For the first time in NBA history, the same two teams will face each other in the Finals for the third straight year. With one victory apiece, this year’s championship matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors will decide who wins two out of three.
The Warriors bear a perfect 12-0 record in the playoffs after sweeping their way through the Western Conference to the NBA Finals. Portland, Utah and San Antonio each faced failed to win a single game against Stephen Curry and company.
On the other hand, the Cavaliers eliminated the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors in four games each, but it took them five games to beat the Boston Celtics, so they arrive to the Finals with a mark of 12-1.
With no worthy opponents in their conferences, these two teams had no choice but to meet each other in the Finals and play once again for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Although the Warriors won in 2015, last year the Cavs redeemed themselves with a historic 3-1 comeback, which gave Cleveland its first NBA title.
Now, with former Oklahoma City Thunder Kevin Durant in Golden State, the Warriors will have the chance to redeem themselves. They will try to ease the pain of blowing a 3-1 Finals lead and a chance at winning back-to-back titles by claiming back the crown from “King James.”
The only other time Durant reached the Finals was in 2012, when LeBron James won his first NBA title as he led the Heat to a five-game win against K.D, Russell Westbrook and the rest of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
These two teams faced each other twice during the regular season, with each team winning once.
Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown led the Cavs for five seasons between 2005 and 2010 and is a close connoisseur of James’s talents and should have his team more than ready to face “King James”.
Six players per side will repeat in these finals from that first meeting in 2014-2015. For Golden State, the repeating players are Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and James McAdoo, while James, Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and James Jones will do so for the Cavs.
The NBA Finals start June 1 at Oracle Arena in Oakland.
