Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs battles with Patrick Patterson of the Toronto Raptors during an NBA game at the Air Canada Centre on December 09, 2015 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo : Getty Images/Vaughn Ridley)
Entering this season of the National Basketball Association, only two teams were touted to face in the NBA finals: the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, there are other teams who have the chance to spoil what could be the first NBA Finals trilogy. Here are the three dark horse NBA championship contenders:
1. Toronto Raptors
If there is one team in the East who could challenge the Cavaliers for the finals berth, it would be the Toronto Raptors. Last season, the Raptors prevented Cleveland from sweeping the East playoffs by taking home back-to-back wins but eventually faltered in six games. This year, the Raptors are ahead of the Cavaliers in ESPN's Basketball Power Index which measures the team's performance for the rest of the season. Toronto is expected to make moves before the trade deadline and adding a piece in their already talented roster might get them over the defending champs.
2. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs have not just beaten the Warriors but pulled off a 29-point drubbing over the 2015 NBA champs. In a report by ABC News, the Spurs have a 25.2 percent chance of winning the Western Conference and an 18.6 chance of winning the Larry O'Brien trophy. San Antonio will host Golden State twice in March and being known to defend their home court, the Spurs are favored to win both games, solidifying their case of winning a series if they ever face each other in the playoffs.
3. Boston Celtics
Boston may have lost twice to the Cavaliers this season but both defeats are close, with the first one happening in the absence of Al Horford. Both teams will face twice again in March and April and the Celtics are touted to win both games. If the stars line up, the Celtics have a 27 percent chance of beating the defending NBA champs without homecourt advantage. They also pose an 8.8 percent threat of winning the East.
Watch the video below for the other dark horse NBA teams:
