<P> Golden State, which earned home - court advantage with setting the NBA regular season wins record (73--9), jumped to a 2--0 lead in the series while recording the largest combined margin of victory (48) through two games in NBA Finals history . Cleveland returned home and responded with a 120--90 win in Game 3, but the Warriors won Game 4 to take a 3--1 series lead . The Cavaliers won the next three games to become the first team in Finals history to successfully overcome a 3--1 deficit . It also marked the first time since 1978 that Game 7 was won by the road team . </P> <P> For the first time since 2004, a new scheduling format was instituted for the Finals . In previous years, the Finals were played in a Thursday--Sunday--Tuesday scheme . However, the league changed its scheduling to ensure an extra day off for both teams, which have to travel from one city to another during the series . This, along with the designated travel day, took place after Games 2, 4, 5, and 6 . </P> <P> The win by the Cavaliers was the first major professional sports championship won by a team based in Cleveland since 1964, and the first - ever championship won by the Cavaliers franchise . NBA Finals MVP winner LeBron James propelled the Cavaliers to the historic comeback . James had a historically great Finals performance, becoming the first player in NBA history to lead all players in a playoff series in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks . James' heroics coupled with the suspense of Cleveland's comeback have led many sports critics to deem the 2016 NBA Finals as one of the most exciting in recent history . </P> <P> This was Cleveland's second consecutive trip to the NBA Finals, and third overall, seeking to win their first ever NBA championship . This would also be the sixth consecutive NBA Finals appearance for LeBron James, the most for any player not part of the 1960s Boston Celtics, and the fifth for James Jones (who technically qualified for the 2011 NBA Finals along with James, but did not play). </P>

When did the cleveland cavaliers win the nba championship
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