NBA Finals Schedule 2017: Dates, Game Times, TV Guide for Warriors vs. Cavaliers
Round 3.
After a whole year filled with speculation that they'd meet in the NBA Finals once again, the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers went a combined 24-1 as they steamrolled through their respective conferences.
As Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated said after the Cavs torched the Boston Celtics, 135-103, on Thursday night, both teams will enter the series at full-strength:
Before the epic battle ensues, though, we must wait.
Below you can find the NBA Finals schedule and viewing information, along with an X-factor for both juggernauts.
How to watch
- Game 1: Thu. June 1, Cleveland at Golden State, 9 p.m. ET on ABC
- Game 2: Sun. June 4, Cleveland at Golden State, 8 p.m. ET on ABC
- Game 3: Wed. June 7, Golden State at Cleveland, 9 p.m. ET on ABC
- Game 4: Fri. June 9, Golden State at Cleveland, 9 p.m. ET on ABC
- Game 5: Mon. June 12, Cleveland at Golden State, 9 p.m. ET on ABC
- Game 6: Thu. June 15, Golden State at Cleveland, 9 p.m. ET on ABC
- Game 7: Sun. June 18, Cleveland at Golden State, 8 p.m. ET on ABC
X-factors
Cavaliers: Kyle Korver
The Warriors have Kevin Durant this time around, which is by far the biggest change in this rivalry.
But the Cavaliers have made some moves, as well.
For starters, they have the "f--king playmaker" LeBron James demanded at point guard in Deron Williams. D-Will threw it back to his Utah Jazz days with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting in 17 minutes off the bench in Game 6 on Thursday night.
The 32-year-old veteran will prove valuable against Golden State when Kyrie Irving needs a rest. Perhaps the bigger addition against the Warriors, however, is Korver.
On Jan. 7, the Cavaliers sent Mike Dunleavy, Mo Williams and a protected first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the sniping 36-year-old.
Korver hasn't been electric for Cleveland, contributing just 4.2 points in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics. However, Korver has knocked down 41.5 percent of his threes in the postseason, flashing in spurts what he brings with LBJ on the floor.
Vice Sports' Michael Pina compared him to a condiment:
With Korver on the floor, Cleveland's Offensive Rating has climbed to 121.5 during the playoffs, the fourth-highest on the team behind Channing Frye, Kevin Love and James, per NBA.com.
Put simply: Cleveland is lethal when Korver checks in, even if he's not splashing threes.
Warriors: Klay Thompson
Sharpshooter Klay Thompson is down nearly 10 points a game from last year's playoffs. In 2015-16, the Splash Brother averaged 24.3 points while shooting 42.4 percent from beyond the arc.
This year has been a far cry from last year's assassin-like accuracy. In five fewer field-goal attempts a night, Thompson is averaging 14.4 points while shooting 36.4 percent from deep.
In the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, the 27-year-old put up just 11 points on 32.7 percent shooting from the field with a mark of 36.8 percent from three-point land.
So, what's going on with Thompson, already one of the greatest marksmen in basketball history?
Bleacher Report's Eric Malinowski tried to find out.
"I feel like I'm playing well on both sides of the ball," Thompson told Malinowski last week. "Obviously, you want the shot to go in more frequently, but that's basketball. Due for a few big games or whatever. But you can't get caught up in percentages, especially when you're winning. Just got to make winning plays and play hard and everything else will take care of itself."
The peculiar part of Thompson's struggles is that Golden State hasn't missed a beat. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Dubs have the most dominant offense of any team to ever enter the Finals:
Playing with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green will provide the looks Klay needs to break out of this head-scratching slump.
He has the potential to single-handedly take over—and win—playoff games, as we saw in Game 6 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals last year.
Cleveland can't take Thompson's struggles for granted. Lue should prepare for Klay as if he's hotter than ever.
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