BDL’s 2014-15 NBA Playoff Previews: Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (Ball Don’t Lie)

How They Got Here • Golden State : The 67-win Warriors entered the postseason as title favorites and have played to that level throughout the first three rounds. Their 12-3 record in the playoffs comes out to a winning percentage just shy of their regular-season mark, which is to say that they've been elite against the best teams in the best conference even if they were somewhat fortunate to avoid the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers. If the Warriors were impressive back in mid-April, then they only look better now. [ Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball ] The Western Conference Finals against the Houston Rockets provided many examples of what Golden State does well. Games 1 and 2 were both very tight contests in which the Rockets very easily could have won, particularly in the latter. However, the Warriors made the necessary plays, got superstar-level performances from 2014-15 MVP Stephen Curry, and stayed just far ahead enough in crunch time to control the terms. Based on the first two outcomes in Oakland, most expected the Rockets to play well when the series shifted to Houston for Game 3. That was most definitely not the case...