Top five playoff moments for Cavaliers, Warriors entering Finals

Relive the best moments from the Warriors’ and Cavaliers’ playoff runs.

After nearly a month and a half of playoff basketball, the NBA Finals are here.

The Warriors and Cavaliers are squaring off in the NBA championship for the second year in a row. Last year, Golden State beat Cleveland in six games, but Cavs forward Kevin Love missed the entire series and point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a season–ending injury in Game 1.

This year, both teams took different paths to the Finals, with the Cavs mostly cruising through the Eastern Conference, while the Warriors had to overcome injuries and a tough challenge from the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

Ahead of Game 1 on Thursday night, we rounded up the best moments for each team during the postseason so far. 

• ROSENBERG: Kyrie Irving gets another shot at the Finals

Cavaliers

5. LeBron annihilates Reggie Bullock

This dunk was so powerful LeBron James almost knocked himself over.

4. Love’s bounce-back night

After two miserable games in Toronto, Kevin Love rebounded with a huge Game 5 against the Raptors.

3. LeBron hits nine in a row

King James showed why he rules the Eastern Conference with a Game 1 drubbing of the Raptors.

2. Three-point record

The Cavaliers scored 25 threes against the Hawks in Game 2 of the East semis.

1. LeBron deflates the ball

For all the talk of how Stephen Curry does things the game has never seen before, LeBron reminded us all how powerful he is when he dunked a ball so hard, he briefly deflated it.

Look closely at that basketball.

That's how vicious LeBron's first-half dunk was in Game 1. (via Tony Dejak/AP) pic.twitter.com/G29V5cJqwA

— ESPN (@espn) May 18, 2016

• BALLARD: Curry’s magic leaves us speechless again

Warriors

5. Draymond’s triple double

Draymond Green posted a 23–13–11 stat line as the Warriors won Game 1 of the West semis without Stephen Curry.

4. The dagger

With the Thunder more or less conceding defeat to the Warriors late in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, Curry iced the series with an emphatic three pointer.

3. The layup

Still don’t know how this went in.

2. Steph’s return

In his first game back from a sprained knee, Curry went berserk in the fourth quarter and overtime, reminding the league who’s the NBA’s top dog.

1. Klay saves the day

Thompson. Game 6.

Game 1 is Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET.