2018 NBA Finals

• 1. Series Overview And Outcome

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  The 2018 NBA Finals began on May 31 and concluded on June 8. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games to win their second consecutive championship. This series marked the first time since 2007 that an NBA Finals ended with a complete sweep. Kevin Durant earned the Finals Most Valuable Player award for the second year running. He averaged 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists throughout the series. No player had ever won two consecutive Finals MVP awards while playing for the same team before this moment.

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• 2. Warriors Dynasty And Roster Moves

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  During the 2017, 18 offseason, the Warriors re-signed core players including Kevin Durant to a two-year contract worth $53 million. Point guard Stephen Curry signed a five-year deal valued at $201 million. Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Zaza Pachulia, and David West also returned to the roster. Guard Nick Young joined as a free agent acquisition. The team finished the regular season with a 58, 24 record. They secured the Pacific Division title and the second seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, they defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games. They eliminated the New Orleans Pelicans in five more games. A seven-game series against the Houston Rockets followed before reaching the Finals again.

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• 3. Cavaliers Trade Deadline Drama

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  All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving requested a trade prior to the 2017, 18 season. The Cavaliers agreed to send him to the Boston Celtics on the 8th of February 2018. The trade included Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Žižić, and draft picks from Brooklyn and Miami. Shooting guard Dwyane Wade signed with Cleveland that same summer. Derrick Rose joined on a one-year contract. Just before the deadline, the Cavaliers acquired George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance Jr. These moves reshuffled the entire roster in under an hour. Writers argued the trades made the team significantly better. The Cavaliers finished with a 50, 32 record and the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

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• 4. Game One Overtime Controversy

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  In Game 1, J.R. Smith grabbed an offensive rebound after George Hill missed a free throw. With seconds remaining and the score tied at 107, Smith dribbled toward half court instead of shooting. He believed his team was ahead when the game was actually tied. Coach Tyronn Lue later said Smith thought they were winning. Smith denied knowing the correct score but claimed he assumed a timeout would be called. The Cavaliers failed to score in the final seconds. The game went into overtime where Golden State outscored Cleveland 17, 7. Tristan Thompson received a flagrant foul ejection with 2.6 seconds left in overtime. LeBron James scored 51 points, the most ever in a losing Finals game.

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• 5. Kevin Durant Historic Performance

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  Kevin Durant scored 43 points in Game 3 while adding 13 rebounds and seven assists. He hit a dagger three-pointer over LeBron James with 49.8 seconds remaining to seal the series lead. Durant recorded a triple-double in Game 4 with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Stephen Curry scored 37 points and made seven three-pointers in that same contest. Durant won seven of eleven MVP votes cast by media members. He became the first player to win two consecutive Finals MVP awards with one franchise. His total of 608 points in the playoffs stood as his career high for a single postseason run.

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• 6. Post-Series Fallout And Legacy

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  The Warriors victory parade took place on June 12 in Downtown Oakland. General manager Bob Myers told play-by-play announcer Bob Fitzgerald that Kevin Durant could not have any special contract next year. Myers said Durant had earned nothing like that since he was there from before the early days. A heated argument erupted between Durant and Draymond Green during a the 12th of November 2018 game against the LA Clippers. The incident led to a locker room confrontation and contributed to Durant leaving the team in summer 2019. LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers that offseason. He later won a title with them in 2020. The Cavaliers did not return to the playoffs until the 2022, 2023 season.

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