NBA Finals Schedule 2015: Complete TV Coverage for Cavaliers vs. Warriors Series
Most NBA fans are already itching for the NBA Finals to begin. After months of having at least one game to watch every night, hoops heads are likely going into withdrawal after being without the playoffs for two days.
There's still a little more time left to wait, as the NBA Finals won't commence until Thursday, June 4, at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The series will be contested at the home of the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors for Games 1 and 2.
The scene shifts to the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland for Games 3 and 4. The sites will alternate between the Oracle and the Q for Games 5-7, if necessary. Here's a look at the complete schedule, with viewing information for the entire series.
Game 1: Thursday, June 4, Cleveland at Golden State, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 2: Sunday, June 7, Cleveland at Golden State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 3: Tuesday, June 9, Golden State at Cleveland, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 4: Thursday, June 11, Golden State at Cleveland, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 5*: Sunday, June 14, Cleveland at Golden State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 6*: Tuesday, June 16, Golden State at Cleveland, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
Game 7*: Friday, June 19, Cleveland at Golden State, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
*If necessary
Live stream available on ESPN3 for all games.
Players Should Be Fresh
Both the Cavs and Warriors have players on the mend. Cleveland's Kyrie Irving had a string of ailments throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. Golden State's Klay Thompson suffered a concussion after taking a knee to the head from the Houston Rockets' Trevor Ariza in the clinching game of the Western Conference Finals.
Dr. Ben Wedro discussed the concerns surrounding concussion injuries with Dan Feldman of Pro Basketball Talk:
"The concern is something called second-impact syndrome. And that says that, if you have a brain that is concussed and has not healed, it may not be able to protect itself against a second injury as well, and you can get swelling of the brain that spins out of control and people die. This is a rare situation. Some people believe it does not exist. Other people do. But that's the concern – that if you stack concussions, that disaster can happen.
"
Both players desperately need the time in between the conference finals and Finals to recuperate. We can only hope Thompson makes a full recovery and never experiences any other head trauma in his life. The Warriors and NBA doctors must be responsible and careful as they evaluate Thompson for a potential return to the court.
In addition to the extended break between series, there's also multiple two-day gaps between games during the NBA Finals. After Game 1 on Thursday, players will have two days off before Game 2. The same break will occur between Games 4 and 5 and Games 6 and 7, if necessary.
With the delay and so many breaks during the series, we should hopefully see a high level of play in a series that could be one of the most exciting NBA Finals in years. Just five more sleeps, NBA fans.
Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
