2018 NBA playoffs |
| Tournament details |
|---|
| Dates | April 14 – June 8, 2018 |
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| Season | 2017–18 |
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| Teams | 16 |
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| Final positions |
|---|
| Champions | Golden State Warriors (6th title) |
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| Runners-up | Cleveland Cavaliers |
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| Semifinalists | - Boston Celtics
- Houston Rockets
|
|---|
|
The 2018 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2017–18 season. The playoffs began on April 14, 2018, and ended on June 8, with the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors sweeping the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers 4–0. Kevin Durant was named the NBA Finals MVP for the second straight year.
Overview
Western Conference
- The Houston Rockets entered the playoffs with their best regular–season record in franchise history and appeared in their sixth consecutive postseason. They also finished with the best record in the NBA.
- The Golden State Warriors entered their sixth consecutive postseason, tying their franchise streak of 6 straight postseason appearances since the league's first six years of existence (1946–47 to 1951–52).
- The San Antonio Spurs entered their 21st consecutive postseason.
- The Minnesota Timberwolves qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and snapped the league's longest active streak of seasons without a playoff appearance.
- The New Orleans Pelicans qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Eastern Conference
- The Toronto Raptors also finished with a franchise record for single-season victories, winning 59 games and finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
- The Philadelphia 76ers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2012.
- The Miami Heat returned to the NBA playoffs after a one-season absence.
First Round
- With their first round sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers, the New Orleans Pelicans won their first playoff series since 2008.
- Game 5 of the Sixers–Heat series was Dwyane Wade's final NBA postseason game. He would retire the following season.
- In Game 5 of their series against the Utah Jazz, the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a 25-point deficit in the second half to win the game 107–99.
- Game 7 between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks ensured a 19th–straight postseason in which at least one Game 7 was played; 1999 was the most recent postseason to not feature a Game 7.
- Game 6 of the Celtics–Bucks series was the last game played at the Bradley Center.
- For the first time in his career, LeBron James was forced to play a Game 7 in the first round of the playoffs, courtesy of the Indiana Pacers’ 121–87 victory in Game 6 over the Cleveland Cavaliers. This would be their last postseason victory until game 2 of the 2024 postseason against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Conference semifinals
- Game 2 of the Raptors–Cavaliers series was the last game before the Air Canada Centre was renamed to Scotiabank Arena.
- Game 3 of the Raptors–Cavaliers series was extremely notable for LeBron James’ floater to win the game 105–103 for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- The Toronto Raptors became the first top seeded team to be swept from the conference semifinals, earning LeBron James the nickname "LeBronto", as well as the first top seed to be swept out of the playoffs since the 2015 Atlanta Hawks (who were also swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers).
- With their Game 5 win over the Utah Jazz, the Houston Rockets made the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2015.
Conference finals
- For the first time since 1994, the Houston Rockets held home court advantage in the Western Conference finals.
- Game 6 and Game 7 of the Western Conference finals was extremely notable for the Golden State Warriors’ second half comebacks to beat the Houston Rockets. The Warriors trailed the Rockets by as many as 17 points in Game 6 and as many as 11 points in Game 7 before coming back to win 115–86 and 101–92, respectively.
- Klay Thompson helped the Warriors force Game 7 by putting up another notable performance in Game 6. He dropped 35 to defeat the Houston Rockets.
- The Houston Rockets set an NBA record 27 missed threes in Game 7. James Harden, Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon shot a combined 4-34 from 3.
- For the first time since 1979 both Conference finals series went to a deciding Game 7.[1][2]
- In both Conference finals series, the road teams won both Game 7s. In the other two instances in which both Conference finals series went to a Game 7, the home team won each Conference finals Game 7 in the 1963 and 1979 Playoffs.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors advanced to their fourth consecutive NBA Finals appearances. This also marked the first time the same two NBA teams met in the NBA Finals four seasons in a row.
NBA Finals
- Game 1 of the NBA Finals was notable for JR Smith's infamous play that cost the Cleveland Cavaliers the game in the waning moments in regulation (they would lose in Overtime to the Golden State Warriors). LeBron James scored 51 points in the losing effort.
- Game 4 of the 2018 NBA Finals was the last game LeBron James played as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- This was also the first time a team was swept in the NBA Finals since 2007. Like in 2007, the Cleveland Cavaliers were also the team that got swept in the 2018 NBA Finals.
- The Golden State Warriors won their second consecutive championship, their third in four seasons.
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. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format. Home court advantage in any round belong to the higher-seeded team, who has the better regular season record (number 1 is the highest). 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 intra-conference record.
Playoff qualifying
On March 7, 2018, the Toronto Raptors became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.[3] On March 30, 2018, the Houston Rockets clinched the Western Conference ending a three-year run by the Golden State Warriors as the top seed.[4] The Rockets clinched the best record in the NBA a day later on March 31, 2018. For the first time since the 1996–97 NBA season, two teams played their last game against each other for the 8th and final spot in the playoffs. The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 112–106 in overtime to clinch the final playoff seed in the West. This also ended Minnesota's 13-year drought without a playoff appearance having last played in 2003–04 season.[5] For the first time since the 2010–11 NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers would miss the postseason following a loss to the Denver Nuggets on April 7, 2018. This is the first time since 1960 that none of the teams from New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago made the playoffs.[6] For the first time since 2005, both the Lakers and Clippers missed the playoffs in the same season.
Eastern Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Clinched
|
| Playoff berth | Division title | Best record
in conference | Best record
in NBA
|
| 1 | Toronto Raptors | 59–23 | March 7[7] | April 6[8] | April 6[8] | —
|
| 2 | Boston Celtics | 55–27 | March 8[9] | — | — | —
|
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | 52–30 | March 26[10] | — | — | —
|
| 4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 50–32 | March 22[11] | April 10[12] | — | —
|
| 5 | Indiana Pacers | 48–34 | March 25 [13] | — | — | —
|
| 6 | Miami Heat | 44–38 | April 3[14] | April 11[15] | — | —
|
| 7 | Milwaukee Bucks | 44–38 | April 4[16] | — | — | —
|
| 8 | Washington Wizards | 43–39 | March 31[17] | — | — | —
|
Western Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Clinched
|
| Playoff berth | Division title | Best record
in conference | Best record
in NBA
|
| 1 | Houston Rockets | 65–17 | March 11[18] | March 15[19] | March 29[20] | March 29[20] |
| 2 | Golden State Warriors | 58–24 | March 12[21] | March 15[22] | — | —
|
| 3 | Portland Trail Blazers | 49–33 | April 1[23] | April 11[24] | — | —
|
| 4 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 48–34 | April 9[25] | — | — | —
|
| 5 | Utah Jazz | 48–34 | April 8[26] | — | — | —
|
| 6 | New Orleans Pelicans | 48–34 | April 10[27] | — | — | —
|
| 7 | San Antonio Spurs | 47–35 | April 10 [28] | — | — | —
|
| 8 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 47–35 | April 11[29] | — | — | —
|
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 by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.
| First round | | | Conference semifinals | | | Conference finals | | | NBA Finals | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E1 | Toronto*
| 4 | | | | |
|
| E8
| Washington
| 2
| |
| | E1
| Toronto*
| 0
| |
| | |
| | | E4 | Cleveland*
| 4 | |
| E4 | Cleveland*
| 4 | |
| |
| E5
| Indiana
| 3
| |
| | E4 | Cleveland*
| 4 | |
| Eastern Conference | |
| | | E2
| Boston | 3
| |
| E3 | Philadelphia | 4 | | |
| |
| E6
| Miami*
| 1
| |
| | E3
| Philadelphia
| 1
| |
| | |
| | | E2 | Boston | 4 | |
| E2 | Boston | 4 | |
| |
| E7
| Milwaukee
| 3
| |
| | E4
| Cleveland*
| 0
| |
| | |
| | | W2 | Golden State*
| 4 | |
| W1 | Houston*
| 4 | | | |
| |
| W8
| Minnesota
| 1
| |
| | W1 | Houston*
| 4 | |
| | |
| | | W5
| Utah
| 1
| |
| W4
| Oklahoma City | 2
| |
| |
| W5 | Utah | 4 | |
| | W1
| Houston*
| 3
| |
| Western Conference | |
| | | W2 | Golden State*
| 4 | |
| W3
| Portland*
| 0
| | |
| |
| W6 | New Orleans | 4 | |
| | W6
| New Orleans | 1
| |
| | |
| | | W2 | Golden State*
| 4 | |
| W2 | Golden State*
| 4 | |
| |
| W7
| San Antonio | 1
| |
- * Division winner
- Bold Series winner
- Italic Team with home-court advantage
First round
- Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.
Eastern Conference first round
(1) Toronto Raptors vs. (8) Washington Wizards
| Washington Wizards 106, Toronto Raptors 114 |
| Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 36–27, 26–31, 21–28 |
Pts: John Wall 23
Rebs: Markieff Morris 11
Asts: John Wall 15 | | Pts: Serge Ibaka 23
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 12
Asts: Kyle Lowry 9 |
| Toronto leads series, 1–0 |
| Toronto Raptors 102, Washington Wizards 92
|
| Scoring by quarter: 20–30, 30–23, 23–25, 29–14 |
Pts: Kyle Lowry 24
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 12
Asts: Kyle Lowry 6 | | Pts: Bradley Beal 32
Rebs: Markieff Morris 15
Asts: John Wall 8 |
| Toronto wins series, 4–2 |
Regular-season series
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
|
| Washington Wizards 91, Toronto Raptors 100 | | Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario | | Toronto Raptors 119, Washington Wizards 122 | | Toronto Raptors 102, Washington Wizards 95
| | Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C. | |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Wizards winning the first meeting in 2015.[30]
Previous playoffs series
| Washington leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| |
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Milwaukee Bucks
| Milwaukee Bucks 106, Boston Celtics 120 |
| Scoring by quarter: 22–33, 29–27, 24–30, 31–30 |
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 30
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 9
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 8 | | Pts: Jaylen Brown 30
Rebs: Jayson Tatum 7
Asts: Terry Rozier 8 |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |
April 20
9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) |
| Boston Celtics 92, Milwaukee Bucks 116 |
| Scoring by quarter: 12–27, 23–31, 32–27, 25–31 |
Pts: Al Horford 16
Rebs: Greg Monroe 12
Asts: Terry Rozier 9 | | Pts: Khris Middleton 23
Rebs: Khris Middleton 8
Asts: Khris Middleton 7 |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 |
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Scott Foster, Sean Corbin, Courtney Kirkland |
April 22
1:00 pm (12:00 pm CDT) |
| Boston Celtics 102, Milwaukee Bucks 104 |
| Scoring by quarter: 17–24, 18–27, 32–24, 35–29 |
Pts: Jaylen Brown 34
Rebs: Aron Baynes 11
Asts: Terry Rozier 8 | | Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 27
Rebs: Antetokounmpo, Parker 7 each
Asts: Antetokounmpo, Bledsoe 5 each |
| Series tied, 2–2 |
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Ed Malloy, Brent Barnaky, Tom Washington |
April 26
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT) |
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Mike Callahan, Tony Brothers, David Guthrie |
Regular-season series
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
|
| Boston Celtics 96, Milwaukee Bucks 89
| | Milwaukee Bucks 100, Boston Celtics 111 | | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | | Boston Celtics 102, Milwaukee Bucks 106 | | Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin | |
This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning four of the first five meetings.[31]
Previous playoff series
| Boston leads 4–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| Boston Celtics 0, Milwaukee Bucks 4
| | 1983 Eastern Conference semifinals | | Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 1
| | 1984 Eastern Conference finals | | Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 0
| | 1986 Eastern Conference finals | | Boston Celtics 4, Milwaukee Bucks 3
| | 1987 Eastern Conference semifinals | |
(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Miami Heat
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 19,812
Referees: James Capers, Tony Brown, Kane Fitzgerald |
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 19,804
Referees: Mike Callahan, Jason Phillips, Kevin Scott |
With the win, the Sixers won their first playoff series since 2012.
Regular-season series
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
|
| Miami Heat 102, Philadelphia 76ers 104 | | Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | | Philadelphia 76ers 101, Miami Heat 102 | | Philadelphia 76ers 99, Miami Heat 108 | | American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida | |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first meeting.[32]
Previous playoffs series
| Miami leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 2011 Eastern Conference First Round | |
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Indiana Pacers
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Zach Zarba, Bennie Adams, John Goble |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Ed Malloy, David Guthrie, Eric Lewis |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 17,923
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Derrick Collins, Josh Tiven |
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 17,923
Referees: Ken Mauer, Pat Fraher, Rodney Mott |
| Indiana Pacers 95, Cleveland Cavaliers 98 |
| Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 31–26, 17–32, 22–17 |
Pts: Domantas Sabonis 22
Rebs: Victor Oladipo 12
Asts: Cory Joseph 6 | | Pts: LeBron James 44
Rebs: James, Love 10 each
Asts: LeBron James 8 |
| Cleveland leads series, 3–2 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: James Capers, Bill Kennedy, Bill Spooner |
LeBron James capped off his heroic Game 5 performance with a game-winning 3 at the buzzer to put the Cavaliers up 3–2 in the series. This was the fourth time James has hit a game-winning buzzer beater in the playoffs.
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 17,923
Referees: Marc Davis, Jason Phillips, Sean Wright |
| Indiana Pacers 101, Cleveland Cavaliers 105 |
| Scoring by quarter: 19–31, 24–23, 31–22, 27–29 |
Pts: Victor Oladipo 30
Rebs: Victor Oladipo 12
Asts: Victor Oladipo 6 | | Pts: LeBron James 45
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 10
Asts: LeBron James 7 |
| Cleveland wins series, 4–3 |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Kane Fitzgerald |
Regular-season series
| Indiana won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers 102, Indiana Pacers 106 | | Cleveland Cavaliers 95, Indiana Pacers 97 | | Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana | | Indiana Pacers 108, Cleveland Cavaliers 115 | | Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series.[33]
Previous playoffs series
| Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1998 Eastern Conference First Round | | Indiana Pacers 0, Cleveland Cavaliers 4 | |
Western Conference first round
(1) Houston Rockets vs. (8) Minnesota Timberwolves
April 15
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT) |
April 18
9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) |
April 21
7:30 pm (6:30 pm CDT) |
April 23
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT) |
April 25
9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) |
Regular-season series
| Houston won 4–0 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first meeting.[34]
Previous playoffs series
| Houston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1997 Western Conference First Round | |
(2) Golden State Warriors vs. (7) San Antonio Spurs
April 14
3:00 pm (12:00 pm PDT) |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: James Capers, Kane Fitzgerald, Ron Garretson |
April 16
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT) |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ed Malloy, Brent Barnaky, Eric Lewis |
April 19
9:30 pm (6:30 pm PDT) |
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Zach Zarba, Rodney Mott, Sean Wright |
April 22
3:30 pm (12:30 pm PDT) |
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Brian Forte |
April 24
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT) |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Mike Callahan, Tony Brown, Jason Phillips |
Regular-season series
| Golden State won 3–1 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.[35]
Previous playoff series
| Golden State leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1991 Western Conference First Round | | 2013 Western Conference semifinals | |
(3) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (6) New Orleans Pelicans
April 14
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT) |
April 17
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT) |
April 19
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT) |
April 21
5:00 pm (4:00 pm CDT) |
The Pelicans completed a sweep of the Trail Blazers for their 1st series win in the playoffs since the 2008 NBA playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks as the New Orleans Hornets.
Regular-season series
| Tied 2–2 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the first playoff meeting between the Trail Blazers and Pelicans.[36]
(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Utah Jazz
April 15
6:30 pm (5:30 pm CDT) |
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Derrick Stafford, David Guthrie, Josh Tiven |
April 18
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT) |
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Ken Mauer, James Williams, Gary Zielinski |
April 21
10:00 pm (8:00 pm MDT) |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Zach Zarba, Bennie Adams, John Goble |
April 23
10:30 pm (8:30 pm MDT) |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Marc Davis, Bill Kennedy, Bill Spooner |
April 25
9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT) |
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Ed Malloy, Kane Fitzgerald, Tom Washington |
The Thunder trailed by as much as 25 points in the 3rd quarter. However, Russell Westbrook and Paul George combined for 47 second-half points to help keep their season alive. The Thunder outscored the Jazz 61-28 since the comeback started with 8:32 left in the 3rd quarter. The 25-point rally was their largest in franchise history and one of the biggest comebacks for a team facing elimination in playoff history.
April 27
10:30 pm (8:30 pm MDT) |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Scott Foster, Ron Garretson, Eric Lewis |
Regular-season series
| Oklahoma City won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| |
This was the fifth playoff meeting between the SuperSonics/Thunder franchise and the Jazz, but the first since the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder in 2008. The two teams have split their previous four playoff matchups.[37]
Previous playoffs series
| Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1992 Western Conference semifinals | | 1993 Western Conference First Round | | 1996 Western Conference finals | | 2000 Western Conference First Round | |
Conference semifinals
- Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.
Eastern Conference semifinals
(1) Toronto Raptors vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Mike Callahan, Courtney Kirkland, Josh Tiven |
LeBron James capped off a 38-point performance with a fadeaway bank shot floater[38] at the buzzer to lead the Cavs to a commanding 3–0 series lead.
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brown, David Guthrie |
Regular-season series
| Cleveland won 2–1 in the regular-season series
|
| Toronto Raptors 129, Cleveland Cavaliers 132 | | Toronto Raptors 106, Cleveland Cavaliers 112 | | Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with Cleveland winning the first two meetings.[39]
Previous playoffs series
| Cleveland leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| 2016 Eastern Conference finals | | Toronto Raptors 0, Cleveland Cavaliers 4 | |
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers
Regular-season series
| Boston won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| Philadelphia 76ers 97, Boston Celtics 108 | | Boston Celtics 114, Philadelphia 76ers 103
| | Philadelphia 76ers 89, Boston Celtics 80
| | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | |
This was the 21st playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning 12 of the first 20 meetings.[40]
Previous playoffs series
| Boston leads 12–8 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1953 Eastern Division semifinals | | Boston Celtics 0, Syracuse Nationals 2 | | 1954 Eastern Division Round Robin Semifinals | | Boston Celtics 0, Syracuse Nationals 2 | | 1954 Eastern Division finals | | Boston Celtics 1, Syracuse Nationals 3 | | 1955 Eastern Division finals | | Boston Celtics 1, Syracuse Nationals 2 | | 1956 Eastern Division semifinals | | Boston Celtics 3, Syracuse Nationals 0
| | 1957 Eastern Division finals | | Boston Celtics 4, Syracuse Nationals 3
| | 1959 Eastern Division finals | | Boston Celtics 4, Syracuse Nationals 1
| | 1961 Eastern Division finals | | 1965 Eastern Division finals | | Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
| | 1966 Eastern Division finals | | Boston Celtics 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4 | | 1967 Eastern Division finals | | Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
| | 1968 Eastern Division finals | | Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
| | 1969 Eastern Division semifinals | | Boston Celtics 3, Philadelphia 76ers 4 | | 1977 Eastern Conference semifinals | | Boston Celtics 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4 | | 1980 Eastern Conference finals | | Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
| | 1981 Eastern Conference finals | | Boston Celtics 3, Philadelphia 76ers 4 | | 1982 Eastern Conference finals | | Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
| | 1985 Eastern Conference finals | | Boston Celtics 3, Philadelphia 76ers 2
| | 2002 Eastern Conference First Round | | Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
| | 2012 Eastern Conference semifinals | |
Western Conference semifinals
(1) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Utah Jazz
April 29
3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT) |
May 2
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT) |
May 4
10:30 pm (8:30 pm MDT) |
| Houston Rockets 113, Utah Jazz 92
|
| Scoring by quarter: 39–22, 31–18, 23–25, 20–27 |
Pts: Gordon, Harden 25 each
Rebs: Clint Capela 8
Asts: James Harden 12 | | Pts: Royce O'Neale 17
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 9
Asts: Raulzinho Neto 4 |
| Houston leads series, 2–1 |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Marc Davis, Ron Garretson, Ed Malloy |
May 6
8:00 pm (6:00 pm MDT) |
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, James Williams |
May 8
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT) |
Regular-season series
| Houston won 4–0 in the regular-season series
|
| Houston Rockets 112, Utah Jazz 101
| | Utah Jazz 99, Houston Rockets 120 | | Toyota Center, Houston, Texas | | Houston Rockets 96, Utah Jazz 85
| | Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah | |
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning five of the first seven meetings.[41]
Previous playoffs series
| Utah leads 5–2 in all-time playoff series
|
| 1985 Western Conference First Round | | Houston Rockets 4, Utah Jazz 1
| | 1994 Western Conference finals | | Houston Rockets 3, Utah Jazz 2
| | 1995 Western Conference First Round | | Houston Rockets 2, Utah Jazz 4
| | 1997 Western Conference finals | | Houston Rockets 2, Utah Jazz 3
| | 1998 Western Conference First Round | | Houston Rockets 3, Utah Jazz 4
| | 2007 Western Conference First Round | | Houston Rockets 2, Utah Jazz 4
| |
(2) Golden State Warriors vs. (6) New Orleans Pelicans
April 28
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT) |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, James Williams |
May 1
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT) |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Mike Callahan, Jason Phillips, Sean Wright |
May 4
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT) |
May 6
3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT) |
May 8
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT) |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Ed Malloy, Josh Tiven |
Regular-season series
| Golden State won 3–1 in the regular-season series
|
| New Orleans Pelicans 95, Golden State Warriors 110 | | Golden State Warriors 125, New Orleans Pelicans 115
| | Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana | | New Orleans Pelicans 126, Golden State Warriors 120
| | Oracle Arena, Oakland, California | |
This was the second meeting in the playoffs between the two teams, with the Warriors winning the first meeting.[42]
Previous playoffs series
| Golden State leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| |
Conference finals
- Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.
Eastern Conference finals
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: James Capers, Josh Tiven, Zach Zarba |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Eric Lewis |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Mike Callahan, John Goble, Derrick Stafford |
It marked the first time since the 1987–88 season that the Celtics made two consecutive Conference finals. It was also the Celtics' first home loss of the postseason. Their loss at home after leading 3–2 in the series was the first time that had happened since 2009. This was the fifth time in NBA history that the road team won a Game 7 after the home team had won each of the first six games. LeBron James became the first non-Celtic to advance to 8 consecutive NBA Finals. It was also the second time in the Celtics' history that they had lost a playoff series in which they had taken a 2–0 lead.
Regular-season series
| Cleveland won 2–1 in the regular-season series
|
| Cleveland Cavaliers 88, Boston Celtics 102 | | Cleveland Cavaliers 121, Boston Celtics 99
| | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts | |
This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning four of the first seven meetings.[43]
Previous playoff series
| Boston leads 4–3 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
| | Cleveland Cavaliers 4, Boston Celtics 1
| |
Western Conference finals
(1) Houston Rockets vs. (2) Golden State Warriors
May 14
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT) |
May 16
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT) |
May 20
8:00 pm (5:00 pm PDT) |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Marc Davis, Sean Corbin, Jason Phillips |
May 22
9:00 pm (6:00 pm PDT) |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Mike Callahan, Kane Fitzgerald, Derrick Stafford |
May 24
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT) |
The game was a memorable back-and-forth affair that came down to the wire. In the final seconds (6.7 seconds to be exact) with the Rockets up 96–94, the Warriors had one last chance to tie or take the lead in the game, Draymond Green however lost his balance and turned the ball over to Eric Gordon who was then fouled and sealed the game making both of his free throws sending Houston within 1 game to their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1995, but it came at a cost however as Chris Paul suffered a "right hamstring injury" in the final minute, he did not play for the rest of the series.
Kevin Durant scored 29 points while Draymond Green had 15 rebounds & Stephen Curry had 6 assists for the Warriors
Eric Gordon scored 24 points while Clint Capela scored 14 rebounds & Chris Paul with 6 assists for the Rockets.
May 26
9:00 pm (6:00 pm PDT) |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, David Guthrie, Ed Malloy |
Golden State rallied from a 17-point first quarter deficit by outscoring Houston 64–25 in the second half to force a Game 7. The Rockets' 25 second-half points tied a franchise record low for scoring in any half in the postseason.
May 28
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT) |
The Rockets controlled the 1st half, leading by as much as 15 points, the half ended on an Eric Gordon buzzer-beating layup putting the score at halftime 54–43 in Favor of Houston. However, the game took a drastic change from that point as the Warriors would once again rally and took the lead with 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, a lead they never relinquished as they continued to cruise throughout the rest of the game to win their 4th Consecutive Western Conference title.
For The Warriors: Kevin Durant scored 34 points, Draymond Green scored 13 rebounds & Steph Curry scored 10 assists, the Team went 16-of-39 from the 3-point line during the game
For The Rockets: Although James Harden scored 32 points & 6 Assists with P.J. Tucker securing 12 rebounds, the Rockets missed 27 consecutive 3-pointers, which is a record for most ever missed consecutively in a playoff game. They also went 1-of-30 from the 3-point line to close out the game.
This is the Warriors' first game 7 road win since 1948 and the first Western Conference team to win a conference finals game 7 on the road since the 2001–02 Los Angeles Lakers.
Regular-season series
| Houston won 2–1 in the regular-season series
|
| Golden State Warriors 124, Houston Rockets 114
| | Golden State Warriors 108, Houston Rockets 116 | | Toyota Center, Houston, Texas | |
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning the first two meetings.[44]
Previous playoffs series
| Golden State leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
|
| Golden State Warriors 4, Houston Rockets 1
| | 2016 Western Conference First Round | |
2018 NBA Finals: (E4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (W2) Golden State Warriors
- Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.
May 31
9:00 pm (6:00 pm PDT) |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Tony Brothers, Ed Malloy |
June 3
8:00 pm (5:00 pm PDT) |
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Mike Callahan, David Guthrie, Derrick Stafford |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Marc Davis, John Goble, Zach Zarba |
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Scott Foster, James Capers, Jason Phillips |
Game 1 would go on to be an instant classic, with LeBron James scoring 51 points. The game was tight throughout, as neither team was able to gain separation. However, the final minutes did not come without controversy as Durant seemingly charged onto James when driving to the basket. The officials reviewed that James was not within the restricted area, and the call was then reversed into a blocking foul, thus allowing Durant to tie the game with a pair of free throws. Eventually, when the Warriors were leading 107–106, James passed the ball that went out of bounds while George Hill was fouled, thus giving him a pair of free throws. After making the first free throw to tie it at 107, he missed the second free throw, which was rebounded by J.R. Smith, who ran the clock as it was perceived that he believed the Cavaliers had the lead. He passed the ball to Hill, whose shot was blocked by Draymond Green at the buzzer. The Warriors dominated overtime 17–7 as they won the series opener 124–114.[45][46][47] Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson respectively scored 29, 26, and 24 points. In Game 2, the Warriors blew out the Cavs 122–103 as Curry sank 9 three-pointers and finished with 33 points and Durant dropped 26 points. The Warriors sent more double teams on James, holding him to 29 points.[48] As Game 3 shifted to Cleveland, the Cavaliers dominated the first half, leading by as many as 13. Curry and Thompson, the Splash Brothers, had a bad night only combining for only 21 points on 7-27 shooting.[49] However, in the second half, the Warriors fought back, making it a back-and-forth game as Kevin Durant scored 43 points, and made a key clutch shot in the closing minutes that put the Warriors up 106–100, and eventually winning 110–102 to put the Warriors up 3–0 for the second straight year.[50] After a close first half in Game 4, the Warriors dominated the third quarter and routed the Cavaliers 108–85 behind Stephen Curry's 37 points and seven three-pointers, as well as a triple-double by Durant, thus completing the sweep.[51] Durant won Finals MVP for the second straight year behind averages of 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists, while Curry averaged 27.5 points for the series. LeBron James led both teams in scoring and assists, putting up averages of 34.0 points and 10.0 assists in a losing effort.[52]
Regular-season series
| Golden State won 2–0 in the regular-season series
|
| Golden State Warriors 118, Cleveland Cavaliers 108
| |
This was the fourth meeting in the NBA Finals between these two teams, with the Warriors winning two of the first three meetings.[53]
Previous playoffs series
| Golden State leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
|
| Golden State Warriors 3, Cleveland Cavaliers 4 | | Cleveland Cavaliers 1, Golden State Warriors 4 | |
Statistical leaders
Television
ESPN, TNT, ABC, NBA TV, ESPN2, and ESPNews televised the playoffs nationally in the United States. In the first round, regional sports networks affiliated with the teams also broadcast the games, except for games televised on ABC. Throughout the first two rounds, TNT televised games Sunday through Wednesday(2nd round), Thursday (1st round), ESPN televised games Thursday (2nd round)and Friday, and ABC televised selected games on Saturday and Sunday, usually in the afternoon. NBA TV, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS has aired select weekday games in the first round. ESPN/ABC televised the Eastern Conference finals, while the Western Conference finals was televised by TNT. ABC had exclusive television rights to the 2018 NBA Finals, which was the 16th consecutive year for the network.[54]
See also
References
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- Hellin, Kurt (May 27, 2018). "Both conference finals reach Game 7 for first time in 39 years". NBC Sports.
- "Raptors beat Pacers to clinch No. 1 in East, set record for franchise wins". Sportsnet.
- Conway, Tyler. "Rockets Clinch No. 1 Seed in Western Conference, End Warriors' 3-Year Streak". BleacherReport.com.
- Katie Nelson (April 12, 2018). "Timberwolves clinch playoffs, end 13-year postseason drought". Armchairallamericans.com.
- Bucholtz, Andrew (April 5, 2018). "This could be the first NBA playoffs since 1960 without New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, which might pose ratings issues". Awful Announcing.
- "Toronto Raptors become first team in 2017-18 season to clinch playoff berth". NBA.com.
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- "Boston Celtics clinch playoff spot with win over Minnesota Timberwolves". NBA.com.
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- "Cleveland Cavaliers clinch another division title". Hoops Habit. April 10, 2018.
- S, Nathan (March 25, 2018). "Pacers clinch playoff spot in 113-107 overtime win over Heat". Indy Cornrows.
- "Heat clinches playoff berth by beating Hawks". miamiherald.
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- Nathan, Alec. "Trail Blazers Clinch Playoff Berth with Jazz's Win vs. Timberwolves". Bleacher Report.
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- "Team Rivalry Finder — Cleveland Cavaliers versus Indiana Pacers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Minnesota Timberwolves (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus San Antonio Spurs (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Portland Trail Blazers versus New Orleans Pelicans (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Oklahoma City Thunder versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Watch LeBron James Hit Ridiculous Floater at Buzzer to Beat Raptors in Game 3". Bleacher Report.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Cleveland Cavaliers versus Toronto Raptors (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Boston Celtics versus Philadelphia 76ers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Utah Jazz (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Golden State Warriors versus New Orleans Pelicans (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Cleveland Cavaliers versus Boston Celtics (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Team Rivalry Finder — Houston Rockets versus Golden State Warriors (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "Inside the dramatic 48th minute of Cavs-Warriors Game 1". ESPN. June 1, 2018. Archived from the original on June 7, 2018.
- Maloney, Jack (June 1, 2018). "Cavs vs. Warriors: Controversial reversal of late charge call plays key role in Game 1 of NBA Finals". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on June 7, 2018.
- Associated Press (June 1, 2018). "Warriors withstand James' 51 points to win NBA Finals Game 1". ESPN. Archived from the original on June 7, 2018.
- 2018 NBA Finals Game 2: Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors Box Score, June 3, 2018
- 2018 NBA Finals Game 3: Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers Box Score, June 6, 2018
- "NBA - National Basketball Association Teams, Scores, Stats, News, Standings, Rumors - ESPN". ESPN.com.
- 2018 NBA Finals Game 4: Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers Box Score, June 8, 2018
- 2018 NBA Finals Cavaliers vs. Warriors
- "Golden State Warriors versus Cleveland Cavaliers (Playoffs)". basketball-reference.com.
- "2018 NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE ON ESPN/ABC AND TURNER". Sportsmediawatch.com. April 2, 2015.
External links