2017 NBA playoffs| Tournament details |
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| Dates | April 15–June 12, 2017 |
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| Season | 2016–17 |
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| Teams | 16 |
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| Final positions |
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| Champions | Golden State Warriors (5th title) |
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| Runners-up | Cleveland Cavaliers |
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| Semifinalists | - San Antonio Spurs
- Boston Celtics
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The 2017 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the 2016–17 season. The playoffs began on April 15, 2017, and ended on June 12, with the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeating the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals, their third consecutive meeting in the Finals. Kevin Durant was named the NBA Finals MVP in his first year on the team.
The Warriors set the record for the longest playoff winning streak (15) and the best record (16–1) in NBA playoff history.
Overview
Western Conference
- The Golden State Warriors clinched the best record in the league for 3rd straight season and entered their fifth consecutive postseason for the first time since making six straight appearances from 1947 to 1952.
- The San Antonio Spurs entered their 20th consecutive postseason which was the longest active playoffs streak in Major North American Sports after the Detroit Red Wings of the NHL missed the playoffs for the 1st time in 25 years, including back–to–back 60+ wins for the first time in franchise history. However, they were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the Conference Finals after Kawhi Leonard's ankle injury in Game 1, forcing him to miss the rest of the series.
- The Houston Rockets entered their fifth consecutive postseason. However, they were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in the Conference Semifinals.
- The Los Angeles Clippers entered their franchise record sixth consecutive postseason. However, they were eliminated by the Utah Jazz in the first round.
- The Utah Jazz clinched the playoffs spot for the first time since 2012 and their first playoffs series win since 2010. However, they were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the Conference Semifinals.
- The Oklahoma City Thunder entered their second consecutive postseason. However, they were eliminated by the Houston Rockets in the first round, their earliest exit since 2010.
- The Memphis Grizzlies entered their seventh consecutive postseason. However, they were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round for the second straight year.
- The Portland Trail Blazers entered their fourth consecutive postseason. However, they were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the first round.
Eastern Conference
- The Boston Celtics entered their third consecutive postseason and clinched the best record in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2008. However, they were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals.
- The defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers entered their third consecutive postseason. However, they were defeated by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, dashing their hopes of back–to–back titles.
- The Toronto Raptors entered their fourth consecutive postseason, including back–to–back 50+ wins for the first time in franchise history. However, they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Semifinals.
- The Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2015. Milwaukee and Chicago were eliminated by Toronto and Boston, respectively. The Washington Wizards were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the Conference Semifinals. It should also be noted that Game 6 of the Wizards–Celtics game was the last time before Verizon Center renames to Capital One Arena.
- The Atlanta Hawks entered their 10th consecutive postseason, one shy of their postseason streak of 11 (1963–73). However, they were eliminated by the Washington Wizards in the first round.
- The Indiana Pacers entered their second consecutive postseason. However, they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
- With a 4th seed in the playoffs, the Wizards had their highest seed under a 16–team playoff format.
First round
- This was the first time, in a best–of–7 series, that an 8th seed (Chicago Bulls) went up 2–0 against a 1st seed (Boston Celtics) in the first round. It is the second time this happened overall; the Los Angeles Lakers did it against the Phoenix Suns in 1993, which was a best–of–five series that Phoenix eventually won 3 games to 2.
- Cleveland became the first team in playoffs history to come back from a 25–point halftime deficit and win when they beat the Pacers in Game 3.
- The Cavaliers became the first team to sweep an opponent while giving up 100+ points every game since the Houston Rockets allowed 100+ in all 4 games during their sweep of the Orlando Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals.
- The Boston Celtics became the 19th team to come back after trailing 2–0, against the Bulls. They were also the 4th team in NBA history to lose the first two games of a best–of–7 series at home and still win the series.
- Game 7 between the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz ensured an 18th-straight postseason in which at least one Game 7 was played; 1999 was the last postseason to not feature a Game 7.
- The Clippers became the first NBA team to blow five straight postseason series leads.
- It was the first series win for the Toronto Raptors where they didn't need all the games of the series. Previously they had beaten the Knicks in 2001 in a best of 5 in five games. In 2016 their two series wins were obtained in seven games each.
Conference semifinals
- The Houston Rockets are the first team to open their series with a blowout only to get blown out in the second game.
- Trailing by 14 and 13 in Games 1 and 2 respectively, the Boston Celtics became the first team to come back and win back–to–back games after trailing by double digits in the first quarter.
- The 27–point loss in Game 1 is San Antonio's largest defeat in a postseason home game.
- Scoring 125 points in a Game 2 blowout victory against the Toronto Raptors, the Cleveland Cavaliers set a franchise record for most points scored in a postseason game. Their previous record was 124, in 2010.
- 18 of 21 conference semifinals games were decided by 10 points or more. Eight of these games were decided by over 20 points.
- With a four–game sweep against the Raptors, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the second team to have six playoffs series sweeps in three consecutive postseasons (2015–2017) since the Lakers did it in 1987–1989. They also became the first team to start 8–0 in two straight playoffs.
- The Cavaliers' Game 4 win over the Raptors gave them their 11th consecutive postseason win (a streak dating back to Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals), setting a franchise record.
- With a four–game sweep against Utah, Golden State swept consecutive playoff series for the first time in franchise history and also had their best eight–game postseason start in franchise history.
- The Cavaliers and Warriors both started the NBA postseason with 8–0 records, the first time in NBA history that two teams started 8–0 in the same postseason since switching to a seven-game format.
- In a series–ending 114–75 loss against the Spurs, the Houston Rockets set an NBA record for fewest two–point field goals made in a game. They made 9 of 37, while the previous record was 11 of 41.
Conference finals
- After trailing as much as 25 points, Golden State Warriors came back and won against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1. This is the second largest comeback in the Conference Finals since the Celtics came back from 26 to beat the Nets in Game 3 of the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals.
- With a 36–point win against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2, this is the Golden State Warriors' 2nd largest margin of victory in postseason history. (The largest is 39-point set back in 1948, which would be surpassed in the following year when the Warriors defeat Rockets by 41.)
- After trailing as much as 21 points, the Boston Celtics surged back with a 28–10 third quarter run against the Cleveland Cavaliers to win Game 3. This was also the Cavaliers' first loss this postseason, as well as their first loss in a postseason game since Game 4 of the previous year's Finals, snapping an NBA playoff record tying 13 game winning streak.
- With a four-game sweep against the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors earned the distinction of having a 12–0 postseason record, the first in NBA history. They are also the first team to have 3 best–of–7 series sweeps, and join the 1988–89 Los Angeles Lakers (who ironically, would get swept themselves by the Detroit Pistons) and the 2000–01 Lakers as the only teams to be undefeated going into the championship round, and the only one to have done it under the 7–7–7–7 format since it was introduced in 2003.
NBA Finals
The Golden State Warriors began the finals with a playoff record of 12–0. They dominated the first two games, and although game three was more competitive, the Warriors still came out victors. They took a 3–0 lead bringing them to 15–0 in the playoffs, the best ever start in NBA playoff history. The Cavs countered beating the Warriors 137–116 in Game four, with 86 points in the first half, setting an NBA Finals' record. On June 12, the Warriors bounced back and won game five at home 129–120, clinching the organization's fifth championship. Golden State's 16–1 record is an NBA playoff record since 2003 for fewest games attempted to achieve an NBA championship. The title was the first for All–Star forward Kevin Durant and the second in three years for All–Stars Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Durant, who scored over 30 points in each of the five games (the first player to do so since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 with Los Angeles), was the recipient of the 2017 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award.
Within each conference, the eight teams with the most wins qualify for the playoffs. The seedings are based on each team's record.
Each conference's bracket is fixed; there is no reseeding. All rounds are best-of-seven series; the team that has four wins advances to the next round. As stated above, all rounds, including the NBA Finals, are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format. Home court advantage in any round belongs to the higher-seeded team, who has the better regular season record. If two teams with the same record meet in a round, standard tiebreaker rules are used. The rule for determining home court advantage in the NBA Finals is winning percentage, then head-to-head record, followed by record vs. opposite conference.
Playoff qualifying
The Cleveland Cavaliers became the first Eastern Conference team to clinch a playoff spot on March 19, 2017.[1]
Eastern Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Clinched
|
| Playoff berth | Division title | Best record
in conference | Best record
in NBA
|
| 1 | Boston Celtics | 53–29 | March 21[2] | April 10 | April 12[3] | —
|
| 2 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 51–31 | March 19[1] | March 24[4] | — | —
|
| 3 | Toronto Raptors | 51–31 | March 25[5] | — | — | —
|
| 4 | Washington Wizards | 49–33 | March 24 | March 28[6] | — | —
|
| 5 | Atlanta Hawks | 43–39 | April 8 | — | — | —
|
| 6 | Milwaukee Bucks | 42–40 | April 8 | — | — | —
|
| 7 | Indiana Pacers | 42–40 | April 12 | — | — | —
|
| 8 | Chicago Bulls | 41–41 | April 12 | — | — | —
|
Western Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Clinched
|
| Playoff berth | Division title | Best record
in Conference | Best record
in NBA
|
| 1 | Golden State Warriors | 67–15 | February 25[7] | March 16[8] | April 5[9] | April 5[9] |
| 2 | San Antonio Spurs | 61–21 | March 4[10] | March 31[11] | — | —
|
| 3 | Houston Rockets | 55–27 | March 14[12] | — | — | —
|
| 4 | Los Angeles Clippers | 51–31 | March 25[13] | — | — | —
|
| 5 | Utah Jazz | 51–31 | March 26[14] | April 7 | — | —
|
| 6 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 47–35 | March 29[15] | — | — | —
|
| 7 | Memphis Grizzlies | 43–39 | March 31[16] | — | — | —
|
| 8 | Portland Trail Blazers | 41–41 | April 9[17] | — | — | —
|
Bracket
Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked with an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage are shown in Italics.
| First Round
| | | Conference Semifinals
| | | Conference Finals
| | | NBA Finals | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E1 | Boston*
| 4 | | | | |
|
| E8
| Chicago
| 2
| |
| | E1 | Boston*
| 4 | |
| | |
| | | E4
| Washington*
| 3
| |
| E4 | Washington*
| 4 | |
| |
| E5
| Atlanta
| 2
| |
| | E1
| Boston*
| 1
| |
| Eastern Conference | |
| | | E2 | Cleveland*
| 4 | |
| E3 | Toronto | 4 | | |
| |
| E6
| Milwaukee
| 2
| |
| | E3
| Toronto
| 0
| |
| | |
| | | E2 | Cleveland*
| 4 | |
| E2 | Cleveland*
| 4 | |
| |
| E7
| Indiana
| 0
| |
| | E2
| Cleveland*
| 1
| |
| | |
| | | W1 | Golden State*
| 4 | |
| W1 | Golden State*
| 4 | | | |
| |
| W8
| Portland
| 0
| |
| | W1 | Golden State*
| 4 | |
| | |
| | | W5
| Utah*
| 0
| |
| W4
| LA Clippers | 3
| |
| |
| W5 | Utah*
| 4 | |
| | W1 | Golden State*
| 4 | |
| Western Conference | |
| | | W2
| San Antonio*
| 0
| |
| W3 | Houston | 4 | | |
| |
| W6
| Oklahoma City | 1
| |
| | W3
| Houston
| 2
| |
| | |
| | | W2 | San Antonio*
| 4 | |
| W2 | San Antonio*
| 4 | |
| |
| W7
| Memphis
| 2
| |
- * Division winner
- Bold Series winner
- Italic Team with home-court advantage
First round
- All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−04:00)
Eastern Conference first round
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Chicago Bulls
United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 21,293
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Brian Forte, Bill Spooner |
United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 21,863
Referees: Scott Foster, Eric Lewis, Tom Washington |
United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Attendance: 21,682
Referees: Mike Callahan, Bill Kennedy, James Williams |
After trailing 2–0 in the series, the Celtics came back to tie the series as Rajon Rondo was ruled out indefinitely after breaking his right thumb in Game 2, and Al Horford scored 18 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in Game 3, and Isaiah Thomas scorched the Bulls for 33 points in Game 4. The Celtics' win in Game 5 would be the only home game victory of the series, and Avery Bradley scored 23 points in Game 6 as the Celtics eliminated the Bulls. Notably, this series began one day following the death of Chyna Thomas, younger sister of Isaiah, in a one-car accident. Thomas played all six games of the series, before returning to the state of Washington for her funeral on April 29.[18] Game 6 also marked the final game of Jimmy Butler's tenure as a Bull.
Regular-season series
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first four meetings.
Previous playoff series[19] | Boston leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1981 Eastern Conference Semifinals | | 1986 Eastern Conference First Round | | 1987 Eastern Conference First Round | |
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (7) Indiana Pacers
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Scott Foster, Matt Boland, Tony Brothers |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Marc Davis, Sean Corbin, James Williams |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 17,923
Referees: Danny Crawford, Tony Brown, Ron Garretson |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 17,923
Referees: Mike Callahan, David Guthrie, Leon Wood |
In Game 1, LeBron James scored 32 points in a close battle; the Pacers came back in the 4th quarter, but C.J. Miles missed a game-winning three, giving the Cavaliers the win. But after winning Game 2, the Cavs were down by as many as 26 points in the first half of Game 3. The Pacers were in control until the Cavs led by James' triple-double of 41 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists came roaring back in the second half and took the lead late in the fourth quarter. They would end up winning Game 3, 119–114, as they made it one of the largest comebacks in NBA playoff history. With the Pacers holding a 2-point lead with over a minute left in Game 4, James hit the three over Myles Turner, giving the Cavs a one-point lead. Later, Kyle Korver's free throws increases the lead to three. The Pacers had a chance to extend the game, but Paul George missed the three, and James secured the rebound. He would make 1 of the 2 free throws to seal the Cavs' 4-game sweep over the Pacers. Game 4 would be George's final game as a Pacer.
Regular season series
| Cleveland won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Pacers winning the first meeting.
Previous playoffs series
| Indiana leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1998 Eastern Conference First Round | |
(3) Toronto Raptors vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Derrick Collins, Zach Zarba |
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Danny Crawford, Brent Barnaky, Ron Garretson |
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brothers, Rodney Mott |
Regular-season series
| Toronto won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the first meeting in the playoffs between the Raptors and Bucks.[20]
(4) Washington Wizards vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 18,866
Referees: James Capers, Kane Fitzgerald, Pat Fraher |
Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 18,676
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Leroy Richardson |
| Atlanta Hawks 99, Washington Wizards 103 |
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 24–27, 30–33, 20–20 |
Pts: Dennis Schröder 29
Rebs: Paul Millsap 11
Asts: Dennis Schröder 11 | | Pts: Bradley Beal 27
Rebs: Marcin Gortat 10
Asts: John Wall 14 |
| Washington leads series, 3–2 |
Philips Arena, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 18,849
Referees: Danny Crawford, John Goble, Bill Spooner |
Regular-season series
| Washington won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Wizards/Bullets winning three of the first five meetings.
Previous playoff series[21] | Washington/Baltimore leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1965 Western Division Semifinals | | 1966 Western Division Semifinals | | 1978 Eastern Conference First Round | | 1979 Eastern Conference Semifinals | |
Western Conference first round
(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Tony Brown, Ron Garretson |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Michael Smith |
Regular-season series
| Golden State won 4–0 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with Golden State winning the first meeting in 2016.[22]
Previous playoffs series
| Golden State leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 2016 Western Conference Semifinals | |
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Memphis Grizzlies
| Memphis Grizzlies 82, San Antonio Spurs 111 |
| Scoring by quarter: 30–25, 19–27, 15–32, 18–27 |
Pts: Marc Gasol 32
Rebs: Conley, Gasol 5 each
Asts: Mike Conley 7 | | Pts: Kawhi Leonard 32
Rebs: Dewayne Dedmon 8
Asts: Kawhi Leonard 5 |
| San Antonio leads series, 1–0 |
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Marc Davis, Bill Kennedy, Josh Tiven |
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Danny Crawford, Rodney Mott, Bill Spooner |
| San Antonio Spurs 94, Memphis Grizzlies 105 |
| Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 25–29, 17–31, 31–24 |
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 18
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 11
Asts: three players 3 each | | Pts: Mike Conley 24
Rebs: Zach Randolph 8
Asts: Mike Conley 8 |
| San Antonio leads series, 2–1 |
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: James Capers, Pat Fraher, Courtney Kirkland |
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Bennie Adams, John Goble |
| Memphis Grizzlies 103, San Antonio Spurs 116 |
| Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 26–32, 27–32, 27–29 |
Pts: Mike Conley 26
Rebs: Marc Gasol 7
Asts: Zach Randolph 6 | | Pts: Kawhi Leonard 28
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 9
Asts: Leonard, Parker 6 each |
| San Antonio leads series, 3–2 |
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Mike Callahan, Tony Brothers, Derrick Collins |
| San Antonio Spurs 103, Memphis Grizzlies 96
|
| Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 21–28, 30–24, 28–22 |
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 28
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 12
Asts: Leonard, Parker 4 each | | Pts: Mike Conley 26
Rebs: Zach Randolph 11
Asts: Marc Gasol 6 |
| San Antonio wins series, 4–2 |
FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Scott Foster, Brian Forte, Zach Zarba |
In game 4, Marc Gasol hit the game-winning shot with 0.7 seconds left in overtime.
Regular-season series
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with San Antonio winning three of the four meetings.
Previous playoff series[23] | San Antonio leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| 2004 Western Conference First Round | | 2011 Western Conference First Round | | 2013 Western Conference Finals | | 2016 Western Conference First Round | |
(3) Houston Rockets vs. (6) Oklahoma City Thunder
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Scott Foster, Mark Lindsay, Tom Washington |
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Brian Forte, Josh Tiven |
Regular-season series
| Houston won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Thunder/SuperSonics winning six of the first seven meetings.
Previous playoff series[24] | Oklahoma City/Seattle leads 6–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1982 Western Conference First Round | | 1987 Western Conference Semifinals | | 1989 Western Conference First Round | | 1993 Western Conference Semifinals | | 1996 Western Conference Semifinals | | 1997 Western Conference Semifinals | | 2013 Western Conference First Round | |
(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Utah Jazz
In Game 1, Joe Johnson hits the game-winner at the buzzer.
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Mike Callahan, Tony Brothers, Eric Lewis |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Marc Davis, Bill Kennedy, James Williams |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Monty McCutchen, James Capers, Tom Washington |
| Utah Jazz 104, Los Angeles Clippers 91
|
| Scoring by quarter: 24–24, 22–15, 33–24, 25–28 |
Pts: Gordon Hayward 26
Rebs: Derrick Favors 11
Asts: Hill, Johnson 5 each | | Pts: DeAndre Jordan 24
Rebs: DeAndre Jordan 17
Asts: Chris Paul 9 |
| Utah wins series, 4–3 |
- Game 7 is Paul Pierce's final NBA game. It is also Chris Paul's final game with the Clippers before being traded to the Rockets during the offseason.
Regular-season series
| L.A. Clippers won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the previous two meetings.
Previous playoff series[25] | Utah leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1992 Western Conference Final Round | | 1997 Western Conference First Round | |
Conference semifinals
Eastern Conference semifinals
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Washington Wizards
- In Game 6, John Wall hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left.
Regular-season series
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning two of the first three meetings. Memorably, during the first quarter of Game 1, Isaiah Thomas was struck in the mouth by Otto Porter's elbow, immediately knocking out one tooth, and causing further damage. As Porter prepared to shoot a pair of free throws, Thomas calmly retrieved and pocketed his fallen tooth, then hit two three-point field goals in the following two minutes, before being pulled from the game for medical attention. Thomas went on to play the entire seven-game series, including a 53-point effort to lead his team to an overtime victory in Game 2, all while wearing temporary protection in his mouth. He underwent extensive oral surgery after the playoffs to mitigate the damage.
Previous playoff series[26] | Boston leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1975 Eastern Conference Finals | | 1982 Eastern Conference Semifinals | | 1984 Eastern Conference First Round | |
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (3) Toronto Raptors
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Eric Lewis, Derrick Stafford |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Danny Crawford, Sean Corbin, Sean Wright |
Regular-season series
| Cleveland won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with Cleveland winning the first meeting in 2016.[27]
Previous playoffs series
| Cleveland leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 2016 Eastern Conference Finals | |
Western Conference semifinals
(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (5) Utah Jazz
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Mike Callahan, John Goble, David Guthrie |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Derrick Collins, Zach Zarba |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bennie Adams, Ed Malloy |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 19,911
Referees: Monty McCutchen, James Capers, James Williams |
- This was Gordon Hayward's last game in Utah as he joined the Boston Celtics during the following offseason.
Regular-season series
| Golden State won 2–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning two of the first three meetings.
Previous playoff series[28] | Golden State leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1987 Western Conference First Round | | 1989 Western Conference First Round | | 2007 Western Conference Semifinals | |
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Houston Rockets
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Josh Tiven |
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Bill Spooner |
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Rodney Mott, Zach Zarba |
Regular-season series
| San Antonio won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first three meetings.
Previous playoff series[29] | Houston leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1980 Eastern Conference First Round | | 1981 Western Conference Semifinals | | 1995 Western Conference Finals | |
Conference finals
Eastern Conference finals
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (2) Cleveland Cavaliers
- This was Isaiah Thomas' last game in Boston as a hip injury would not allow him to dress for the remainder of the playoffs. He and teammate Jae Crowder would be traded to the Cavaliers during the following offseason.
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Danny Crawford, Marc Davis, David Guthrie |
- In Game 3, Avery Bradley hit the game-winning three-pointer with 0.1 seconds left.
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Pat Fraher, Derrick Stafford |
Regular-season series
| Cleveland won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| Boston Celtics 118, Cleveland Cavaliers 124 | | Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | | Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Boston Celtics 103 | | Cleveland Cavaliers 114, Boston Celtics 91
| | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | |
This was the seventh playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning four of the first six meetings.
Previous playoff series[30] | Boston leads 4–2 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1976 Eastern Conference Finals | | Boston Celtics 3, Cleveland Cavaliers 1
| | 1985 Eastern Conference First Round | | Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Boston Celtics 3
| | 1992 Eastern Conference Semifinals | | Boston Celtics 4, Cleveland Cavaliers 3
| | Cleveland Cavaliers 2, Boston Celtics 4 | | 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals | | Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Boston Celtics 0
| |
Western Conference finals
(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (2) San Antonio Spurs
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Danny Crawford, Marc Davis, Tom Washington |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Kane Fitzgerald, Ed Malloy |
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,792
Referees: Monty McCutchen, James Capers, Bill Kennedy |
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,466
Referees: Mike Callahan, Sean Corbin, Zach Zarba |
Regular-season series
| San Antonio won 2–1 in the regular-season series
|
| Golden State Warriors 85, San Antonio Spurs 107 | | Golden State Warriors 110, San Antonio Spurs 98
| | AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas | |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series. San Antonio led by as many as 25 points in Game 1 before Kawhi Leonard had to leave the game and the series after he landed on Zaza Pachulia's foot, re-aggravating his existing ankle injury.
Previous playoff series[31] | Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1991 Western Conference First Round | | Golden State Warriors 2, San Antonio Spurs 4
| | 2013 Western Conference Semifinals | |
2017 NBA Finals: (E2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (W1) Golden State Warriors
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Danny Crawford, Derrick Stafford, Zach Zarba |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, James Capers |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Monty McCutchen, Ed Malloy, Ken Mauer |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Mike Callahan, Marc Davis, John Goble |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Danny Crawford, Ed Malloy, Derrick Stafford |
Regular-season series
| Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers 91, Golden State Warriors 126 | |
This was the third meeting in the NBA Finals between the Warriors and Cavaliers with each team winning one series.
Previous playoff series[32] | Teams tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| Golden State Warriors 3, Cleveland Cavaliers 4 | |
Statistical leaders
Television
ESPN, TNT, ABC, ESPN2, and NBA TV broadcast the playoffs nationally in the United States. In the first round, regional sports networks affiliated with the teams could also broadcast the games, except for games televised on ABC. Throughout the first two rounds, TNT televised games Saturday through Thursday, ESPN televised games Friday and Saturday, and ABC televised selected games on Saturday and Sunday, usually in the afternoon. NBA TV and ESPN2 aired select weekday games in the first round. TNT televised the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals was televised on ABC, while Games 2 through 4 were televised on ESPN. ABC had exclusive television rights to the NBA Finals for the 15th consecutive year.[33]
See also
References
- "Kyrie Irving scores 46 and Cavs clinch playoff berth in 125-120 win over Lakers". Cleveland.com.
- "Playoff bound! Boston Celtics clinch postseason berth". Wcvb.com.
- "Celtics clinch No. 1 seed in East, beat Bucks 112-94". ESPN.com.
- "James, Cavs score 112-105 victory over Hornets; clinch Central Division title". Fox8.com.
- "Raptors clinch Eastern playoff spot with win over Mavs". Thestar.com.
- "Wizards beat Lakers 119-108 to clinch division title". ESPN.com.
- "Warriors cruise past Nets without Kevin Durant to secure a playoff berth". ESPN.com.
- "Warriors Clinch Pacific Division Title". Warriors.com.
- "Golden State Warriors clinch West's No. 1 seed for third consecutive season". cbssports.com.
- "Kawhi Leonard helps Spurs beat Timberwolves in OT". ESPN.com.
- "Russ Registers 39th TD But Spurs Clinch Comeback Victory; DeRozan Powers Raptors". India.NBA.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2017.
- "Houston Rockets Clinch Playoff Berth". Spacecityscoop.com.
- "Clippers clinch playoff berth with 108-95 victory over Jazz". ESPN.com. March 25, 2017.
- "Utah Jazz Clinch Playoff Berth with Nuggets' Loss to Pelicans". Bleacherreport.com.
- "Oklahoma City Thunder Clinch Playoff Berth With Victory Over Magic". Bleacherreport.com. March 29, 2017.
- "Grizzlies clinch playoff spot with 99-90 win over Mavericks". ESPN.com. March 31, 2017.
- Holdahl, Casey. "Trail Blazers Clinch 8th Seed With Nuggets Loss, Will Face Warriors In First Round".
- Thomsen, Ian. "Sister of Boston Celtics star Isaiah Thomas killed in one-car accident | NBA.com". NBA.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Chicago Bulls (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Toronto Raptors versus Milwaukee Bucks (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Atlanta Hawks versus Washington Wizards (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Portland Trail Blazers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Memphis Grizzlies versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Oklahoma City Thunder (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Los Angeles Clippers versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Washington Wizards (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Cleveland Cavaliers versus Toronto Raptors (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Cleveland Cavaliers versus Boston Celtics (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Golden State Warriors versus Cleveland Cavaliers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "2017 NBA PLAYOFFS TV SCHEDULE ON ESPN, ABC, TNT AND NBA TV". Sportsmediawatch.com.
External links