The Warriors’ road to the Finals was much more difficult this year than last: even though the first two rounds were relatively easy, the Houston Rockets pushed them to the brink. But at the end of the day, the four Warriors All-Stars were just too much for the Rockets to handle, especially given Chris Paul’s late injury.
In the Eastern Conference, never had there been more doubt about LeBron’s return to the Finals. Despite the Cavaliers’ sweep of the Raptors, the series against the Pacers and Celtics were extremely close.