Overview
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers four games to none in the best-of-seven NBA Finals series to conclude the 2006-07 NBA season. The victory gave San Antonio its fourth NBA Championship, all coming in a nine-season span.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Spurs and Cavaliers and the Cavaliers' first appearance in the NBA Finals. Cleveland won just 50 games in the regular season, but was powered in the postseason by LeBron James. San Antonio had been in the Finals just two years earlier and had many of the same players back from that 2005 championship team.
This series continued a strange trend of the Spurs winning titles in odd-numbered years. San Antonio's four championships came in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. San Antonio had home-court advantage for the Finals by virtue of their better regular-season record. Cleveland had swept the two regular-season meetings between these teams.
This was one of the lowest-scoring Finals series in the shot-clock era and was the lowest-rated Finals series in terms of Nielsen television ratings.
Tony Parker was named the NBA Finals MVP, marking the first time in the Spurs' four titles that the MVP was not Tim Duncan. Parker was also just the third NBA Finals MVP born outside the United States, joining Duncan and Hakeem Olajuwon.
This was the first postseason meeting between the Spurs and Cavaliers and the Cavaliers' first appearance in the NBA Finals. Cleveland won just 50 games in the regular season, but was powered in the postseason by LeBron James. San Antonio had been in the Finals just two years earlier and had many of the same players back from that 2005 championship team.
This series continued a strange trend of the Spurs winning titles in odd-numbered years. San Antonio's four championships came in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. San Antonio had home-court advantage for the Finals by virtue of their better regular-season record. Cleveland had swept the two regular-season meetings between these teams.
This was one of the lowest-scoring Finals series in the shot-clock era and was the lowest-rated Finals series in terms of Nielsen television ratings.
Tony Parker was named the NBA Finals MVP, marking the first time in the Spurs' four titles that the MVP was not Tim Duncan. Parker was also just the third NBA Finals MVP born outside the United States, joining Duncan and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Road to the Finals
| Team | Cavaliers | Spurs |
| Regular Season | 50-32, 2nd in Central Division | 58-24, 2nd in Southwest Division |
| First Round | Def. (7) Washington Wizards, 4-0 | Def. (6) Denver Nuggets, 4-1 |
| Conference Semifinals | Def. (6) New Jersey Nets, 4-2 | Def. (2) Phoenix Suns, 4-2 |
| Conference Finals | Def. (1) Detroit Pistons, 4-2 | Def. (4) Utah Jazz, 4-1 |
Game 1 - Spurs 85, Cavaliers 76
San Antonio's Big 3 of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili scored 67 of the team's 85 points to lead the Spurs to the victory, their eighth all-time in 10 Finals games in San Antonio. Parker was 12-of-23 from the field, with 11 of those made baskets coming in the paint, giving him just his fourth 20-point game in 14 career Finals games. Duncan added 13 rebounds; he has had at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in 14 of his 19 career Finals games. Duncan also had 5 blocks, giving him four 20-10-5 games in the Finals, the most since the ABA-NBA merger.
The Spurs improved to 4-0 in Game 1 in the Finals and 13-6 all-time in Finals games, the second-best win percentage all-time. The Spurs outscored the Cavaliers 24-14 in the third quarter, opening up a 15-point lead while holding Cleveland to 6-of-16 shooting from the field. Home teams improved to 45-16 all-time in Game 1 of the Finals.
LeBron James missed all seven shots he took in the first half, and his first eight overall, en route to a 4-for-16 shooting night, netting him 14 points. That was enough to make him the Cavaliers' all-time leading postseason scorer, but the Cavs fell to 1-5 when James scored 20 points or fewer in the 2007 postseason. James' 0-7 performance was his worst in the first half in his career, regular season or postseason. It was only the third time he failed to make a shot in the first half. Daniel Gibson led Cleveland with 16 points, nine coming in the fourth quarter. Drew Gooden also had 14 points but didn't score in the fourth quarter.
The Cavaliers' 76 points were the third-fewest scored by a team in Game 1 of the Finals in the shot-clock era. The Cavaliers as a team had just nine assists, their fewest since also having nine in Game 7 of the conference semis against the Pistons in 2006. Cleveland came into the game outrebounding its opponents by an average of 5.8 rebounds per game in the 2007 playoffs but were outrebounded by 11 in Game 1. The Cavaliers fell to 0-13 all-time in Game 1s on the road, the worst in NBA history.
The Spurs improved to 4-0 in Game 1 in the Finals and 13-6 all-time in Finals games, the second-best win percentage all-time. The Spurs outscored the Cavaliers 24-14 in the third quarter, opening up a 15-point lead while holding Cleveland to 6-of-16 shooting from the field. Home teams improved to 45-16 all-time in Game 1 of the Finals.
LeBron James missed all seven shots he took in the first half, and his first eight overall, en route to a 4-for-16 shooting night, netting him 14 points. That was enough to make him the Cavaliers' all-time leading postseason scorer, but the Cavs fell to 1-5 when James scored 20 points or fewer in the 2007 postseason. James' 0-7 performance was his worst in the first half in his career, regular season or postseason. It was only the third time he failed to make a shot in the first half. Daniel Gibson led Cleveland with 16 points, nine coming in the fourth quarter. Drew Gooden also had 14 points but didn't score in the fourth quarter.
The Cavaliers' 76 points were the third-fewest scored by a team in Game 1 of the Finals in the shot-clock era. The Cavaliers as a team had just nine assists, their fewest since also having nine in Game 7 of the conference semis against the Pistons in 2006. Cleveland came into the game outrebounding its opponents by an average of 5.8 rebounds per game in the 2007 playoffs but were outrebounded by 11 in Game 1. The Cavaliers fell to 0-13 all-time in Game 1s on the road, the worst in NBA history.
Game 2 - Spurs 103, Cavaliers 92
Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan destroyed the Cavaliers through three quarters, then held off a furious Cleveland rally in the fourth, giving the Spurs a 2-0 lead for the third time in four appearances in the NBA Finals. Through three quarters, the Spurs' Big 3 had 68 points, and the Cavaliers had just 62. Cleveland cut a 27-point fourth-quarter deficit down to eight points, but never got any closer. San Antonio improved to 9-2 all-time when Parker, Ginobili and Duncan each have 20 points in the same playoff game. (They combined for 78 in the game.) They also improved to 12-0 in the 2007 postseason when the trio combined for at least 56 points. Parker led all scorers with 30 points, his sixth career playoff game with at least 30 points.
Robert Horry did the dirty work, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking five shots. The five blocks tied his postseason career high, set twice in 1995. Ten Spurs scored, but only the Big 3 were in double figures. San Antonio's starters outside of Parker and Duncan combined for just nine points. The Spurs had 22 points off 12 Cavaliers turnovers.
The Spurs had a 25-point lead at the half, tied for the third-largest halftime lead in an NBA Finals game ever. San Antonio is 9-2 all-time at home in the NBA Finals and improved to 14-6 all-time in NBA Finals games, the best win percentage in NBA history (.700). Their 9-2 home record trails only the Miami Heat (3-0) among active franchises in NBA Finals history.
LeBron James played just three minutes in the first quarter after quickly picking up two fouls. With James out, the Spurs put together a 12-0 run, and led by 11 points after the first quarter. James finished with 25 points, eight coming in the fourth quarter. It was the first time in the 2007 postseason the Cavaliers lost when James scored at least 21 points (11-1). Larry Hughes failed to score in 20 minutes played. It was the first time in his career (regular season or postseason) that he played at least 20 minutes and failed to score. Cleveland lost by 11 points and missed 10 free throws.
Robert Horry did the dirty work, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking five shots. The five blocks tied his postseason career high, set twice in 1995. Ten Spurs scored, but only the Big 3 were in double figures. San Antonio's starters outside of Parker and Duncan combined for just nine points. The Spurs had 22 points off 12 Cavaliers turnovers.
The Spurs had a 25-point lead at the half, tied for the third-largest halftime lead in an NBA Finals game ever. San Antonio is 9-2 all-time at home in the NBA Finals and improved to 14-6 all-time in NBA Finals games, the best win percentage in NBA history (.700). Their 9-2 home record trails only the Miami Heat (3-0) among active franchises in NBA Finals history.
LeBron James played just three minutes in the first quarter after quickly picking up two fouls. With James out, the Spurs put together a 12-0 run, and led by 11 points after the first quarter. James finished with 25 points, eight coming in the fourth quarter. It was the first time in the 2007 postseason the Cavaliers lost when James scored at least 21 points (11-1). Larry Hughes failed to score in 20 minutes played. It was the first time in his career (regular season or postseason) that he played at least 20 minutes and failed to score. Cleveland lost by 11 points and missed 10 free throws.
Game 3 - Spurs 75, Cavaliers 72
The Spurs took a 3-0 series lead thanks to a defense that held the Cavaliers to 72 points and 36.7 percent shooting. The 147 combined points were tied for the second-fewest ever for an NBA Finals game. The 75 points scored by the Spurs were the fewest scored by a winning team in the Finals in the last 50 years. The Big 3 for the Spurs scored only 34 points as a group, but the Spurs got a surprising contribution from Bruce Bowen (13 points, 4-5 3-pointers). Tim Duncan scored just 14 points, tied for the fewest he's ever scored in a Finals game. The Spurs shot just 41.2 percent from the field but were an impressive 10-19 from 3-point range, their best this postseason.
The Spurs improved to 11-0 in the 2007 postseason when outshooting their opponent and 8-0 when holding their opponent under 90 points. San Antonio improved to 6-2 on the road in the 2007 postseason. This was the first time in the NBA Finals the Spurs had held a 3-0 lead. Of the 11 previous teams to lead 3-0 in the NBA Finals, 7 went on to sweep the series, and only one was stretched to 7 games.
The Cavaliers shot a dismal 3-19 from 3-point range, the 12th-worst in a single game in NBA Finals history. LeBron James led the team in scoring with 25 points but had five turnovers. He avoided becoming the first player in Finals history to record at least six turnovers in three straight games. Daniel Gibson started in place of Larry Hughes but scored just two points on 1-10 shooting. Drew Gooden had 13 points and 12 rebounds, but the Cavs lost for the first time in his five double-doubles in the 2007 postseason. The Cavaliers did outscore the Spurs in the paint, 36-22, and on second-chance points, 15-11. The two teams combined for 27 points in the third quarter, tied for the fewest in NBA Finals history.
The Spurs improved to 11-0 in the 2007 postseason when outshooting their opponent and 8-0 when holding their opponent under 90 points. San Antonio improved to 6-2 on the road in the 2007 postseason. This was the first time in the NBA Finals the Spurs had held a 3-0 lead. Of the 11 previous teams to lead 3-0 in the NBA Finals, 7 went on to sweep the series, and only one was stretched to 7 games.
The Cavaliers shot a dismal 3-19 from 3-point range, the 12th-worst in a single game in NBA Finals history. LeBron James led the team in scoring with 25 points but had five turnovers. He avoided becoming the first player in Finals history to record at least six turnovers in three straight games. Daniel Gibson started in place of Larry Hughes but scored just two points on 1-10 shooting. Drew Gooden had 13 points and 12 rebounds, but the Cavs lost for the first time in his five double-doubles in the 2007 postseason. The Cavaliers did outscore the Spurs in the paint, 36-22, and on second-chance points, 15-11. The two teams combined for 27 points in the third quarter, tied for the fewest in NBA Finals history.
Game 4 - Spurs 83, Cavaliers 82
The Spurs got 24 points from Tony Parker and 27 from Manu Ginobili, giving them their fourth title in nine seasons. They're only the fourth franchise in NBA history to win at least four titles, and they've earned all of them with Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich. The Spurs completed the eighth sweep in NBA Finals history, the first since the Lakers swept the Nets in 2002. The Cavaliers had a 14-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters to take their first second-half lead of this series, but the Spurs had 6 offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, helping them regain control of the game.
Duncan, the only Spur who's played on all four title teams, finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds, giving him averages of 18.3 ppg and 11.5 rpg for the series. It was the first time in his career he failed to average 20 and 10 in the Finals. Parker was 10-of-14 from the field in his 100th career playoff game. No player in NBA history has played in 100 playoff games at a younger age than Parker (25 years, 28 days old).
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich improved to 13-3 on the road in potential clinching games, the best for any head coach (minimum 10 games). He's also 22-7 overall in potential clinching games, the best ever (minimum 15 games). Spurs reserve Robert Horry wins his seventh NBA title, the most among active players and tied for the eighth most all-time. He's the only non-Celtic to win at least seven rings, and he's just the fourth player in NBA history to appear in as many as seven NBA Finals series without ever coming out on the losing end, joining John Havlicek, K.C. Jones and Frank "Satch" Sanders (all 8-0).
This was the Spurs' eighth straight road win when they had a chance to clinch the series, the second-longest streak in NBA history. The Spurs are 4-0 in NBA Finals series, the second-best all-time behind the Bulls, who are 6-0. They're also 16-6 in NBA Finals games, the best record in NBA history.
LeBron James finished with 24 points on 10-of-30 shooting. He had 10 assists but 6 turnovers, giving him 23 for the series, the second-most ever in a 4-game Finals series. Drew Gooden did manage 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Daniel Gibson had 10 points. As a team, Cleveland shot just 38.1 percent from the field, including 7-of-22 from 3-point range. For the series, they shot just 39.4 percent overall and 29.3 percent from 3-point range. This marked the Cavaliers' only four-game losing streak of the entire 2006-07 season.
The Cavaliers had company in the bad basketball category. Both teams broke the NBA Finals record for fewest points in a four-game series in the shot-clock era. Cleveland finished with 322 and San Antonio had 346. The previous record was 376 by the 1971 Baltimore Bullets. The teams also shattered the record for fewest combined points in the shot-clock era. The previous record was 780 by the Bullets and Warriors in 1975. The Spurs' 83 points were the third-fewest in a Finals clincher in the shot-clock era, behind only the '99 Spurs (78) and the '05 Spurs (81).
Duncan, the only Spur who's played on all four title teams, finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds, giving him averages of 18.3 ppg and 11.5 rpg for the series. It was the first time in his career he failed to average 20 and 10 in the Finals. Parker was 10-of-14 from the field in his 100th career playoff game. No player in NBA history has played in 100 playoff games at a younger age than Parker (25 years, 28 days old).
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich improved to 13-3 on the road in potential clinching games, the best for any head coach (minimum 10 games). He's also 22-7 overall in potential clinching games, the best ever (minimum 15 games). Spurs reserve Robert Horry wins his seventh NBA title, the most among active players and tied for the eighth most all-time. He's the only non-Celtic to win at least seven rings, and he's just the fourth player in NBA history to appear in as many as seven NBA Finals series without ever coming out on the losing end, joining John Havlicek, K.C. Jones and Frank "Satch" Sanders (all 8-0).
This was the Spurs' eighth straight road win when they had a chance to clinch the series, the second-longest streak in NBA history. The Spurs are 4-0 in NBA Finals series, the second-best all-time behind the Bulls, who are 6-0. They're also 16-6 in NBA Finals games, the best record in NBA history.
LeBron James finished with 24 points on 10-of-30 shooting. He had 10 assists but 6 turnovers, giving him 23 for the series, the second-most ever in a 4-game Finals series. Drew Gooden did manage 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Daniel Gibson had 10 points. As a team, Cleveland shot just 38.1 percent from the field, including 7-of-22 from 3-point range. For the series, they shot just 39.4 percent overall and 29.3 percent from 3-point range. This marked the Cavaliers' only four-game losing streak of the entire 2006-07 season.
The Cavaliers had company in the bad basketball category. Both teams broke the NBA Finals record for fewest points in a four-game series in the shot-clock era. Cleveland finished with 322 and San Antonio had 346. The previous record was 376 by the 1971 Baltimore Bullets. The teams also shattered the record for fewest combined points in the shot-clock era. The previous record was 780 by the Bullets and Warriors in 1975. The Spurs' 83 points were the third-fewest in a Finals clincher in the shot-clock era, behind only the '99 Spurs (78) and the '05 Spurs (81).