2016 NBA Finals - Game Day 7

The Cleveland Cavaliers won game 7 on the road, beating the defending champion Golden State Warriors to win the NBA championship. Lebron James unanimously won the finals Most Valuable Player award - his 3rd finals MVP award. After falling behind 0-2 in the series, the Cavs became the first team in finals history to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a championship. After trailing 3 games to 1, James scored 41pts in 2 straight games, and followed it up with a triple double in game 7 - 27pts, 11reb, 11asts, along with 3blks and 2stls whilst playing 47 of 48 minutes. It was his 7th career finals triple double, and he is only the 3rd player to record one in a game 7 of a finals. He also became the first player to lead all players in the finals in 5 categories: points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.

Game 7 was the first time in the series where both teams were within 5pts of each other in the final 5min. After the score was tied 89-all with 4:39 left, Lebron had his driving layup blocked by Iguodala with 3:00 remaining. With 1:54 to go, Irving missed a jumper which triggered a fast break from the Warriors. Curry got the ball ahead to Iguodala, who had his layup thwarted by a signature chasedown block from behind by Lebron. Lebron and Curry each then missed a jumper, before Kyrie took Curry off the dribble for a clutch 3-pointer to put the Cavs up ahead by 3 with 53sec to go. After another 3-pt miss from Curry, Irving drove the lane and handed it off to a cutting Lebron who got up high for a one-handed slam. Lebron missed the dunk after drawing a foul from Green mid-air, landing hard onto the floor and banging the wrist of his shooting hand. After staying down on the court in pain, Lebron would stay on the court, and after missing his first free throw, nailed the second to give the Cavs a 4pt lead with 10sec left. Curry's final 3-pt attempt missed and the Cavaliers began celebrating on the Warrior's home floor. Irving finished with 26pts, 6asts and Love finished with 9pts, 14reb. Draymond Green had 32pts, 15reb, 9asts, including 6-of-8 3's after making his first 5 3's in the 1st half. Curry and Thompson struggled with 17pts (4-of-14 3's) and 14pts (2-of-10 3's) respectively.

Cleveland won it's first major sports championship title in 52 years. After being drafted 1st overall by the Cavaliers, Lebron was unable to win a title in his first 7 years. He left for the Miami Heat for 4 seasons, where he was able to win his first and second championships. Angered by Lebron's decision to leave Cleveland, the Cav's owner Dan Gilbert wrote an angry open letter and some angry Cav's fans could even be seen burning their own Lebron jerseys. But after 4 seasons with Miami, Lebron announced his decision to return to Cleveland via an essay published in Sports Illustrated, saying that what's most important to him is to bring back a trophy to Northeast Ohio.

With the game 7 loss, the Warriors lost their 9th game in these playoffs, matching the total number of games they have lost all regular season. After a record-setting 73-9 record and a regular season MVP trophy award for Stephen Curry, the Warriors were unable to win back-to-back titles. It was a disappointing finish for the team, who were able to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the semi-finals against OKC, but then gave up a 3-1 lead against the Cavs even with homecourt advantage.

NBA Top Plays (2min 3sec):

2016 Champions Cleveland Cavaliers (1min 46sec):

Irving Drops 26pts (3min 4sec):

Lebron Triple Double (5min 48sec):

2016 NBA Finals - Game Day 6

The Cavs won at home, avoiding elimination for the 2nd straight game to force a game 7 vs the Warriors. Lebron finished with 41pts, 8reb, 11asts, 4stl, 3blks, scoring 41pts in his second straight game facing elimination. It is only the 5th time a player has scored consecutive 40pt games in the finals. The Cavs blew out the Warriors in the first quarter 31-11, with the Warriors setting record lows for the season for q1 in points, point margin and field goal percentage (22.6%). After trailing by 16 at halftime, the Warriors ended q3 on a 10-0 run, with Thompson scoring 15pts in the quarter to pull within 9 points at the start of the 4th quarter. The Warriors would get as close as 7pts, but Lebron dominated in the 3rd and 4th quarters by scoring or assisting on 27 straight Cavalier points, finishing with 17pts in the final quarter. Thompson had 25pts and Curry had 30pts, but fouled out for the first time in his career with 4:22 remaining. He threw his mouthpiece in frustration, inadvertently hitting a fan and earning a technical foul. He is the first MVP to foul out of a finals game since Shaq in 2001.

Other than Jerry West, Lebron is the only other player to have 40pts and 10asts in a finals game. He also ranks 1st in total points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals in these finals. Curry has set a new finals record for made 3-pointers with 28. Game 7 will be played in Oakland, and after 6 games both teams are tied in total points at 610-all. The Cavs became only the 3rd team to force a game 7 in the finals after trailing 3-1, and for the Warriors it will be their first game 7 finals in franchise history.

NBA Top Plays (1min 46sec):

Lebron's 41pts (8min 18sec):

2016 NBA Finals - Game Day 5

The Cavaliers handed the Warriors only their 4th loss at home all season, avoiding elimination to extend the series to 6 games. Draymond Green did not play as he was given a retroactive flagrant foul in game 4, putting him over the limit for a one-game suspension. Iguodala started in his place and had 15pts, 11reb, 6asts, whilst Kevin Love started for the first time since his injury in game 2 but only scored 2pts. After the score was tied at halftime, Bogut sprained his knee early in the 3rd quarter and did not return. The Warriors only shot 7-of-24 in the 3rd quarter as the Cavs outscored them 32-23. Lebron and Kyrie then finished the Warriors off by scoring or assisting on the Cav's final 25 baskets.

Lebron finished with 41pts, 16reb, 7asts, 3stl, 3blks, including 4 3-pters. It was the first time anyone has scored 40pts, 15reb, 5asts in the Finals since Shaq in 2001. Irving finished with 41pts on 70.8% fg shooting (17-of-24), including 5-of-7 3's for his 3rd straight 30pt game. James afterward commented that it was "one of the greatest performances I've seen live". It was the first time in Finals history that 2 teammates scored 40+pts each, and only the 5th time in playoff history. Both had not scored 40pts in a game this season. Lebron also passed Michael Jordan for the most playoff games with at least 20pts, at 174. Thompson finished with 37pts including 6 3's, and Curry finished with 25pts including 5 3's, but needed 14 3-pt attempts. The Warriors now drop to 0-2 without Green playing.

NBA Top Plays (1min 44sec):

Irving and James Combine for 82pts (7min 11sec):

Irving 41pts (4min 18sec):

James 41pts (1min 54sec):

2016 NBA Finals - Game Day 4

The Warriors stole game 4 on the road and are one win away from winning back-to-back titles against the Cavaliers. After trailing by 5 at halftime, the Warriors chipped away at the lead and led by 2 to enter the 4th. Cleveland went 6:46 without a field goal in the 4th, and ended up losing by 11pts. The warriors won their 88th game of the season, passing the 95-96 Bulls for most wins in a season, whilst hitting a Finals record 17 3-pters.

Curry got out of his shooting slump by scoring 38pts, 7reb, 5asts including 7 3's, and Klay added 25pts including 4 3's. The Warriors are now 14-0 in the last 2 postseasons when Curry scores 30+pts. Lebron only scored 7pts in the first half but finished with 21pts, 13reb, 9asts but 7 turnovers. Love returned off the bench to score 11pts and Irving had 34pts. The series will return to Oakland for game 5. No team has ever come back a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals.

NBA Top Plays (1min 41sec):

Warriors Record 3's (2min 30sec):

2016 NBA Finals - Game Day 3

The Cavs won a blowout game at home by 30pts against the Warriors and trail in the series 2-1. Cleveland scored the game's first 9pts, and led by as many as 20 in q1 with Kevin Love sitting out game 3. The Warriors closed the gap to just 8pts by halftime, but the Cavs scored 38-26 in the 3rd quarter to blow the game open. The Cavs scored 100+ pts for the first time in the last 10 games against the Warriors, and remain undefeated at 8-0 at home in these playoffs. It was a 63pt turnaround between games 2 and 3 for the Cavs, who became the 2nd team in NBA history to follow up a 30pt loss with a 30pt win in the same series.

Irving had 30pts, 8asts, including 14pts in the first quarter, Lebron had 32pts, 11reb, 6asts and Smith had 20pts on 5 3-pters. Barnes had 18pts, but Curry, Klay and Green combined for only 35pts - their lowest combined total since 2014. The Warriors only hit 9-of-33 3-pters, and have lost their 5th straight game 3 on the road. It was the 19th time in these playoffs that a team has won by at least 25pts, an NBA record.

NBA Top Plays (1min 49sec):

Irving Drops 30pts (2min 44sec):

2016 NBA Finals - Game Day 2

The Warriors won game 2 by 33pts - their largest win in finals history, to take a 2-0 series lead against the Cavs. After leading by 8 at halftime, the Warriors outscored the Cavs 30-18 in q3 to take a 20pt lead heading into the 4th quarter. Lebron was held scoreless in the first quarter of a finals game for the first time in finals career, but had 5 assists in the quarter. He scored 14 of his 19pts in the 2nd quarter, and had 9asts, 8reb but 7 turnovers. He also snapped his streak of scoring 20 or more points in 25 straight playoff games, but moved into 4th place in postseason steals after surpassing John Stockton. Irving finished with 10pts, and Love had 5pts after sitting out the 2nd half after an elbow to the back of the head by Barnes. Green led all scorers with 28pts in only 3 quarters - his most in a finals game, along with 7reb, 5asts. He hit 5 3-pters - as many as the entire Cavaliers team. Curry (18pts) and Klay (17pts) each made 4 3-pters each, and Bogut had a playoff career high 6 blocks - tied for most ever in a finals game, with 4 of them coming in the 1st quarter.

Golden State set a record for the largest winning margin in the first 2 finals game at +48, and have now beaten Cleveland in 7 straight games by an average of 19pts. Of all Finals teams that are up 2-0, those teams have won the championship 28 out of 31 times, with the last upset coming from Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat over Dallas in 2006. The last team to be up 2-0 in the Finals were the LA Lakers against Orlando in 2009.

NBA Top Plays (1min 37sec):

Draymond Green Leads Warriors (3min 22sec):

2016 NBA Finals - Game Day 1

The Warriors opened game 1 of the NBA finals at home, beating the Cavaliers by 15 points. Curry and Thompson struggled, combining for only 20pts on 8-of-27 shooting, but the Warrior's bench outscored their opponent's bench 45-10, with 7 Warriors scoring in double figures. Livingston had a playoff career high 20pts, Green had 16pts, 11reb, 7asts and Iguodala added 12pts, 7reb, 6asts. Whilst the Cav's big 3 combined for 67pts (Lebron - 23pts, 12reb, 9asts, Irving - 26pts and Love - 17pts, 13reb), the Cavs shot only 38.1% and gave up 25pts off 17 turnovers.

The Warriors led 52-43 at halftime, but the Cavs closed the gap with two 7-0 runs in the 3rd quarter to take the lead. Coach Kerr broke his clipboard in frustration during q3, and the Warriors responded with their own 7-0 run to end the quarter with a 6 point lead heading into the 4th quarter. The Warriors led by as many as 20 in the final quarter, and the Cavs narrowed the gap with a 9-0 run but were unable to catch up.

NBA Top Plays (1min 49sec):

Shaun Livingston and Supporting Cast (4min 13sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 13

The Golden State Warriors will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals for the 2nd straight year, after winning game 7 at home by 8pts against OKC. They became the 10th team in postseason history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit. Kerr made an adjustment to the starting lineup, giving Iguodala his 2nd start of the season. The Warriors fell behind by as many as 13 in the 1st half and trailed by 6 at halftime. Golden State had only 42 first half points, the fewest they've scored at home this season. But the Warriors rallied in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Thunder 29-12 - with 12pts being the fewest that Golden State have allowed in a playoff 3rd quarter in the shotclock era. With OKC trailing by 4 with 1:18 to go, Ibaka fouled Curry whilst attempting a 3. Curry made all 3 free throws and the Thunder were unable to score another field goal. Curry finished with 36pts and 7 3-pters, whilst setting an NBA record 32 3's in a 7-game series. Thompson has 21pts on 6 3-pters, after missing his initial 7 shots. Durant had 27pts and Westbrook 19pts, 13asts, 7reb.

NBA Top Plays (1min 25sec):

Stephen Curry 36pts (2min 53sec):

Lebron James Mixtape (2min 22sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 12

The Warriors won their first road game of the series, winning their second game in a row to tie the series 3-3 and force a game 7 back at home. Klay Thompson scored a playoff record 11 3-pters in the game, hitting more 3's than any other player had overall field goals in the game. He finished with 41pts on 11-of-18 3's, scoring 19pts including 5 3-pters in the 4th quarter. The first 4 3's came in just over 7min to begin the 4th quarter, and his 5th gave the Warriors the lead for good. Durant had 29pts and Westbrook 28pts, but they only combined for 20-of-58 fgs. Curry had 29pts on 9-of-22 shooting, narrowly missing a triple double with 10reb, 9asts, along with Westbrook who had 9reb, 11asts. Klay and Curry scored or assisted on 82 of the team's 108 points.

The Warriors were down by 5 after only shooting 36% in the first half, and Curry went scoreless in q1 for the first time this postseason. After OKC ended the 3rd quarter with a 9-2 run, the Warriors found themselves down by 8 to start the 4th. The Warriors inched closer throughout the quarter thanks to the hot 3pt shooting of Klay Thompson, and Curry was able to tie the game with a 3 of his own with 2:47 remaining. After Roberson scored off an offensive rebound, Iguodala scored on a driving layup then stripped Westbrook as he was attempting a shot, then Klay put the Warriors up 104-101 with 1:35 left with a 3-pter. With 35sec left, Iguodala stole a pass from Westbrook, Curry faked a step-back 3, then drove and banked it in to put the Warriors up 106-101 with 14sec left. After a Thunder timeout, Curry stole the inbounds pass to seal the game. OKC had it's 6th loss of the season when leading by 5+pts with under 5min to go, as the Warriors scored 10pts off 6 OKC turnovers - 4 of them coming from Westbrook in the last 1:39, after he only had 1 turnover through the first 3 quarters. Klay and Curry scored 27 of the Warrior's 33 4th quarter points.

The series will return to the Warrior's home floor where they will host game 7 for the first time in 40 years. The Warriors will look to return to the finals for a rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with a good chance to beat a demoralised Thunder team who have lost 2 straight after being up 3-1 in the series. Home teams in the playoffs are 100-24 in game 7s.

NBA Top Plays (1min 29sec):

Warriors Thunder Game 6 4th Qtr Highlights (2min 22sec):

Klay Thompson 41pts Highlights (1min 48sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 11

The Cavaliers won in the Air Canada Centre for the first time this season, blowing out the Raptors by 26pts to return to the NBA finals for a second straight year. James became the first player in the last 50 years to make the NBA finals in 6 consecutive years. He also passed Paul Pierce for 6th place for most career playoff 3-pters. He scored 30+ points for the first time in these playoffs, finishing with 35pts, 11reb, 6asts, 3blks, with Irving adding 30pts, 9asts. Love had 20pts, 12reb and Smith had 15pts including 5 3-pters. James had 14 1st quarter points and Cleveland hit 10-of-15 3-pters in the first half for a 14pt lead at halftime. Lowry scored 18pts in the 3rd quarter including 4-of-5 3-pters and Toronto went on a 17-8 run to end the quarter to close the gap to 12. But the Cavs outscored the Raptors 27-13 in the final quarter and outscored them 17-5 in fast break points for the entire game. Lowry finished with 35pts including 6 3-pters and Derozan 20pts, with no other Raptors in double figures. Cleveland will face the winner of the OKC/GSW series, and will have home court advantage over Oklahoma City, but not over the Golden State Warriors.

NBA Top Plays (2min 18sec):

The Starters Top 10 (3min 16sec):

Kyle Lowry 35pts Highlights (1min 58sec):

Lebron James 33pts Highlights (1min 57sec):

Kyrie Irving Full Court Shot (31sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 10

The Warriors won at home by 9pts to avoid elimination and force a game 6 vs the Thunder. Warrior's coach Steve Kerr changed to a bigger lineup by playing Andrew Bogut for 17min in the 1st half, and he was able to limit the Thunder to 5-of-20 shooting in the paint in the first half. He also scored a playoff career high 15pts and had 14reb. Durant had a game-high 40pts and Thompson had 27pts. Westbrook and Curry had similar stat lines with 31pts, 7reb and 5stls each, with Westbrook having 8 assists with 7 turnovers and Curry 6 assists with 5 turnovers. The Warriors had a narrow 4pt lead going into the 4th quarter, then outscored the Thunder 39-34 to finish the game. With 1:23 left and the Thunder down by 8, Curry stripped the ball from Durant, then drove the lane switching hands in mid-air for the made layup plus a foul for a 3pt play, then yelled "We're not going home!" to the home crowd. With the Warriors up 114-103 with 50sec left, Durant was fouled shooting a 3-pter and made all 3 free throws. Curry was then triple-teamed as he crossed the half-court and Westbrook stole the ball and made a 2pt shot whilst being fouled with 40sec left to cut the lead to 6. Westbrook missed his free throw and got the offensive rebound, but Durant missed a 3 with 35sec left that could have brought the Thunder to within 3. The Warriors made 6 consecutive free throws to ice the game, and will face the Thunder back in OKC for game 6.

NBA Top Plays (1min 54sec):

Warriors Stave off Elimination (1min 59sec):

Splash Bros Duel Durant, Westbrook (6min 56sec):

NBA Meme Team Top 5 (3min 40sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 9

The Cavs remain unbeaten at home and are one win away from the NBA finals. They embarrassed the Raptors by 38pts - the team's biggest margin in playoff team history. Love bounced back from poor games in 3 and 4 to hit his first 6 field goals for 19pts in the first half, including 3 3-pters and 4 free throws. He finished with 8-of-10 fgs for 25pts, Irving added 23pts and James added 23pts, 6reb, 8asts in 31min. Cleveland ended the first quarter with a 17-3 run on their way to a 31pt halftime lead - the largest halftime lead in NBA conference finals history. The Raptors previously had never been down by 30pts in any game prior. Valanciunas returned from injury to score 9pts on 4-of-4 fgs, but were only able to get 14pts and 13pts from Derozan and Lowry respectively, with no other Toronto players in double figures. Game 6 returns to Toronto with the Raptors down 3-2 in a must-win game, with the road team continuing to be winless in this series.

NBA Top Plays (1min 45sec):

Kevin Love Highlights (1min 9sec):

Lebron James Highlights (1min 54sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 8

The Thunder are one win away from the NBA finals after blowing out the Warriors at home for the second straight time. OKC won by 24pts and handed the Warriors their first back-to-back loss of the season. They led 72-53 at halftime, matching their previous game's record of 72pts in a half in a playoff game, something that hasn't been done since the Lakers in 1987. The Warriors turned the ball over 13 times in the first half, and lost every quarter to the Thunder except the 3rd, when Klay scored 19 straight points in under 5min 7sec. He finished with 26pts and Curry 19pts, but they were unable to hold off a triple double of 36pts, 11reb, 11asts from Westbrook and 26pts, 11reb, 4asts, 4stls, 3blks from Durant. The Thunder are 19-0 this year when Westbrook has a triple double - it was Westbrook's first triple double in these playoffs, and it was his 3rd 30 point triple double of his career. Roberson also added a career high 17pts, along with 12 rebounds and 5 steals. The Warriors face elimination down 3-1 in the conference finals, a deficit which has only ever been overcome 2 out of 39 times.

NBA Top Plays (1min 26sec):

Thunder Warriors Game 4 Recap (3min 18sec):

Klay scores 19 straight points (46sec):

Westbrook Triple Double (5min 26sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 7

The Raptors win at home again to even up the series with the Cavs at 2-2. Lowry had 35pts including 15pts and 3 3-pters in the 2nd quarter, and Derozan had 32pts for their highest combined scoring output as teammates. They became the first teammates since Barkley and Majerle in 1993 to have at least 30pts on 60% fg in a conference finals game. Lebron had 29pts, 9reb, 6asts whilst playing 46min, Irving added 26pts, but Love struggled with 10pts on 4-of-14 shooting. The Cavs trailed 57-41 after the first half, and were down by as much as 18, but were able to cut the deficit to just 9 by the start of the 4th quarter. The Cavs started the 4th quarter with an 8-0 run to get within 1, and then both teams traded baskets with the Cavs making 11 consecutive field goals. Irving had a long 3-pter that cut the lead to 101-99 with 2min left, then Derozan banked in a shot with 1:32 left after missing his initial shot. Down by 4, the Cav's Smith had his 3-pter blocked by Biyombo, who then collected an offensive rebound on the other end off Lowry's miss. After a timeout, Lowry ran down the shot clock then blew by Smith for an uncontested layup, giving the Raptors an insurmountable 105-99 lead with 22sec left. The Cavs and Raptors have not won a single road game against each other in these playoffs or the regular season.

NBA Top Plays (1min 24sec):

Raptors vs Cavaliers Game 4 Recap (3min 54sec):

Lowry, Derozan combine for 63pts (5min 53sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 6

OKC dominated the Warriors in game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead, winning at home by 28pts after losing their previous game by 27pts. OKC finished the 1st half 72-47, after ending the half on a 24-7 run. OKC's 72pts in a half is the most against the Warriors this season, and is the most in OKC's playoff history. OKC continued their onslaught in the 3rd quarter, hitting 17-of-22 fgs to score 45pts in the quarter. Durant and Westbrook only played the first 3 quarters, but combined for 63pts, 16reb, 14asts on 20-of-34 fgs. Durant had 33pts and Westbrook nearly had a triple double with 30pts, 8reb, 12asts, as they outscored the Warrior's starters 63-57. The Warriors trailed by as many as 41pts, as OKC went on to total a franchise playoff record 133 points, and also outrebounded the Warriors 52-38. Curry had 24pts and Thompson 18pts with no other Warriors player in double figures. The Thunder have now won 6 of their last 8 games coming against both the Spurs and Warriors - the 2 teams with the best regular season records. Game 4 will be played in Oklahoma City, where the Warriors will try to avoid losing back-to-back games, something they haven't done all season.

NBA Top Plays (1min 22sec):

Durant and Westbrook combine for 63pts (4min 39sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 5

The Raptors won game 3 at home - the first time an Eastern Conference Finals game has been hosted in Toronto, handing Cleveland it's first playoff loss. Toronto won it's first quarter of the series in q1, then led by 13pts after the 1st half. Cleveland trailed by as many as 18pts in the first half, its largest deficit this postseason. Derozan (32pts) and Lowry (20pts) combined for 52pts and Biyombo had a franchise record 26 rebounds, including 10 in the 1st quarter alone. James has 24pts and Smith 22pts including 6 3-pters on 15 attempts. Love and Irving combined for only 16pts on 4-of-28 fgs combined. James also moved into 3rd place in postseason assists, overtaking Jason Kidd.

NBA Top Plays (1min 46sec):

The Starters Top 10 (3min 33sec):

Dwyane Wade's Top 10 of the Season (2min 46sec):

Top 10 And-1's (2min 13sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 4

The Cavs got another blowout win against the Raptors, winning by 19pts to take a 2-0 series lead before the series shifts to Toronto. After a 30-28 lead in the 1st quarter, the Cavs surged ahead scoring 32-20 in the 2nd quarter for a 14pt lead after halftime. James had a triple double with 23pts, 11reb, 11asts, and did most of his scoring in the paint, with Irving adding 26pts and Love 19pts. Lebron overtook Shaq for 4th all-time in playoff scoring. The Cavs have beaten teams in these playoffs by an average of 13.4ppg.

NBA Top Plays (1min 54sec):

Lebron Triple Double (2min 29sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 3

The Warriors bounced back with a 27pt win over the Thunder to even the series at 1-1. The Warriors led by 8 after halftime then pulled away after winning the 3rd quarter 31-19. Curry scored 17pts in the 3rd qtr, including 15 straight points in just under 2minutes, and finished with 28pts on 5-of-8 3-pters. Durant scored 23pts in the first half including 7-of-8 field goals in q2 and finished with 29pts, and Westbrook had 16pts, 12asts. The Warriors led by as many as 35 points with 2:42 remaining and outrebounded the Thunder 45-36. The series now shifts to OKC for games 3 and 4.

NBA Top Plays (1min 46sec):

Warriors vs Thunder Game 2 Recap (2min 41sec):

Inside the NBA: Reviewing Game 3 (3min 22sec):

Curry Drops 28pts (1min 45sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 2

The Cavs blew out the Raptors in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, winning by 31pts - the largest margin in Cavs postseason history. They shot 67% in the first half, and dominated the Raptors in the paint 56-36 and outrebounded them 45-23. The game was put out of reach after a 20-2 run in the first half, as the Cavs outscored the Raptors 33-16 in the 2nd quarter. Lebron made his first 9 shots on his way to 11-of-13 field goals for 24pts in only the first 3 quarters. Irving scored 27pts through the first 3 quarters, and Derozan and Lowry were held to only 18pts and 8pts respectively, without any free throw attempts.

NBA Top Plays (1min 34sec):

Irving Leads Cavaliers (2min 19sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 3 - Game Day 1

The Thunder stunned the Warriors on the road, winning by 6 to steal home court advantage. The Warriors led by 13 after the first half after Thompson scored 19 of his total 25pts, but the Thunder bounced back with a 14-2 run and 38pts in q3 to close the gap. OKC went ahead in the 4th qtr and the Warriors went on a 7-0 run get back to within 1 with 2min to play, but they were unable to get any closer. The Warriors lost at home for the first time this postseason, and were held to only 42pts in the second half, and only 14pts in the 4th qtr - the lowest totals for the Warriors these playoffs. Curry finished with 26pt, 10reb, 7asts and broke Reggie Miller's record for most consecutive playoff games with a made 3-pter at 45 games. Westbrook had 27pts, 12asts, 7stls, including 19pts in the 3rd qtr. Durant finished with 26pts and made a dagger jumper with 30.7sec left to put the Thunder up by 5, after missing his previous 8 shots.

NBA Top Plays (1min 43sec):

Warriors Thunder Game 1 Recap (4min 22sec):

KD, Westbrook Duel Steph, Klay (3min 38sec):

Top 10 On Fire Performances (2min 27sec): http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=15564335&ex_cid=sportscenterFB&sf26381753=1

2016 NBA Playoff Round 2 - Game Day 15

The Raptors blew out the Heat by 27pts in game 7 to reach their first ever Eastern Conference Finals. They got 35pts including 5-of-7 3-pters, 9asts, 7reb from Lowry and 28pts from Derozan, as well as 17pts, 16reb from Biyombo. Lowry became the first player in team history to have back-to-back 35+pt playoff games. The Raptors led by 8pts after 3 quarters and extended the lead throughout the 4th quarter. The Raptors scored at least 30pts in a quarter for the first time in the series (3rd and 4th quarters) as Miami suffered it's worst-ever game 7 loss and became the first team to both win and lose a game 7 by 20+pts in the same playoffs. The only remaining teams in the NBA never to reach a conference finals are the Hornets, Clippers and Pelicans. Wade passed Havlicek for #11 in postseason scoring surpassing 6 people in these playoffs alone.

The 2nd-seeded Raptors will face the 1st-seeded Cavaliers, who have had plenty of rest following their sweep of Atlanta. The 3rd-seeded Thunder will face the 1st-seeded Warriors, after eliminating the 2nd-seeded Spurs.

NBA Top Plays (1min 50sec):

Wade Playoff Mix (2min 46sec): 

Damian Lillard Top 10 Plays of Season (2min 36sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 2 - Game Day 14

The Heat avoided elimination at home, winning by 12 points to force a game 7 in Toronto. The Heat were led by Dragic who scored a career high 30pts, including 14pts in the 2nd qtr to give the Heat a 9 point lead. The Heat would extend the lead to as much as 13 in the 3rd qtr, but Toronto could only cut the deficit to 6 in the 4th qtr. Wade had 22pts, 13 coming in the 2nd half, and a game-high 3 blocks. Lowry had 36pts and Derozan 23pts but were unable to score down the stretch. The Heat are now 6-0 in their last 6 elimination games, and the Raptors are 0-7 when leading a playoff series. The Raptors have not lost back-to-back games since March 23-25. Both teams won their game 7's in the first round, and the winner of this game 7 will face the Cleveland Cavaliers.

NBA Top Plays (1min 18sec):

Dragic Leads Miami (1min 59sec):

Top 10 Plays: The Starters (3min 37sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 2 - Game Day 13

The Thunder blew out the Spurs at home to win the series 4-2, and will advance to the Western Conference Finals to face the Warriors. The Thunder lead by 6 after ending the 1st qtr on a 12-0 run, and then led by 24pts after ending the half on a 17-2 run. The 24 point deficit was the Spur's largest since they faced Seattle in 2002, after they shot 31.1% from the field and missed all 9 3-pters. Down by 26 entering the 4th qtr, the Spurs got to within 11 but ultimately lost by 14pts as KD scored 37pts and Westbrook 28pts. Aldridge had 18pts, 14reb, Leonard 22pts and Duncan 19pts, but no other scorers in double figures. The Spurs dominated in the regular season by winning a franchise record 67 wins and winning game 1 vs the Thunder by 32pts, but OKC was able to bounce back winning the last 3 games in a row.

NBA Top Plays (2min):

KD Scores 37 (3min 22sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 2 - Game Day 12

Toronto narrowly won game 5 at home against the Heat. Toronto led by 20 at halftime, and by 13 to start the 4th qtr, but Wade brought the Heat back to within 1 with a jumper and 2 free throws with 1:54 left. With 52sec to go, Lowry hit a long stepback 3 to put the Raptors up by 6. Wade came back with a jumper but Lowry answered back with a jumper of his own with 23.7sec left. Wade had his next layup underneath the basket goaltended but Derzon made his final 4 free throws to tie his playoff high 34pts and seal the game. Lowry had 25pts, 10reb, 6asts and Wade had 20pts. The Heat will return to Miami again facing elimination with a 3-2 deficit.

The Warriors won at home by 4, beating the Blazers 4-1 to advance to the western conference finals. The Warriors battled back from an early double-digit deficit to go up by 8 with 5:35 remaining, but the Blazers came back with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 1 with 4min left. After 3-pters from Iguodala and Curry, the Blazers went on a 7-2 run to get within 2 with 1:21 to go. Up by 2, Curry dribbled behind his back for a stepback 3 that iced the game with 25sec to go. Curry finished with 29pts, 11asts with 5 3-pters, and Klay added 33pts on 13-of-17 field goals. He shot 6 3's, setting an NBA playoff record with 7 consecutive playoff games with at least 5 3-pters made. Lillard and McCollum combined for 55pts. The Warriors will face the winner of the Thunder/Spurs series, with the Thunder leading 3-2. 

NBA Top Plays (1min 38sec):

Playoff Turnaround: Curry Comeback (4min 21sec):

Shaqtin' A Fool (2min 28sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 2 - Game Day 11

The Thunder stun the spurs, beating them in San Antonio to take a 3-2 series lead. Westbrook recorded 35pts, 11reb, 9asts and Durant had 23pts, both combining to score or assist on 80 of OKC's 95pts. Leonard had 26pts and Green 20pts on 6-of-9 from 3pt range. Down by 6, Westbrook scored 7pts, 2reb and 1ast in the final 4minutes. Westbrook scored on a long 2, followed by a fastbreak layup. He missed his next shot but grabbed the offensive rebound and passed it to Kanter underneath the rim to tie the game with 2:20 left. Kanter blocked Tim Duncan's shot on the other end, then was able to tip in a missed bankshot by Durant to put the Thunder up by 2. Parker came back with a jumpshot to tie the game at 1:35. After a bad pass by Westbrook, Parker missed his next shot and OKC had a chance to take the lead with the game tied. Durant was fouled as Green crashed into him after tripping over Adam's foot, and Durant made both free throws for a 2pt lead. Parker was fouled with 43sec left, but was only able to trim the lead to 1 after missing his 2nd free throw. Durant lost the ball with 29sec left but the Spurs were unable to capitalise as Parker missed yet another jumpshot with 11sec remaining. After a timeout, Waiters inbounded the ball with 9.3sec left to Westbrook who was able to avoid the intentional foul before laying the ball in over Aldridge plus the foul. His made free throw with 6.3sec left put OKC up by 4 and the game out of reach. The Spurs had lost only 1 home game all season, but have now lost 2. OKC have a chance to wrap up the series in Oklahoma City in game 6.

Stephen Curry won the regular season MVP award for the 2nd year in a row, winning the award unanimously for the first time in MVP history. He is the 11th player to win back-to-back MVPs, and only the 3rd guard to do so. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook finished 4th and 5th in MVP voting, becoming only the 4th teammate pair to finish in the top 5 in the past 30 years - the others were Kobe and Shaq, Jordan and Pippen and Bird and McHale.

NBA Top Plays (1min 15sec):

Westbrook 35pts Highlights (1min 50sec):

Stephen Curry Ultimate Career Mixtape (8min 26sec):

Stephen Curry Top 30 Plays of Season (7min 43sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 2 - Game Day 10

The Heat won game 4 at home by 7 points in the 3rd overtime game of the series. Game 4 was played without injured players Valenciunas (who was ruled out of the series) and Whiteside (listed as day-to-day). Lowry struggled on 2-of-11 shooting, fouling out with 1:58 to play with only 10pts. With the Raptors up by 2 with only a minute left, Derozan accidentally kicked the ball only to get it back after it rebounded off Dragic's face. Derozan put up a shot which missed, but he gained the offensive rebound after Patterson tipped the rebound back to him. After a timeout with 40sec left, Joseph missed a baseline jumper and Wade dribbled the ball up the court. With 12sec left, the defense didn't anticipate an early drive, and Wade exploded through the lane for a layup against 4 defenders to tie the game. In overtime, with the Heat up by 4 with a minute to go, Wade put up a layup which bounced off the front of the rim then bounced softly hitting the back of the rim, where it lay there stuck without going down. This resulted in a jumpball, which Toronto won resulting in a Derozan field goal. Up by 2, Miami's Dragic scored on a layup plus the foul to stretch the lead to 5. On the ensuing possession, Wade trapped the ballhandler at 3/4 court, stealing the ball for a 2-handed slam. Wade finished with 30pts as the rest of the Heat struggled, combining for only 1-of-12 3-pters. The series will return to Toronto for game 5, with the series tied 2-2.

The Warriors won game 4 in Portland in overtime to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. Curry returned from a sprained right knee injury, coming off the bench to score 40pts, 9reb, 8asts in 37min of play. Curry led the Warriors to a 7 point win, running away with the game by scoring an NBA record 17pts in overtime, outscoring the entire Blazers team who had 14pts in overtime. Curry was only expected to play 25min, but starting guard Livingston was ejected after receiving 2 technicals for arguing a call before halftime. The Warriors trailed by as much as 16pts, as Portland scored a franchise playoff record 41pts in the 2nd qtr, including 17 from Lillard who notched 36pts and 10asts. Klay had 23pts and Green had 21pts with a career-high 7 blocks. With 1:07 to go, Curry missed a 3-pter with the Blazers leading by 1 and Plumlee extended the lead to 3 with a layup. After a timeout, the Warriors turned to Barnes who nailed a game-tying 3-pter. Lillard missed a stepback jumper and Curry had a chance to win the game but missed a running bank shot. Green got an offensive tip as the buzzer expired, but it also missed. Curry took over in overtime, hitting 6 consecutive shots including 3 3-pters, then turned to the crowd and told them "I'm back". Curry missed his first 9 3-pters, but was able to score 27pts off 5-of-7 3-pters in q4 and overtime combined. He is the second player in the last 30yrs to score 40pts off the bench in a playoff game (the other was Nick Van Exel in 2003). The Warriors have a chance to finish the series with game 5 returning to Golden State.

NBA Top Plays (1min 33sec):

Heat Raptors Game 4 Recap (3min 51sec):

Warriors Blazers Game 4 Recap (5min 17sec):

Dwyane Wade Scores 30 (3min 46sec):

Steph Curry 40pt Performance (4min 53sec):

Inside the NBA: Warriors win Game 4 (10min 5sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 2 - Game Day 9

The Cavs held on to win game 4, sweeping the Hawks for the 2nd straight season. Atlanta started strong with 36pts in the 1st qtr on 6-of-11 3-pters, led by Millsap's 15 1st qtr points. Cleveland hit their first 9-of-12 3-pters, but still trailed by as much as 12 in the 2nd qtr. Late in the game, Schroder led a 6-0 run that would put the Hawks up by 1 with 1:31 left on a driving layup. Lebron then had good position under the rim but his shot was blocked by Horford and Lebron missed on 2 offensive tips before the Hawks knocked it out of bounds. On the inbounds play, Lebron cut to the basket and had his shot blocked by Millsap, but it was ruled as a goaltend as the ball had already hit the backboard. Schroder had his shot blocked on the next play by Thompson, and Lebron gave the Cavs a 3pt lead with a stepback jumper with 39sec left. Schroder cut the the lead to 1 with another driving layup, Lebron missed a long 3-pter with 14sec left and the Hawks raced the ball the other way with no timeouts remaining. Schroder drove the lane and pump-faked, but Lebron was able to come over with a double-team and tied the ball up for a jumpball with 2.4sec remaining. Lebron swatted the ball towards the sideline and Smith kept the ball inbounds. Millsap came up with the ball but his after-the-buzzer shot missed and the Cavs held on for a 1pt victory.

Love led all scorers with 27pts, 13reb, and had 8 3-pters through the first 3 quarters, including a 4pt play. James had 21pts, 10reb, 9asts and Irving had 21pts, 8asts, as the big 3 combined for 69pts. The Cavs became the first team in NBA history to make at least 15 3-pters in 4 consecutive games. They have made 77 3's in the series, tied for 2nd most, although they achieved the mark in 4 games compared to the other team's 7 games. They are averaging 16.75 made 3-pters in the playoffs, which is more than the Warriors 13.1 regular season average. The Cavs become only the 9th team in history to begin the playoffs with an 8-0 unbeaten record. Lebron has now led his team to the Eastern Conference Finals for the 6th year in a row - the 2nd year in a row with Cleveland.

OKC tied up the series at 2-2, winning at home against the Spurs by 14 points. OKC trimmed an 11pt deficit in the 2nd qtr, to 4pts to begin the 4th. Kevin Durant took over in the 4th qtr, scoring 17pts on 6-of-6 shooting, singlehandedly outscoring the Spurs who had 16pts in q4. OKC were up only 4 with 2:49 to go, but a 10-0 run by KD and Westbrook turned the game into a blowout. Durant tied his career playoff high with 41pts, scoring 29pts on 10-of-13 shooting in the 2nd half. Westbrook struggled with his shooting, scoring only 14pts, but he added 15 assists whilst Waiters added 17 and Adams 16pts. The Spurs struggled with their offense, finishing the game on 2-of-12 from 3pt range and only 12 assists compared to OKC's 23. The series will return to San Antonio for game 5.

NBA Top Plays (1min 17sec):

Cavs Hawks Game 4 Recap (3min 35sec):

Durant Ties Playoff Career High (4min 14sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 2 - Game Day 8

The Raptors regained home court advantage after beating the Heat by 4 in Miami. Wade led all scorers with 38pts but was unable to overcome key clutch baskets by Lowry who had 33pts on 11-of-19 shots, including 5-of-8 3-pters. Miami were down by 13 after halftime but Wade scored 18pts in the 3rd qtr to tie the game entering the 4th qtr. Lowry gave the Raptors a 5pt lead after hitting a long 3-pter and 2 free throws with 1:34 to go. Wade assisted on a Haslem layup then drove in with a eurostep to cut the lead to 1. With 52sec to go, Wade clamped down on Lowry but he was still able to drive left and hit a stepback jumper for a 3pt lead. Wade again cut the lead to 1 with a driving layup, but after Derozan made 2 free throws, Joe Johnson missed on a 3-pter that would have tied the game, and the Raptors closed out the game with free throws. Whiteside and Valenciunas both left the game after being injured on separate plays and did not return.

The Blazers became the first team to beat Golden State twice this season, winning game 3 at home by 12 to move to within 2-1 in the series. The Blazers led by 12 after the first half and by as many as 20 in the 4th qtr. Their lead would have been larger if not for Draymond Green's 19pts in the 3rd qtr, on his way to 37pts, 9reb, 8asts. He also had a career high 8 3-pters, but would be overshadowed by Lillard who also had 8 3-pters on his way to 40pts with 10 assists. Lillard has now scored 40, 40 and 51pts against the Warriors when playing at home. Thompson had 35pts including 18pts in the 1st qtr, and along with Green became the first pair of teammates to score at least 35pts since Westbrook and Durant did it in 2011.

NBA Top Plays (1min 48sec):

Lillard Duels Thompson (2min 52sec):

Lowry Duels Wade (5min 20sec):

Paul George Top 10 Plays of Season (2min 43sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 2 - Game Day 7

Cleveland won game 3 in Atlanta by 13pts to take a 3-0 series lead, after trailing 11pts in the 3rd qtr. They set a record by making at least 20 3-pointers in two consecutive games - making 21-of-39 after setting a record 25 3's in game 2. They also set a record for 3-pters made in a playoff series, with 61 in only the first 3 games. The Cavs finished the game with a 22-5 run and were led by Channing Frye's career playoff high 27pts including 7-of-9 3-pters. Love added 5 3-pters, and Irving 4 3-pters. Four Cavs players scored at least 20pts (Love 21, James 24, Irving 24, Frye 27), and three Cavs players had at least 10 rebounds (Love 15, James 13, Thompson 13). With the game already decided in the final minute, Teague picked up a flagrant foul after shoulder barging Lebron on a drive, sending him crashing into the fans behind the baseline. The Cavs continue to remain the only undefeated team in this year's playoffs and are 11-0 all-time against Atlanta in the playoffs. They are also 11-0 in playoff games where Love, Irving and Lebron have played together.

The Spurs narrowly beat OKC by 4 points, regaining home court advantage by winning game 3 on the road. After being down as many as 15 in the first half, OKC had a 4pt lead with 7min to go but trailed by 7 with just over a minute left. Durant missed a 3-pt attempt but Westbrook cleaned up the miss with a putback slam plus the foul and made the free throw. Durant stole the ball from Leonard on the next possession, and Westbrook was fouled on the fast break and made both free throws to pull within 2 points with 46sec remaining. The Spurs ran down the clock to 25sec and Aldridge missed a baseline jumper, but Leonard picked up the crucial offensive rebound and Parker would make both clutch free throws to extend the lead back to 4. OKC's final possession used up too much of the clock and whilst they were able to get back to within 2, Leonard made both free throws to put the game out of reach for good. Durant had 26pts and Westbrook 31pts, 9reb, 8asts but only shot 10-of-31 field goals. Westbrook and Durant have now both scored at least 25pts for the 33rd time, tied for 2nd all-time with Kobe and Shaq. The Spurs were led by Leonard's 31pts, 11reb along with 24pts from Aldridge and 19pts, 8reb, 5asts from Parker.

NBA Top Plays (1min 36sec):

Kawhi Leonard Duels Russell Westbrook in OKC (4min 11sec):

The Starters Top 10 Plays (3min 13sec):

Jeremy Lin's Top 10 Plays of Season (2min 30sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 2 - Game Day 6

The Raptors won game 2 at home versus the Heat in a game that went into overtime for the second straight time. The Raptor's Carroll scored 21pts, Valenciunas had 15pt, 12reb including 11pt, 7reb in q4, and Derozan had 20pts and Lowry 18pts on a combined 16-of-48 field goals. The Heat were up by 7 midway through q4 but the Raptors came back to tie the game with 2:01 remaining. With 1:22 left, Derozon missed 2 free throws but Valanciunas made the offensive tip for a 2pt lead for the Raptors. Lowry made a jumper with 45sec left to make it a 4pt lead, but Wade answered with a 3-pter to cut the lead to 1. Lowry extended the lead back to 3 with a jumper. Dragic came back with a 3-pter to tie the game with 10.5sec left, playing with 8 stitches to his lip after getting elbowed in the 2nd qtr. Lowry had a chance to win the game but airballed a long 3-pter. In overtime the Heat missed their first 5 field goals and the Raptors pulled away with a 4 point win. Lowry became the first player in the shot clock era to shoot under 40% in 9 consecutive playoff games while taking at least 10 shots. The series will now switch to Miami for game 3 with the series tied 1-1.

NBA Top Plays (1min 24sec): http://www.nba.com/video/channels/top_plays/2016/05/05/20160505-top5.nba/

Heat Raptors Game 2 Ending (3min 21sec):

2016 NBA Playoff Round 2 - Game Day 5

The Cavaliers dominated game 2 at home against the Hawks, winning by 25pts after leading by 36 (74-38) at halftime - the largest halftime lead in Lebron's playoff career. The Cavs hit 18-of-27 3-pters in the first half, the most in a half in a playoff game. They ended the game shooting an NBA record 25 3-pters - the most in any regular season or playoff game, beating the previous record of 21 that was set by the Warriors. At least 10 players made at least one 3-pter - Smith had 7, James and Irving 4 each and Love 3, on their way to shooting 25-of-45. Lebron scored 27pts and surpassed Tim Duncan moving into 5th place in playoff scoring.

NBA Top Plays (1min 38sec):

Cavs hit 25 3-pointers (4min 19sec):

James Harden Top 10 Plays of Season (2min 32sec):