The top two teams in the NBA will be competing against each other for the league's championship crown for the second time in a row.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors, champions of the Eastern Conference and Western Conference respectively, will battle for the 2015-16 NBA Finals. The Oakland-based defending champs will host the first game of their best-of-seven series at the Oracle Arena on Thursday night.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers became the league's best playoff team the season with an impressive win-loss record of 12-2. The team defeated both the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks in the first and second round of the postseason before overpowering the Toronto Raptors in six games in the conference final stage.

Last year, the Cavs were just two games away from winning the city's first championship title since 1970 and LeBron James almost finally ended Cleveland's more than five decades of championship drought. The Cavaliers led the series 2-1 even without key players Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, who were sidelined due to injuries.

However, the Warriors came to win the next three succeeding games and took the NBA title in six games 4-2. Now that the Cavs are said to be in full force with Irving, Love and James all healthy; the series is expected to become tougher for the Warriors.

"The fact that we're going back to back, I think, is pretty unique," the four-time MVP James said. "It's pretty unique to be in this position to have another opportunity for guys to write about, for us to play it, for the people to talk about it throughout the world. I'm blessed that I can be a part of conversations."

The Warriors, on the other hand, will be gunning for their second straight championship ring and their fifth overall NBA crown. The 73-game winning club will be looking to replicate their dominance over the Cavs last year. The Golden State won both matches they had against Cleveland in the regular season in December 2015 and in January 2016.

TagsGolden State Warriors, cleveland cavaliers, Stephen Curry, Lebron James, NBA Finals