Description
The 2017 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s 2016–17 season and conclusion of the season’s playoffs. The Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeated the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 1, the first time in NBA history two teams had met for a third consecutive year. The Cavaliers sought to repeat as champions after winning the championship in 2016, while the Warriors won the first meeting in 2015. Golden State earned home-court advantage with a 2016–17 regular season record of 67–15, while Cleveland finished the regular season with a 51–31 record. The Warriors entered the 2017 Finals after becoming the first team in NBA playoff history to start 12–0, while the Cavaliers entered the 2017 Finals with a 12–1 record during the first three rounds of the postseason. The Warriors’ 16–1 record is the best winning percentage (.941) in NBA playoffs history.
This was the Golden State Warriors’ third consecutive trip to the NBA Finals and ninth appearance overall. With the acquisition of free agent Kevin Durant in the offseason, the Warriors were hailed as a “Superteam” by the media and fans, forming a new All-Star “Big Four” of Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
The team equaled their 2014–15 regular-season record of 67–15, their second most wins in franchise history. They won the Pacific Division title and Western Conference Championship for the third consecutive season. The club became the fastest team in NBA history to clinch a playoff berth, achieving the feat on February 25, 2017.They also became the first team in NBA playoff history to start 12–0, sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals, and the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals Entering the Finals, this twelve game win-streak tied third for the most consecutive wins in the postseason. The Warriors also entered the Finals with the largest playoff points differential in NBA history, with a +16.3 winning margin per game.
