NBA Playoffs 2015: Dates, TV Schedule, Live Stream for Cavaliers vs. Warriors
The NBA got pretty much exactly what it was hoping for in the NBA Finals with an exciting matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors.
This series features two of the best individual players in the sport between Stephen Curry and LeBron James, although this will be much more than a one-on-one battle. Cleveland came into the year as preseason title favorites before Golden State dominated the NBA this season with by far the best record in basketball, 67-15.
The storylines are endless for a series that should go the distance. Here is everything you need to know to make sure you don't miss a moment of the excitement.
| 1 | June 4 | Golden State | 9 p.m. | ABC |
| 2 | June 7 | Golden State | 8 p.m. | ABC |
| 3 | June 9 | Cleveland | 9 p.m. | ABC |
| 4 | June 11 | Cleveland | 9 p.m. | ABC |
| 5* | June 14 | Golden State | 8 p.m. | ABC |
| 6* | June 16 | Cleveland | 9 p.m. | ABC |
| 7* | June 19 | Golden State | 9 p.m. | ABC |
Live stream for all games is available courtesy of Watch ESPN.
Top Storylines
LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry
James' scouting report on Curry sums up everything you need to know about these two elite players, per Diamond Leung of Bay Area News Group:
These are clearly two very different players who are unlikely to spend any time guarding each other, but both of them are outstanding to watch on the basketball court.
Curry won the league's Most Valuable Player award this season thanks to his incredible offensive ability. The point guard is one of the top shooters the league has ever seen with the ability to create looks for himself seemingly whenever he wants. Despite this, he still can find teammates around the court and averaged 7.7 assists per game.
James saw his scoring drop this season to its lowest since his rookie year, although his 25.3 points per game were still among the league leaders. Meanwhile, he helps in other ways, with averages of 7.4 assists and six rebounds, as well.
While Curry was the best player in the NBA this year, James has been the best in the league for the past decade. Whichever superstar steps up the most will give his team a good chance of winning a title.
Backcourt Health
Although each star will need help from his supporting cast, a major question going into the series will be how the top sidekicks will hold up on the floor.
Golden State guard Klay Thompson suffered a concussion in the team's Game 5 win over the Houston Rockets when Trevor Ariza's knee hit him in the head. GSW Stats announced Tuesday that the league cleared Thompson to play in Game 1. The 25-year-old told USA Today's Sam Amick he feels "great," so that's an encouraging sign for Warriors fans.
Thompson finished the regular season second on the team with 21.7 points per game and, like Curry, is one of the top shooters in the league.
On the other side of the court, All-Star guard Kyrie Irving played in Cleveland's Game 4 win over the Atlanta Hawks but is still dealing with knee problems that kept him out of the previous two games.
While ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin reports the team expects the guard to play, head coach David Blatt is still a bit concerned about his player, per Chris Haynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Each team better hope its second-best player can be close to 100 percent by the time Game 1 begins.
Rebounding Battle
One of the big reasons the Cavaliers were able to dominate the Atlanta Hawks in the last round was their work on the boards. Timofey Mozgov and Tristan Thompson excelled in what seemed like a mismatch in favor of Al Horford and Paul Millsap and gave Cleveland a huge boost.
You can sum up the past two rounds with this tweet by the NBA account:
Thompson has averaged over 11 boards per contest in 10 games against the Hawks and Chicago Bulls and will look to keep it up against the Warriors.
However, Golden State comes through with some of the best interior defenders in the league. Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut will keep opponents away from the rim while also bringing down a high percentage of rebounds.
This battle in the post could go a long way toward deciding this series.
Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.
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