The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors etched their name into NBA lore with a 73-9 regular season record, a benchmark of excellence that seemed untouchable for a generation. For years, this specific team stood as a statistical anomaly, a blend of elite shooting, suffocating defense, and unselfish play that left opponents searching for answers. Yet, the narrative of invincibility surrounding the 73-win squad invites a compelling question: what teams actually beat the 73-9 Warriors?
Breaking the Streak: The Playoff Upsets
While the Warriors steamrolled through the regular season, their playoff journey told a different story. The first significant crack in their armor appeared in the Western Conference Finals against the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis, led by the gritty duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, forced the series to a decisive Game 5 by winning on the road. It was only the Warriors' clutch performance in Game 6, fueled by a Klay Thompson explosion, that prevented the upset from becoming reality.
The Finals Reversal
The ultimate answer to "what teams beat the 73-9 Warriors" came in the most dramatic fashion possible. The Cleveland Cavaliers, led by the heroic LeBron James and the resurgence of Kyrie Irving, faced the Warriors in the NBA Finals. After falling behind 3-1 in the series—a deficit no team had ever overcome—the Cavaliers rallied to win the championship in seven games. This victory stands as the singular instance where a team not only defeated the Warriors in a playoff series but also overturned a multi-games deficit to claim the title.
LeBron James' chase-down block on Andre Iguodala in Game 7 symbolized the defensive intensity Cleveland brought.
Kyrie Irving’s game-winning three-pointer in Game 7 provided the iconic moment that sealed the upset.
The series showcased the importance of matchups, as Cleveland’s physical style disrupted Golden State’s rhythm.
The Regular Season Anomaly
It is crucial to note that the 73-9 Warriors were only beaten twice during the entire regular season. The first loss came at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, a team featuring a young, dynamic roster with Russell Westbrook leading the charge. The second defeat was administered by the Milwaukee Bucks, who were in the midst of a promising young core era under head coach Jason Kidd. These two losses served as rare blemishes on an otherwise perfect campaign.
Defining the Legacy of the 73-Win Team
The rarity of the 73-win season makes the question of who beat them even more significant. The Warriors' regular season dominance was so profound that their two losses were often overlooked in the broader conversation about their excellence. The true measure of their team, however, lies not in the losses they absorbed in the regular season, but in the way they bounced back to secure another championship the very next year. The 2015-16 squad proved that even the most historic regular season runs are defined by the ability to perform when it matters most.
The Rarity of the Feat
Since the 73-9 Warriors, no team has reached the 70-win plateau in a single season, highlighting just how unlikely such a record is in the modern NBA. The combination of a 162-game schedule, the physical toll on players, and the variance inherent in any sport makes a season of that length a monumental task. Consequently, the teams that managed to defeat them—whether it was Cleveland in the Finals or Oklahoma City and Milwaukee in the regular season—earned their place in basketball history by overcoming a monumental obstacle.
