- Game 2: Warriors 110, Cavaliers 77
- Game 3: Cavaliers 120, Warriors 90
What the heck?
“It’s the NBA,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “That’s just how it is.”
Not at this level, it’s not.
The 63-point swing – from the Warriors’ 33-point win to the Cavs’ 30-point win – is the largest in NBA Finals history. The previous record was Game 2 to Game 3 of the 2013 Finals, when a 113-77 Spurs win followed a 103-84 Heat win.
These last two games had the fourth-largest swing in any playoff series. In the 2008 first round, the Cleveland beat the Wizards 116-86 then Washington won 108-72.
Here’s every set of playoff games in NBA history that featured a swing of at least 50 – first-game score on the left, second-game score on the right and the swing in the middle:
| Games | Scores | Swing |
| 2008 first round Game 2 to 3 | CLE 116, WAS 86; WAS 108, CLE 72 | 66 |
| 1958 div. finals Game 3 to 4 | DET 109, STL 89; STL 145, DET 101 | 64 |
| 1973 conf. finals Game 3 to 4 | LAL 126, GSW 70; GSW 117, LAL 109 | 64 |
| 2016 Finals Game 2 to 3 | GSW 110, CLE 77; CLE 120, GSW 90 | 63 |
| 2009 first round Game 3 to 4 | NOH 95, DEN 93; DEN 121, NOH 63 | 60 |
| 2015 first round Game 5 to 6 | MIL 94, CHI 88; CHI 120, MIL 66 | 60 |
| 1956 div. semis Game 1 to 2 | STL 116, MNL 115; MNL 133, STL 75 | 59 |
| 1956 div. semis Game 2 to 3 | MNL 133, STL 75; STL 116, MNL 115 | 59 |
| 1973 conf. finals Game 1 to 2 | BOS 134, NYK 108; NYK 129, BOS 96 | 59 |
| 2005 first round Game 6 to 7 | HOU 101, DAL 83; DAL 116, HOU 76 | 58 |
| 1995 conf. semis Game 2 to 3 | PHO 118, HOU 94; HOU 118, PHO 85 | 57 |
| 1965 div. semis Game 2 to 3 | STL 129, BAL 105; BAL 131, STL 99 | 56 |
| 2009 conf. semis Game 5 to 6 | LAL 118, HOU 78; HOU 95, LAL 80 | 55 |
| 2013 Finals Game 2 to 3 | MIA 103, SAS 84; SAS 113, MIA 77 | 55 |
| 2016 conf. finals Game 2 to 3 | GSW 118, OKC 91; OKC 133, GSW 105 | 55 |
| 1982 conf. finals Game 4 to 5 | PHI 119, BOS 94; BOS 114, PHI 85 | 54 |
| 1995 first round Game 1 to 2 | ORL 124, BOS 77; BOS 99, ORL 92 | 54 |
| 2005 first round Game 3 to 4 | IND 99, BOS 76; BOS 110, IND 79 | 54 |
| 2015 conf. semis Game 4 to 5 | LAC 128, HOU 95; HOU 124, LAC 103 | 54 |
| 1964 div. finals Game 5 to 6 | SFW 121, STL 97; STL 123, SFW 95 | 52 |
| 1971 conf. semis Game 4 to 5 | SFW 106, MIL 104; MIL 136, SFW 86 | 52 |
| 2009 conf. semis Game 4 to 5 | HOU 99, LAL 87; LAL 118, HOU 78 | 52 |
| 2013 Finals Game 3 to 4 | SAS 113, MIA 77; MIA 109, SAS 93 | 52 |
| 1972 conf. finals Game 4 to 5 | MIL 114, LAL 88; LAL 115, MIL 90 | 51 |
| 1980 conf. semis Game 4 to 5 | PHO 127, LAL 101; LAL 126, PHO 101 | 51 |
| 1995 conf. finals Game 6 to 7 | IND 123, ORL 96; ORL 105, IND 81 | 51 |
| 1997 first round Game 2 to 3 | SEA 122, PHO 78; PHO 110, SEA 103 | 51 |
| 1983 conf. semis Game 4 to 5 | DEN 124, SAS 114; SAS 145, DEN 105 | 50 |
