2007_NBA_Finals

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 2007 NBA Finals 2007 NBA Finals 2007 NBA Finals Cavaliers. This was Cleveland’s first trip to the NBA Finals in their franchise history and San Antonio’s fourth. The Spurs swept the Cavaliers 4-0. Tony Parker was named the series’ MVP. The series was televised on ABC under the ESPN on ABC branding. Background San Antonio Spurs Team San Antonio Spurs Cleveland Cavaliers Dates: MVP: Television: Announcers: Radio network: Referees: Game 1: Ken Mauer, Mike Callahan, Steve Javie Game 2: Dick Bavetta, Jim Clark, Joe Derosa Game 3: Bernie Fryer, Bob Delaney, Dan Crawford Game 4: Bennett Salvatore, Joe Forte, Eddie F. Rush Eastern Finals: Western Finals: < 2006 Cleveland defeats Detroit, 4–2 San Antonio defeats Utah, 4–1 Coach Gregg Popovich Mike Brown Wins 4 0 June 7 - June 14 Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs) ABC (U.S.) Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy NBA on ESPN Radio NBA Finals 2008 > The 2007 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2006-07 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland The previous season saw the San Antonio Spurs drop a heartbreaking seventh game at home to the rival Dallas Mavericks in the second round. As the new season began, the Spurs saw the Mavericks rolling through their regular season, on their way to a franchise best 67 win campaign. Meanwhile, the Spurs struggled through their season through January. With the main focus lying on Dallas, and the Phoenix Suns, the Spurs found themselves flying under the radar. However, the Spurs used a late season surge en route to a 58-24 regular season record, good enough for third seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the Spurs met the Denver Nuggets and their duo of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony. Although the Nuggets took Game One, the Spurs rallied off 4 straight wins to take the series in five games. As San Antonio prepared to face off against the second seed Phoenix Suns, the top ranked Dallas Mavericks suffered a stunning first round exit at the hand of the Golden State Warriors. With the Mavs gone, the stakes of the Suns-Spurs series shot up dramatically, and the result was a closely competitive and controversial series. The Suns, due to their better season record, had homecourt advantage, but that would not last past Game One. In a hotly contested battle of Western Conference heavyweights, each team tried to deliver a knockout blow to the other. The Spurs finally landed it, but by accident. With the game in the balance Tony Parker and Steve Nash collided head-to-head. A large gash opened along Nash’s nose and though the medical staff tried admirably, they could not stop the 1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia bleeding and he was forced to sit the final 45 seconds and watch as the Spurs won game one 111-106. Game Two saw the Suns rebound and blow out the Spurs to a 101-81 beating. After this game, Suns center Amare Stoudemire labeled the Spurs a dirty team. Game Three switched back to San Antonio and saw a return of the physical play, resulting in Manu Ginóbili receiving a bruised and bloodied eye and Nash being kneed in the groin by Bruce Bowen. But Tim Duncan would not be denied and led the Spurs to a 108-101 victory. Games Four and Five were the most controversial of the series. The Spurs, after being comfortably in control of Game Four, saw their 11-point fourth quarter lead dwindle away, to a 2-point Suns lead. With 18 seconds left Robert Horry bodychecked Steve Nash into the scorers table. Nash’s teammates jumped to his defense; during the ensuing altercation, Stoudemire and Boris Diaw left the bench heading toward the altercation. Their action violated NBA rules, resulting in the decision by league commissioner David Stern to suspend both players for Game Five (Horry was also suspended two games for his flagrant foul against Nash). In Game Five, played in Phoenix, the short-handed Suns jumped out early and enjoyed a 16 point lead on the Spurs, but in a reversal of Game Four, this time the Spurs came back in the final seconds and won the game 88-85, giving San Antonio a 3-2 series lead. The Spurs won Game Six of the series 114-106 in San Antonio, sending them to their fifth Western Conference Finals since 1999. San Antonio went on to beat the Utah Jazz in five games to advance to the franchise’s fourth NBA Finals. 2007 NBA Finals Finals, and this time they were facing a familiar foe. The Detroit Pistons, the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, with their homecourt advantage, were waiting for the Cavs. This was the same Detroit team that knocked the Cavs out of the second round last year. The expectations were high after a long 7 game series the previous year and these two teams would not disappoint. The first two games were close and saw Cleveland fall by identical 79-76 scores. Down 0-2 in the series, the spotlight shifted back to Cleveland and LeBron James. Another hard fought set ensued, with the Cavs taking the two games at home 88-82 and 91-87 respectively. Game 5 switched back to Detroit and produced one of the greatest moments in NBA history. With 6:14 to go in regulation and his team clinging to a one point 79-78 lead, LeBron James took over. He scored 11 of the final 12 points to end regulation tied 91-91. In the 1st overtime, LeBron scored all 9 of the Cavaliers points ending this period tied 100-100. In the 2nd overtime, LeBron again scored all 9 of the teams points to win game five 109-107. Thus, in the last 16:14 of play, LeBron scored the Cavaliers’ last 25 points and 29 of the last 30 points. The Cavaliers beat the Pistons at home in Game 6 in the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the franchise’s first ever trip to NBA Finals. Cleveland became the third team in NBA history to win a best-of-seven Conference Final after going down 0-2 in a series. Regular season series The Cleveland Cavaliers won both games in the regular season series: November Cleveland AT&T ESPN 3 Center, Cavaliers San 88, San AnAntonio tonio Spurs 81 January San Antonio Quicken NBA 2 Spurs 78, Loans TV Arena, Cleveland Cleveland Cavaliers 82 Cleveland Cavaliers In the replay of last year’s playoff with the Cavs holding homecourt advantage against Washington Wizards, the Cavs took care of the Wizards in a four game sweep after the season ending injuries of both Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler. In the second round of the playoffs the Cavs faced off against the New Jersey Nets. Again the Cavs had homecourt and battled with the Nets through 6 games before becoming victorious in the series. The Cavs for only the third time in franchise history were moving on to the Conference Format The Finals are played using the current 2-3-2 format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage. The NBA, after experimenting in 2 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia the early years, restored this original format for the Finals in 1985. The other playoff series is played in the 2-2-1-1-1 format. The best-of-seven series began on June 7, 2007, with the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs playing the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Because the San Antonio Spurs had a better regular season win-loss record, they had home court advantage. 2007 NBA Finals is suggested that these poor ratings have been attributed to numerous things, such as the fact that Cleveland and San Antonio are generally smaller markets in comparison to Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami and Detroit, cities that recently had their NBA teams in the Finals. Additionally, many critics believe the Spurs outmatched the Cavaliers and made the series into a low scoring, defensive battle. The series was to bill LeBron James at the highest point in his career. He did account for a vast majority of the Cavaliers’ performance in the playoffs, however, he struggled throughout the Finals against the Spurs’ superb defense. Broadcast notes See also: NBA on ABC and NBA on ESPN Coverage was produced by ESPN and televised on ABC in the United States, TSN in Canada, Sky Sports in the United Kingdom, Canal+ in France, Premiere in Germany, and more than 100 other broadcasters in over 200 countries. Play-by-play announcer Mike Breen, analysts Mark Jackson & former Rockets headcoach Jeff Van Gundy, and courtside reporters Michele Tafoya & Stuart Scott provided commentary and analysis for the North American market. The featured song, aired throughout the playoffs, was The Pussycat Dolls "Right Now." Another song featured in the 2007 NBA Finals series, "It Ends Tonight" by The AllAmerican Rejects, was aired at the end of the pre-game promo for Game 4. Coverage controversy Additionally, ESPN on ABC’s coverage of the Finals placed far more emphasis on the legacy of the game. More was seemingly directed towards league stars Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, three players responsible for the league’s success in the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, there was increased emphasis celebrity and cross-network promotion, much of which centered on Eva Longoria, star of ABC’s Desperate Housewives and then-fiancee of Spurs’ Point Guard Tony Parker was featured at times during the games. Playoff rosters "*"=Starter Ratings See also: National Basketball Association Nielsen ratings According to ESPN, the NBA Finals series was a television bust in the United States.[1] San Antonio’s four-game sweep of Cleveland finished with a record-low 6.2 television rating and 11 share on ABC, Nielsen Media Research said on June 15, 2007. That was down 27 percent from the 8.5/15 for Miami’s six-game victory over Dallas from the previous year and 5 percent under the previous low, a 6.5/12 for San Antonio’s sixgame win over New Jersey in 2003. The NBA Finals averaged 9.3 million viewers this year. San Antonio’s series-winning 83-82 victory on Thursday night got a 6.5/12, down 17 percent from the 7.8/14 for Game 4 in 2006. The ratings of the 2007 NBA Finals surpassed that of the 2003 NBA Finals as the lowest-rated series in NBA Finals history. It San Antonio Spurs 2007 Championship Roster SG PF SF 17 15 12 Brent Barry Matt Bonner Bruce Bowen Jackie Butler (Oregon State) (Florida) (Cal State Fullerton) (Coastal Christian Academy (VA)) (Wake Forest) Cleveland 2007 Final PG/ SG PG/ SG PF PG C SF 6 1 90 32 11 23 PF/C 45 PF 21 Tim Duncan* Captain C 16 Francisco (California) Elson PG 19 3 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia PF/C 2 SG/ SF SG PF 4 20 5 Melvin Ely Michael Finley* Manu Ginóbili Robert Horry Fabricio Oberto* (Fresno State) (Wisconsin) (Argentina) (Alabama) (Argentina) PF/C 27 SF/ PF SF SF/ SG 24 14 3 TOs: Dwayne LeBron Jones James 6 Donyell Marshall Ira Newble Sasha 2007 NBA Finals Tony (Saint Parker Joseph’s) 7 (Connecticut) Blks: Tim (Miami Duncan (OH)) 5 (Serbia) Game 2Pavlović* took PF/C The Spurs Scot a stranglehold on momentum 31 (Kansas) in Game 2.Pollard The Spurs big three overwhelmed the Cavs and the Spurs led by as many as 29 PG 9 Tony (France) PG 20 Eric Snow (Michigan points in the third quarter. They absolutely Parker* - Captain State) dominated game during first 3 quarters and PG 14 Beno (Slovenia) PF/C played show-time basketball. A furious 25-6 17 Anderson (Brazil) Udrih Varejão rally by Cleveland in the final quarter wasn’t the Spurs (Baylor)2-0 lead in the took a PG 11 Jacque (Kansas) SG/ enough asDavid 4 Vaughn PG series. Wesley June 2 Cleveland Cavaliers AT&T G/F 33 James (Cincinnati) 10 Center, San 92, San Antonio White 9:00 Antonio Spurs 103 p.m. Attendance: Scoring by ET 18,797 quarter: 17-28, Referees: 16-30, 29-31, 30-14 Dick Bavetta Pts: Pts: Game 1 , Jim Clark , LeBron Tony The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the 2007 Joe Derosa James 25 Parker Finals as newcomers. Game 1 was their first 30 Rebs: NBA Finals game in franchise history, and Anderson Rebs: the first for each of its players (other than reVarejão Duncan, serve point guard Eric Snow). However, the 10 Horry 9 San Antonio Spurs had been to the Finals in each Asts: three of the past eight seasons, winning a LeBron Asts: championship each time. With solid performJames 6 Tim ances by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Duncan TOs: Manu Ginóbili, the Spurs won the series 8 LeBron opener in convincing fashion, limiting LeBron James 6 Blks: James to 14 points on 4-16 shooting. Robert June 1 Cleveland CavaAT&T ABC, Horry 5 7 Center, San ABCHD, liers 76, San Anto9:00 Antonio TSN, nio Spurs 85 Game 3 p.m. Attendance: Canal 7, Scoring by Rookie ET Canal+, Daniel Gibson started Game 3 in 18,797 quarter: 15-20, place ESPN of the injured Larry Hughes but scored Referees: 20-20, 14-24, 27-21 a series-low 2 points on 1-10 shooting. As a Ken Mauer, Brasil Pts: Gib- Pts: team the Cavs shot only .367 but out-rebounMike Callason 16, Parker ded the Spurs 48-41. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had han, Steve James 14 27, a 2006-07 season high 18 rebounds. On the Javie Duncan Rebs: game’s final play, LeBron James missed a 24 James 7, potential game-tying 29 foot 3-pointer (which Ilgauskas Rebs: he contested as a foul on Bruce Bowen). 6 Duncan Game 3 was the lowest-scoring Finals 13, Asts: game since 1955, with Tim Duncan of the Ginobili James, Spurs having his lowest scoring game in his 8 Gibson 4 NBA Finals career, with 14 points. each Asts: PF/C 7 Game summaries ABC, ABCHD, TSN, Canal 7, Canal+, ESPN Brasil 4 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia June 3 San Antonio 12 Spurs 75, Cleve9:00 land Cavaliers 72 p.m. ET 2007 NBA Finals ABC, June 4 ABCHD, 14 TSN, 9:00 Canal 7, p.m. Canal+, ET ESPN Brasil San Antonio Spurs 83, Cleveland Cavaliers 82 Scoring by quarter: 19-20, 20-14, 21-18, 23-30 Pts: Manu Ginóbili 27 Rebs: Tim Duncan 15 Asts: Manu Ginóbili 5 TOs: Tim Duncan 6 Pts: LeBron James 24 Rebs: Ilgauskas 13, Gooden 11 Asts: LeBron James 10 TOs: LeBron James 6 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Bennett Salvatore, Joe Forte, Eddie F. Rush ABC, ABCHD, TSN, Canal 7, Canal+, ESPN Brasil, Sport 1 Scoring by quarter: 16-18, 24-20, 15-12, 20-22 Pts: Tony Parker 17 Rebs: Duncan, Bowen 9 each Asts: Manu Ginóbili 5 Stls: Michael Finley 4 Pts: LeBron James 25 Rebs: Ilgauskas 18, Gooden 12 Asts: LeBron James 7 TOs: LeBron James 5 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland Attendance: 20,562 Referees: Bernie Fryer, Bob Delaney, Dan Crawford Game 4 San Antonio started out strong through the first three quarters, leading by as many as 11. Cleveland would stage a rally near the end of the third quarter and the first five minutes of the fourth, scoring 14 consecutive points to take its first second-half lead of the series. However, the Spurs would stage a 12-3 rally of their own to retake the lead and win the series in a 4-0 sweep. San Antonio wins series, 4–0 Twelve-year veteran Michael Finley was awarded the NBA championship game ball. Awards • San Antonio Spurs • : Tony Parker Trivia • By winning his seventh championship Robert Horry became the first player to win at least two titles with three teams (two with Houston, three with the Lakers and with the Spurs). He also has the most championships for a player who did not play for the Boston Celtics. Horry also improved to 7-0 in the NBA Finals, second behind John Havlicek with the most NBA championships without a loss. • This was the fourth NBA Finals that ended in a 4 game sweep since the Finals went to the 2-3-2 format in 1985. Controversies In October 2007, Detroit Pistons power forward Rasheed Wallace commented on the loss, stating that the Cavaliers didn’t beat the Pistons, but rather that the Pistons lost because they fell prey to the NBA wanting the 5 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Cavaliers in the finals. Wallace stated that the NBA was becoming "fake", like World Wrestling Entertainment. NBA Commissioner David Stern addressed the comments, calling them "disrespectful." He rebuked Wallace for such statements, but did not issue a fine against the Pistons forward.[2] 2007 NBA Finals References [1] Ratings for 2007 finals down 27 percent from last year. ESPN.com. Retrieved on June 15, 2007 [2] Wallace gets Stern rebuke, The Detroit News. External links • Official site of the 2007 NBA Finals Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_NBA_Finals" Categories: National Basketball Association Finals, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, 2006-07 NBA season This page was last modified on 21 May 2009, at 01:32 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers 6