5 most closely contested NBA Finals series in the last 10 years
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.
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