NBA Playoff Schedule 2017: Game Times, TV Schedule and Storylines for NBA Finals
From the moment Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors last summer, fans around the NBA were waiting for what felt like the inevitable: a third straight NBA Finals matchup between the Dubs and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Sure enough, here we are, treated to the series we all expected. In a sense, everything to this point was just an appetizer.
And it's hard to imagine a more compelling matchup. The star power is nearly unprecedented. The rivalry is strong, as the teams have faced one another in the previous two Finals, with the Warriors taking the title two years ago and the Cavaliers winning it last year.
It's going to be fun. It may be a series for the ages. Let's break it all down, from the schedule and television information to the major storylines and keys.
Schedule
- Game 1: Thursday, June 1 at 9 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.
- Game 2: Sunday, June 4 at 8 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.
- Game 3: Wednesday, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Game 4: Friday, June 9 at 9 p.m. ET at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
- *Game 5: Monday, June 12 at 9 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.
- *Game 6: Thursday, June 15 at 9 p.m. ET at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
- *Game 7: Sunday, June 18 at 8 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California.
*If necessary. All games will be shown on ABC.
Can the Cavaliers Slow Down the Warriors Offense?
It's a task few NBA teams have managed this season: stifling an offense that features Steph Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant.
A year ago, Cleveland's defense was excellent in the Finals, holding the Warriors to under 100 points in three of their four wins. It's hard to imagine the Cavs pulling off that feat a second time.
For one thing, the Warriors averaged 115.9 points per game in the regular season and have averaged 118.3 points per contest this postseason while going 12-0. And unlike last year, the Dubs have Durant, a major upgrade over Harrison Barnes.
Durant's presence is an obvious game-changer. He gives the team a dangerous isolation option and late-game focal point, but he's also transitioned to Golden State's style of basketball. His ability to hit shots from the perimeter, make contested jumpers and drive to the basket makes him another incredible weapon for the Warriors.
Curry, meanwhile, has been superb this postseason. While injuries slowed him down in last year's playoffs and appeared to take him out of his rhythm, this year he's averaging 28.6 points and 5.6 assists, shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Another concern for Cleveland? Draymond Green has been on fire from three this postseason, hitting an absurd 47.2 percent from downtown. If Green, Golden State's fourth offensive option, continues to shoot that effectively from distance, it's hard to imagine how the Cavaliers could possibly slow down this team.
The one silver lining for Cleveland in all of this is that Thompson has been merely pedestrian this postseason, averaging just 14.4 points while shooting 36.4 percent from beyond the arc. But Golden State has yet to lose a game in the playoffs even given those struggles.
If he suddenly gets hot, the Cavaliers are in major trouble.
Can the Warriors Slow Down LeBron James?
In last season's Finals, the Warriors famously were up 3-1 when Cleveland mounted a comeback for the ages. That was almost entirely inspired by the herculean performance of James.
In Game 5, he posted 41 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and three blocks. In Game 6, he again scored 41 points, this time adding 11 assists, eight rebounds, four steals and three blocks. And he finished things off in Game 7 by accumulating 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, three blocks and two steals.
Players aren't supposed to be able to dominate in every facet of the game. In last year's NBA Finals, James did just that, and he's continued his excellence in this year's postseason, posting 32.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.4 blocks.
James is, without any room for debate, the most dominant player on the planet. And with two superstar running mates in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love and a veteran supporting cast behind them, James' team is capable of beating the Warriors again.
The Warriors have defensive options to throw at James, with dogged defenders in Green and Andre Iguodala and Durant's length. Whether any of them will be effective against him is another question altogether.
It will take another superhuman performance from James, more than likely, for the Warriors' obscenely talented roster to fall. But he did it once, and he's capable of doing it again.
Which Team Will Get More From Their Role Players?
The stars are always the main storyline, but the role players could still have a huge say in matters.
Will Tristan Thompson dominate the boards? Can JR Smith finally get hot this postseason? How much instant offense off the bench will Kyle Korver provide? Can Zaza Pachulia and JaVale McGee give the Warriors quality minutes in the paint? Will Iguodala come off the bench and give James any issues defensively?
Yes, the stars will decide this series. But NBA history is full of role players providing clutch moments and huge performances in the Finals. The team that gets a bigger contribution from those players is going to be tough to beat.
Prediction
The Warriors win in seven.
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