A seven-day gap separates the start of the NBA Finals from the end of the last conference final. That's a sore point among fans and players, with the possible exception of Cleveland guard Kyrie Irving, who has a sore knee and needs time to heal.
Such a long layoff breaks rhythm and allows rust to accumulate in a team, but it could have been worse. Forty years ago, the ABA had a nine-day break between the final two playoff rounds, when the Pacers and Kentucky Colonels were forced to experience unprecedented delayed gratification.
The Pacers reached the ABA Finals in 1975 after surviving a seven-game series with Denver.