The 2019 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) 2018–19 season and conclusion of the season’s playoffs. In the best-of-seven playoff series held from May 30 through June 13, 2019, the Eastern Conference champion Toronto Raptors defeated the defending NBA champion and Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors, 4–2, earning the franchise its first NBA championship as well as the first win by an NBA team based outside the United States. Acquired by the Raptors via a trade during the off-season, Kawhi Leonard was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second time in his career.
This was the first NBA Finals appearance for the Raptors, and the league’s first finals with games played outside of the United States. Home-court advantage was awarded to Toronto, who finished the regular season with one more win (58–24) than Golden State (57–25). This was the first time in five consecutive NBA Finals appearances that the then-two-time defending NBA-champion Warriors did not have home-court advantage. This meant that Games 3, 4, and 6 were held in Golden State (the last postseason home games for the Warriors in the Oracle Arena) and Games 1, 2, and 5 were in Toronto. Had it been necessary, Game 7 would have been held in Toronto. Also for the first time after the past four postseasons, the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers did not meet in the championship round. This was the first Finals since 2010 not to include LeBron James, who played in the past eight Finals with the Cavaliers and the Miami Heat.
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