2018 NBA Championship

Lore & Background

This was the Golden State Warriors' fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. The Warriors finished the 2017–18 regular season with a 58–24 record, winning the Pacific Division and securing the 2nd seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, Golden State defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the first round, eliminated the New Orleans Pelicans in five games in the Western Conference Semifinals, and despite major obstacles, they defeated the top-seeded Houston Rockets in seven games in the Western Conference Finals. The Warriors entered the series as heavy favorites, aiming to repeat back-to-back titles after losing their quest in 2016.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Oracle Arena was thick with anticipation as Game 4 began, but the story had already been written before the first tip-off. Kevin Durant moved through the Cavaliers' defense like a ghost, his mid-range jumper falling with mechanical precision. With seconds ticking away on the clock and the series hanging in the balance of a single possession, LeBron James drove hard to the rim, only to be met by the unyielding wall of Draymond Green. The ball popped loose, and the arena erupted not just for a win, but for a statement: the dynasty had survived its greatest test and emerged victorious once more.

Reader's Guide

The Warriors won the regular season series 2–0. In Game 1, Klay Thompson suffered a leg injury in the first quarter but returned. With the score tied at 107 in the last five seconds of regulation, J. R. Smith collected an offensive rebound following a missed free throw from George Hill, but dribbled the ball towards half court rather than taking a final shot. In overtime, the Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 17–7 to win. In Game 2, Stephen Curry set an NBA Finals record with nine three-point field goals, scoring 33 points, and the Warriors won 122–103. In Game 3, Kevin Durant scored a playoff career-high 43 points, and the Warriors won 110–102. In Game 4, Curry scored 37 points, Durant recorded a triple-double, and the Warriors won 108–85 to sweep the series.

Did You Know?

• Kevin Durant was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second consecutive year, after averaging 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in the series.
• Durant became the first and only player in the history of the Warriors franchise to win two consecutive NBA Finals MVP Awards.
• The Finals was the first time in any of North America's four major professional sports leagues that the same two teams met for the championship for four consecutive years.
• The series tied the record set by the 2014 NBA Finals for highest average scoring differential per game (15.0) for an NBA Finals series.
• As of 2026, the 2018 Finals are the most recent NBA Finals to have a repeat champion and the most recent where the losing team was swept.