebrated more NBA titles than any other city. But this party was different. It was ecstasy borne from endurance and wonderment crafted by willpower.

For Heat players, coaches and fans, the back-and-forth nature of the final month of the postseason was a gut-wrenching exercise. Beginning May 22 and not ending until the final game on the last possible day of the postseason, the Heat swapped wins for losses and kept an entire city wrapped in dueling emotional states of despair and joy.

Last year, when the Heat won its first title of the Big 3 Era and put to rest the pain of 2011, James said the struggle was the toughest thing he had ever accomplished. This run to the title was exponentially more difficult and the sweetness of victory resonated throughout the region deep into the night.

‘THE SWEETEST ONE’

“This is the sweetest one by far because of everything we’ve been through, everything I’ve been through individually,” Wade said, “and to get here to this moment, to have that kind of performance, that kind of game, help lead my team – it’s special.”

James’ stretch of greatness since the start of the 2011-12 regular season has been a masterstroke of legendary athletic excellence. He has won it all two years running – the championship, the MVP and the NBA Finals MVP – becoming the first player to win all three in back-to-back seasons since Michael Jordan in 1991 and 1992.

“Everything that we’ve been through throughout this postseason, especially in these Finals, to be down – we were down every odd game,” James said. “We were scratching for our lives.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/21/v-fullstory/3462544/miami-heat-defeats-san-antonio.html#storylink=cpy

2013 NBA Playoffs: Conference Semifinal Matchups

Eastern Conference

Conference Semifinals



(1) Miami Heat vs. (5) Chicago Bulls
May 6
7:00 pm Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida TNT
May 8
7:00 pm Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida TNT
TBD
TBD Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls United Center, Chicago, Illinois TBD
TBD
TBD Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls United Center, Chicago, Illinois TBD
TBD
TBD Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat* American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida TBD
TBD
TBD Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls* United Center, Chicago, Illinois TBD
TBD
TBD Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat* American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida TBD




(2) New York Knicks vs. (3) Indiana Pacers
May 5
3:30 pm Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York ABC
May 7
7:00 pm Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York TNT
May 11
8:00 pm New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana ABC
TBD
TBD New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana TBD
TBD
TBD Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York TBD
TBD
TBD New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers* Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana TBD
TBD
TBD Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks* Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York TBD
Regular-season series
Tied 2-2 in the regular-season series:

November 18, 2012 Recap Indiana Pacers 76, New York Knicks 88 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
January 10, 2013 Recap New York Knicks 76, Indiana Pacers 81 Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
February 20, 2013 Recap New York Knicks 91, Indiana Pacers 125 Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
April 14, 2013 Recap Indiana Pacers 80, New York Knicks 90 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Last Playoffs meeting: 2000 Eastern Conference Finals (Indiana won 4-2)


Western Conference

Conference Semifinals



(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies
May 5
1:00 pm Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma ABC
May 7
9:30 pm Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma TNT
May 11
5:00 pm Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee ESPN
TBD
TBD Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee TBD
TBD
TBD Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder* Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma TBD
TBD
TBD Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Memphis Grizzlies* FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee TBD
TBD
TBD Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder* Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma TBD
Regular-season series
Memphis won 2–1 in the regular-season series:

November 14, 2012 Recap Memphis Grizzlies 107, Oklahoma City Thunder 97 Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
January 31, 2013 Recap Memphis Grizzlies 89, Oklahoma City Thunder 106 Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
March 20, 2013 Recap Oklahoma City Thunder 89, Memphis Grizzlies 90 FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Last Playoffs meeting: 2011 Western Conference Semifinals (Oklahoma City won 4–3).



(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (6) Golden State Warriors
May 6
9:30 pm Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas TNT
May 8
9:30 pm Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas TNT
May 10
10:30 pm San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California ESPN
TBD
TBD San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California TBD
TBD
TBD Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs* AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas TBD
TBD
TBD San Antonio Spurs vs. Golden State Warriors* Oracle Arena, Oakland, California TBD
TBD
TBD Golden State Warriors vs. San Antonio Spurs* AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas TBD
Regular-season series
Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series:

January 18, 2013 Recap Golden State Warriors 88, San Antonio Spurs 95 AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
February 22, 2013 Recap San Antonio Spurs 101, Golden State Warriors 107 OT Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
March 20, 2013 Recap Golden State Warriors 93, San Antonio Spurs 104 AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
April 15, 2013 Recap San Antonio Spurs 106, Golden State Warriors 116 Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Last Playoffs meeting: 1991 Western Conference First Round (Golden State won 3–1).