2007 NBA Finals: Difference between revisions
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The Spurs won game 6 of the series 114-106 in San Antonio sending them to their 5th Western Conference Finals since 1999. San Antonio went on to beat the [[Utah Jazz]] easily in 5 games to advance to the franchise's fourth NBA Finals. |
The Spurs won game 6 of the series 114-106 in San Antonio sending them to their 5th Western Conference Finals since 1999. San Antonio went on to beat the [[Utah Jazz]] easily in 5 games to advance to the franchise's fourth NBA Finals. |
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The Spurs won game 4 of the series by the score of 79- |
The Spurs won game 4 of the series by the score of 79-76 in Cleveland sending them to their fourth NBA Championship in nine years. Their dynasty should continue into the future as their top three stars are under contract after 2009 season. |
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===Cleveland Cavaliers=== |
===Cleveland Cavaliers=== |
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Revision as of 03:43, 15 June 2007
 | This article documents a current sporting event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses. Initial news reports, scores, or statistics may be unreliable. The last updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
The 2007 NBA Finals is the championship series of the 2006-07 National Basketball Association season, and is the conclusion of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series will be played between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers. This is Cleveland's first trip to the NBA Finals in their franchise history and San Antonio's fourth.
Background
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs started the 2006-07 season with one thing in mind: revenge. The previous season saw the Spurs drop a heartbreaking seventh game at home to the rival Dallas Mavericks in the second round. As the new season began, the Spurs saw the Mavericks rolling through their regular season, on their way to a franchise best 67 win campaign. Meanwhile, the Spurs struggled through their season through January. With the main focus lying on teams like Dallas, and the Phoenix Suns, the Spurs found themselves once again flying under the radar. However, the Spurs used a late season surge en route to a 58-24 regular season record, good enough for third in the West.
In the playoffs, the Spurs met the Denver Nuggets and their duo of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. Although the Nuggets took game one, the Spurs rallied to take the series in 5 games. As San Antonio prepared to face off against the second seed Phoenix Suns, the top ranked Dallas Mavericks suffered a stunning first round exit at the hand of the Golden State Warriors. With the Mavs gone, the stakes of the Suns-Spurs series shot up dramatically, and the result was a closely competitive and controversial series.
The Suns, due to their better season record, had homecourt advantage, but that would not last past game one. In a hotly contested battle of Western Conference heavyweights, each team tried to deliver a knockout blow to the other. The Spurs finally landed it, but by accident. With the game in the balance Tony Parker and Steve Nash collided head-to-head. A large gash opened along Nash's nose and though the medical staff tried admirably, they could not stop the bleeding and he was forced to sit the final 45 seconds and watch as the Spurs won game one 111-106. Game 2 saw the Suns rebound and blow out the Spurs to a 101-81 beating. After this game, Suns center Amare Stoudemire labeled the Spurs a dirty team. Game 3 switched back to San Antonio and saw a return of the physical play. Resulting in Manu Ginobili receiving a bruised and bloodied eye and Nash being kneed in the groin by Bruce Bowen. But the rock on which the Spurs are built, Tim Duncan, would not be denied and lead them to a 108-101 victory in a game which was not as close as the score shows.
Games 4 and 5 were the most controversial of the series. The Spurs after being comfortably in control of game 4 saw their 11 point fourth quarter lead dwindle away, to a 2 point Suns lead. With 18 seconds left Robert Horry produced a shot heard around the world, but this time it was not a game winner. Instead it was a push that sent Steve Nash flying into the scorers table. Nash's teammates jumped to his defense during the ensuing altercation, two Suns players Stoudemire and Boris Diaw left the bench heading toward the altercation. Their action violated NBA rules, resulting in the controversial decision by league commissioner David Stern to suspend both players for game 5 (Horry was also suspended 2 games for his flagrant foul against Nash). Played back in Phoenix game 5, we saw the short-handed Suns jump out early and enjoyed a 16 point lead on the Spurs, but in a reversal of game 4, this time the Spurs came back and took the game 88-85 in the final seconds giving San Antonio a 3-2 series lead.
The Spurs won game 6 of the series 114-106 in San Antonio sending them to their 5th Western Conference Finals since 1999. San Antonio went on to beat the Utah Jazz easily in 5 games to advance to the franchise's fourth NBA Finals.
The Spurs won game 4 of the series by the score of 79-76 in Cleveland sending them to their fourth NBA Championship in nine years. Their dynasty should continue into the future as their top three stars are under contract after 2009 season.
Cleveland Cavaliers
For the second straight year the Cavaliers posted a 50-32 record, placing them solidly into the 2007 NBA Playoffs ranked as the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference. In the replay of last year's playoff with the Cavs holding homecourt advantage against Washington Wizards, the Cavs took care of the Wizards in a four game sweep due to the season ending injuries of both Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. In the second round of the playoffs the Cavs faced off against the New Jersey Nets. Again the Cavs had homecourt and battled with the Nets through 6 games before becoming victorious in the series. The Cavs for only the third time in franchise history were moving on to the Conference Finals, and this time they were facing a familiar foe. The Detroit Pistons, the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, with their homecourt advantage, were waiting for the Cavs. This was the same Detroit team that knocked the Cavs out of the second round last year. The expectations were high after a long 7 game series the previous year and these two teams would not disappoint.
The first two games were close and saw Cleveland fall by identical 79-76 scores. Down 0-2 in the series, the spotlight shifted back to Cleveland and LeBron James. Another hard fought set ensued, with the Cavs taking the two games at home 88-82 and 91-87 respectively. Game 5 switched back to Detroit and produced one of the greatest moments in NBA history. With 6:14 to go in regulation and his team clinging to a one point 79-78 lead, LeBron took over and became a one man scoring machine. He scored 11 of the final 12 points to end regulation tied 91-91. In the 1st overtime, LeBron scored all 9 of the Cavaliers points ending this period tied 100-100. In the 2nd overtime, LeBron again scored all 9 of the teams points, scoring an amazing 29 of the final 30 points including 25 straight points to win game five 109-107. The Cavaliers beat the Pistons at home in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the franchise's first ever trip to NBA Finals. Cleveland became the third team in NBA history to win a best-of-seven Conference Final after going down 0-2 in a series.
Regular season series
Cleveland Cavaliers won both games in the regular season series:
Format
The Finals are played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage. The NBA, after experimenting in the early years, restored this original format for the Finals in 1985. As of yet, the other playoff series are still running on a 2-2-1-1-1 site format.
The best-of-seven series began on June 7, 2007, with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs playing the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Because the San Antonio Spurs had a better regular season win-loss record, they have home court advantage.
Broadcast notes
Coverage is being produced by ESPN and televised on ABC in the United States, TSN in Canada, Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, Canal+ in France, Premiere in Germany, and more than 100 other broadcasters in over 200 countries.
Play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, analysts Mark Jackson & former Rockets head-coach Jeff Van Gundy, and courtside reporters Michele Tafoya & Stuart Scott provide commentary and analysis for the North American market.
Playoff rosters
Game summaries
Game 1
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers entered the 2007 Finals as newcomers. Game 1 was the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history, and the first for each of its players (other than reserve point guard Eric Snow). However, the San Antonio Spurs had been to the Finals in three of the past eight seasons, winning a championship each time. With solid performances by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, the Spurs won the series opener in convincing fashion, limiting LeBron James to 14 points on 4-16 shooting.
June 7
9:00 p.m. ET |
| Cleveland Cavaliers 76, San Antonio Spurs 85 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 15-20, 20-20, 14-24, 27-21 | ||
| Pts: Gibson 16, James 14 Rebs: James 7, Ilgauskas 6 Asts: James, Gibson 4 each TOs: LeBron James 6 |
Pts: Parker 27, Duncan 24 Rebs: Duncan 13, Ginobili 8 Asts: Tony Parker 7 Blks: Tim Duncan 5 | |
Game 2
The Spurs took a stranglehold on momentum in game two, turning much of the game into a virtual basketball clinic. The Spurs big three overwhelmed the Cavs and the Spurs led by as many as 29 points in the third quarter. A furious 25-6 rally by Cleveland in the final quarter wasn't enough as the Spurs took a 2-0 lead in the series.
ABC, TSN, Canal 7, Canal+, ESPN Brasil
|
June 10
9:00 p.m. ET |
| Cleveland Cavaliers 92, San Antonio Spurs 103 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 17-28, 16-30, 29-31, 30-14 | ||
| Pts: LeBron James 25 Rebs: Anderson Varejao 10 Asts: LeBron James 6 TOs: LeBron James 6 |
Pts: Tony Parker 30 Rebs: Duncan, Horry 9 each Asts: Tim Duncan 8 Blks: Robert Horry 5 | |
Game 3
Rookie Daniel Gibson started Game 3 in place of the injured Larry Hughes but scored a series-low 2 points on 1-10 shooting. As a team the Cavs shot only .367 but out-rebounded the Spurs 48-41. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had a 2006-07 season high 18 rebounds. On the game's final play, LeBron James missed a potential game-tying 29 foot 3-pointer (which he contested as a foul on Bruce Bowen).
Game 3 was the lowest-scoring Finals game since 1955, with Tim Duncan of the Spurs having his lowest scoring game in his NBA Finals career, with 14 points.
ABC, TSN, Canal 7, Canal+, ESPN Brasil
|
June 12
9:00 p.m. ET |
| San Antonio Spurs 75, Cleveland Cavaliers 72 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 16-18, 24-20, 15-12, 20-22 | ||
| Pts: Tony Parker 17 Rebs: Duncan, Bowen 9 each Asts: Manu Ginobili 5 Stls: Michael Finley 4 |
Pts: LeBron James 25 Rebs: Ilgauskas 18, Gooden 12 Asts: LeBron James 7 TOs: LeBron James 5 | |
| San Antonio leads series 3-0 | ||
Game 4
ABC, TSN, Canal 7, Canal+, ESPN Brasil
|
June 14
9:00 p.m. ET |
| San Antonio Spurs 79, Cleveland Cavaliers 76 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 19-20, 20-14, 21-18, 16-19 | ||
| Pts: Tony Parker 24 Rebs: Tim Duncan 15 TOs: Tim Duncan 6 |
Pts: LeBron James 21 Rebs: Ilgauskas 13, Gooden 11 Asts: LeBron James 10 | |
| San Antonio wins series 4-0 | ||
Game 5
ABC, TSN, Canal 7, Canal+, ESPN Brasil
|
June 17
9:00 p.m. ET |
| San Antonio Spurs vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
| If necessary |
Game 6
ABC, TSN, Canal 7, Canal+, ESPN Brasil
|
June 19
9:00 p.m. ET |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs | ||
| If necessary |
Game 7
ABC, TSN, Canal 7, Canal+, ESPN Brasil
|
June 21
9:00 p.m. ET |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs. San Antonio Spurs | ||
| If necessary |
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