2007 NBA Finals
The 2007 NBA Finals began on the 7th of June 2007. This best-of-seven series pitted the San Antonio Spurs against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Western Conference champion Spurs held home court advantage due to their superior regular season record of 58 wins and 24 losses. They faced the Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers who finished with a 42-40 record. The league used the 2-3-2 format for this championship round. Under this structure, the first two games occurred in Cleveland while the final two took place in San Antonio if necessary. Games three through five were scheduled at the Spurs' home arena. This format had been restored by the NBA in 1985 after years of experimentation. Other playoff rounds utilized a different 2-2-1-1-1 arrangement instead.
San Antonio entered the playoffs as the third seed in the West. They defeated the Denver Nuggets four games to one in the first round. A more contentious battle followed against the Phoenix Suns in the conference semifinals. Game one saw Tony Parker collide head-first with Steve Nash. Nash suffered a deep gash along his nose that would not stop bleeding. He sat out the final 45 seconds of play as the Spurs won 111-106. Amar'e Stoudemire later called the Spurs a dirty team following game two. Manu Ginóbili received a bruised eye during game three while Bruce Bowen kneeed Nash in the groin. Robert Horry bodychecked Nash into the scorer's table late in game four. League commissioner David Stern suspended both Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for leaving the bench during the ensuing altercation. Horry received a two-game suspension for his flagrant foul on Nash. The short-handed Suns lost game five 88-85 despite taking an early 16-point lead. San Antonio advanced to their fifth Western Conference finals since 1999 after beating Utah Jazz in five games.
Cleveland swept the Washington Wizards in the first round after injuries sidelined Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. They defeated the New Jersey Nets in six games during the second round. The Eastern Conference finals featured a rematch against Detroit Pistons who had eliminated Cleveland the previous year. Game five produced one of basketball's most memorable moments. LeBron James scored 29 points during the final 16 minutes and 14 seconds of regulation and overtime combined. He scored all nine Cavaliers' points in each overtime period to win 109-107. This performance included scoring 11 of the final 12 points in regulation and all nine points in both extra periods. Cleveland became only the third team in history to overcome a 0-2 deficit in a best-of-seven conference series. They won game six at home to secure their first NBA Finals appearance ever. This marked LeBron James' first trip to the championship round as well.
Game one ended with San Antonio winning 85-76 on June 7. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili delivered solid performances while limiting LeBron James to 14 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Game two saw the Spurs lead by as many as 29 points in the third quarter before Cleveland mounted a 25-6 rally that fell short. The series score moved to 2-0 for San Antonio. Game three featured rookie Daniel Gibson starting instead of injured Larry Hughes. Gibson scored just two points on 1-of-10 shooting. The Cavaliers shot .367 from the field but out-rebounded San Antonio 48-41. Zydrunas Ilgauskas grabbed 18 rebounds during the contest. LeBron James missed a potential game-tying 29-foot three-pointer on the final play. This became the lowest scoring Finals game since 1955 with Tim Duncan recording his lowest point total in an NBA Finals career at 14 points. Game four concluded the sweep with an 83-82 victory for San Antonio after they staged a 12-3 rally to retake the lead. Michael Finley received the championship game ball as a twelve-year veteran.
ESPN produced coverage televised nationally on ABC under the ESPN on ABC branding. Local stations included KSAT-TV in San Antonio and WEWS-TV in Cleveland. These represented the smallest television markets ever to host an NBA Finals until 2025. Play-by-play announcer Mike Breen worked alongside analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy. Courtside reporters Michele Tafoya and Stuart Scott provided additional commentary. Radio coverage featured Mike Tirico with Dr. Jack Ramsay and Hubie Brown. The series aired globally across more than 200 countries through over 100 broadcasters including TSN, Sky Sports, Canal+, and Premiere. Featured songs included Right Now by The Pussycat Dolls throughout the playoffs. It Ends Tonight by The All-American Rejects played during the pre-game promo for game four. Nielsen Media Research reported a record-low 6.2 rating and 11 share for the complete series on the 15th of June 2007. This represented a 27 percent drop from the previous year's Miami-Dallas series ratings of 8.5/15.
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Common questions
When did the 2007 NBA Finals begin?
The 2007 NBA Finals began on the 7th of June 2007. This best-of-seven series pitted the San Antonio Spurs against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Who won the 2007 NBA Finals and what was the final score?
San Antonio won the 2007 NBA Finals by sweeping Cleveland in four games with a final game score of 83-82. Michael Finley received the championship game ball as a twelve-year veteran after the victory.
What format did the 2007 NBA Finals use for scheduling home games?
The league used the 2-3-2 format for this championship round where the first two games occurred in Cleveland while the final two took place in San Antonio if necessary. Games three through five were scheduled at the Spurs' home arena under this structure.
How many countries broadcast the 2007 NBA Finals globally?
The series aired globally across more than 200 countries through over 100 broadcasters including TSN, Sky Sports, Canal+, and Premiere. Nielsen Media Research reported a record-low 6.2 rating and 11 share for the complete series on the 15th of June 2007.