Schedule and 2015-16 Results

Regular Season Records: Golden State 73-9, Cleveland 57-25

Game 1 on Thursday, 02 June: Cleveland loses at Golden State, 104-pts-89

Game 2 on Sunday, 05 June: Cleveland loses at Golden State, 110-pts-77

Game 3 on Wednesday, 08 June: Golden State loses at Cleveland, 120-pts-90

Game 4 on Friday, 10 June: Golden State wins at Cleveland, 108-pts-97

Game 5 on Monday, 13 June: Cleveland wins at Golden State, 112-pts-97

Game 6 on Thursday, 16 June: Golden State loses at Cleveland, 115-pts-101

Game 7 on Sunday, 19 June: Cleveland wins at Golden State, 93-pts-89

SERIES NOTES:



After Game 7: The Cleveland Cavaliers visited and defeated the Golden State Warriors 93-pts-89 to complete a 4-games-3 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1316 victory.  With the series 1316 win, the Cleveland Cavaliers improve their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record to 17-9 overall and 1-2 in the Finals round.  With the series 1316 loss, the Golden State Warriors see their best-of-7 NBA playoff series record fall to 14-11 overall and 2-1 in the Finals round.  The win order for the victorious Cleveland Cavaliers in series 1316 was LLWLWWW: Series 1316 thus becomes the first NBA Finals-round series, the second NBA series (all rounds), and the tenth MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion.  Cleveland trailed the Warriors in Golden State by seven points at halftime.  In the history of best-of-7 NBA playoff games (all rounds) since 1947, inclusive, road teams down seven points at halftime had a game record of only 22-95 (.188).  The sum of the victory margins in series 1316 was 122 points, which sets a best-of-7 NBA playoff series record for the largest such sum in a Finals-round series. 



After Game 6: The Cleveland Cavaliers hosted and defeated the Golden State Warriors 115-pts-101 to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1316 at 3-games-all.  When tied 3-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Golden State Warriors have a Game 7 record of 2-3, while the Cleveland Cavaliers have a Game 7 record of 2-2.  The Golden State Warriors have a home-court Game 7 record of 2-1 (.667), while the Cleveland Cavaliers have a road-court Game 7 record of 0-2 (.000).  Through six games of series 1316, the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers each have 610 points.  In series 1316, the Cleveland Cavaliers become the first team in eight tries in best-of-7 NBA Finals history to open the first five games with a LLWLW win order and then win Game 6.  The 11 points scored by the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter of series 1316 Game 6 are the fewest points scored in any quarter of a best-of-7 NBA Finals game since series 1250 Game 5, in which the Miami Heat scored 11 second-quarter points in San Antonio, in a loss to the Spurs that gave San Antonio the 2014 NBA championship.  The 11 points scored by the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter of series 1316 Game 6 are the fewest points scored in the first quarter of a best-of-7 NBA Finals game since series 100 Game 1, in which the old Minneapolis Lakers scored 10 first-quarter points at home against the old Syracuse Nationals in the 1954 NBA Finals.  The 2016 NBA playoffs will require 86 games - the most since the 2014 NBA playoff games required 89 games.  Irrespective of win/site order, home teams in best-of-7 NBA playoff Game 7 have a 101-24 (.808) record in all rounds, and a 15-3 (.833) record in the Finals.  The last NBA team to lose Game 7 of the Finals at home was the old Seattle Supersonics to the old Washington Bullets in 1978.  The 20-point lead by the Cleveland Cavaliers over the Golden State Warriors in series 1316 Game 6 ties for the second-largest lead ever after one quarter of a best-of-7 NBA Finals game, behind only series 1052, in which the Los Angeles Lakers led the Boston Celtics 35-pts-14 at home after one quarter of 2008 NBA Finals Game 4. 



After Game 5: The Cleveland Cavaliers visited and defeated the Golden State Warriors 112-pts-97 to reduce the Golden State Warriors best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1316 lead to 3-games-2.  When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Golden State Warriors have a series record of 7-1 (with an active four-series winning streak) and a Game 6 record of 7-1 (with an active four-Game 6 winning streak).  When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a series record of 0-6 and a Game 6 record of 1-5 (with a three-Game 6 losing streak). 



After Game 4: The Golden State Warriors visited and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-pts-97 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1316 lead of 3-games-1.  When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Golden State Warriors have a series record of 5-0 and a Game 5 record of 3-2 (with an active three-Game 5 winning streak).  When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a series record of 0-1 and a Game 5 record of 1-0.  Teams posting a win/site order of WWLW @ HHVV through the first four games of a best-of-7 NBA playoff series (such as the Golden State Warriors in series 1316) have a 70-1 (.986) series record; the sole loss was sustained by the Phoenix Suns (in series 691 to the Houston Rockets, in the 1995 NBA Quarterfinals).  Series 1316 Game 4 is the 51st best-of-7 NBA game in the 2016 playoffs with a double-digit victory margin - since 2003, when the NBA adopted the best-of-7 format for its Preliminary round, the most double-digit victory margins in an NBA playoff season was 52 in 2009.  Series 1316 is the 31st best-of-7 NBA playoff series (all rounds) and the fourth NBA Finals in which each of the first four games ended with a double-digit victory margin. 



After Game 3: The Cleveland Cavaliers hosted and defeated the Golden State Warriors 120-pts-90 to reduce the Golden State Warriors best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1316 lead to 2-games-1.  When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Golden State Warriors have a series record of 6-1 (with an active four-series winning streak) and a Game 4 record of 4-3 (with an active four-Game 4 winning streak).  When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a series record of 3-5 and a Game 4 record of 7-1.  Series 1316 Game 4 becomes the tenth 2016 NBA playoff game to end with a 30+ point margin of victory. 



After Game 2: The Golden State Warriors hosted and vanquished the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-pts-77 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1316 lead of 2-games-nil.  When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Golden State Warriors have a series record of 5-0 and a Game 3 record of 3-2.  When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-nil, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a series record of 1-5 and a Game 3 record of 4-2.  Series 1316 Game 2 is the most one-sided best-of-7 NBA Finals game since series 1217 Game 3, in which the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Miami Heat 113-pts-77 in the 2013 NBA Finals.  The 33-point margin of victory by Golden State over Cleveland is the largest victory margin ever in Game 2 of a best-of-7 NBA Finals series; it breaks the old best-of-7 NBA Finals Game 2 record of 31 points, set by the Philadelphia 76ers over the old San Francisco Warriors via their 126-pts-95 win in series 185 in 1967. 



After Game 1: The Golden State Warriors hosted and topped the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-pts-89 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1316 lead of 1-game-nil.  When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Golden State Warriors have a series record of 11-3 (with an active six-series winning streak) and a Game 2 record of 5-9.  When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a series record of 3-8 and a Game 2 record of 5-6 (with an active three-Game 2 winning streak).  In best-of-7 NBA Finals series, teams which win Game 1 at home have an active five-Game 2 losing streak (which itself ended a five-Game 2 winning streak in 2005-2009, inclusive).  Series 1316 Game 1 becomes the 48th 2016 NBA playoff game with a double-digit victory margin -- second only to the 52 such games in the 2009 NBA playoffs. 



Pre-series assessment: In the 2015-16 NBA regular season, the Golden State Warriors finished 16 games ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers.  From 1947 through the 2016 NBA Semifinals round, when NBA teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 16 regular-season games, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 8-1 (.889) with an active eight-series winning streak in those series against those opponents.  MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1316 is the 25th best-of-7 NBA playoff series for the Golden State Warriors, and the 26th for the Cleveland Cavaliers.  In best-of-7 NBA playoff series, the Golden State Warriors have an all-rounds series record of 14-10 (with an active seven-series winning streak befitting a defending champion), a Finals-round series record of 2-0, and a Game 1 record of 14-10, while the Cleveland Cavaliers have an all-rounds series record of 16-9 (with an active three-series winning streak), a Finals-round series record of 0-2, and a Game 1 record of 14-11 (with an active three-Game 1 winning streak).  Series 1316 is the second best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Golden State defeated Cleveland in their only previous best-of-7 NBA playoff series meeting, in series 1283 in the 2015 NBA Finals.