2018 NBA playoffs

The 2018 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2017–18 season. The playoffs began on April 14, 2018 and ended on June 8 at the conclusion of the 2018 NBA Finals.

2018 NBA playoffs
DatesApril 14 – June 8, 2018
Season2017–18
Teams16
ChampionsGolden State Warriors (6th title)
Runners-upCleveland Cavaliers (5th finals appearance)
Semifinalists

Overview

Western Conference

Eastern Conference

First Round

  • With their first round sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers, the New Orleans Pelicans won their first playoff series since 2008.
  • Game 5 of the Sixers–Heat series was Dwyane Wade’s final NBA postseason game. He would retire the following season.
  • In Game 5 of their series against the Utah Jazz, the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a 25 point deficit in the second half to win the game 107–99.
  • Game 7 between the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks ensured a 19th–straight postseason in which at least one Game 7 was played; 1999 was the most recent postseason to not feature a Game 7.
  • Game 6 of the Celtics–Bucks series was the last game played at the Bradley Center.
  • For the first time in his career, LeBron James was forced to play a Game 7 in the first round of the playoffs, courtesy of the Indiana Pacers’ 121–87 victory in Game 6 over the Cleveland Cavaliers. As of 2023, this remains the Pacers’ most recent postseason victory.

Conference semifinals

  • Game 2 of the Raptors–Cavaliers series was the last game before the Air Canada Centre was renamed to Scotiabank Arena.
  • Game 3 of the Raptors–Cavaliers series was extremely notable for LeBron James’ floater to win the game 105–103 for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • The Toronto Raptors became the first top seeded team to be swept from the conference semifinals as well as the first top seed to be swept out of the playoffs since the 2015 Atlanta Hawks (who were, ironically, also swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers).
  • With their Game 5 win over the Utah Jazz, the Houston Rockets made the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2015.

Conference finals

  • For the first time since 1994, the Houston Rockets held home court advantage in the Western Conference finals.
  • Game 6 and Game 7 of the Western Conference finals was extremely notable for the Golden State Warriors’ second half comebacks to beat the Houston Rockets. The Warriors trailed the Rockets by as many as 17 points in Game 6 and as many as 11 points in Game 7 before coming back to win 115–86 and 101–92, respectively.
  • For the first time since 1979 both Conference finals series went to a deciding Game 7.
  • In both Conference finals series, the road teams won both Game 7s. In the other two instances in which both Conference finals series went to a Game 7, the home team won each Conference finals Game 7 in the 1963 and 1979 Playoffs.
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors advanced to their fourth consecutive NBA Finals appearances. This also marked the first time the same two NBA teams met in the NBA Finals four seasons in a row.

NBA Finals

  • Game 1 of the NBA Finals was notable for JR Smith’s infamous play that cost the Cleveland Cavaliers the game in the waning moments in regulation (they would lose in Overtime to the Golden State Warriors). LeBron James scored 51 points in the losing effort.
  • Game 4 of the 2018 NBA Finals was the last game LeBron James played as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • This was also the first time a team was swept in the NBA Finals since 2007. Like in 2007, the Cleveland Cavaliers were also the team that got swept in the 2018 NBA Finals.
  • The Golden State Warriors won their second consecutive championship, their third in four seasons.

Format

Within each conference, the eight teams with the most wins qualify for the playoffs. The seedings are based on each team's record.

Each conference's bracket is fixed; there is no reseeding. All rounds are best-of-seven series; the team that has four wins advances to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format. Home court advantage in any round belong to the higher-seeded team, who has the better regular season record (number 1 is the highest). If two teams with the same record meet in a round, standard tiebreaker rules are used. The rule for determining home court advantage in the NBA Finals is winning percentage, then head-to-head record, followed by intra-conference record.

Playoff qualifying

On March 7, 2018, the Toronto Raptors became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.[1] On March 30, 2018, the Houston Rockets clinched the Western Conference ending a three-year run by the Golden State Warriors as the top seed.[2] The Rockets clinched the best record in the NBA a day later on March 31, 2018. For the first time since the 1996–97 NBA season, two teams played their last game against each other for the 8th and final spot in the playoffs. The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 112–106 in overtime to clinch the final playoff seed in the West. This also ended Minnesota's 13-year drought without a playoff appearance having last played in 2003–04 season.[3] For the first time since the 2010–11 NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers would miss the postseason following a loss to the Denver Nuggets on April 7, 2018. This is the first time since 1960 that none of the teams from New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago made the playoffs.[4] For the first time since 2005, both the Lakers and Clippers missed the playoffs in the same season.

Eastern Conference

SeedTeamRecordClinched
Playoff berthDivision titleBest record
in conference
Best record
in NBA
1Toronto Raptors59–23March 7[5]April 6[6]April 6[6]
2Boston Celtics55–27March 8[7]
3Philadelphia 76ers52–30March 26[8]
4Cleveland Cavaliers50–32March 22[9]April 10[10]
5Indiana Pacers48–34March 25 [11]
6Miami Heat44–38April 3[12]April 11[13]
7Milwaukee Bucks44–38April 4[14]
8Washington Wizards43–39March 31[15]

Western Conference

SeedTeamRecordClinched
Playoff berthDivision titleBest record
in conference
Best record
in NBA
1Houston Rockets65–17March 11[16]March 15[17]March 29[18]March 29[18]
2Golden State Warriors58–24March 12[19]March 15[20]
3Portland Trail Blazers49–33April 1[21]April 11[22]
4Oklahoma City Thunder48–34April 9[23]
5Utah Jazz48–34April 8[24]
6New Orleans Pelicans48–34April 10[25]
7San Antonio Spurs47–35April 10 [26]
8Minnesota Timberwolves47–35April 11[27]

Bracket

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.

First round Conference semifinals Conference finals NBA Finals
            
E1 Toronto* 4
E8 Washington 2
E1 Toronto* 0
E4 Cleveland* 4
E4 Cleveland* 4
E5 Indiana 3
E4 Cleveland* 4
Eastern Conference
E2 Boston 3
E3 Philadelphia 4
E6 Miami* 1
E3 Philadelphia 1
E2 Boston 4
E2 Boston 4
E7 Milwaukee 3
E4 Cleveland* 0
W2 Golden State* 4
W1 Houston* 4
W8 Minnesota 1
W1 Houston* 4
W5 Utah 1
W4 Oklahoma City 2
W5 Utah 4
W1 Houston* 3
Western Conference
W2 Golden State* 4
W3 Portland* 0
W6 New Orleans 4
W6 New Orleans 1
W2 Golden State* 4
W2 Golden State* 4
W7 San Antonio 1
  • * Division winner
  • Bold Series winner
  • Italic Team with home-court advantage

First round

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

(1) Toronto Raptors vs. (8) Washington Wizards

April 14
5:30 pm
Washington Wizards 106, Toronto Raptors 114
Scoring by quarter: 23–28, 36–27, 26–31, 21–28
Pts: John Wall 23
Rebs: Markieff Morris 11
Asts: John Wall 15
Pts: Serge Ibaka 23
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 12
Asts: Kyle Lowry 9
Toronto leads series, 1–0
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,937
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Pat Fraher
April 17
7:00 pm
Washington Wizards 119, Toronto Raptors 130
Scoring by quarter: 27–44, 31–32, 32–24, 29–30
Pts: John Wall 29
Rebs: Kelly Oubre Jr. 5
Asts: John Wall 9
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 37
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 14
Asts: Kyle Lowry 12
Toronto leads series, 2–0
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,242
Referees: Mike Callahan, Courtney Kirkland, Tom Washington
April 20
8:00 pm
Toronto Raptors 103, Washington Wizards 122
Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 32–39, 21–32, 21–21
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 23
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 6
Asts: Kyle Lowry 8
Pts: Beal, Wall 28 each
Rebs: Otto Porter 8
Asts: John Wall 14
Toronto leads series, 2–1
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,356
Referees: Ken Mauer, James Williams, Gary Zielinski
April 22
6:00 pm
Toronto Raptors 98, Washington Wizards 106
Scoring by quarter: 30–22, 21–18, 29–40, 18–26
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 35
Rebs: Serge Ibaka 10
Asts: DeMar DeRozan 6
Pts: Bradley Beal 31
Rebs: three players 6 each
Asts: John Wall 14
Series tied, 2–2
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,356
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Derrick Collins, Josh Tiven
April 25
7:00 pm
Washington Wizards 98, Toronto Raptors 108
Scoring by quarter: 24–23, 23–25, 31–31, 20–29
Pts: John Wall 26
Rebs: Marcin Gortat 12
Asts: John Wall 9
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 32
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 13
Asts: Kyle Lowry 10
Toronto leads series, 3–2
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,987
Referees: Marc Davis, Mark Ayotte, John Goble
April 27
7:00 pm
Toronto Raptors 102, Washington Wizards 92
Scoring by quarter: 20–30, 30–23, 23–25, 29–14
Pts: Kyle Lowry 24
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 12
Asts: Kyle Lowry 6
Pts: Bradley Beal 32
Rebs: Markieff Morris 15
Asts: John Wall 8
Toronto wins series, 4–2
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 20,356
Referees: James Capers, Sean Corbin, Zach Zarba

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Wizards winning the first meeting in 2015.[28]

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Milwaukee Bucks

April 15
1:00 pm
Milwaukee Bucks 107, Boston Celtics 113 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 17–29, 30–15, 19–26, 33–29, Overtime: 8–14
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 35
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 13
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 7
Pts: Al Horford 24
Rebs: Al Horford 12
Asts: three players 4 each
Boston leads series, 1–0
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Mike Callahan, Brian Forte, Jason Phillips
April 17
8:00 pm
Milwaukee Bucks 106, Boston Celtics 120
Scoring by quarter: 22–33, 29–27, 24–30, 31–30
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 30
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 9
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 8
Pts: Jaylen Brown 30
Rebs: Jayson Tatum 7
Asts: Terry Rozier 8
Boston leads series, 2–0
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Marc Davis, Mark Ayotte, Sean Wright
April 20
9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT)
Boston Celtics 92, Milwaukee Bucks 116
Scoring by quarter: 12–27, 23–31, 32–27, 25–31
Pts: Al Horford 16
Rebs: Greg Monroe 12
Asts: Terry Rozier 9
Pts: Khris Middleton 23
Rebs: Khris Middleton 8
Asts: Khris Middleton 7
Boston leads series, 2–1
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Scott Foster, Sean Corbin, Courtney Kirkland
April 22
1:00 pm (12:00 pm CDT)
Boston Celtics 102, Milwaukee Bucks 104
Scoring by quarter: 17–24, 18–27, 32–24, 35–29
Pts: Jaylen Brown 34
Rebs: Aron Baynes 11
Asts: Terry Rozier 8
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 27
Rebs: Antetokounmpo, Parker 7 each
Asts: Antetokounmpo, Bledsoe 5 each
Series tied, 2–2
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Ed Malloy, Brent Barnaky, Tom Washington
April 24
7:00 pm
Milwaukee Bucks 87, Boston Celtics 92
Scoring by quarter: 15–23, 22–25, 24–24, 26–20
Pts: Khris Middleton 23
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 10
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 9
Pts: Al Horford 22
Rebs: Al Horford 14
Asts: Terry Rozier 5
Boston leads series, 3–2
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Ken Mauer, Pat Fraher, James Williams
April 26
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT)
Boston Celtics 86, Milwaukee Bucks 97
Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 15–26, 26–26, 21–23
Pts: Jayson Tatum 22
Rebs: Al Horford 10
Asts: Terry Rozier 5
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 31
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 14
Asts: Matthew Dellavedova 6
Series tied, 3–3
Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance: 18,717
Referees: Mike Callahan, Tony Brothers, David Guthrie
April 28
8:00 pm
Milwaukee Bucks 96, Boston Celtics 112
Scoring by quarter: 17–30, 25–20, 25–31, 29–31
Pts: Khris Middleton 32
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 9
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 5
Pts: Horford, Rozier 26 each
Rebs: Al Horford 8
Asts: Terry Rozier 9
Boston wins series, 4–3
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Derrick Stafford, John Goble, Josh Tiven

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning four of the first five meetings.[29]

(3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Miami Heat

April 14
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 103, Philadelphia 76ers 130
Scoring by quarter: 35–29, 25–27, 18–34, 25–40
Pts: Kelly Olynyk 26
Rebs: Olynyk, Winslow 7 each
Asts: Kelly Olynyk 5
Pts: JJ Redick 28
Rebs: Ersan İlyasova 14
Asts: Ben Simmons 14
Philadelphia leads series, 1–0
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,617
Referees: Marc Davis, Bill Kennedy, Bill Spooner
April 16
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 113, Philadelphia 76ers 103
Scoring by quarter: 22–29, 34–13, 30–33, 27–28
Pts: Dwyane Wade 28
Rebs: Johnson, Wade 7 each
Asts: Kelly Olynyk 6
Pts: Ben Simmons 24
Rebs: Ersan İlyasova 11
Asts: Ben Simmons 8
Series tied, 1–1
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,753
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Karl Lane
April 19
7:00 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 128, Miami Heat 108
Scoring by quarter: 37–33, 26–31, 33–30, 32–14
Pts: Joel Embiid 23
Rebs: Ben Simmons 12
Asts: Ben Simmons 7
Pts: Goran Dragić 23
Rebs: Justise Winslow 10
Asts: Goran Dragić 8
Philadelphia leads series, 2–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 19,812
Referees: James Capers, Tony Brown, Kane Fitzgerald
April 21
2:30 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 106, Miami Heat 102
Scoring by quarter: 26–26, 30–35, 23–22, 27–19
Pts: JJ Redick 24
Rebs: Ben Simmons 13
Asts: Ben Simmons 10
Pts: Dwyane Wade 25
Rebs: Hassan Whiteside 13
Asts: Josh Richardson 7
Philadelphia leads series, 3–1
American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
Attendance: 19,804
Referees: Mike Callahan, Jason Phillips, Kevin Scott
April 24
8:00 pm
Miami Heat 91, Philadelphia 76ers 104
Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 25–23, 20–34, 25–24
Pts: Kelly Olynyk 18
Rebs: Kelly Olynyk 8
Asts: Kelly Olynyk 6
Pts: JJ Redick 27
Rebs: Joel Embiid 12
Asts: Ben Simmons 6
Philadelphia wins series, 4–1
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 21,171
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Eric Lewis, Josh Tiven

With the win, the Sixers won their first playoff series since 2012.

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first meeting.[30]

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Indiana Pacers

April 15
3:30 pm
Indiana Pacers 98, Cleveland Cavaliers 80
Scoring by quarter: 33–14, 22–24, 18–27, 25–15
Pts: Victor Oladipo 32
Rebs: Myles Turner 8
Asts: Darren Collison 6
Pts: LeBron James 24
Rebs: Kevin Love 17
Asts: LeBron James 12
Indiana leads series, 1–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Zach Zarba, Bennie Adams, John Goble
April 18
7:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 97, Cleveland Cavaliers 100
Scoring by quarter: 18–33, 28–25, 21–16, 30–26
Pts: Victor Oladipo 22
Rebs: Thaddeus Young 6
Asts: Collison, Oladipo 6 each
Pts: LeBron James 46
Rebs: LeBron James 12
Asts: LeBron James 5
Series tied, 1–1
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Ed Malloy, David Guthrie, Eric Lewis
April 20
7:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 90, Indiana Pacers 92
Scoring by quarter: 31–20, 26–20, 12–23, 21–29
Pts: LeBron James 28
Rebs: LeBron James 12
Asts: LeBron James 8
Pts: Bojan Bogdanović 30
Rebs: Myles Turner 10
Asts: Victor Oladipo 7
Indiana leads series, 2–1
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 17,923
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Derrick Collins, Josh Tiven
April 22
8:30 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 104, Indiana Pacers 100
Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 30–26, 20–28, 24–22
Pts: LeBron James 32
Rebs: LeBron James 13
Asts: LeBron James 7
Pts: Domantas Sabonis 19
Rebs: Thaddeus Young 16
Asts: Darren Collison 8
Series tied, 2–2
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 17,923
Referees: Ken Mauer, Pat Fraher, Rodney Mott
April 25
7:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 95, Cleveland Cavaliers 98
Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 31–26, 17–32, 22–17
Pts: Domantas Sabonis 22
Rebs: Victor Oladipo 12
Asts: Cory Joseph 6
Pts: LeBron James 44
Rebs: James, Love 10 each
Asts: LeBron James 8
Cleveland leads series, 3–2
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: James Capers, Bill Kennedy, Bill Spooner

LeBron James capped off his heroic Game 5 performance with a game-winning 3 at the buzzer to put the Cavaliers up 3–2 in the series. This was the fourth time James has hit a game-winning buzzer beater in the playoffs.

April 27
8:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 87, Indiana Pacers 121
Scoring by quarter: 26–29, 21–28, 20–35, 20–29
Pts: LeBron James 22
Rebs: Kevin Love 7
Asts: LeBron James 7
Pts: Victor Oladipo 28
Rebs: Victor Oladipo 13
Asts: Victor Oladipo 10
Series tied, 3–3
Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Attendance: 17,923
Referees: Marc Davis, Jason Phillips, Sean Wright
April 29
1:00 pm
Indiana Pacers 101, Cleveland Cavaliers 105
Scoring by quarter: 19–31, 24–23, 31–22, 27–29
Pts: Victor Oladipo 30
Rebs: Victor Oladipo 12
Asts: Victor Oladipo 6
Pts: LeBron James 45
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 10
Asts: LeBron James 7
Cleveland wins series, 4–3
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Kane Fitzgerald

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series.[31]

(1) Houston Rockets vs. (8) Minnesota Timberwolves

April 15
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT)
Minnesota Timberwolves 101, Houston Rockets 104
Scoring by quarter: 21–27, 26–27, 25–22, 29–28
Pts: Andrew Wiggins 18
Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 12
Asts: Jeff Teague 8
Pts: James Harden 44
Rebs: Clint Capela 12
Asts: James Harden 8
Houston leads series, 1–0
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Ken Mauer, Tony Brown, James Williams
April 18
9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT)
Minnesota Timberwolves 82, Houston Rockets 102
Scoring by quarter: 23–18, 17–37, 18–25, 24–22
Pts: Nemanja Bjelica 16
Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 10
Asts: Jones, Wiggins 3 each
Pts: Chris Paul 27
Rebs: Clint Capela 16
Asts: Chris Paul 8
Houston leads series, 2–0
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Pat Fraher, Mark Lindsay
April 21
7:30 pm (6:30 pm CDT)
Houston Rockets 105, Minnesota Timberwolves 121
Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 23–25, 24–35, 30–34
Pts: James Harden 29
Rebs: Clint Capela 11
Asts: James Harden 7
Pts: Jimmy Butler 28
Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 16
Asts: Jeff Teague 8
Houston leads series, 2–1
Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 18,978
Referees: Marc Davis, Kevin Cutler, Bill Kennedy
April 23
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT)
Houston Rockets 119, Minnesota Timberwolves 100
Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 29–28, 50–20, 19–31
Pts: James Harden 36
Rebs: Clint Capela 17
Asts: Chris Paul 6
Pts: Karl-Anthony Towns 22
Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 15
Asts: Butler, Teague 5 each
Houston leads series, 3–1
Target Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Attendance: 18,978
Referees: James Capers, Mark Ayotte, David Guthrie
April 25
9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT)
Minnesota Timberwolves 104, Houston Rockets 122
Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 33–30, 15–30, 30–37
Pts: Karl-Anthony Towns 23
Rebs: Karl-Anthony Towns 14
Asts: Jeff Teague 7
Pts: Clint Capela 26
Rebs: Clint Capela 15
Asts: James Harden 12
Houston wins series, 4–1
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Zach Zarba, Brian Forte, Sean Wright

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Rockets winning the first meeting.[32]

(2) Golden State Warriors vs. (7) San Antonio Spurs

April 14
3:00 pm (12:00 pm PDT)
San Antonio Spurs 92, Golden State Warriors 113
Scoring by quarter: 17–28, 24–29, 22–29, 29–27
Pts: Rudy Gay 15
Rebs: Rudy Gay 6
Asts: Pau Gasol 4
Pts: Klay Thompson 27
Rebs: Durant, Green 8 each
Asts: Draymond Green 11
Golden State leads series, 1–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: James Capers, Kane Fitzgerald, Ron Garretson
April 16
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT)
San Antonio Spurs 101, Golden State Warriors 116
Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 28–24, 22–33, 26–36
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 34
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 12
Asts: five players 3 each
Pts: Kevin Durant 32
Rebs: Iguodala, McGee 7 each
Asts: Durant, Green 6 each
Golden State leads series, 2–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ed Malloy, Brent Barnaky, Eric Lewis
April 19
9:30 pm (6:30 pm PDT)
Golden State Warriors 110, San Antonio Spurs 97
Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 26–23, 32–26, 26–25
Pts: Kevin Durant 26
Rebs: Kevin Durant 9
Asts: Draymond Green 7
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 18
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 10
Asts: Aldridge, Murray 4 each
Golden State leads series, 3–0
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Zach Zarba, Rodney Mott, Sean Wright
April 22
3:30 pm (12:30 pm PDT)
Golden State Warriors 90, San Antonio Spurs 103
Scoring by quarter: 22–30, 20–26, 29–21, 19–26
Pts: Kevin Durant 34
Rebs: Draymond Green 18
Asts: Draymond Green 9
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 22
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 10
Asts: Ginóbili, Mills 5 each
Golden State leads series, 3–1
AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,418
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Brian Forte
April 24
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT)
San Antonio Spurs 91, Golden State Warriors 99
Scoring by quarter: 20–22, 18–27, 27–30, 26–20
Pts: LaMarcus Aldridge 30
Rebs: LaMarcus Aldridge 12
Asts: Manu Ginóbili 7
Pts: Kevin Durant 25
Rebs: Draymond Green 19
Asts: Draymond Green 7
Golden State wins series, 4–1
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Mike Callahan, Tony Brown, Jason Phillips

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning two of the first three meetings.[33]

(3) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (6) New Orleans Pelicans

April 14
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT)
New Orleans Pelicans 97, Portland Trail Blazers 95
Scoring by quarter: 21–18, 24–18, 30–27, 22–32
Pts: Anthony Davis 35
Rebs: Anthony Davis 14
Asts: Rajon Rondo 17
Pts: CJ McCollum 19
Rebs: Ed Davis 13
Asts: Damian Lillard 7
New Orleans leads series, 1–0
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 19,882
Referees: Ed Malloy, Eric Lewis, Mark Lindsay
April 17
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT)
New Orleans Pelicans 111, Portland Trail Blazers 102
Scoring by quarter: 25–23, 29–36, 33–19, 24–24
Pts: Jrue Holiday 33
Rebs: Anthony Davis 13
Asts: Holiday, Rondo 9 each
Pts: CJ McCollum 22
Rebs: Al-Farouq Aminu 15
Asts: CJ McCollum 6
New Orleans leads series, 2–0
Moda Center, Portland, Oregon
Attendance: 20,066
Referees: Zach Zarba, Sean Corbin, John Goble
April 19
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 102, New Orleans Pelicans 119
Scoring by quarter: 20–36, 25–28, 25–27, 32–28
Pts: CJ McCollum 22
Rebs: Al-Farouq Aminu 8
Asts: Maurice Harkless 4
Pts: Nikola Mirotić 30
Rebs: Anthony Davis 11
Asts: Rajon Rondo 11
New Orleans leads series, 3–0
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Attendance: 18,551
Referees: Mike Callahan, Jason Phillips, Tom Washington
April 21
5:00 pm (4:00 pm CDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 123, New Orleans Pelicans 131
Scoring by quarter: 25–26, 31–32, 31–42, 36–31
Pts: CJ McCollum 38
Rebs: Jusuf Nurkić 11
Asts: Damian Lillard 6
Pts: Anthony Davis 47
Rebs: Davis, Mirotić 11 each
Asts: Rajon Rondo 16
New Orleans wins series, 4–0
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Attendance: 18,544
Referees: James Capers, Kane Fitzgerald, Ron Garretson

The Pelicans completed a sweep of the Trail Blazers for their 1st series win in the playoffs since the 2008 NBA playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks as the New Orleans Hornets.

This was the first playoff meeting between the Trail Blazers and Pelicans.[34]

(4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (5) Utah Jazz

April 15
6:30 pm (5:30 pm CDT)
Utah Jazz 108, Oklahoma City Thunder 116
Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 23–29, 24–27, 36–35
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 27
Rebs: Donovan Mitchell 10
Asts: Ricky Rubio 5
Pts: Paul George 36
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 13
Asts: Russell Westbrook 8
Oklahoma City leads series, 1–0
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Derrick Stafford, David Guthrie, Josh Tiven
April 18
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT)
Utah Jazz 102, Oklahoma City Thunder 95
Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 27–21, 21–33, 28–16
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 28
Rebs: Derrick Favors 16
Asts: Ricky Rubio 9
Pts: Russell Westbrook 19
Rebs: Paul George 10
Asts: Russell Westbrook 13
Series tied, 1–1
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Ken Mauer, James Williams, Gary Zielinski
April 21
10:00 pm (8:00 pm MDT)
Oklahoma City Thunder 102, Utah Jazz 115
Scoring by quarter: 30–22, 23–36, 22–31, 27–26
Pts: Paul George 23
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 11
Asts: Russell Westbrook 9
Pts: Ricky Rubio 26
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 12
Asts: Ricky Rubio 10
Utah leads series, 2–1
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Zach Zarba, Bennie Adams, John Goble
April 23
10:30 pm (8:30 pm MDT)
Oklahoma City Thunder 96, Utah Jazz 113
Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 22–34, 21–32, 23–23
Pts: Paul George 32
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 14
Asts: Russell Westbrook 3
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 33
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 10
Asts: Ricky Rubio 8
Utah leads series, 3–1
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Marc Davis, Bill Kennedy, Bill Spooner
April 25
9:30 pm (8:30 pm CDT)
Utah Jazz 99, Oklahoma City Thunder 107
Scoring by quarter: 34–29, 22–12, 22–37, 21–29
Pts: Jae Crowder 27
Rebs: Ricky Rubio 12
Asts: Ricky Rubio 7
Pts: Russell Westbrook 45
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 15
Asts: Russell Westbrook 7
Utah leads series, 3–2
Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Attendance: 18,203
Referees: Ed Malloy, Kane Fitzgerald, Tom Washington

The Thunder trailed by as much as 25 points in the 3rd quarter. However, Russell Westbrook and Paul George combined for 47 second-half points to help keep their season alive. The Thunder outscored the Jazz 61-28 since the comeback started with 8:32 left in the 3rd quarter. The 25-point rally was their largest in franchise history and one of the biggest comebacks for a team facing elimination in playoff history.

April 27
10:30 pm (8:30 pm MDT)
Oklahoma City Thunder 91, Utah Jazz 96
Scoring by quarter: 22–18, 19–23, 29–37, 21–18
Pts: Russell Westbrook 46
Rebs: Steven Adams 15
Asts: Paul George 8
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 38
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 13
Asts: Joe Ingles 5
Utah wins series, 4–2
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Scott Foster, Ron Garretson, Eric Lewis

This was the fifth playoff meeting between the SuperSonics/Thunder franchise and the Jazz, but the first since the Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder in 2008. The two teams have split their previous four playoff matchups.[35]

Conference semifinals

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

(1) Toronto Raptors vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers

May 1
8:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 113, Toronto Raptors 112 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 19–33, 38–27, 25–27, 23–18, Overtime: 8–7
Pts: LeBron James 26
Rebs: Kevin Love 13
Asts: LeBron James 13
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 22
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 21
Asts: Kyle Lowry 10
Cleveland leads series, 1–0
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 19,954
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Pat Fraher, John Goble
May 3
6:00 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 128, Toronto Raptors 110
Scoring by quarter: 26–29, 35–34, 37–24, 30–23
Pts: LeBron James 43
Rebs: Kevin Love 11
Asts: LeBron James 14
Pts: DeMar DeRozan 24
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 12
Asts: Kyle Lowry 8
Cleveland leads series, 2–0
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 20,127
Referees: Ken Mauer, Kane Fitzgerald, Brian Forte
May 5
8:30 pm
Toronto Raptors 103, Cleveland Cavaliers 105
Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 21–31, 25–24, 38–26
Pts: Kyle Lowry 27
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 11
Asts: Kyle Lowry 7
Pts: LeBron James 38
Rebs: Kevin Love 16
Asts: LeBron James 7
Cleveland leads series, 3–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Mike Callahan, Courtney Kirkland, Josh Tiven

LeBron James capped off a 38-point performance with a fadeaway bank shot floater[36] at the buzzer to lead the Cavs to a commanding 3–0 series lead.

May 7
8:30 pm
Toronto Raptors 93, Cleveland Cavaliers 128
Scoring by quarter: 26–30, 21–33, 25–37, 21–28
Pts: Jonas Valančiūnas 18
Rebs: DeRozan, Valančiūnas, 5 each
Asts: Kyle Lowry 10
Pts: LeBron James 29
Rebs: LeBron James 8
Asts: LeBron James 11
Cleveland wins series, 4–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brown, David Guthrie

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with Cleveland winning the first two meetings.[37]

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers

April 30
8:00 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 101, Boston Celtics 117
Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 23–31, 30–31, 26–30
Pts: Joel Embiid 31
Rebs: Joel Embiid 13
Asts: Ben Simmons 6
Pts: Terry Rozier 29
Rebs: Terry Rozier 8
Asts: Marcus Smart 9
Boston leads series, 1–0
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Marc Davis, Ed Malloy, Bill Spooner
May 3
8:30 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 103, Boston Celtics 108
Scoring by quarter: 31–22, 25–29, 19–28, 28–29
Pts: JJ Redick 23
Rebs: Joel Embiid 14
Asts: Ben Simmons 7
Pts: Jayson Tatum 21
Rebs: Al Horford 12
Asts: Terry Rozier 9
Boston leads series, 2–0
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Mike Callahan, Jason Phillips, Sean Wright
May 5
5:00 pm
Boston Celtics 101, Philadelphia 76ers 98 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 19–20, 29–31, 21–17, 20–21, Overtime: 12–9
Pts: Jayson Tatum 24
Rebs: Aron Baynes 10
Asts: Jayson Tatum 4
Pts: Joel Embiid 22
Rebs: Joel Embiid 19
Asts: Ben Simmons 8
Boston leads series, 3–0
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,758
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Pat Fraher, John Goble
May 7
6:00 pm
Boston Celtics 92, Philadelphia 76ers 103
Scoring by quarter: 22–21, 21–26, 22–29, 27–27
Pts: Jayson Tatum 20
Rebs: Al Horford 10
Asts: Jayson Tatum 4
Pts: Dario Šarić 25
Rebs: Embiid, Simmons 13 each
Asts: McConnell, Simmons 5 each
Boston leads series, 3–1
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 20,936
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Sean Corbin
May 9
8:00 pm
Philadelphia 76ers 112, Boston Celtics 114
Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 28–36, 30–22, 30–31
Pts: Embiid, Šarić 27 each
Rebs: Joel Embiid 12
Asts: McConnell, Simmons 6 each
Pts: Jayson Tatum 25
Rebs: Aron Baynes 9
Asts: Marcus Smart 6
Boston wins series, 4–1
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: James Capers, Tom Washington, Zach Zarba

This was the 21st playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning 12 of the first 20 meetings.[38]

(1) Houston Rockets vs. (5) Utah Jazz

April 29
3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT)
Utah Jazz 96, Houston Rockets 110
Scoring by quarter: 21–34, 18–30, 29–22, 28–24
Pts: Crowder, Mitchell 21 each
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 9
Asts: Ingles, Mitchell 5 each
Pts: James Harden 41
Rebs: Clint Capela 12
Asts: James Harden 7
Houston leads series, 1–0
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: James Capers, Tom Washington, Zach Zarba
May 2
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT)
Utah Jazz 116, Houston Rockets 108
Scoring by quarter: 36–28, 28–27, 22–30, 30–23
Pts: Joe Ingles 27
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 14
Asts: Donovan Mitchell 11
Pts: James Harden 32
Rebs: Clint Capela 11
Asts: James Harden 11
Series tied, 1–1
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Scott Foster, Bennie Adams, Tony Brothers
May 4
10:30 pm (8:30 pm MDT)
Houston Rockets 113, Utah Jazz 92
Scoring by quarter: 39–22, 31–18, 23–25, 20–27
Pts: Gordon, Harden 25 each
Rebs: Clint Capela 8
Asts: James Harden 12
Pts: Royce O'Neale 17
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 9
Asts: Raulzinho Neto 4
Houston leads series, 2–1
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Marc Davis, Ron Garretson, Ed Malloy
May 6
8:00 pm (6:00 pm MDT)
Houston Rockets 100, Utah Jazz 87
Scoring by quarter: 30–23, 28–25, 21–17, 21–22
Pts: Chris Paul 27
Rebs: Clint Capela 15
Asts: Chris Paul 6
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 25
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 10
Asts: Joe Ingles 4
Houston leads series, 3–1
Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah
Attendance: 18,306
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, James Williams
May 8
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT)
Utah Jazz 102, Houston Rockets 112
Scoring by quarter: 16–21, 30–33, 32–21, 24–37
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 24
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 9
Asts: Donovan Mitchell 9
Pts: Chris Paul 41
Rebs: Chris Paul 7
Asts: Chris Paul 10
Houston wins series, 4–1
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Mike Callahan, John Goble, Eric Lewis

This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning five of the first seven meetings.[39]

(2) Golden State Warriors vs. (6) New Orleans Pelicans

April 28
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT)
New Orleans Pelicans 101, Golden State Warriors 123
Scoring by quarter: 34–35, 21–41, 19–27, 27–20
Pts: Anthony Davis 21
Rebs: Anthony Davis 10
Asts: Rajon Rondo 11
Pts: Klay Thompson 27
Rebs: Draymond Green 15
Asts: Draymond Green 11
Golden State leads series, 1–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Bill Kennedy, James Williams
May 1
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT)
New Orleans Pelicans 116, Golden State Warriors 121
Scoring by quarter: 29–27, 26–31, 31–30, 30–33
Pts: Anthony Davis 25
Rebs: Anthony Davis 15
Asts: Rajon Rondo 12
Pts: Kevin Durant 29
Rebs: Draymond Green 9
Asts: Draymond Green 12
Golden State leads series, 2–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Mike Callahan, Jason Phillips, Sean Wright
May 4
8:00 pm (7:00 pm CDT)
Golden State Warriors 100, New Orleans Pelicans 119
Scoring by quarter: 21–30, 35–32, 19–30, 25–27
Pts: Klay Thompson 26
Rebs: Draymond Green 12
Asts: Draymond Green 9
Pts: Anthony Davis 33
Rebs: Anthony Davis 18
Asts: Rajon Rondo 21
Golden State leads series, 2–1
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Attendance: 18,551
Referees: Scott Foster, Mark Ayotte, Eric Lewis
May 6
3:30 pm (2:30 pm CDT)
Golden State Warriors 118, New Orleans Pelicans 92
Scoring by quarter: 37–22, 24–32, 33–19, 24–19
Pts: Kevin Durant 38
Rebs: Durant, Green 9 each
Asts: Draymond Green 9
Pts: Anthony Davis 26
Rebs: Anthony Davis 12
Asts: Rajon Rondo 6
Golden State leads series, 3–1
Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
Attendance: 18,513
Referees: James Capers, Tom Washington, Zach Zarba
May 8
10:30 pm (7:30 pm PDT)
New Orleans Pelicans 104, Golden State Warriors 113
Scoring by quarter: 26–32, 30–27, 19–36, 29–18
Pts: Anthony Davis 34
Rebs: Anthony Davis 19
Asts: Jrue Holiday 11
Pts: Stephen Curry 28
Rebs: Draymond Green 14
Asts: Draymond Green 9
Golden State wins series, 4–1
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Derrick Stafford, Ed Malloy, Josh Tiven

This was the second meeting in the playoffs between the two teams, with the Warriors winning the first meeting.[40]

Conference finals

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers

May 13
3:30 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 83, Boston Celtics 108
Scoring by quarter: 18–36, 17–25, 29–17, 19–30
Pts: Kevin Love 17
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 11
Asts: LeBron James 9
Pts: Jaylen Brown 23
Rebs: Marcus Morris 10
Asts: Terry Rozier 8
Boston leads series, 1–0
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Marc Davis, Pat Fraher, John Goble
May 15
8:30 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 94, Boston Celtics 107
Scoring by quarter: 27–23, 28–25, 22–36, 17–23
Pts: LeBron James 42
Rebs: Kevin Love 15
Asts: LeBron James 12
Pts: Jaylen Brown 23
Rebs: Al Horford 10
Asts: Marcus Smart 9
Boston leads series, 2–0
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Mike Callahan, Derrick Stafford, Sean Wright
May 19
8:30 pm
Boston Celtics 86, Cleveland Cavaliers 116
Scoring by quarter: 17–32, 24–29, 22–26, 23–29
Pts: Jayson Tatum 18
Rebs: Al Horford 7
Asts: Marcus Smart 6
Pts: LeBron James 27
Rebs: Kevin Love 14
Asts: LeBron James 12
Boston leads series, 2–1
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: James Capers, Josh Tiven, Zach Zarba
May 21
8:30 pm
Boston Celtics 102, Cleveland Cavaliers 111
Scoring by quarter: 18–34, 35–34, 23–21, 26–22
Pts: Jaylen Brown 25
Rebs: Al Horford 7
Asts: Terry Rozier 11
Pts: LeBron James 44
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 12
Asts: four players 3 each
Series tied, 2–2
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Eric Lewis
May 23
8:30 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 83, Boston Celtics 96
Scoring by quarter: 19–32, 23–21, 18–23, 23–20
Pts: LeBron James 26
Rebs: LeBron James 10
Asts: LeBron James 5
Pts: Jayson Tatum 24
Rebs: Al Horford 12
Asts: Terry Rozier 6
Boston leads series, 3–2
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy, Jason Phillips
May 25
8:30 pm
Boston Celtics 99, Cleveland Cavaliers 109
Scoring by quarter: 25–20, 18–34, 30–29, 26–26
Pts: Terry Rozier 28
Rebs: Al Horford 9
Asts: Marcus Smart 8
Pts: LeBron James 46
Rebs: LeBron James 11
Asts: LeBron James 9
Series tied, 3–3
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Mike Callahan, John Goble, Derrick Stafford
May 27
8:30 pm
Cleveland Cavaliers 87, Boston Celtics 79
Scoring by quarter: 18–26, 21–17, 20–13, 28–23
Pts: LeBron James 35
Rebs: LeBron James 15
Asts: LeBron James 9
Pts: Jayson Tatum 24
Rebs: Marcus Morris 12
Asts: Marcus Smart 7
Cleveland wins series, 4–3
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Marc Davis, James Capers, Zach Zarba

It marked the first time since the 1987–88 season that the Celtics made two consecutive Conference finals. It was also the Celtics' first home loss of the postseason. Their loss at home after leading 3–2 in the series was the first time that had happened since 2009. This was the fifth time in NBA history that the road team won a Game 7 after the home team had won each of the first six games. LeBron James became the first non-Celtic to advance to 8 consecutive NBA Finals. It was also the second time in the Celtics' history that they had lost a playoff series in which they had taken a 2–0 lead.

This was the eighth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning four of the first seven meetings.[41]

(1) Houston Rockets vs. (2) Golden State Warriors

May 14
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT)
Golden State Warriors 119, Houston Rockets 106
Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 27–26, 31–24, 32–26
Pts: Kevin Durant 37
Rebs: Draymond Green 9
Asts: Draymond Green 9
Pts: James Harden 41
Rebs: Chris Paul 11
Asts: James Harden 7
Golden State leads series, 1–0
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Tom Washington
May 16
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT)
Golden State Warriors 105, Houston Rockets 127
Scoring by quarter: 21–26, 29–38, 29–31, 26–32
Pts: Kevin Durant 38
Rebs: Stephen Curry 7
Asts: Stephen Curry 7
Pts: Gordon, Harden 27 each
Rebs: Capela, Harden 10 each
Asts: Ariza, Paul 6 each
Series tied, 1–1
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,119
Referees: Ken Mauer, David Guthrie, Ed Malloy
May 20
8:00 pm (5:00 pm PDT)
Houston Rockets 85, Golden State Warriors 126
Scoring by quarter: 22–31, 21–23, 24–34, 18–38
Pts: James Harden 20
Rebs: Chris Paul 10
Asts: James Harden 9
Pts: Stephen Curry 35
Rebs: Draymond Green 17
Asts: Durant, Green 6 each
Golden State leads series, 2–1
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Marc Davis, Sean Corbin, Jason Phillips
May 22
9:00 pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Houston Rockets 95, Golden State Warriors 92
Scoring by quarter: 19–28, 34–18, 17–34, 25–12
Pts: James Harden 30
Rebs: P. J. Tucker 16
Asts: Harden, Paul 4 each
Pts: Stephen Curry 28
Rebs: Draymond Green 13
Asts: Draymond Green 8
Series tied, 2–2
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Mike Callahan, Kane Fitzgerald, Derrick Stafford
May 24
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT)
Golden State Warriors 94, Houston Rockets 98
Scoring by quarter: 17–23, 28–22, 27–26, 22–27
Pts: Kevin Durant 29
Rebs: Draymond Green 15
Asts: Stephen Curry 6
Pts: Eric Gordon 24
Rebs: Clint Capela 14
Asts: Chris Paul 6
Houston leads series, 3–2
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,208
Referees: James Capers, Eric Lewis, Zach Zarba

The game was a memorable back-and-forth affair that came down to the wire. In the final seconds (6.7 seconds to be exact) with the Rockets up 96-94, the Warriors had one last chance to tie or take the lead in the game, Draymond Green however lost his balance and turned the ball over to Eric Gordon who was then fouled and sealed the game making both of his free throws sending Houston within 1 game to their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1995, but it came at a cost however as Chris Paul suffered a "right hamstring injury" in the final minute, he did not play for the rest of the series.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points while Draymond Green had 15 rebounds & Stephen Curry had 6 assists for the Warriors

Eric Gordon scored 24 points while Clint Capela scored 14 rebounds & Chris Paul with 6 assists for the Rockets.

May 26
9:00 pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Houston Rockets 86, Golden State Warriors 115
Scoring by quarter: 39–22, 22–29, 16–33, 9–31
Pts: James Harden 32
Rebs: Clint Capela 15
Asts: James Harden 9
Pts: Klay Thompson 35
Rebs: Draymond Green 10
Asts: Draymond Green 9
Series tied, 3–3
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, David Guthrie, Ed Malloy

Golden State rallied from a 17-point first quarter deficit by outscoring Houston 64–25 in the second half to force a Game 7. The Rockets' 25 second-half points tied a franchise record low for scoring in any half in the postseason.

May 28
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT)
Golden State Warriors 101, Houston Rockets 92
Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 24–30, 33–15, 25–23
Pts: Kevin Durant 34
Rebs: Draymond Green 13
Asts: Stephen Curry 10
Pts: James Harden 32
Rebs: P. J. Tucker 12
Asts: Gordon, Harden 6 each
Golden State wins series, 4–3
Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Attendance: 18,055
Referees: Scott Foster, Mike Callahan, Derrick Stafford

The Rockets controlled the 1st half, leading by as much as 15 points, the half ended on a Eric Gordon buzzer-beating layup putting the score at halftime 54-43 in Favor of Houston. However, the game took a drastic change from that point as the Warriors would once again rally and took the lead with 4 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, a lead they never relinquished as they continued to cruise throughout the rest of the game to win their 4th Consecutive Western Conference title.

For The Warriors: Kevin Durant scored 34 points, Draymond Green scored 13 rebounds & Steph Curry scored 10 assists, the Team went 16-of-39 from the 3-point line during the game

For The Rockets: Although James Harden scored 32 points & 6 Assists with P.J. Tucker scoring 12 rebounds. The Rockets missed 27 consecutive 3-pointers, which is a record for most ever missed consecutively in a playoff game, they also went 1-of-30 from the 3-pointer line to close out the game.

This is the Warriors' first game 7 road win since 1948 and the first Western Conference team to win a conference finals game 7 on the road since the 2001–02 Los Angeles Lakers.

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Warriors winning the first two meetings.[42]

2018 NBA Finals: (E4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (W2) Golden State Warriors

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.
May 31
9:00 pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Cleveland Cavaliers 114, Golden State Warriors 124 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 30–29, 26–27, 22–28, 29–23, Overtime: 7–17
Pts: LeBron James 51
Rebs: Kevin Love 13
Asts: LeBron James 8
Pts: Stephen Curry 29
Rebs: Draymond Green 11
Asts: Green, Curry 9 each
Golden State leads series, 1–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Ken Mauer, Tony Brothers, Ed Malloy
June 3
8:00 pm (5:00 pm PDT)
Cleveland Cavaliers 103, Golden State Warriors 122
Scoring by quarter: 28–32, 18–27, 34–31, 23–32
Pts: LeBron James 29
Rebs: Kevin Love 10
Asts: LeBron James 13
Pts: Stephen Curry 33
Rebs: Kevin Durant 9
Asts: Stephen Curry 8
Golden State leads series, 2–0
Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 19,596
Referees: Mike Callahan, David Guthrie, Derrick Stafford
June 6
9:00 pm
Golden State Warriors 110, Cleveland Cavaliers 102
Scoring by quarter: 28–29, 24–29, 31–23, 27–21
Pts: Kevin Durant 43
Rebs: Kevin Durant 13
Asts: Draymond Green 9
Pts: LeBron James 33
Rebs: Kevin Love 13
Asts: LeBron James 11
Golden State leads series, 3–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Marc Davis, John Goble, Zach Zarba
June 8
9:00 pm
Golden State Warriors 108, Cleveland Cavaliers 85
Scoring by quarter: 34–25, 27–27, 25–13, 22–20
Pts: Stephen Curry 37
Rebs: Kevin Durant 12
Asts: Kevin Durant 10
Pts: LeBron James 23
Rebs: Kevin Love 9
Asts: LeBron James 8
Golden State wins series, 4–0
Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Attendance: 20,562
Referees: Scott Foster, James Capers, Jason Phillips

Game 1 would go on to be an instant classic, with LeBron James scoring 51 points. The game was tight throughout, as neither team was able to gain separation. However, the final minutes did not come without controversy as Durant seemingly charged onto James when driving to the basket. The officials reviewed that James was not within the restricted area, and the call was then reversed into a blocking foul, thus allowing Durant to tie the game with a pair of free throws. Eventually, when the Warriors were leading 107-106, James passed the ball that went out of bounds while George Hill was fouled, thus giving him a pair of free throws. After making the first free throw to tie it at 107, he missed the second free throw, which was rebounded by J.R. Smith, who ran the clock as it was perceived that he believed the Cavaliers had the lead. He passed the ball to Hill, whose shot was blocked by Draymond Green at the buzzer. The Warriors dominated overtime 17-7 as they won the series opener 124–114.[43][44][45] Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson respectively scored 29, 26, and 24 points. In Game 2, the Warriors blew out the Cavs 122–103 as Curry sinked in 9 three-pointers and finished with 33 points and Durant dropped 26 points. The Warriors sent more double teams on James, holding him to 29 points.[46] As Game 3 shifted to Cleveland, the Cavaliers dominated the first half, leading by as many as 13. Curry and Thompson, the Splash Brothers, had a bad night only combining for only 21 points on 7-27 shooting.[47] However, in the second half, the Warriors fought back, making it a back-and-forth game as Kevin Durant scored 43 points, and made a key clutch shot in the closing minutes that put the Warriors up 106–100, and eventually winning 110–102 to put the Warriors up 3–0 for the second straight year.[48] After a close first half in Game 4, the Warriors dominated the third quarter and routed the Cavaliers 108–85 behind Stephen Curry's 37 points and seven three-pointers, as well as a triple-double by Durant, thus completing the sweep.[49] Durant won Finals MVP for the second straight year behind averages of 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists, while Curry averaged 27.5 points for the series. LeBron James led both teams in scoring and assists, putting up averages of 34.0 points and 10.0 assists in a losing effort.[50]

This was the fourth meeting in the NBA Finals between these two teams, with the Warriors winning two of the first three meetings.[51]

Statistical leaders

CategoryGame HighAverage
PlayerTeamHighPlayerTeamAvg.GP
Points LeBron JamesCleveland Cavaliers51 LeBron JamesCleveland Cavaliers34.022
Rebounds Jonas ValančiūnasToronto Raptors21 Anthony DavisNew Orleans Pelicans13.49
Assists Rajon RondoNew Orleans Pelicans21 Rajon RondoNew Orleans Pelicans12.29
Steals Josh RichardsonMiami Heat7 Victor OladipoIndiana Pacers2.437
Blocks John Henson
Clint Capela
Milwaukee Bucks
Houston Rockets
6 Anthony DavisNew Orleans Pelicans2.339

Media coverage

Television

ESPN, TNT, ABC, NBA TV , ESPN2, and ESPNews televised the playoffs nationally in the United States. In the first round, regional sports networks affiliated with the teams also broadcast the games, except for games televised on ABC. Throughout the first two rounds, TNT televised games Sunday through Wednesday(2nd round), Thursday (1st round), ESPN televised games Thursday (2nd round)and Friday, and ABC televised selected games on Saturday and Sunday, usually in the afternoon. NBA TV, ESPN2 and ESPNEWS has aired select weekday games in the first round. ESPN/ABC televised the Eastern Conference finals, while the Western Conference finals was televised by TNT. ABC had exclusive television rights to the 2018 NBA Finals, which was the 16th consecutive year for the network.[52]

References

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