The NBA Finals are considered by many fans as the biggest stage in basketball. The best two teams from each conference compete for the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June, captivating basketball fans all around the world.

The same two teams will face off in The Finals for the fourth straight time, as the Golden State Warriors, members of the Western Conference, will battle the Cleveland Cavaliers, winners of the Eastern Conference. In the first three match-ups, the Warriors have won twice and lost once. In the first matchup of 2015, the Warriors won the series 4-2, in 2016, the Cavs won 4-3, and most recently in 2017, the Warriors won the series 4-1. Even though they are meeting up in the finals for the fourth time, it wasn’t an easy task for either team to get there, as both teams faced elimination twice in their previous series.

The Boston Celtics came up short against the Cavaliers, losing their series 4-3, and the Houston Rockets also came up short against the Warriors, losing 4-3. The first game of the finals was on Thursday, and it tipped off in Oakland, California. The first game of the finals was surprisingly exciting, as most basketball fans expected a blow out from the Golden State Warriors. It was a close game throughout, as going into halftime the score was tied at 56-56.

The ending of the fourth quarter was the most shocking moment of the entire game, as the game was tied 107-107 with five seconds left, and the Cavaliers had one more free throw left. George Hill missed the second free throw which kept the game tied, but the Cavs got the rebound. With a chance at an easy layup to win the game, J.R. Smith dribbled the ball until the time ran out. This extended the game into overtime and shocked basketball fans all over the world.

That mistake would cost the Cleveland Cavaliers the game, as they lost in overtime 124-114. Cavaliers superstar, LeBron James, became the sixth person in NBA history to score more than 50 points in a finals game. Even though he had a great game, it wasn’t enough for his team to get the win.

Game 2 of the finals was held on Sunday, June 3 and this was a redemption game for the Cavaliers as they looked to tied up the series. This game was what most fans expected the series to be  as going into halftime, the Warriors led 59-46. The third quarter was the most exciting all game as both teams traded baskets. In the fourth quarter, Warriors superstar, Stephen Curry, caught fire hitting multiple threes to extend his teams led. Curry set a finals record by hitting nine total three pointers throughout the game, and helping his team win 122-103 and taking a 2-0 led in the series. Game 3 will occur on Wednesday, June 6th at 9:00 pm in Cleveland, Ohio.