'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Not every NBA Finals begins with Game 1 of the seven-game series, it starts with the draft picks and trading. Trading is followed by an excruciating regular season. Teams win, lose, rise, and fall. Battles go on for months. Week after week, teams clash in arenas like age-old gladiators hungry for blood and glory. Exhaustion takes over every inch of every player, and with such exhaustion comes the utter chaos in one's mind.
In the face of such extremeties, what motivates an individual to keep going? What drives a player, a team, to go head first into a game even after a crushing defeat or a wounding victory? The NBA finals aren't just a seven-game series. They are the epic culmination of a season. A season which demands everything from its participants. A season that is not merciful. A season that does not believe in second chances.
The second you step foot on an NBA court, you fight to win. Winning is the ultimate achievement. All else is secondary gratification, a substitute for the real thing. The only dream of every player in the league is to win the NBA Finals.
Top five most closely contested NBA Finals series of the past decade
These NBA Finals define and dictate not just each season but also the league and its future. These finals have become lady-luck's manifestation for a few and for some, these finals have become career-ending curses.
With respect to these ceaseless battles for glory, we bring to you a list of the top five most closely contested NBA Finals series of the past decade.
#5 2019 NBA Finals - Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors
The 2019 NBA Finals series was surreal. The Toronto Raptors' journey through the ranks was reminiscient of epics written by the Greeks about great conquests. No one expected Toronto to win. They had a good season in 2016-17 but were knocked out in the second round of the playoffs by the unstoppable Cleveland Cavaliers.
Somewhere post their humiliating defeat at the hands of LeBron-led Cleveland and before the start of the 2018-19 regular season, Toronto decided it was time to give it their all. They would go on to make history during their incredible run.
The finals weren't easy to win. Even without the slim ripper by their side, the Golden State Warriors were a force to be reckoned with. In game 1, Pascal Siakam dropped 32 points on the unsuspecting Warriors and the Raptors took the first game of the NBA Finals. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson fought back in game 2 and defeated the Raptors by a five-point margin.
Toronto took the next two games; leading the series 3-1. GSW's Thompson and Curry dominated the Raptors once again. The duo scored 57 points all by themselves. But it was game 5 of the series that truly left its mark on our collective consciousness.
The game began with a stalemate and remained so till the very end moments. The Warriors would inch forward only to be passed by the Raptors. Toronto would take the lead only to have GSW drop long-range bombs for the lead. With 9.6 seconds remaining, the scorecard read 111-110 in the Raptors' favor. Curry then missed a three and the Claw shot down easy free throws to take the championship.
#4 2015 NBA Finals - Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers
The Golden State Warrior features a lot on this list. We will not give you any spoilers or give away any of the rankings but it is only natural for them to feature more than once. In the end, they made it to five consecutive NBA Finals in the past decade.
However, their finals series escapades began in 2015. It was the year of the Splash Brothers and their sidekick Day Day. The Championship deprived Warriors were out with vengeance on their minds, wanting to make an example of anyone brave enough to stand against them.
Then came the finals, and Golden State met their match in Cleveland Cavaliers. GSW took the first game, the Cavs took the second. Cleveland took the third game and Warriors the fourth. No analyst or sports journalist knew who'd take the ring, and the suspense was palpable. It was all anyone could talk about.
GSW won the fifth game of the seven-game NBA Finals series. Curry dropped 37 points points and collected 7 rebounds. King James retaliated with 40 points but it wasn't nearly enough.
The sixth game featured a brilliant performance by Andre Iguodala, who dropped 25 points. LeBron James dropped 32 for Cleveland, followed by J. R. Smith, who scored 19. The halftime scorecard read 45-43 in the Warriors' favor. The match was too close to call right until the last minute.
The Cavs were trailing by seven with 36 seconds remaining when Smith dropped a well contested three, decreasing the difference to four. Those were the final points the Cavs scored in the 2015 NBA Finals series. The Golden State Warriors had finally won a championship after 40 long years.
Also Read: Who is Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Girlfriend, Mariah Riddlesprigger?
#3 2021 NBA Finals - Milwaukee Bucks vs Phoenix Suns
This NBA Finals series is as fresh in our memory as it gets. What an eventful series it was. Perhaps a lot of our excitement was influenced by fans being allowed to spectate after a long hiatus. It might be a controversial statement but we believe that spectators in the arena are the life and soul of the matches.
The series was special for more than one reason and we'll get to that in a bit but before that, let's recapitulate the season that was 2020-21. Chris Paul reached his first finals after a long and respectful career, baring a few mishaps that were unavoidable in such heated matchups.
The Milwaukee Bucks reached their first NBA Finals since 1974. The team led by Giannis Antetokounmpo made everyone acknowledge and respect the Bucks. Regardless of their win, the Bucks deserved all our respect for their incredible championship campaign.
In the finals, the Giannis-led Bucks and the Chris Paul-led Phoenix Suns would battle it out for the league title. The Phoenix Suns won two back-to-back games as soon as the series started. Chris Paul registered 32 points and nine assists in his NBA Finals debut.
Milwaukee, the unyielding Bucks, pushed back with everything they had and tied the series in four games. Milwaukee went on to take the fifth game with just four points. Giannis added 32 points and nine rebounds to his team's cause while Devin Booker scored 40 points in his 42 minutes on the court.
In game six, the Suns led the first half by five points. Milwaukee fought back and equalized the score at 77 by the end of the third quarter. After an incredible showdown, Milwaukee emerged as the deserving winners. They had finally won a championship after decades of drought.
#2 2016 NBA Finals - Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers
During the 2015-16 season, the Bay Area was constantly celebrating. Their team lost only 9 games in the regular season. Their team broke 25 records on its way to the NBA Finals. Their team had a better season than the legendary 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. It was only natural that they were in a perpetual state of bliss and excitement. They deserved every bit of it.
It wasn't any surprise that the Splash Brother-led team reached the NBA Finals. It wasn't any surprise when they met with the Cleveland Cavaliers once again. But the close contest between the two relentless squads was unexpected.
The first and second spots on this list are so identical to each other in terms of the battles, energy, and performances that it was very difficult to rank the two. So, by all means, this series is on par with the one that comes next.
GSW quickly took a two-game lead over the Cavs. The Cavs fought back and took the third game but again lost the fourth. The Golden State Warriors were leading the NBA Finals series by 3-1 but then LeBron James unleashed a basketball demon that lies dormant inside him.
He dropped 41 points, snatched 16 rebounds, and claimed seven assists. Kyrie Irving also posted 41 points and six assists in this overwheling game five win. The Cavaliers won game six as well. King James had another 40+ points game. He recorded 41 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds.
By the end of the third quarter, the scorecard read 76-75 in GSW's favor. But the Cavaliers remained relentless right until the end. They kept attacking defending with a ferociousness whose origin was unimaginable. The final score read 93-89 and the Cleveland Cavaliers had won their first NBA Finals.
#1 2013 NBA Finals - Miami Heat vs San Antonio Spurs
The 2013 NBA Finals series witnessed the clash between the most dominant big three of this decade and the big three of the bygone decade. This might not be the most agreeable statement, after all this generation of basketball fans witnessed the war between the Warriors and the Cavs, but this was by a slight margin a closer series.
The series was menacing, hardcore, tough, and the most gruesome 7 game series of the decade. The series that would pit Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker against LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. A matchup for the ages. A matchup that would break the internet.
The San Antonio Spurs won the first game of the series. Tony Parker took the game's winning shot. In game two, the Miami Heat gave the Spurs a thorough bashing. The veteran big three had no answer to the Miami trio, even with youngster Danny Green's 17 point game.
The Spurs would go on to take the third and fifth games of the NBA Finals; Miami won the fourth and sixth games. On their way, both the teams showcased skills, teamwork, and sheer will power. The San Antonio Spurs were brilliant, but it wasn't enough to beat the greatest Miami Heat Squad of all-time.
LeBron and Bosh won their second NBA Finals series, while Wade and the Miami Heat won their third. A great ending to a great campaign.
