# 2015–16 Cleveland Cavaliers season

The 2015–16 Cleveland Cavaliers season was the 46th season of the Cleveland Cavaliers franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA championship, the first NBA championship in franchise history. During the regular season, the Cavaliers had the third best team offensive rating and were tenth in team defensive rating in the NBA. During the playoffs, the Cavaliers had the best team offensive rating and were eighth in team defensive rating in the NBA.
In the playoffs, the Cavaliers swept the Detroit Pistons in four games in the first round, then swept the Atlanta Hawks in four games in the Semi-finals, before finally defeating the Toronto Raptors in six games in the Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals for a second consecutive year. There, the Cavaliers faced off against the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors, the team that defeated them in the previous year's NBA Finals in six games, and were coming off of a record-breaking regular season, where the team posted a league-best 73–9 record.
The Cavaliers would go on to defeat the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals in seven games, coming back from a 3–1 series deficit to avenge their loss from the prior year. The Cavaliers became the first team in NBA Finals history to recover from a 3–1 series deficit and win. The Cavaliers' victory also marked the first championship win by a major professional sports team from Cleveland since 1964, ending a 52–year championship drought dating back to the 1964 NFL title won by the Cleveland Browns. The Cleveland Cavaliers would be the first NBA champion to represent the Central Division since the 2003–04 Detroit Pistons.

## Regular season summary

The Cavaliers started the season strong and rose to the top of the Eastern Conference. However, despite having the best record in their conference, the team fired head coach David Blatt on January 22, 2016. Assistant coach Tyronn Lue took over for the remainder of the season. The Cavaliers finished the regular season with a 57–25 record and obtained the number one seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2010.

## Postseason summary

In the 2016 NBA Playoffs' first round, the Cleveland Cavaliers matched up against the 8th seed Detroit Pistons. In the first game of their series, Cleveland's point guard Kyrie Irving led the way scoring 31 points and sealing a win for the Cavaliers, 106–101. The Cavs swept the rest of the series, winning 107–90 in Game 2, 101–91 in Game 3, and 100–98 in Game 4. Kyrie Irving was the top scorer of the series averaging 27.5 points per game, LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers in this series in assist and steals, averaging 6.8 assists and 1.8 steals, and big man Kevin Love led Cleveland in rebounds averaging 12 total rebounds per game. The Cavaliers were matched with the number four seed, Atlanta Hawks, for their second series in the 2015-2016 post-season. Similar to their last series, they swept their opponents 4–0. Lebron James led the way in scoring, averaging 24.3 points per game. He also led his team in assists and steals, averaging 7.8 assists and 3 steals per game. Kevin Love was the rebound leader for the series averaging 13 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers were now facing the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals. The series between the Raptors and the Cavaliers took 6 games to finish with Cleveland winning 4 to 2. This was the first time in their 2015-2016 playoff run that they lost a game. Lebron James led his team in all major stats against the Toronto Raptors. He averaged 26 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in the 6-game series. The Cavaliers were off to face the Golden State Warriors in the NBA finals. They were considered huge underdogs because the Warriors had accomplished an incredible feat in the regular season, seventy-three wins and nine losses, the best record ever in the NBA.
The Cavaliers lost three of the first four games of the 2016 NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors, who had defeated Cleveland in the Finals the year before. The first two games were blowouts for Golden State, 104–89 and 110–77 respectively, combining for a total winning margin of 48. Cleveland would respond with a 120–90 blowout of their own to cut the series deficit to 2–1, but the Warriors would pull away late in Game 4 to take a decisive 3–1 series lead. In turn, the Cavaliers won Games 5 and 6 of the series to bring about a climactic Game 7 at Oracle Arena.
With Game 7 tied at 89–89, LeBron James chased down and blocked Andre Iguodala's attempted lay-up in a play that became known as "The Block." The Cavaliers ultimately won Game 7, 93–89, for the first NBA championship in franchise history. Until then, no team had recovered from a 3–1 deficit in an NBA Finals series. James was named the unanimous NBA Finals MVP, receiving the award for the third time in his career.
This win ended a fifty-two year championship drought in the city of Cleveland, with the last championship that any major sports team had won there being in 1964 when the Cleveland Browns won an NFL season. When the game ended, it was visible the sense of relief that the players felt. Lebron James was the star of the show, and he could not hold his tears back. When he finally got the strength to stand up, the only thing that he was able to say was, "Cleveland, this is for you," as the Oracle Arena blasted with cheers from Cleveland fans. Not only was this a monumental win for the Cleveland Cavaliers, it also cemented Lebron James as one of the all-time greats of the NBA. Prior to this ring, he had only won with the Miami Heat. The win in Cleveland was undoubtedly one of the best basketball performances the NBA has ever seen.

## Draft picks

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College/Club team |
| 1 | 24 | Tyus Jones | PG | United States | Duke |
| 2 | 53 | Sir'Dominic Pointer | SG / SF | United States | St. John's |

## Player statistics
### Regular season

| Player | GP | GS | MIN | FG% | FT% | 3FG% | STL | BLK | AST | REB | PTS |
| LeBron James | 76 | 76 | 35.6 | 52.0% | 73.1% | 30.9% | 1.4 | .60 | 6.8 | 7.4 | 25.3 |
| Kyrie Irving | 53 | 53 | 31.5 | 44.8% | 88.5% | 32.1% | 1.1 | .30 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 19.6 |
| Kevin Love | 77 | 77 | 31.5 | 41.9% | 82.2% | 36.0% | .80 | .50 | 2.4 | 9.9 | 16.0 |
| J.R. Smith | 77 | 77 | 30.7 | 41.5% | 63.4% | 40.0% | 1.1 | .30 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 12.4 |
| Tristan Thompson | 82 | 34 | 27.7 | 58.8% | 61.6% | 0% | .50 | .60 | .6 | 9.0 | 7.8 |
| Matthew Dellavedova | 76 | 14 | 24.6 | 40.5% | 86.4% | 41.0% | .60 | .10 | 4.4 | 2.1 | 7.5 |
| Iman Shumpert | 54 | 5 | 24.4 | 37.4% | 78.4% | 29.5% | 1.0 | .40 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 5.8 |
| Mo Williams | 41 | 14 | 18.2 | 43.7% | 90.5% | 35.3% | .30 | .10 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 8.2 |
| Richard Jefferson | 74 | 5 | 17.9 | 45.8% | 66.7% | 38.2% | .40 | .20 | .8 | 1.7 | 5.5 |
| Timofey Mozgov | 76 | 48 | 17.4 | 56.5% | 71.6% | 14.3% | .30 | .80 | .4 | 4.4 | 6.3 |
| Channing Frye | 26 | 3 | 17.2 | 44.1% | 78.6% | 37.7% | .30 | .30 | 1.0 | 3.6 | 7.5 |
| Anderson Varejao | 31 | 0 | 10.0 | 42.1% | 76.2% | 0% | .40 | .20 | .6 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| James Jones | 48 | 0 | 9.6 | 40.8% | 80.8% | 39.4% | .20 | .20 | .3 | 1.0 | 3.7 |
| Jared Cunningham | 40 | 3 | 8.9 | 35.2% | 62.5% | 31.3% | .30 | .10 | .5 | 0.7 | 2.6 |
| Jordan McRae | 15 | 1 | 7.5 | 44.2% | 69.2% | 63.6% | .00 | .10 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 4.1 |
| Sasha Kaun | 25 | 0 | 3.8 | 52.9% | 45.5% | 0% | .20 | .20 | .10 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| Joe Harris | 5 | 0 | 3.0 | 25.0% | 0% | 25.0% | .00 | .00 | 0.4 | .6 | 0.6 |

## Standings

Eastern Conference :
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | c – Cleveland Cavaliers * | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y – Toronto Raptors * | 56 | 26 | .683 | 1.0 | 82 |
| 3 | y – Miami Heat * | 48 | 34 | .585 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 4 | x – Atlanta Hawks | 48 | 34 | .585 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x – Boston Celtics | 48 | 34 | .585 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 6 | x – Charlotte Hornets | 48 | 34 | .585 | 9.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x – Indiana Pacers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 12.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x – Detroit Pistons | 44 | 38 | .537 | 13.0 | 82 |
| 9 | Chicago Bulls | 42 | 40 | .512 | 15.0 | 82 |
| 10 | Washington Wizards | 41 | 41 | .500 | 16.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Orlando Magic | 35 | 47 | .427 | 22.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Milwaukee Bucks | 33 | 49 | .402 | 24.0 | 82 |
| 13 | New York Knicks | 32 | 50 | .390 | 25.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Brooklyn Nets | 21 | 61 | .256 | 36.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Philadelphia 76ers | 10 | 72 | .122 | 47.0 | 82 |
| Central Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
| c – Cleveland Cavaliers | 57 | 25 | .695 | – | 33‍–‍8 | 24‍–‍17 | 8–8 | 82 |
| x – Indiana Pacers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 12.0 | 26‍–‍15 | 19‍–‍22 | 8–8 | 82 |
| x – Detroit Pistons | 44 | 38 | .537 | 13.0 | 26‍–‍15 | 18‍–‍23 | 10–6 | 82 |
| Chicago Bulls | 42 | 40 | .512 | 15.0 | 26‍–‍15 | 16‍–‍25 | 10–6 | 82 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 33 | 49 | .402 | 24.0 | 23‍–‍18 | 10‍–‍31 | 4–12 | 82 |

## Preseason

2015 pre-season game log Total: 1–6 (Home: 1–4; Road: 0–2) :
Pre-season: 1–6 (home: 1–4; road: 0–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
1
October 7 7:00 pm
Atlanta
96–98
J. R. Smith (15)
LeBron James (7)
LeBron James (5)
Cintas Center 10,250
0–1
2
October 8 7:00 pm
@ Philadelphia
114–115
Jared Cunningham (31)
Austin Daye (9)
Matthew Dellavedova (5)
Wells Fargo Center 8,229
0–2
3
October 12 7:00 pm
Memphis
81–91
LeBron James (14)
Anderson Varejão (7)
Matthew Dellavedova (4)
Schottenstein Center 18,073
0–3
4
October 13 7:00 pm
Milwaukee
101–110
Mo Williams (18)
Kaun, Williams (6)
Cook, Williams (4)
Quicken Loans Arena 18,624
0–4
5
October 15 7:00 pm
Indiana
85–107
Timofey Mozgov (16)
Anderson Varejão (7)
Jared Cunningham (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 18,774
0–5
6
October 18 8:00 pm
@ Toronto
81–87
Mo Williams (13)
Timofey Mozgov (11)
Dellavedova, Varejão (5)
Air Canada Centre 19,800
0–6
7
October 19 7:00 pm
Dallas
103–97
J. R. Smith (19)
Jack Cooley (15)
Cunningham, Dellavedova (5)
Quicken Loans Arena 18,768
1–6 :
2015–16 season schedule :

## Regular season game log

2015–16 game log Total: 57–25 (Home: 33–8; Road: 24–17) :
October: 2–1 (home: 1–0; road: 1–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
1
October 27
@ Chicago
L 95–97
LeBron James (25)
Tristan Thompson (12)
Mo Williams (7)
United Center 21,957
0–1
2
October 28
@ Memphis
W 106–76
Kevin Love (17)
Kevin Love (13)
J. R. Smith (7)
FedExForum 18,119
1–1
3
October 30
Miami
W 102–92
LeBron James (29)
Kevin Love (14)
Matthew Dellavedova (10)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
2–1 :
November
: 11–3 (home: 8–0; road: 3–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
4
November 2
@ Philadelphia
W 107–100
LeBron James (22)
James, Thompson (9)
LeBron James (11)
Wells Fargo Center 18,094
3–1
5
November 4
New York
W 96–86
LeBron James (23)
Tristan Thompson (13)
Matthew Dellavedova (7)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
4–1
6
November 6
Philadelphia
W 108–102
LeBron James (31)
Kevin Love (14)
LeBron James (13)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
5–1
7
November 8
Indiana
W 101–97
LeBron James (29)
Kevin Love (15)
Matthew Dellavedova (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
6–1
8
November 10
Utah
W 118–114
LeBron James (31)
Kevin Love (8)
LeBron James (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
7–1
9
November 13
@ New York
W 90–84
LeBron James (31)
Kevin Love (11)
LeBron James (6)
Madison Square Garden 19,812
8–1
10
November 14
@ Milwaukee
L 105–108 (2OT)
LeBron James (37)
Kevin Love (14)
Matthew Dellavedova (7)
BMO Harris Bradley Center 18,717
8–2
11
November 17
@ Detroit
L 99–104
LeBron James (30)
Love, Thompson (9)
Mo Williams (7)
The Palace of Auburn Hills 18,442
8–3
12
November 19
Milwaukee
W 115–100
LeBron James (27)
Kevin Love (15)
Matthew Dellavedova (13)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
9–3
13
November 21
Atlanta
W 109–97
Kevin Love (25)
Tristan Thompson (16)
LeBron James (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
10–3
14
November 23
Orlando
W 117–103
Kevin Love (34)
Tristan Thompson (14)
LeBron James (13)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
11–3
15
November 25
@ Toronto
L 99–103
LeBron James (24)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (8)
Air Canada Centre 20,140
11–4
16
November 27
@ Charlotte
W 95–90
LeBron James (25)
Kevin Love (16)
James, Dellavedova (5)
Time Warner Cable Arena 19,093
12–4
17
November 28
Brooklyn
W 90–88
James, Love (26)
Tristan Thompson (11)
Matthew Dellavedova (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
13–4 :
December
: 8–5 (home: 4–1; road: 4–4)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
18
December 1
Washington
L 85–97
LeBron James (24)
LeBron James (13)
LeBron James (4)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
13–5
19
December 4
@ New Orleans
L 108–114 (OT)
LeBron James (37)
Love, Thompson (10)
LeBron James (8)
Smoothie King Center 17,906
13–6
20
December 5
@ Miami
L 84–99
Richard Jefferson (18)
Kevin Love (8)
Matthew Dellavedova (5)
American Airlines Arena 19,600
13–7
21
December 8
Portland
W 105–100
LeBron James (33)
LeBron James (10)
Kevin Love (4)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
14–7
22
December 11
@ Orlando
W 111–76
LeBron James (25)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (8)
Amway Center 17,239
15–7
23
December 15
@ Boston
W 89–77
LeBron James (24)
Timofey Mozgov (10)
Kevin Love (5)
TD Garden 18,624
16–7
24
December 17
Oklahoma City
W 104–100
LeBron James (33)
Tristan Thompson (15)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
17–7
25
December 20
Philadelphia
W 108–86
LeBron James (23)
Timofey Mozgov (8)
Irving, James, Smith, Shumpert (4)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
18–7
26
December 23
New York
W 91–84
LeBron James (24)
Kevin Love (13)
Matthew Dellavedova (7)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
19–7
27
December 25
@ Golden State
L 83–89
LeBron James (25)
Kevin Love (18)
Kevin Love (4)
Oracle Arena 19,596
19–8
28
December 26
@ Portland
L 76–105
Kevin Love (13)
Tristan Thompson (11)
Matthew Dellavedova (6)
Moda Center 19,393
19–9
29
December 28
@ Phoenix
W 101–97
Kyrie Irving (22)
Tristan Thompson (10)
LeBron James (7)
Talking Stick Resort Arena 18,319
20–9
30
December 29
@ Denver
W 93–87
LeBron James (34)
Kevin Love (14)
Matthew Dellavedova (5)
Pepsi Center 17,523
21–9 :
January
: 13–3 (home: 6–2; road: 7–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
31
January 2
Orlando
W 104–79
LeBron James (29)
Kevin Love (13)
Matthew Dellavedova (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
22–9
32
January 4
Toronto
W 122–100
Kyrie Irving (25)
Tristan Thompson (11)
Kyrie Irving (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
23–9
33
January 6
@ Washington
W 121–115
LeBron James (34)
LeBron James (10)
LeBron James (4)
Verizon Center 20,356
24–9
34
January 8
@ Minnesota
W 125–99
J.R. Smith (27)
LeBron James (12)
LeBron James (8)
Target Center 16,768
25–9
35
January 10
@ Philadelphia
W 95–85
LeBron James (37)
Kevin Love (15)
LeBron James (9)
Wells Fargo Center 19,226
26–9
36
January 12
@ Dallas
W 110–107 (OT)
LeBron James (27)
Kevin Love (11)
Kyrie Irving (9)
American Airlines Center 20,347
27–9
37
January 14
@ San Antonio
L 95–99
LeBron James (22)
Tristan Thompson (11)
LeBron James (4)
AT&T Center 18,418
27–10
38
January 15
@ Houston
W 91–77
Kyrie Irving (23)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (7)
Toyota Center 18,320
28–10
39
January 18
Golden State
L 98–132
LeBron James (16)
Kevin Love (6)
Matthew Dellavedova (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
28–11
40
January 20
@ Brooklyn
W 91–78
James, Love (17)
Kevin Love (18)
Irving, James (5)
Barclays Center 17,732
29–11
41
January 21
L.A. Clippers
W 115–102
James, Smith (22)
Kevin Love (16)
LeBron James (12)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
30–11
42
January 23
Chicago
L 83–96
LeBron James (26)
LeBron James (13)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
30–12
43
January 25
Minnesota
W 114–107
LeBron James (25)
Tristan Thompson (12)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
31–12
44
January 27
Phoenix
W 115–93
James, Love (21)
Kevin Love (11)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
32–12
45
January 29
@ Detroit
W 114–106
Kevin Love (29)
Tristan Thompson (14)
LeBron James (8)
The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,012
33–12
46
January 30
San Antonio
W 117–103
LeBron James (29)
Kevin Love (11)
LeBron James (7)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
34–12 :
February
: 8–5 (home: 6–2; road: 2–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
47
February 1
@ Indiana
W 111–106 (OT)
Kyrie Irving (25)
James, Thompson (12)
Kyrie Irving (7)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse 17,283
35–12
48
February 3
@ Charlotte
L 97–106
Kyrie Irving (26)
Kevin Love (12)
LeBron James (6)
Time Warner Cable Arena 19,189
35–13
49
February 5
Boston
L 103–104
LeBron James (30)
Tristan Thompson (10)
Kyrie Irving (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
35–14
50
February 6
New Orleans
W 99–84
Kyrie Irving (29)
Tristan Thompson (15)
LeBron James (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
36–14
51
February 8
Sacramento
W 120–100
Kyrie Irving (32)
James, Thompson (10)
Kyrie Irving (12)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
37–14
52
February 10
L.A. Lakers
W 120–111
Kyrie Irving (35)
Tristan Thompson (13)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
38–14
All-Star Break
53
February 18
Chicago
W 106–95
LeBron James (25)
Kevin Love (12)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
39–14
54
February 21
@ Oklahoma City
W 115–92
Kevin Love (29)
Tristan Thompson (11)
LeBron James (9)
Chesapeake Energy Arena 18,203
40–14
55
February 22
Detroit
L 88–96
Kyrie Irving (30)
LeBron James (8)
Irving, James (5)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
40–15
56
February 24
Charlotte
W 114–103
Irving, James (23)
Tristan Thompson (10)
Dellavedova, James (7)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
41–15
57
February 26
@ Toronto
L 97–99
LeBron James (25)
Tristan Thompson (9)
LeBron James (7)
Air Canada Centre 19,800
41–16
58
February 28
@ Washington
L 99–115
Kyrie Irving (28)
Timofey Mozgov (10)
Kyrie Irving (6)
Verizon Center 20,356
41–17
59
February 29
Indiana
W 100–96
LeBron James (33)
Tristan Thompson (11)
Irving, Love (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
42–17 :
March
: 11–5 (home: 6–2; road: 5–3)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
60
March 4
Washington
W 108–83
Kyrie Irving (21)
LeBron James (13)
Kyrie Irving (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
43–17
61
March 5
Boston
W 120–103
LeBron James (28)
Iman Shumpert (16)
LeBron James (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
44–17
62
March 7
Memphis
L 103–106
LeBron James (28)
Kevin Love (11)
Irving, James (5)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
44–18
63
March 9
@ Sacramento
W 120–111
Kyrie Irving (30)
LeBron James (11)
LeBron James (6)
Sleep Train Arena 17,317
45–18
64
March 10
@ L.A. Lakers
W 120–108
Kyrie Irving (26)
Tristan Thompson (14)
Kyrie Irving (9)
Staples Center 18,997
46–18
65
March 13
@ L.A. Clippers
W 114–90
LeBron James (27)
Tristan Thompson (14)
Irving, James (5)
Staples Center 19,342
47–18
66
March 14
@ Utah
L 85–94
LeBron James (23)
LeBron James (12)
Matthew Dellavedova (5)
Vivint Smart Home Arena 19,911
47–19
67
March 16
Dallas
W 99–98
Kyrie Irving (33)
Kevin Love (18)
Matthew Dellavedova (7)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
48–19
68
March 18
@ Orlando
W 109–103
Kyrie Irving (26)
Tristan Thompson (15)
LeBron James (8)
Amway Center 18,046
49–19
69
March 19
@ Miami
L 101–122
LeBron James (26)
Frye, Jefferson, Mozgov (4)
Irving, Shumpert (4)
American Airlines Arena 19,737
49–20
70
March 21
Denver
W 124–91
LeBron James (33)
LeBron James (11)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
50–20
71
March 23
Milwaukee
W 113–104
LeBron James (26)
Kevin Love (10)
Irving, James (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
51–20
72
March 24
@ Brooklyn
L 95–104
LeBron James (30)
Kevin Love (12)
LeBron James (5)
Barclays Center 17,732
51–21
73
March 26
@ New York
W 107–93
Kevin Love (28)
Kevin Love (12)
LeBron James (10)
Madison Square Garden 19,812
52–21
74
March 29
Houston
L 100–106
Kyrie Irving (31)
Kevin Love (11)
Kyrie Irving (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
52–22
75
March 31
Brooklyn
W 107–87
LeBron James (24)
Kevin Love (10)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
53–22 :
April
: 4–3 (home: 2–1; road: 2–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceRecord
76
April 1
@ Atlanta
W 110–108 (OT)
LeBron James (29)
LeBron James (16)
LeBron James (9)
Philips Arena 19,427
54–22
77
April 3
Charlotte
W 112–103
LeBron James (31)
Kevin Love (9)
LeBron James (12)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
55–22
78
April 5
@ Milwaukee
W 109–80
J. R. Smith (21)
Kevin Love (9)
LeBron James (9)
BMO Harris Bradley Center 15,061
56–22
79
April 6
@ Indiana
L 109–123
Kyrie Irving (26)
Kevin Love (5)
Kyrie Irving (6)
Bankers Life Fieldhouse 18,165
56–23
80
April 9
@ Chicago
L 102–105
LeBron James (33)
Kevin Love (13)
Kyrie Irving (8)
United Center 22,186
56–24
81
April 11
Atlanta
W 109–94
Kyrie Irving (35)
Kevin Love (14)
LeBron James (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
57–24
82
April 13
Detroit
L 110–112 (OT)
Jordan McRae (36)
Timofey Mozgov (12)
Jordan McRae (7)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
57–25 :
2015–16 season schedule :

## Playoffs
### Game log

2016 playoff game log Total: 16–5 (Home: 9–1; Road: 7–4) :
First Round: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
April 17
Detroit
W 106–101
Kyrie Irving (31)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
1–0
2
April 20
Detroit
W 107–90
LeBron James (27)
Kevin Love (10)
Matthew Dellavedova (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
2–0
3
April 22
@ Detroit
W 101–91
Kyrie Irving (26)
LeBron James (13)
LeBron James (7)
The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,584
3–0
4
April 24
@ Detroit
W 100–98
Kyrie Irving (31)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (6)
The Palace of Auburn Hills 21,584
4–0 :
Conference Semifinals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
May 2
Atlanta
W 104–93
LeBron James (25)
Tristan Thompson (14)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
1–0
2
May 4
Atlanta
W 123–98
LeBron James (27)
Kevin Love (13)
Dellavedova, Irving (6)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
2–0
3
May 6
@ Atlanta
W 121–108
Channing Frye (27)
Kevin Love (15)
LeBron James (8)
Philips Arena 19,089
3–0
4
May 8
@ Atlanta
W 100–99
Kevin Love (27)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (9)
Philips Arena 19,031
4–0 :
Conference Finals: 4–2 (home: 3–0; road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
May 17
Toronto
W 115–84
Kyrie Irving (27)
Richard Jefferson (11)
Kyrie Irving (5)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
1–0
2
May 19
Toronto
W 108–89
Kyrie Irving (26)
Tristan Thompson (12)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
2–0
3
May 21
@ Toronto
L 84–99
LeBron James (24)
James, Thompson (8)
LeBron James (5)
Air Canada Centre 20,207
2–1
4
May 23
@ Toronto
L 99–105
LeBron James (29)
James, Thompson (9)
Irving, James (6)
Air Canada Centre 20,367
2–2
5
May 25
Toronto
W 116–78
Kevin Love (25)
Tristan Thompson (10)
LeBron James (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
3–2
6
May 27
@ Toronto
W 113–87
LeBron James (33)
Kevin Love (12)
Kyrie Irving (9)
Air Canada Centre 20,605
4–2 :
NBA Finals: 4–3 (home: 2–1; road: 2–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation AttendanceSeries
1
June 2
@ Golden State
L 89–104
Kyrie Irving (26)
Kevin Love (13)
LeBron James (9)
Oracle Arena 19,596
0–1
2
June 5
@ Golden State
L 77–110
LeBron James (19)
LeBron James (8)
LeBron James (9)
Oracle Arena 19,596
0–2
3
June 8
Golden State
W 120–90
LeBron James (32)
Tristan Thompson (13)
Kyrie Irving (8)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
1–2
4
June 10
Golden State
L 97–108
Kyrie Irving (34)
LeBron James (13)
LeBron James (9)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
1–3
5
June 13
@ Golden State
W 112–97
James, Irving (41)
LeBron James (16)
LeBron James (7)
Oracle Arena 19,596
2–3
6
June 16
Golden State
W 115–101
LeBron James (41)
Tristan Thompson (16)
LeBron James (11)
Quicken Loans Arena 20,562
3–3
7
June 19
@ Golden State
W 93–89
LeBron James (27)
Kevin Love (14)
LeBron James (11)
Oracle Arena 19,596
4–3 :
2016 playoff schedule :

## Transactions
### Trades

| June 25, 2015 | To Cleveland CavaliersRakeem Christmas Cedi Osman 2019 Second Round Pick | To Minnesota TimberwolvesTyus Jones |
| July 23, 2015 | To Cleveland Cavaliers2019 Second Round Pick | To Indiana PacersRakeem Christmas |
| July 27, 2015 | To Cleveland CavaliersTwo Trade Exceptions | To Portland Trail BlazersMike Miller Brendan Haywood 2019 & 2020 Second Round Pick |
| January 12, 2016 | To Cleveland Cavaliers2020 Second Round Pick | To Orlando MagicJoe Harris 2017 Second Round Pick |
| February 18, 2016 | To Cleveland CavaliersSecond Round Pick | To Portland Trail BlazersAnderson Varejão First Round Pick |
| February 18, 2016 | To Cleveland CavaliersChanning Frye | To Orlando MagicJared Cunningham Second Round Pick |

### Re-signed

| Player | Signed | Former Team |
| Iman Shumpert | Signed 4-year contract worth $40 million | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Kevin Love | Signed 5-year contract worth $110 million | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| LeBron James | Signed 2-year contract worth $47.9 million | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| James Jones | Signed 1-year contract worth $1.5 million | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Matthew Dellavedova | Signed 1-year contract worth $1.2 million | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| J. R. Smith | Signed 2-year contract worth $10 million | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Tristan Thompson | Signed 5-year contract worth $82 million | Cleveland Cavaliers |

#### Additions

| Player | Signed | Former Team |
| Mo Williams | Signed 2-year contract worth $4 million | Charlotte Hornets |
| Richard Jefferson | Signed 1-year contract worth $1.5 million | Dallas Mavericks |
| Sasha Kaun | Signed 2-year contract | CSKA Moscow |
| Jordan McRae | Signed 2-year contract | Delaware 87ers / Phoenix Suns |

#### Subtractions

| Player | Reason Left | New Team |
| Shawn Marion | Retired | — (Retired) |
| Kendrick Perkins | Signed 1-year contract worth $1.5 million | New Orleans Pelicans |
| David Blatt (Head coach) | Fired | Darüşşafaka Doğuş |

## Awards, records and milestones
### Awards

| Recipient | Award | Date awarded |
| LeBron James | Eastern Conference Player of the Week | November 23, 2015 |
| LeBron James | Eastern Conference Player of the Week | January 11, 2016 |
| LeBron James | NBA All-Star starter (12th appearance) | January 21, 2016 |
| Tyronn Lue | NBA All-Star Game head coach | January 27, 2016 |
| LeBron James | Eastern Conference Player of the Month (February) | March 3, 2016 |
| LeBron James | Eastern Conference Player of the Week | March 7, 2016 |
| LeBron James | Eastern Conference Player of the Week | March 28, 2016 |
| LeBron James | Eastern Conference Player of the Week | April 4, 2016 |
| LeBron James | Eastern Conference Player of the Month (March) | April 5, 2016 |
| LeBron James | Eastern Conference Player of the Month (April) | April 15, 2016 |
| LeBron James | All-NBA First Team | May 26, 2016 |
| LeBron James | NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award | June 19, 2016 |
| LeBron James | Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year | December 1, 2016 |
| LeBron James | Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year | December 27, 2016 |

### Records

* JR Smith set franchise records in:
** Three-point field goals in a season: (204)
** Three-point field goal attempts in a season: (510)
** Turnover percentage in a season: (6.3%)
** Three-point field goals in a postseason: (65)
* Tristan Thompson set a franchise record in:
** Offensive rating in a season: (129.8)

### Milestones

* On March 29, Tristan Thompson broke the franchise record of consecutive games with the Cavs, appearing in his 362nd consecutive game.
* The Cavs finished the season first in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2010.
* The Cavs finished first in the Central Division for the second straight season.
* The Cavs became the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3–1 deficit and win the NBA Finals.
* The Cavs won the 2016 NBA Finals, ending the city's 52-year championship drought.
* LeBron James famously blocked Andre Iguodala in Game 7. This has been called one of the best plays of his career.
* LeBron James became the third player in NBA history to record a triple-double in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
* James also became the first player in NBA history to lead both NBA Finals teams in all five statistical categories for the round.