2015 NAIA Football National Championship
The 2015 NAIA Football National Championship was a four-round, sixteen team tournament played between November 21 and December 19 of 2015. The tournament concluded on December 19 with a single game played as the 60th Annual NAIA Football National Championship Presented by Waste Pro. Waste Pro became the newest title game sponsor in an announcement made October 31, 1015. The game matched #7 Southern Oregon (11–2) against #6 Marian (11–2) in a rematch between the two teams that met in the 2014 championship game. Marian was making its third appearance in the last four years of the championship event. In a reversal of last year's outcome, Marian prevailed 31-14 to win their second national title in the past four years.


2015 NAIA Football National Championship
The championship game was played at Municipal Stadium in Daytona Beach, Florida. A total of sixteen teams were selected to participate in the single-elimination tournament from across the country. The field included ten conference champions who received automatic bids. The field was filled with at-large selections that were awarded to the highest ranked teams that were not conference champions. Seeding was based on the final edition of the 2015 NAIA Coaches' Poll, with certain minor modifications given based on geographic considerations.


2015 NAIA Football National Championship
Quarterfinal pairings were announced by the NAIA on November 22, a day after the first round results were known.


2015 NAIA Football National Championship
Semifinal pairings were finalized by the NAIA on November 28, after the quarterfinal results were known.


2015 NAIA Football National Championship
This was the 2nd time the championship game was played at this venue after the prior six games were played at Barron Stadium in Rome, Georgia.


2015 NAIA football rankings
One human poll makes up the 2015 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football rankings, sometimes called the NAIA Coaches' Poll or the football ratings. When the regular season is complete, the NAIA plans to sponsor a playoff to determine the year's national champion. A final poll will be taken after completion of the 2015 NAIA Football National Championship.


2015 NAIA football rankings, Leading vote-getters
Since the inception of the Coaches' Poll in 1999, the #1 ranking in the various weekly polls has been held by only a select group of teams. Through the end of 2015, the team and the number of times they have held the #1 weekly ranking are shown below. The number of times a team has been ranked #1 in the postseason poll (the national champion) is shown in parentheses.


2015 NAIA football rankings, Leading vote-getters
There has been only one tie for the leading vote-getter in a weekly poll. In 2015, Southern Oregon was tied with Marian (IN) in the preseason poll.


2015 NAIA football rankings, Leading vote-getters
In 1999, the results of a postseason poll, if one was conducted, are not known. Therefore, an additional poll was presumed, and the #1 postseason ranking has been credited to the postseason tournament champion, the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers.


2015 NAIA men's soccer season
The 2015 NAIA men's soccer season is the 57th season of NAIA Championship college soccer. The regular season began in September, 2015 and concluded on December 5, 2015 with the National Championships, held in Delray Beach, Florida. The defending champions are Davenport (MI).


2015 NAIA men's soccer season, Season Overview, Received Votes
The following teams, ranked 26-37, received votes for the Top 25: WVU Tech; Ashford (Iowa); Bethel (Tenn.); The Master's (CA); Thomas (GA); Great Falls (MT); Bryan (TN. ); Mobile (AL); UC Merced; Concordia (NE); St. Thomas (TX); Grace (IN. ).


2015 NAIA men's soccer season, Standings
2015 NAIA men's soccer standings as of December 9, 2015


2015 NAIA men's soccer season, Standings, California Pacific Conference
-Antelope Valley where not allowed a play-off bid due to first year eligibility.


2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
The 2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series was the 21st season of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the third highest stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in North America. It was contested over twenty-three races, beginning with the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the Ford EcoBoost 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Erik Jones of Kyle Busch Motorsports won the series championship, becoming the youngest champion in the Camping World Truck Series.


2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Schedule
The final calendar was released on August 26, 2014, comprising 23 races. Atlanta Motor Speedway, which has not hosted the series since 2012, will return for the second week of the season in late February as a Saturday doubleheader with the Xfinity Series. Fox Sports 1 will televise every race except the Fred's 250 on October 24, which will air on Fox.


2015 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Results and standings, Drivers' championship
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.


2015 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
The 2015 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series was the ninth season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, which took place in the summer of 2015. The season consisted of 11 races at 10 different venues, of which 7 were held on ovals. It began with the Pinty's presents the Clarington 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on May 17 and ended with the Pinty's 250 at Kawartha Speedway on September 19. Louis-Philippe Dumoulin entered the season as the defending Drivers' Champion; 2015 was the final season that Canadian Tire sponsored the series, with Pinty's taking over the title sponsorship from 2016.


2015 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
Scott Steckly won his fourth series championship by four points, holding off an end-of-season points surge by Jason Hathaway. After taking three top-five finishes in the first four races, Steckly won back-to-back events at Edmonton and Saskatoon, before adding a third win at Antigonish and ultimately sealed the championship with second place in the final race. Hathaway won at Chaudière before winning the final two races to close in on Steckly. Andrew Ranger completed the championship top-3, 14 points in arrears of Hathaway. Ranger won one race during the season, winning at Saint-Eustache.


2015 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
Rookie Kevin Lacroix was the only other driver to win more than once; he won two Quebec races at Circuit ICAR and Circuit Trois-Rivières. Gary Klutt (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) and Alex Tagliani (Sunset Speedway) completed the season's winners, the former taking Rookie of the Year honors ahead of Marc-Antoine Camirand.


2015 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Schedule
The series' 2015 schedule was released on December 18, 2014. In February 2015, Sunset Speedway was added to the schedule to replace Barrie Speedway, after circuit owners halted racing at the track.


2015 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Results and standings, Drivers' championship
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.


2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
The 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East is the 29th season of the K&N Pro Series East. It began with the Hart to Heart Breast Cancer Foundation 150 at New Smyrna Speedway on February 15 and ended with the Drive Sober 125 at Dover International Speedway on October 3. Ben Rhodes enters the season as the defending Drivers' Champion. William Byron won the championship, fifteen points in front of Scott Heckert. All of the races in the 2015 season were televised on NBCSN on a tape delay basis.


2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Schedule
All of the races in the 2015 season will be televised on NBCSN and will be on a tape delay basis.


2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Results and standings, Drivers' championship
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.


2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
The 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West was the sixty-second season of the K&N Pro Series West. Beginning with the NAPA Auto Parts 150 at Kern County Raceway Park on March 28, the season ended on November 12 with the Casino Arizona 200 at Phoenix International Raceway . Two-time champion Greg Pursley did not defend his series title, as he retired at the end of the 2014 season. Chris Eggleston won the championship, seven points ahead of Noah Gragson.


2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, Schedule
All of the races in the 2015 season will be televised on NBCSN and will be on a tape delay basis.


2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, Results and standings, Drivers' championship
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.


2015 NASCAR Mexico Series
The 2015 NASCAR Mexico Series was the ninth season of the NASCAR Mexico Series, and the twelfth organized by NASCAR Mexico. On January 13, 2015, the NASCAR México Series presented by FOX Sports 3 announced that its entitlement sponsorship with Toyota stopped in 2015 after three years. It began with the Toyota 120 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 13, and ended with the RedCo 240 at Autódromo Chiapas, on November 22. Abraham Calderón entered the season as the defending Drivers' Champion. Rubén García, Jr. won the championship, eighteen points in front of Rubén Rovelo.


2015 NASCAR Mexico Series, Schedule
The full schedule for the 2015 season was released on January 15, 2015.


2015 NASCAR Mexico Series, Results and standings, Drivers' championship
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)


2015 NASCAR Mexico Series, Results and standings, Drivers' championship
. – Eliminated after Coca-Cola Zero 240 (First Desafío-race). – Eliminated after Desafío Deportivo 240 (Second Desafío-race). – Eliminated after Red Cola 240 (Third Desafío-race). – Eliminated after Alcatel OneTouch 240 (Penultimate Desafío-race)


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
The 2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race (XXXI) was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on May 16, 2015 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Contested over 110 laps, it was the second exhibition race of the 2015 Sprint Cup Series season.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Report, Background
NASCAR executive vice-president Steve O'Donnell speaking on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Report, Background
Race winners from the previous season through the 2015 SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway, and all previous All-Star race winners and Sprint Cup champions who had attempted to qualify for every race in 2015 were eligible to compete in the All-Star Race. For the first time since the 2002 All-Star Race, the Sprint Showdown was split into multiple segments, with the winners of each 20-lap segment advancing to compete in the race, as well as the Sprint fan vote winner.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Report, Background
The All-Star Race was 110 laps long, separated into five segments: four segments of 25 laps and a final segment of ten laps. A mandatory pit stop was between the final two segments, while pitting between the 25 lap segments was optional. A minimum of 20 drivers took part of the All-Star Race. Seventeen were automatically in the race while three got in via the Showdown.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Report, Background
Kyle Busch, who was not expected to return to racing until Independence Day weekend at Daytona International Speedway, announced - via a video on Twitter - that he was coming back for the All-Star Race. Busch had been injured in a support series race in February and had missed the entire season up to that point.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Report, Background, Entry list
The entry list for the Sprint Showdown was released on Tuesday, May 12 at 10:04 a.m. Eastern time. Thirty drivers were entered for the race, but Travis Kvapil's entry was withdrawn before the race.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Report, Background, Entry list
The entry list for the All-Star Race was released that same day at 11:03 a.m. Seventeen cars were automatically entered for the race. Jeff Gordon started his 22nd and final All-Star Race.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Practice, Sprint Showdown practice
Austin Dillon was the fastest in the lone Sprint Showdown practice session with a time of 28.528 and a speed of 189.288 mph (304.630 km/h).


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Practice, All-Star Race practice
Kyle Busch, in his first race since breaking both his right leg and left foot at Daytona in February, was the fastest in the lone Sprint All-Star Race practice session with a time of 28.589 and a speed of 188.884 mph (303.979 km/h). "I was excited to get back in here, see my guys and get the taste of all that again," Busch said. "Everything went according to plan and we had some decent speed in race trim. We're excited and hopefully, we can see that speed again tomorrow night."


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Qualifying (Showdown)
Paul Menard won the pole for the Sprint Showdown with a time of 28.470 and a speed of 189.673 mph (305.249 km/h).


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Sprint Showdown, Segment One
The race was scheduled to start at 7:15 p.m., but started at 7:25 p.m. when Paul Menard led the field to the green flag. He didn't get a good start and Greg Biffle easily took the lead. Biffle pulled away from the field on his way to winning the first segment with relative ease. The first caution of the race flew on lap 21 to end the segment. Clint Bowyer assumed the lead with Biffle advancing to the All-Star Race. He lost the lead, however, on pit road to David Ragan.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Sprint Showdown, Segment Two
Martin Truex Jr. jumped to the lead with 20 laps to go on the restart. The second caution of the race flew for a one car spin in turn 4. Exiting 4, J. J. Yeley got loose and spun through the grass on the front stretch. Unlike in the first segment, only green flag laps count. Only one car opted to pit under the caution.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Sprint Showdown, Segment Two
The race restarted with 18 laps to go. Kyle Larson matched Truex the whole lap to take the lead off of turn 4. Clint Bowyer went three-wide for the lead with 16 laps to go. Larson got tapped by Sam Hornish Jr. in 3 and about tagged the wall in 4. He saved it, but brought the car down pit with eight laps to go and ending his chance of advancing to the All-Star Race.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Sprint Showdown, Segment Two
It was ultimately Clint Bowyer who would win to advance to the All-Star Race. Danica Patrick won the fan vote to advance to the All-Star Race. “I have great fans," Patrick said in a press release. "I know I didn’t make it in last year, but I heard that they voted even more last year than the year before that and so I’m sure that this year was nothing different. I think I got close at the end and they came through. They always come through. I am lucky to have such great fans."


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Qualifying (All-Star Race)
Denny Hamlin won the pole for the All-Star Race with a cumulative time of 1:51.227 and a speed of 145.648 mph (234.398 km/h). Like the Kansas race the previous week, the qualifying session started on Fox News Channel, due to a Major League Baseball game running long, the qualifying session went on Fox Sports 1 13 minutes later.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, All-Star Race, Segment 1
The Sprint All-Star Race was scheduled to start at 9:16 p.m., but started at 9:42 p.m. when Denny Hamlin led the field to the green flag. He jumped to a lead of two seconds over Kasey Kahne in five laps. But by lap 10, Kahne has cut the gap to half a second. He finally passed Hamlin on the outside in turn 2 to take the lead on lap 16. Exiting turn 4, Greg Biffle slapped the wall with five laps to go in segment 1.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, All-Star Race, Segment 1
He slammed the wall a second time in the final lap of the first segment. The first caution of the race flew on lap 26 to complete the first segment. While pitting in the first four segments is optional, all the cars opted to pit at the end of the first segment. Brad Keselowski exited pit road with the lead. To add to Biffle's woes, he was tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field. The effect, however, was moot because he was already last in the running order.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, All-Star Race, Segment 2
The race restarted on lap 26. Dale Earnhardt Jr. spun the tires on the restart and just dropped like a rock down the running order. Kurt Busch got underneath Keselowski to briefly take the lead on lap 34. Keselowski would take back the lead the next lap. Busch attempted to go by him the next lap, but got loose exiting turn 2 and lost ground to him. While Kurt reeled in Brad down to three tenths of a second, Keselowski would cross the line first in the second segment. The second caution of the race flew to end segment 2. Once again, all the cars opted to pit under the caution. This time, Jamie McMurray left with the lead. Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin were all tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, All-Star Race, Segment 3
The race restarted on lap 51. McMurray didn't get a good start and was about spun out by Joey Logano. This allowed teammate Brad Keselowski to retake the lead. Danica Patrick took her car to the garage on lap 60 after the left-front hub of her car burned out. Kyle Busch made an unscheduled stop for a tire vibration on lap 63. The culprit was a loose left-rear wheel.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, All-Star Race, Segment 3
Kevin Harvick made a charge at the lead, but Brad Keselowski was able to lead the entire third segment as the third caution of the race flew to conclude segment 3. Everybody pitted under this caution. Matt Kenseth exited with the lead. Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart were tagged for speeding on pit road and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was tagged for his crew being over the wall too soon. All three restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, All-Star Race, Segment 4
The race restarted on lap 76. Denny Hamlin beat his teammate to take the lead on lap 77. He, however, was no match on two tires to Kurt Busch on four who took the lead on lap 78. He would hold the lead to the conclusion of the fourth segment as the fourth caution of the race flew. Brad Keselowski led the field down pit road for the mandatory four tire pit stop. Denny Hamlin exited with the lead. Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski were tagged for speeding on pit road and restarted the race from the tail-end of the field.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, All-Star Race, 10 laps to go
The race restarted with 10 laps to go. While Hamlin was unable to pull away from the field as had been the norm in the last few years, he was able to hold off a hard charging Kevin Harvick to score the victory in the Sprint All-Star Race. It was the fifth straight year that the winner of the race restarted either first or second in the final 10 laps. "In the middle part of the race, I thought we were out to lunch," Hamlin said. "With 50 (laps) to go, I didn’t see this coming.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, All-Star Race, 10 laps to go
But the pit crew knocked it out of the park – a primetime, under-pressure performance that won us the race. Then, we had to hold off the "4" (Harvick), which we haven’t been able to do the last two years. Everything came together perfectly for that last 10 laps." Jeff Gordon finished fourth in his 22nd and final All-Star Race. Kyle Busch finished sixth in his first Sprint Cup Series race since Homestead last November. "I felt like I got of the car after 100 laps and I'm fine," Busch said. "Am I going to die out after 200 or 300? I don't know, but the plan is to the full distance." After restarting the race from the tail-end of the field, Brad Keselowski worked his way to a ninth-place finish.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Media, Television
Fox Sports covered their 15th All-Star Race. Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and 1985 race winner Darrell Waltrip had the call in the booth for the race. Jamie Little, Chris Neville and Matt Yocum handled the pit road duties for the television side. Like Kansas, coverage was briefly moved to FOX News Channel due to MLB Coverage on Fox Sports 1 running long. This time, FOX News Channel broadcast the first few cars of qualifying. Once the MLB Game ended, both channels briefly simulcasted Qualifying until Kasey Kahne qualified. Coverage then switched to Fox Sports 1.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Media, Radio
MRN has carried the All-Star Race since 1985 and had the radio call for the race, which was simulcast on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio. Joe Moore, Jeff Striegle and 1989 race winner Rusty Wallace called the race in the booth when the field was racing down the front stretch.


2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Media, Radio
Dave Moody called the race from a scaffold outside of turn 2 when the field was racing through turns 1 and 2. Kyle Rickey called the race from a billboard outside of turn 3 when the field was racing through turns 3 and 4. Alex Hayden, Winston Kelley and Steve Post worked pit road for MRN.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was the 67th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 44th modern-era Cup season. The season began at Daytona International Speedway with the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race, the Budweiser Duels, and the Daytona 500. The season ended with the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Kyle Busch won the championship, despite missing the first third of the season due to severe leg injuries suffered in an Xfinity Series race at Daytona. Busch also became the first Toyota driver to win a Cup championship. Despite not running the full season, Brett Moffitt was named Rookie of the Year.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
The season also marked the first season of a new television contract. During the season, races were televised in the United States on Fox, Fox Sports 1, NBC, and NBCSN. ESPN and Turner Sports, who televised races from 2007 to 2014, did not seek to renew their contracts with NASCAR following the completion of the 2014 season; this marked the end of a 31-year relationship between NASCAR and Turner's primary stations, TBS and TNT. In addition, it was the first season on the newly rebranded Fox Sports Racing in Canada and the Caribbean.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
On January 22, 2015, four-time champion Jeff Gordon announced that 2015 would be his final season as a full-time driver, but he did not rule out complete retirement. Chase Elliott replaced him in the No. 24 car for Hendrick Motorsports in 2016.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
2015 was the first season without Juan Pablo Montoya since 2005 and NASCAR legends Terry Labonte since 1977 and Jeff Burton since 1992, making the first without a driver of the 1970s on the grid.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Schedule
The final calendar was released on August 26, 2014, comprising 36 races, as well as two exhibition races. The schedule also includes two Budweiser Duels, which are the qualifying races for the Daytona 500.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Speedweeks 2015 started with the Sprint Unlimited. Matt Kenseth won the Sprint Unlimited ahead of Martin Truex Jr. and Carl Edwards in a crash-filled race that saw only 12 of 25 cars finish the race. Following the race, tension arose between Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano over how Logano was racing Harvick in the later part of the race.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Qualifying for the front row of the Daytona 500 took place the following day. Jeff Gordon won the pole for his 23rd and final Daytona 500. His teammate Jimmie Johnson joined him on the front row by qualifying second. Group qualifying was used for the first time, and a multicar crash occurred from Reed Sorenson and Clint Bowyer making contact, which also involved Bobby Labonte, J.J. Yeley, and Denny Hamlin.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
The following Thursday, the Budweiser Duels took place to set the remainder of the starting lineup for the Daytona 500. The first duel race was won by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who held off pole-sitter Gordon to take the win. The second duel race was won by Johnson from the pole. During the race, an incident occurred between Hamlin and Danica Patrick which resulted in a confrontation between the two following the race.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
The Friday before the Daytona 500, Kurt Busch was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR following possible charges of domestic violence against his former girlfriend Patricia Driscoll. Regan Smith would replace Kurt Busch in the Daytona 500. The day before the race, Kurt's younger brother Kyle Busch broke his right leg and fractured his left foot in an accident in the Alert Today Florida 300 Xfinity Series race where he hit a wall without a SAFER barrier. Matt Crafton replaced Kyle Busch for the Daytona 500, making his Cup debut.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Jeff Gordon started on the pole and led the most laps, but was involved in a late wreck. Another wreck occurred on lap 41 involving Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth. Brad Keselowski lost an engine with 40 laps to go and caused Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman to collide with each other. Joey Logano would score his first Daytona 500 win on a two lap dash to the finish.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
After a delayed start due to rain, Joey Logano led the field to green. Kevin Harvick dominated the first half of the race but would end up finishing second. Jeff Gordon was involved in a multicar accident with Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, and Ryan Newman. Gordon had hit a wall without a SAFER barrier and pointed the issue out to NASCAR. Jimmie Johnson would go on to win the race.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Jeff Gordon won the pole but started from the rear in a backup car. Gordon drove to the front but was collected in a wreck with Jeb Burton after Jimmie Johnson got into the wall. Late in the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. took 2 tires on pit road while Kevin Harvick would take 4 tires. Harvick was able to get around Earnhardt Jr. and score the win.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Kevin Harvick started on the pole and dominated the race to score his second straight victory and his fourth straight win at Phoenix. Harvick was followed by Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, and Kurt Busch. Kurt Busch made his return to NASCAR following a three-race suspension.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Kurt Busch was on the pole and dominated the race. During a green-white-checker finish, Brad Keselowski was able to get around Kurt Busch on the last lap and score the win. Kurt Busch finished third, having been passed by Kevin Harvick for second. Harvick brought his streak of finishing first or second up to eight races dating back to the previous season.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Joey Logano started from the pole. Denny Hamlin would come back from a pit road penalty for an uncontrolled tire and score his fifth win at Martinsville, finishing ahead of Brad Keselowski, Logano, Matt Kenseth, and David Ragan. Kevin Harvick finished eighth, ending his streak of top-two finishes. Chase Elliott made his Cup debut, finishing 38th after being involved in a wreck. Kyle Larson missed the race after fainting during an autograph signing the day prior and was replaced by Regan Smith.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Kurt Busch sat on the pole. Jimmie Johnson would pass Jamie McMurray and Kevin Harvick on the final restart with 20 laps to go to score his second win of the season and his fifth win at Texas. Johnson was followed by Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Matt Kenseth started the race on the pole. The race was red flagged 22 laps in due to rain. During the red flag, Denny Hamlin would be unable to continue in the race due to neck spasms and would be replaced by Erik Jones, who made his unofficial Cup debut. After the race resumed, Kevin Harvick would go on and lead the most laps but would be collected in a wreck with David Ragan that was triggered after Jimmie Johnson and Jeb Burton got into each other. Kenseth would win the race in a green-white-checker finish following a red flag from more rain.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
The race was supposed to be held Saturday night but was postponed until Sunday afternoon due to rain. Joey Logano started from the pole position. Kurt Busch took the lead from Logano after a competition caution and dominated the race, scoring the win. Kurt Busch was followed by Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Jamie McMurray, and Logano.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Jeff Gordon won the pole for the race, with qualifying using single car runs instead of group qualifying. The race saw multicar accidents including one on lap 47 that collected 15 cars and a spin by Carl Edwards on the final lap. Dale Earnhardt Jr. would win the race ahead of Jimmie Johnson, scoring his sixth win at Talladega.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Joey Logano started the race from the pole. The race was red flagged on lap 98 due to rain. Martin Truex Jr. led the most laps but had to make a late pit stop for fuel, which gave the lead to Jimmie Johnson. Johnson would go on to score his third victory of the season, finishing ahead of Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Erik Jones made his official Cup debut and ran up front until he hit the wall with 73 laps to go.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
In the Sprint Showdown held the day prior, Greg Biffle won the first segment while Clint Bowyer won the second segment in order to advance to the Sprint All-Star Race. Danica Patrick would win the fan vote in order to participate in the Sprint All-Star Race.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Denny Hamlin started the race on the pole. Kasey Kahne would pass Hamlin for the lead and win the first segment. Brad Keselowski would hold the lead throughout the second and third segments. Kurt Busch would take the lead in the fourth segment. After mandatory pit stops, Hamlin would lead the final 10 laps in the fifth segment and win the Sprint All-Star Race. Kyle Busch made his return to NASCAR following the injuries he sustained in the Xfinity Series race at Daytona.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Matt Kenseth started the race from the pole. Jimmie Johnson spun twice during the race, with the second occurrence involving him hitting the pit wall and ending his race. Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. had the strongest cars, but Carl Edwards was able to stretch his fuel mileage at the end of the race and score his first win with Joe Gibbs Racing. Edwards was followed by Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kenseth, and Truex Jr.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Denny Hamlin won the pole for the race. Martin Truex Jr. led the most laps, with Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick also leading laps throughout the race. After multiple late cautions and a green-white-checker finish, Johnson was able to win the race, his fourth win of the season and tenth at Dover. Johnson became one of five drivers to have at least ten wins at a single track.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Kurt Busch was on the pole position. Martin Truex Jr. led the most laps for the fourth straight race and went on to score his first win of the season and his first victory since 2013. Truex Jr. was followed by Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, and Kurt Busch.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Kasey Kahne started the race from the pole. The race saw four red flags due to rain. During the race, Kevin Harvick fell two laps down after a flat tire and Kyle Busch finished last after hitting the wall. After the fourth red flag, the race was called and Kurt Busch was awarded the win, his second of the season. The remainder of the top five included Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Joey Logano.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
A. J. Allmendinger started on the pole but would finish 37th after an issue with the fuel system on his car. Jimmie Johnson led the most laps in the race. On a late caution on lap 100, Kyle Busch pitted for four tires while Johnson stayed out. Kyle Busch was able to get around Johnson and score his first win of the season. Kurt Busch finished the race in second, making it the first time the Busch brothers both finished in the top two in a race.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Dale Earnhardt Jr. started the race from pole after qualifying was rained out and the field set by practice speeds. The start of the race was delayed four hours by rain, running early into the following Monday. Several multicar accidents occurred throughout the race. Earnhardt Jr. dominated the race and took the win in a green-white-checker finish as "The Big One" happened at the finish line, resulting in Austin Dillon flying into the catchfence. Dillon was uninjured in the wreck save for some bruises.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Kyle Larson was on the pole after qualifying was rained out. The race saw the debut of a new rules package that reduced the downforce of the cars, which allowed for more side-by-side racing and passing. Kyle Busch dominated the race and got by Joey Logano with 19 laps remaining to score his second win of the season. Logano finished second, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, and Matt Kenseth. All four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers finished the race in the top five led by Kyle Busch.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Carl Edwards started the race on the pole. Brad Keselowski went on to lead the most laps in the race. Kyle Busch made a pit stop under green flag conditions shortly before a caution came out. The leaders pitted, while Kyle Busch took over the race lead and went on for his second straight win and third of the season. Kyle Busch was followed by Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Carl Edwards won the pole for the race. The race featured a higher drag rules package intended to increase passing and drafting. Jeff Gordon was caught up in a wreck with Clint Bowyer, ending his chance to win his final Brickyard 400. Kyle Busch passed Kevin Harvick on a restart with 8 laps left in the race and was able to survive two restarts, including a green-white-checker finish, to win the race.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
This was Kyle Busch's third straight win and fourth in the past five races, moving him closer to the top 30 in points, which he needed to be in to be eligible for the Chase. Kyle Busch also completed a weekend sweep as he won the Xfinity Series race the day before. Joey Logano finished in second, followed by Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., and Denny Hamlin.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Kyle Busch started the race from the pole position. Early in the race, Kasey Kahne hit the pit road wall and Kevin Harvick blew an engine. Toward the end of the race, several drivers gambled on fuel mileage. Joey Logano was leading but ran out of fuel with two laps to go. Kyle Busch took the lead and came to the white flag, but ran out of fuel on the final lap. Matt Kenseth was able to pass Kyle Busch and take the win, his second win of the season.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
A. J. Allmendinger started on the pole, but his day was plagued with a poor-handling car and his engine shutting off and not refiring on lap 51. Several wrecks and incidents happened throughout the race. Toward the end of the race, Kevin Harvick was leading but stretching his fuel mileage. Harvick ran out of fuel on the final turn and was passed by Joey Logano for the win. Logano completed a weekend sweep as he won the preceding day's Xfinity Series race. Kyle Busch passed Harvick for second and cracked the top 30 in points. Harvick ended up finishing the race in third.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Matt Kenseth dominated the race by winning the pole, leading the most laps, and scoring his third win of the season. Kenseth was followed by Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Austin Dillon (who had a career-best finish), and Denny Hamlin. During the race, Clint Bowyer was spun by Ryan Newman and hit the walls while Jimmie Johnson cut a tire and had multiple pit road issues.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Denny Hamlin started from the pole position. During the race, several incidents occurred, such as Matt Kenseth losing an engine and Kyle Larson hitting the wall. Drivers also had issues on pit road throughout the race. Joey Logano held off Kevin Harvick in the closing laps and won the race, his third of the season and second consecutive in the summer Bristol race.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Brad Keselowski began the race from the pole. The race utilized the low downforce package. In addition, to celebrate the return of Darlington to Labor Day weekend, several drivers ran throwback paint schemes. The race saw a record of 18 cautions, including several single car spins, and saw a lot of battles for position. Carl Edwards came back from two laps down to battle Keselowski and Kevin Harvick for the lead. After a late caution, Edwards got the lead on pit road and went on to win his second race of the season. The top five was rounded out by Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Harvick.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
In the last race before the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Joey Logano started from the pole. The four Joe Gibbs Racing cars ran strong throughout the race, with all four cars in the top four spots at one point. Matt Kenseth led the most laps and went on to his fourth win of the season. Kenseth was followed by Kyle Busch, Logano, Aric Almirola, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Despite the fourth-place finish, Almirola was the first driver below the cutoff line for the Chase.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
For the first race in the Challenger Round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, Kevin Harvick was awarded the pole after qualifying was rained out. Denny Hamlin was involved in a spin on lap 2 but worked his way back to the front. On a restart, Chase contenders Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick made contact, with Harvick cutting a tire and hitting the wall to finish 42nd. On a late caution, Hamlin opted to stay out while most of the leaders came to pit road. Hamlin was able to get the lead on the restart and win the race, his second of the season and securing a spot in the next round of the Chase. After the race, Harvick confronted Johnson and attempted to shove him before he was restrained.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Carl Edwards was on the pole position. During the race, Chase contenders had trouble including Kyle Busch, who hit the wall after cutting a tire, and Brad Keselowski, who was black flagged for jumping a restart. Kevin Harvick dominated the race and led the most laps but was trying to save fuel to make it to the finish. Harvick ran out of fuel with 3 laps to go and Matt Kenseth passed him to win the race, his fifth win of the season that would advance him to the next round of the Chase.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
For the final race in the Challenger Round, Matt Kenseth started the race on the pole as both practice and qualifying were rained out and he was the points leader. Kevin Harvick dominated the race and went on to win his third race of the season. With the win, Harvick was able to advance to the next round of the Chase as he was in a must-win situation following his poor finishes at Chicagoland and New Hampshire. Jimmie Johnson broke a rear axle on lap 100 and spent time in the garage for repairs, finishing 41st. Following the race, Jamie McMurray, Johnson, Paul Menard, and Clint Bowyer were eliminated from the Chase.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
This race marked the beginning of the Contender Round of the Chase. The race was planned to be run on Saturday night but was postponed to Sunday afternoon because of rain. Matt Kenseth led the field to the green flag and was strong in the early part of the race. Kenseth would later fall back and hit the wall multiple times, ending the race in 42nd. Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson had a collision coming to pit road under caution. Dale Earnhardt Jr. got into the wall and fell off the lead lap. Joey Logano dominated the later part of the race and went on to score the win, advancing to the Eliminator Round.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Brad Keselowski started the race from the pole. During the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled with a loose wheel. Matt Kenseth led the most laps in the race. In the closing laps, Joey Logano caught up to Kenseth and battled him for the win. With 4 laps to go, Logano spun Kenseth, setting up a green-white-checker finish. Logano continued on and won his second straight race, putting Kenseth into a must-win situation at Talladega to advance. Kenseth felt that Logano was wrong for spinning him.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
For the final race in the Contender Round, Jeff Gordon won the pole position. For this race, NASCAR announced that there would only be one attempt at a green-white-checker finish instead of the usual three. During the race, Denny Hamlin had a loose roof escape hatch door and was forced to make repairs, putting him off the lead lap. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a strong car and was contending with Joey Logano for the win late in the race. The race went to a green-white-checker finish after Jamie McMurray blew an engine.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
On the attempted restart, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Larson wrecked and the restart was waved off. On the restart, Kevin Harvick was losing an engine and caused a large wreck, resulting in the race to end under caution. NASCAR had determined that Logano was ahead of Earnhardt Jr. at the moment the caution came out, and Logano was declared the winner, sweeping all three races in the Contender Round. Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Earnhardt Jr., and Matt Kenseth were the four drivers eliminated from the Chase.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
This race kicked off the Eliminator Round of the Chase. Joey Logano started the race from the pole and would dominate most of the race. With 66 laps to go, Chase contenders Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch along with Matt Kenseth were involved in a wreck. Following this, Kenseth, who was laps down, intentionally wrecked race leader Logano on lap 454 as revenge for the incident at Kansas two weeks prior. After Logano was wrecked, Jeff Gordon would take the lead and continue on to win the race ahead of Jamie McMurray. With the win, Jeff Gordon would become one of the four drivers to race for the championship at Homestead, doing so in his final career race. Following the race, Kenseth would be suspended for two races for intentionally wrecking Logano, with Erik Jones replacing Kenseth for those two races.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Brad Keselowski started on pole and led 312 of the 334 laps in the race. Chase contender Joey Logano spun from a cut tire 10 laps into the race and suffered major damage to his car, forcing him into a must-win situation at Phoenix. A number of other drivers suffered tire issues in the race including Chase contender Kevin Harvick. In the final laps of the race, Jimmie Johnson battled Keselowski for the lead, passing him with 3 laps to go. Johnson went on to win the race, his sixth win at Texas. Keselowski finished in second, followed by Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Carl Edwards.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
In the final race of the Eliminator Round, Jimmie Johnson started from the pole. The start of the race was delayed by rain. Kevin Harvick dominated most of the race. During a round of green flag pit stops, the caution came out for a wreck involving Joey Gase. At the moment of caution, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was determined to be the leader. During the caution, it started to rain and the race was eventually red flagged. The race never resumed and Earnhardt Jr. was declared the winner. Following the race, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. advanced to race for a championship at Homestead while Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Kurt Busch were eliminated from the Chase.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Season summary, Race reports
Denny Hamlin started the race from the pole position, while championship contenders Kyle Busch started 3rd, Jeff Gordon 5th, Martin Truex Jr. 11th, and Kevin Harvick 13th. Through most of the race, Kyle Busch ran ahead of the other three championship contenders. Brad Keselowski led the most laps and held the lead going toward the end of the race when a debris caution came out, with the leaders coming to pit road. On the restart, Kyle Busch and Harvick got around Keselowski. Kyle Busch held off Harvick to win both the race and the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Results and standings, Drivers' Championship
(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by final practice results or owner's points. * – Most laps led. . – Eliminated after Challenger Round. – Eliminated after Contender Round. – Eliminated after Eliminator Round


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Media coverage
In the United States, NBC Sports returned to covering NASCAR for the first time since the end of the 2006 season. Fox Sports returned for their coverage of NASCAR for the 15th-year in a row and as the lone incumbent from 2014. As in their prior arrangement, Fox covered the first half of the season while NBC covered the second half, which includes the Chase for the Sprint Cup. While still dividing the coverage of the Daytona races between the two networks, the nature of the split was changed.


2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Media coverage
Fox retained its exclusive rights to the Daytona 500 while NBC gained exclusive rights to the Coke Zero 400. Under the previous Fox/NBC contract, Fox televised the Daytona 500 in odd numbered years (2001, 2003, 2005) while NBC did so in even numbered years (2002, 2004, 2006). Under the old arrangement, the network that did not air the Daytona 500 would air the Coke Zero 400.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series
The 2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series  was the seventh Racecar Euro Series season, and the third under the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series branding.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series
The Elite 1 championship was won for the third time in four years by Ander Vilariño in the No. 2 TFT Racing Chevrolet Camaro. He scored three victories during the season, and ultimately won the championship by 35 points ahead of CAAL Racing driver Alon Day, who also took three victories – coming at the final two meetings of the season, at Magione and Zolder – during his first season in the championship. Third place, 13 points further in arrears, was Vilariño's team-mate Romain Iannetta, who won a race at Brands Hatch.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series
Three other drivers won races during the season; Nicolò Rocca was another three-time winner for CAAL Racing, but he finished down in ninth in the drivers' championship, while Eddie Cheever III and defending champion Anthony Kumpen won a race apiece at Valencia and Venray respectively. Rocca won the Race And Win Pole Award for scoring the highest number of pole positions with four; the other two poles went to Day.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series
The Elite 2 championship was won by Gianmarco Ercoli, who won four races driving his No. 9 Double T by MRT Nocentini Chevrolet Camaro. Ercoli won the championship by 20 points ahead of Philipp Lietz, who won both races at Venray for GDL Racing. Third place in the championship – four points behind Lietz – went to Knauf Racing Team's Thomas Ferrando, who achieved three victories during 2015. The season's other race-winners finished fourth, fifth and sixth in the championship; Stienes Longin won at Tours Speedway for PK Carsport, Salvador Tineo Arroyo won at Magione for CAAL Racing and Dexwet Renauer Team's Florian Renauer was a race-winner at Brands Hatch.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, Championship standings
At the final two meetings of the season, double points were awarded in each race.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, Championship standings, Elite 1
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Fastest lap. * – Most laps led.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, Championship standings, Elite 2
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Fastest lap. * – Most laps led.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
The 2015 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour was the thirty-first season of the Whelen Modified Tour (WMT). It began with the Icebreaker 150 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on April 12 and concluded at the same venue with the Sunoco World Series 150 on October 18.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Defending champion Doug Coby won his third series title, and as a result, became the first driver since Tony Hirschman Jr. to win successive Whelen Modified Tour championships. Coby was the season's most prolific winner – with seven victories – including the final three races which allowed him to overhaul Ryan Preece in the standings, with Coby ultimately prevailing by eleven points after entering the final race tied on points with Preece. Preece was a four-time race winner, and finished all but one race inside the top-ten placings.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Just like Preece, Woody Pitkat recorded fourteen top-ten finishes out of fifteen starts – winning at Stafford along with the non-championship Shootout at New Hampshire – as he finished third in points, two down on Preece and thirteen behind Coby. The only other drivers to win races during the season were Todd Szegedy at New Hampshire and Justin Bonsignore, who swept both races at his local track, Riverhead Raceway.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Schedule
The Whelen All-Star Shootout did not count towards the championship. 10 races from the 2015 season were televised on NBCSN, on a tape-delay basis.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, Results and standings, Drivers' championship
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
The 2015 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour was the thirteenth season of the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour (WSMT). It began with the Spring Classic 150 at Caraway Speedway on March 15 and ended with the Charlotte 150 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 8. Andy Seuss, who entered the season as the defending Drivers' Champion, won the championship, three points in front of George Brunnhoelzl III. Five races during the season were televised in the United States on NBCSN by a tape-delay.


2015 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, Results and standings, Drivers' championship
(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.


2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series
The 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series was the 34th season of the 2nd tier Xfinity Series, a professional stock car racing tour sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. It began with the Alert Today Florida 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 21, and ended with the Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 21. Chase Elliott entered the 2015 season as the defending series champion. Chris Buescher won the championship. The 2015 season marked two major changes; Comcast's cable brand Xfinity replaced Nationwide Insurance as title sponsor of the series, while Fox, Fox Sports 1, NBC and NBCSN broadcast the series' races, replacing the ESPN networks and ABC.


2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series, Results and standings, Drivers' championship
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led. 1 – Post entry, driver and owner did not score points.


2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series, Results and standings, Owners' championship (Top 15)
(key) Bold - Pole position awarded by time. Italics - Pole position set by final practice results or rainout. * – Most laps led.


2015 NATC Motorcycle Trials Season
The 2015 NATC trials season was the 42nd season. It consisted of ten trials events in three main classes: Pro, Expert and Women's Expert Sportsman. It began on 11 April, with round one in Amarillo, Texas and ended with round ten in Casper, Wyoming on 8 August.


2015 NATC Motorcycle Trials Season, Season summary
Patrick Smage would claim his eighth NATC Trials Championship in 2015.


2015 NATC Motorcycle Trials Season, 2015 NATC trials season calendar, Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top twenty finishers in each class. The best of nine rounds counted for the Pro class and the Expert class, the best five in Women's Expert Sportsman West and the best three in the Women's Expert Sportsman East class.


2015 NATO emergency meeting
The 2015 NATO emergency meeting was an emergency convention of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation called by Turkey, in accordance to Article 4 of NATO's founding treaty. It is the fifth such meeting called in the organisation's 66-year history. The meeting was held in Brussels, Belgium on 28 July 2015 and was attended by ambassadors of all NATO's member states.


2015 NATO emergency meeting
The meeting was called after developments on the Syria–Turkey border resulted in an escalation of violence by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), resulting in Turkey launching airstrikes and domestic police raids against suspected militants. The dissolution of the three-year solution process between the Turkish government and the PKK, as well as a suicide bombing in Suruç initiated by ISIL, were considered to be the main reasons behind the escalation of violence.


2015 NATO emergency meeting, Background
Despite a series of terrorist attacks in 2013 and 2015 that were associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Turkey had until recently followed a policy of relative inaction against the group. The government's policy of inaction was criticised both home and abroad, with relations with NATO becoming strained partly due to Turkey's refusal to allow the United States to use the highly strategic İncirlik Air Base in Adana Province to fight against ISIL.


2015 NATO emergency meeting, Background
Since late 2012, the Turkish government has pursued a solution process with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), with which the Turkish Armed Forces have been in conflict with for over 40 years. The solution process resulted in relative peace and stability in the predominantly Kurdish south-east of Turkey, though violations of the ceasefire occurred on numerous occasions.


2015 NATO emergency meeting, Background, Turkish–NATO relations
Turkey has usually been regarded to be at odds with NATO's policy on ISIL, having been criticised by many of the organisation's members for not doing more to tackle ISIL. However, NATO has responded to Turkish requests to maintain security on the Syria–Turkey border, deploying MIM-104 Patriot missiles on the border in 2013.


2015 NATO emergency meeting, Background, Suruç bombing and the Elbeyli Incident
On 20 July 2015, a suicide bombing in the Turkish border town of Suruç, Şanlıurfa Province, led to the death of 32 youth activists who had been preparing to cross the border into the Syrian town of Kobanî, which had until recently been under siege by ISIL. The attack was allegedly perpetrated by an ISIL-linked group named the Dokumacılar, with ISIL claiming responsibility soon after the attack. In response, PKK militants killed two Turkish police officers in the district of Ceylanpınar in retaliation for what they saw as collaboration between ISIL and the governing Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP). On July 23, five ISIL militants attacked Turkish military positions in the Turkish border town of Elbeyli, Kilis Province, killing one soldier and injuring two others.


2015 NATO emergency meeting, Background, Operation Martyr Yalçın
The increase in terrorism incidents attributed to both the PKK and ISIL in recent days resulted in Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu launching airstrikes against ISIL positions in Syria and PKK positions in northern Iraq. Following a prolonged period of inaction against ISIL, the airstrikes received support from NATO members, though many stressed that the solution process with the PKK should be maintained. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also announced that the US Air Force would be allowed to use İncirlik Air Base to attack ISIL and maintain a no-fly zone around the border.


2015 NATO emergency meeting, Background, Operation Martyr Yalçın
At the same time, large-scale domestic police operations against alleged members of ISIL, the PKK and other terrorist groups were conducted nationwide, resulting in the arrests of nearly 600 people in over 22 Provinces of Turkey.


2015 NATO emergency meeting, Emergency meeting, Request by Ankara
On July 26, the Turkish government requested the closed-door meeting in accordance to Article 4 of NATO's founding treaty, which states that countries can request consultations if they believe that their territorial integrity, political independence or security is at risk. Such a meeting is the fifth in NATO's 66-year history, with Turkey having called two in 2003 and 2013. NATO's Secretary General Jens Stoltenburg announced that the meeting would be held in Brussels on 28 July 2015.


2015 NATO emergency meeting, Emergency meeting, Outcome
Although no request for military support had been made, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu stated that he hoped for support and solidarity from Turkey's allies in their campaign against ISIL and the PKK. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenburg also warned that military support would not be unconditional. The United States and Turkey agreed to pursue a strategy of creating an ISIL-free zone in northern Syria, combined with a no-fly zone encompassing the entire Syrian–Turkish border.


2015 NBA All-Star Game
The 2015 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 15, 2015, during the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2014–15 season. It was the 64th edition of the NBA All-Star Game, and was played at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The Western Conference defeated the Eastern Conference, 163–158. Russell Westbrook was named the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. The game was televised nationally by TNT and TBS in the United States, and TSN in Canada.


2015 NBA All-Star Game
The All-Star Weekend festivities were jointly hosted by the league's two New York City teams, the New York Knicks and the Brooklyn Nets. The NBA awarded the game to New York City in 2013, and the logo for the 2015 All-Star Game was unveiled on July 10, 2014. The All-Star Game itself was played at the Knicks' home arena, Madison Square Garden; the current Garden last hosted the game in 1998, and the Knicks' previous home, the third Madison Square Garden, hosted three earlier All-Star Games. The Saturday All-Star activities were held at the Nets' home arena, the Barclays Center; the Nets previously hosted the 1982 All-Star Game at Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Coaches
Mike Budenholzer, coach of the Atlanta Hawks, and Steve Kerr, coach of the Golden State Warriors, were selected as the East and West head coach, respectively.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Roster
The rosters for the All-Star Game were chosen in two ways. The starters were chosen via a fan ballot. Two guards and three frontcourt players who received the highest vote were named the All-Star starters. NBA head coaches voted for the reserves for their respective conferences, none of which could be players on their own team. Each coach selected two guards, three frontcourt players and two wild cards, with each selected player ranked in order of preference within each category.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Roster
If a multi-position player was to be selected, coaches were encouraged to vote for the player at the position that was "most advantageous for the All-Star team", regardless of where the player was listed on the All-Star ballot or the position he was listed in box scores. If a player is unable to participate due to injury, the commissioner will select a replacement.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Roster
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors topped the ballots with 1,513,324 votes, which earned him a starting position as a guard in the Western Conference team. Kobe Bryant earned a record 17th consecutive All-Star selection, and Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol, and Blake Griffin completed the Western Conference starting positions. The first-time All-Stars in the West were the Warriors’ Klay Thompson and the Sacramento Kings' DeMarcus Cousins, who was selected as a replacement for the injured Bryant.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Roster
The Oklahoma City Thunder were represented by two players: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, both of whom were reserves. Also sending a pair of players to the All-Star Game as reserves were the Portland Trail Blazers, represented by LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard. The remaining Western Conference reserves were Thompson, Cousins, Tim Duncan, James Harden, Chris Paul, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrook. Golden State had two All-Star representatives for the first time since 1993, when Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin were both All-Stars. It was also the first time the Warriors had a pair of starters since 1967, when Rick Barry and Nate Thurmond were both starters.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Roster
The Eastern Conference's leading vote-getter was Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James, who finished with 1,470,483 votes. John Wall, Kyle Lowry, Pau Gasol, and Carmelo Anthony completed the Eastern Conference starting positions. The Eastern Conference team featured four first-time selections: Lowry, Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, and Kyle Korver. The Atlanta Hawks were represented by four players: Al Horford, Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, all of whom were reserves. Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Kyrie Irving completed the remaining Eastern Conference reserves.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Roster
The Gasol brothers Marc and Pau were selected as the starting center of the West and the East respectively, marking the first time in NBA history two brothers were picked to start in an All-Star Game. They were also the first brothers to jump center for the opening tip of an All-Star Game. The Gasols were also the first brothers to appear in the same All-Star Game since Tom and Dick Van Arsdale played in the 1970 and 1971 games.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Game
Russell Westbrook scored 41 points and was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. He scored 27 points in 11 minutes in the first half, setting an All-Star record for points in a half. He finished one point shy of the All-Star game record set by Wilt Chamberlain (42) in 1962.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Celebrity Game
The 2015 Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game was played on Friday, February 13, 2015. It was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City, home of the New York Knicks. This was the first celebrity game played at an NBA arena in the event's history. The game was televised nationally by ESPN.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Celebrity Game
This game featured 20 players including Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler, Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, 2014 Little League World Series female pitcher Mo'ne Davis, WNBA player Skylar Diggins, Paralympic athlete Blake Leeper, NBA hall of famer Chris Mullin, and Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera. This game also featured two All-Star Celebrity Game MVPs; 2010 winner Michael Rapaport and 2012, 2013, and 2014 winner Kevin Hart.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Celebrity Game
ESPN Radio's "Mike & Mike" hosts Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg coached the West and East teams respectively. The West team assistant coaches were film director Spike Lee and tennis legend John McEnroe. New York Knicks' small forward Carmelo Anthony and former Baylor Bears center Isaiah Austin was the assistant coaches for the East team. Actress and singer Keke Palmer sang the national anthem, and Canadian reggae fusion band Magic! performed at halftime.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Celebrity Game
Although the West led by Atlanta Dream point guard Shoni Schimmel with 17 points beat the East 57–51, Kevin Hart of the East who scored 15 points and won the MVP award. This was Hart's fourth MVP award in a row, a record for the Celebrity Game. Hart would then announce his retirement from the annual celebrity game.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Rising Stars Challenge
Adams was unable to participate due to injury. Nurkić was named as Adams' replacement. Carter-Williams was unable to participate due to injuries. Covington was named as Carter-Williams' replacement. Olynyk was unable to participate due to injury. Dellavedova was named as Olynyk's replacement. Nurkić decided to not participate for personal reasons. Papanikolaou was named as Nurkić's replacement.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Rising Stars Challenge
The World team won against the U.S. 121-112 at the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star weekend. Canada's Andrew Wiggins scored 22 points, and Rudy Gobert added 18 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. Brooklyn's Bojan Bogdanovic of Croatia, and Chicago's Nikola Mirotić of Montenegro added 16 points each for the World team. Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic and Zach LaVine of the Minnesota Timberwolves led the U.S. team with 22 points each. Andrew Wiggins, the 2014 NBA draft 1st overall pick, won the game's MVP award.


2015 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, Slam Dunk Contest
Rookie Zach LaVine won the Slam Dunk Contest to become the youngest champion (19) since an 18-year-old Kobe Bryant in 1997. He became a crowd favorite after his first dunk, which he performed while wearing Michael Jordan's No. 23 jersey from the movie Space Jam, which inspired him as a youngster to become a basketball player. With a perfect 50 on each of his first two dunks, Lavine was the first player since Dwight Howard in 2009 with a perfect score on multiple dunks. Yahoo! Sports hailed him as "the most electrifying performer of All-Star Saturday Night ... and, if we're being honest, in quite a number of years."


2015 NBA Development League draft
The 2015 NBA Development League Draft was the 15th draft of the National Basketball Association Development League (NBDL). The draft was held on October 31, 2015, just before the 2015–16 season.


2015 NBA Development League expansion draft
The 2015 NBA Development League expansion draft was the eighth expansion draft of the National Basketball Association Development League (D-League). The draft was held on August 20, 2015, so that the newly founded Raptors 905 could acquire players for the upcoming 2015–16 season. The 16 players were chosen from a pool of unprotected players among the league's teams. Each returning D-League team could protect up to 12 of their players from being selected.


2015 NBA Development League expansion draft
Three of the players that the Raptors chose had previously been named NBA D-League All-Stars: Dee Bost, Kevin Jones, and Mustafa Shakur. Five additional players had also been previously selected in an NBA draft: Dahntay Jones (2003), Earl Clark (2009),  Luke Harangody (2010), Nolan Smith (2011), Ricky Ledo (2013).


2015 NBA Finals
The 2015 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2014–15 season and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference  champion Golden State Warriors defeated the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers in six games (4–2) for the Warriors' first title in 40 years and their fourth in franchise history, becoming the first team since the 1990–91 Chicago Bulls to win a championship without any prior Finals experience from any player on their roster. 2015 also marked the first Finals since 1998 without either the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, or the Miami Heat (the latter two teams are in the previous Finals). Golden State's Andre Iguodala was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP).


2015 NBA Finals
The Warriors were led by 2014–15 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Stephen Curry, while the Cavaliers featured four-time league MVP LeBron James. Both teams entered the series with title droughts of four decades, with the Cavaliers having never won a title since their 1970–71 inception and the Warriors' last title having been in 1975. This was also the first time that both participating teams had first-year head coaches since the inaugural league finals in 1947, when the NBA was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). It was the fifth consecutive finals appearance for James who played for the Miami Heat the previous four seasons, making him the first NBA player since the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1960s to achieve this accomplishment.


2015 NBA Finals
James also became the first player in NBA Finals history to lead both teams in points, assists, and rebounds for the entire series. He averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists for the series, although he shot 39.8% throughout the series. Kevin Love missed the entire series due to an injury, and Kyrie Irving missed the final five games of the series due to an injury in Game 1. For the second straight year, the Finals was played in the 2–2–1–1–1 format (Games 1, 2, and 5 were at Golden State, games 3, 4, and 6 were at Cleveland. Had it been necessary, Game 7 would have been held at Golden State). The series began on June 4, 2015, ending on June 16. In the United States, it was televised on ABC and in Canada on TSN.


2015 NBA Finals, Background, Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers entered the 2014–15 season after firing Mike Brown and replacing him with David Blatt as head coach, signing free agent forward LeBron James, and trading for forward Kevin Love. James previously played for Cleveland from 2003 to 2010, leading the Cavaliers to their only previous Finals appearance in 2007. James then played for the Miami Heat from 2010 to 2014, leading the Heat to two NBA championships in 2012 and 2013. During the 2014 NBA draft on June 26, 2014, Cleveland held the first overall pick and used it to select Andrew Wiggins. Later on August 23, a three-team trade was completed involving the Cavaliers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Philadelphia 76ers. As part of the deal, Cleveland dealt Wiggins and Anthony Bennett and received Love.


2015 NBA Finals, Background, Cleveland Cavaliers
James, Love, and guard Kyrie Irving became known as the Big Three. The Cavaliers got off to a shockingly bad start that led to intense media scrutiny and caused many to question Blatt's job security, going 19–20 in their first 39 games, which included a stretch where they were 2–10 in 12 games, starting with a December 25 road loss to Miami. Injuries to James and "chemistry issues," with James "still learning how to play with his new teammates and vice versa," were considered the primary reasons for the underwhelming start. A number of trades turned the season around.


2015 NBA Finals, Background, Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers acquired J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from the Knicks in exchange for draft picks while sending Dion Waiters to the Thunder. They then acquired Timofey Mozgov. James's return to the Cavaliers' lineup (following a 2-week layoff) on January 12 completed the turnaround. The Cavaliers closed out the season on a high note, going 34–9 for a 53–29 regular season record and the Central Division title, the second best record in the Eastern Conference behind the Atlanta Hawks. The Cavaliers advanced to the Finals after sweeping the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, defeating the Chicago Bulls in six games during the second round, and sweeping the Hawks in the conference finals.


2015 NBA Finals, Background, Golden State Warriors
The Warriors entered the 2014–15 season after replacing Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr as head coach. This was Kerr's first ever head coaching job. After retiring as a player in 2003, he served as a broadcast analyst from 2003 to 2007 and 2010 to 2014, and as general manager of the Phoenix Suns from 2007 to 2010.


2015 NBA Finals, Background, Golden State Warriors
Revamping Golden State's offense, Kerr employed elements of the triangle offense from his playing days with the Chicago Bulls under Phil Jackson, the spacing and pace of Gregg Popovich from his playing days in San Antonio with the Spurs, and the uptempo principles Alvin Gentry used in Phoenix when Kerr was the GM.


2015 NBA Finals, Background, Golden State Warriors
In Kerr's first year, the Warriors finished with the best regular season record at 67–15, including an incredible 39–2 in home games. Kerr became the winningest rookie head coach in NBA history, passing Tom Thibodeau and his 62 wins with the Chicago Bulls in 2010–11. Point guard Stephen Curry set the NBA record for three-pointers made in a regular season with 286, eclipsing his own record set in 2012–13. Curry also won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the 2014–15 season.


2015 NBA Finals, Background, Golden State Warriors
He and fellow guard Klay Thompson, known as the Splash Brothers, finished first and second in the league in three-pointers made, respectively, and combined to make 525 threes, surpassing their previous league record for a duo by 41, while also converting an impressive 44% of those shots. During the season, the backcourt mates both started in the NBA All-Star Game and were each named to the All-NBA team, the first time in decades that either has been achieved by guards on the same team. Golden State advanced to the Finals after sweeping the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in six games during the second round, and eliminating the Houston Rockets in five games in the conference finals.


2015 NBA Finals, Background, Regular season series
The Cavaliers and Warriors tied the regular season series 1–1, with each team winning its home game.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries
For the first time in NBA Finals history, the first two games went into overtime and first since 2009 were involved between the Lakers and the Magic. After Golden State fell behind 2–1 in the series, Kerr gave swingman Andre Iguodala his first start of the season, replacing center Andrew Bogut in Game 4. The Warriors' small lineup, which came to be known as the Death Lineup, helped turn the series around. Golden State won the series in six games, claiming their first title since 1975 and their fourth in franchise history. They played small ball in the Finals to a greater extent than any prior champion. Combining regular season and playoff games, the Warriors finished 83–20, the third-best record ever behind the Chicago Bulls in 1995–96 (87–13) and 1996–97 (84–17).


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries
Iguodala was named the Finals MVP, becoming the first to win the award without having started every game in the series. He finished the Finals averaging 16.3 points, 4 assists, and 5.8 rebounds. He was also tasked with guarding Cleveland's LeBron James, who made only 38.1% of his shots when Iguodala was in the game, but still averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. James received four of the 11 votes for Finals MVP even though Cleveland lost by an average of 14 points in the final three games. Stephen Curry was just the sixth player to win his first league MVP and his first NBA title in the same season. Shaquille O'Neal was the last player to have accomplished the feat, in 1999–2000. Kerr became the first rookie coach to win a title since Pat Riley in 1981–82.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries
The Warriors were the first team since the 1990–91 Bulls to win a title with a roster that did not have any players with Finals experience. James and teammate James Jones made their fifth consecutive trip to the Finals, having qualified the previous four seasons with the Miami Heat, though Jones did not play in the 2011 Finals. It was the first time since 1998 that the Finals did not include the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, or the Heat. This was also the first NBA Finals since then not to have featured Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, or Dwyane Wade.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 1
The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 108–100 in overtime, taking Game 1 and the 1–0 series lead. The Cavaliers got off to a strong start, opening up a 29–15 lead before settling for a 10-point lead after the 1st quarter. In the 2nd quarter, the Warriors went on a big run and led 46–41. The Cavaliers then went on a 10–2 run to close out the first half, capped off by a J. R. Smith three with .7 seconds left. The Cavaliers led 51–48 at halftime.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 1
The second half was a back and forth affair, with neither team able to gain separation. Late in the 4th, Timofey Mozgov hit two free throws to tie the game at 98. The Warriors ran a play for Stephen Curry out of a timeout. Curry beat Kyrie Irving to the basket and went for a go-ahead layup, but Irving blocked the shot, and the Cavaliers called timeout after Smith secured the rebound. The Cavaliers had two chances to win in the final seconds of regulation.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 1
James's potential game-winning jumper was off, and then Iman Shumpert got the offensive rebound and threw a shot at the buzzer, but also missed, sending the game to overtime. In overtime, the Warriors dominated with a 10–0 run consisting of 7 free throws and a three-pointer by Barnes. Cleveland's only score in the extra period was James's layup with 9.5 seconds left as the Cavaliers shot 1/12 and committed 3 turnovers in the game's final 5 minutes.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 1
Only three players scored for the Cavaliers after halftime: James, Irving, and Mozgov. The trio combined for 83 of the Cavaliers' 100 points. James had a career NBA Finals high of 44 points, while attempting a postseason career-high 38 shots, and Curry led Golden State with 26 points. The Warriors' bench outplayed the Cavaliers' bench, outscoring them 34–9, with all 9 Cavaliers bench points coming from Smith. Andre Iguodala led the Warriors bench in scoring with 15 points. Irving suffered a knee injury in overtime and was forced to leave the game early. The following day, he was diagnosed with a fractured left kneecap that would require surgery and was ruled out for the rest of the Finals, joining Kevin Love, who suffered a dislocated shoulder against the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, and Anderson Varejão.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors 95–93 in overtime, tying the series at 1–1 and stealing homecourt advantage heading into Cleveland. For the first time in NBA Finals history, the first two games were decided in overtime, with the Cavaliers winning their first Finals game in franchise history. LeBron James tallied his fifth Finals triple-double with 39 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists while moving solely into second all-time in Finals triple-doubles behind Magic Johnson's 8. James, who shot 11-for-35 in the game, played 50 minutes and led all scorers.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
James either scored or assisted on 66 of Cleveland's 95 points, and his 83 points in the first two games of a Finals was also second all-time to Jerry West's 94 in the 1969 Finals. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 34 points. Curry added 19, but he struggled mightily against the Cavaliers' defense, shooting 5-for-23 from the floor, including 2–15 from 3-point range. Curry set an NBA record for most missed three-point attempts in an Finals game with 13. Matthew Dellavedova's defense on Curry was huge as Curry was 0–for-8 against him.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
The margin was close through the first three quarters, with neither team leading by more than 8 points. The Warriors jumped out to a 20–12 lead, but the Cavaliers closed the quarter on an 8–0 run to tie the game at 20. The Warriors led 31–25 early in the 2nd quarter, but the Cavaliers went on a 15–2 run to take a 40–33 lead. They settled for a 2-point lead at halftime, leading 47–45. The third quarter was low scoring, with the Cavaliers scoring 15 points and the Warriors 14 points. Heading into the 4th quarter, the Cavaliers led 62–59.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
After three tight quarters, the Cavaliers began to pull away, building an 83–72 lead with just over 3 minutes remaining in the fourth. However, the Cavaliers squandered the 11-point lead as the Warriors went on a 15–4 run to tie the game at 87, capped off by a Curry finger roll layup with eight seconds remaining. Out of a timeout, James drove towards the basket as he went for a game winning layup, but he misfired, and the rebound tipback attempt by Tristan Thompson was unsuccessful.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
In the overtime, Iman Shumpert hit a three-pointer, and James made two free throws, giving the Cavaliers a 92–87 lead. However, Draymond Green answered with back-to-back baskets, and Curry hit two free throws to give the Warriors a 93–92 lead. Out of the timeout, James's go-ahead layup was blocked by Green and recovered by Andre Igoudala, but he threw it out of bounds, giving possession back to the Cavaliers. The ensuing Cavaliers possession resulted in a three-point attempt by James Jones which missed, but Dellavedova grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled. Dellavedova hit both free throws to give the Cavaliers a 94–93 lead with 10.1 seconds remaining. After a timeout, the Warriors went to Curry, who airballed the potential go-ahead jumper. James rebounded the miss and was fouled.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
James hit one of two at the line, giving the Cavaliers a 95–93 lead with 4 seconds left in overtime. With no timeouts remaining, the Warriors had to go the length of the court to get off a game-tying or game-winning shot attempt. However, Curry's pass near midcourt was stolen by Tristan Thompson, and the Cavaliers ran out the clock. After getting badly outplayed in Game 1, the Cavaliers' bench outscored the Warriors 21–17 in Game 2.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
The Cavaliers handed the Warriors their 4th home loss of the season (including the postseason) and were only the second Eastern Conference team to win at Oracle Arena (the Chicago Bulls also won in overtime on January 27). The victory for the Cleveland Cavaliers was their first ever single game Finals victory, having lost Game 1 of this series, and being swept in the 2007 Finals by the San Antonio Spurs.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 2
Following the game, James had dubbed the undermanned Cavaliers as "The Grit Squad", due to adopting a slower paced, more physical style of play in the absence of All-Stars Irving and Kevin Love. This new moniker was quickly embraced by Cavaliers fans, in hopes that this new tough style of play would be enough to offset the Warriors' depth advantage.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 3
The Cavaliers led wire to wire as they defeated the Warriors 96–91 and took a 2–1 series lead. The first half was close throughout, with the Cavaliers leading 24–20 after the first quarter. They led 44–37 at halftime. Stephen Curry's struggles in Game 2 carried over to the first half of this game as he was held to 3 points in the first half. In the third quarter, the Cavaliers seized control, outscoring the Warriors 28–18. They led by as many as 20 in the third quarter before taking a 72–55 lead heading into the fourth quarter.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 3
The 55 points scored by the Warriors was their lowest scoring output through three quarters all season. However, the Warriors fought back, making it a 1-point game as they cut the deficit to 81–80 late in the fourth quarter. However, Matthew Dellavedova banked in a circus shot as he tumbled to the floor while being fouled by Curry. He made the free throw to put the Cavaliers up 84–80. After Curry committed a turnover, LeBron James hit a three-pointer to give the Cavs an 87–80 lead. Curry hit a handful of three-pointers down the stretch, but the Cavs made their free throws and closed out the win.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 3
James led all scorers with 40 to go along with 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals. Through 3 games, James scored 123 points, the most points scored by any player in the first three games of any NBA Finals series, surpassing Rick Barry's 122 from the 1967 NBA Finals. Dellavedova scored 20, a playoff career high. Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, 17 of which came in the fourth quarter. This win marks the first time that the Cavaliers held a lead in a Finals series in their franchise history, as well as their first home win in a Finals series in their franchise history.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 4
The Warriors routed the Cavaliers 103–82 in Game 4, evening the series at 2–2 and reclaiming homecourt advantage. Despite stating that there would be no changes to the starting lineup the morning of Game 4, Kerr inserted Andre Iguodala into the starting lineup in place of Andrew Bogut, while moving Draymond Green to the center position. The Cavaliers scored the first seven points of the game and led 16–9, but the Warriors closed out the first quarter on a 22–8 run to lead 31–24.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 4
In the second quarter, the Cavaliers got a scare when LeBron James suffered a laceration on his head from a courtside photographer's camera lens after a hard foul on Bogut, but he stayed in the game without any stitches. The Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 23–18 in that period and led 54–42 at halftime. The Cavaliers outscored the Warriors 28–22 in the third quarter as they cut a 15-point deficit down to 3 in two instances. The Cavaliers had it down to 65–62, but Harrison Barnes hit a three-pointer out of the timeout to stop the run.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 4
With the Warriors leading 73–70 late in the third quarter, Stephen Curry hit a three to give the Warriors a 76–70 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Warriors dominated the final period, leading by as many as 23 as they outscored the Cavaliers 27–12. The Cavaliers shot 4-for-27 from behind the 3-point line for the game and were 6–45 outside the paint, a season worst. The 82 points that the Cavaliers scored were a postseason low while the Cavaliers' bench scoring production (7 points) was also a postseason low.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 4
Curry and Iguodala led the Warriors in scoring with 22 apiece. Timofey Mozgov led the Cavaliers with 28. After averaging 41 points in the first three games of the Finals, James was held to 20 points on 7–22 shooting. After the game, Kerr admitted to his deception regarding the starting lineup, quipping, "I don't think they hand you the trophy based on morality."


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 5
Coming into this game with the series tied at 2 games apiece, the Game 5 winner had gone on to win the NBA championship in 20 of the previous 28 instances.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 5
The Warriors defeated the Cavaliers 104–91 and took a 3–2 series lead heading back to Cleveland. The first three quarters were tight, with neither team leading by more 7. Both teams scored 22 points in the 1st quarter. The Warriors led 51–50 at halftime on a Harrison Barnes' three-point play following a dunk. They took a 6-point lead into the 4th quarter, leading 73–67. The Cavaliers opened the 4th quarter on a 13–6 run. LeBron James' deep three-pointer gave the Cavaliers an 80–79 lead with just over 7:30 remaining in the 4th quarter. However, the Warriors responded with a huge run, outscoring the Cavaliers 25–11 the rest of the way. Curry scored 37 points on 13–23 shooting in the victory, including 7–13 from 3-point range. 17 of his 37 points came in the 4th quarter.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 5
James had his second triple-double of this NBA Finals series, posting 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists. James led all players in points, rebounds and assists, and was responsible for 70 of 91 Cavaliers points (40 scored, 30 assisted). It was his sixth career finals triple double, second all-time behind only Magic Johnson with 8. James also tied Oscar Robertson for most 30–10–10 playoff games with 8. He became the second player in NBA Finals history to score 40 points in a triple double after Jerry West in 1969.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
The Warriors finished off the Cavaliers 105–97, winning the series 4–2. The Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 28–15 in the 1st quarter. However, the Cavaliers went on a big run to cut the deficit to 2 at halftime, trailing 45–43. The Cavaliers led 47–45 early in the third quarter, their only lead of the second half. However, the Warriors outscored the Cavaliers 28–18 in the 3rd quarter, leading by as many 15 before taking a 12-point lead into the 4th, leading 73–61.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
In the 4th quarter, the Cavaliers cut the deficit down to 7, but the Warriors pushed the lead back to 15. The Cavaliers, led by J.R. Smith, made a late surge to cut it to 4 with under 40 seconds remaining. However, the Warriors hit their free throws and closed out the series, giving the franchise their first title since 1975, and the city of Oakland its first major league sports championship since the Oakland Athletics won the 1989 World Series.


2015 NBA Finals, Game summaries, Game 6
Andre Iguodala, who did not start for the Warriors until Game 4 of the Finals, was named the Finals MVP for his instrumental defense against LeBron James, who led the Cavaliers with 32 points. Iguodala had the third lowest scoring average of any Finals MVP in NBA history. James became the youngest player to score 5000 career points in the playoffs.


2015 NBA Finals, Broadcast
In the United States, the NBA Finals aired on ABC with Mike Breen as play-by-play commentator, and Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson serving as color commentators. ESPN Radio aired it as well and had Mike Tirico and Hubie Brown as commentators. ESPN Deportes provided exclusive Spanish-language coverage of The Finals, with a commentary team of Álvaro Martín and Carlos Morales.


2015 NBA Summer League
The 2015 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the NBA: the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League.


2015 NBA Summer League
Ten teams participated in the week-long Orlando Pro Summer League at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, from July 4 to 10, 2015. The Memphis Grizzlies won the Orlando Pro Summer League Championship over the Orlando Magic White team, 75-73, on a buzzer-beater floater by Russ Smith in double overtime. Aaron Gordon of the Orlando Magic was named the league's Most Valuable Player. The Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets also participated in the Las Vegas Summer League.


2015 NBA Summer League
The Utah Jazz Summer League was introduced for the first time in 2015, marking the first summer league to be played in Utah since the Rocky Mountain Revue was last held in 2008. Four teams participated in a round-robin format from July 6 to 9, 2015. No tournament was held, nor was there a champion named, but the Utah Jazz had the best record of the four teams, as they went undefeated with a 3-0 record. All four teams (Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and San Antonio Spurs) also participated in the Las Vegas Summer League.


2015 NBA Summer League
The Las Vegas NBA Summer League is the official summer league of the NBA. It is the premier summer league of the three, with a total of 23 teams, plus a Select Team from the NBA Development League, participating. A total of 67 games were played from July 10 to 20, 2015, across two different venues, the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion, both located in Paradise, Nevada (near Las Vegas). The San Antonio Spurs won the Championship by defeating the Phoenix Suns in the championship game, 93-90. Kyle Anderson was named the league's Most Valuable Player, with Jonathon Simmons of the Spurs being named the Championship Game MVP. The Spurs championship was historic, as they were coached by Becky Hammon, the first full-time female assistant coach in the NBA.


2015 NBA Summer League, Orlando Pro Summer League
Each team played five games. Points were awarded to teams to determine the final standings. According to NBA.com the point system works like this: each game consists of eight possible points; four points for winning the game and one point for winning a quarter (in the event of a tied quarter, each team will receive 0.5 points). In the event of ties in seeding heading into championship day, three tiebreakers will be in place: 1) total point differential; 2) total points allowed; 3) coin flip.


2015 NBA Summer League, Orlando Pro Summer League, Championship day
Each team played one game on the league's final day for either first, third, fifth, seventh or ninth place.


2015 NBA Summer League, Orlando Pro Summer League, Championship day, Seeding criteria
The seeding was determined by a team's total points after the first five days. Eight points were awarded in each game: four points for winning a game and one point for every quarter a team won. In the event of a tied quarter, each team is awarded half a point. If two or more teams had equal points, then the following tiebreakers applied:


2015 NBA Summer League, Orlando Pro Summer League, Championship day, Seeding criteria
Each odd-numbered seed was paired with the team seeded immediately below it. For example, the top two seeds played in the championship game, the third and fourth seeds played in the third-place game, etc.


2015 NBA Summer League, Orlando Pro Summer League, Honors
Josh Cohen of the Orlando Magic's website ranked the top five most valuable players in the Orlando Pro Summer League:


2015 NBA Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League
The Utah Jazz Summer League consisted of six games. Each team played three games and each team played on each day (July 6, 7, and 9).


2015 NBA Summer League, Las Vegas Summer League
A total of 67 games will be played between 24 teams. The league consists of a preliminary round (July 10–14) and an elimination tournament (July 15–16 and July 18–20). Teams will be seeded after the preliminary round for the elimination tournament.


2015 NBA Summer League, Las Vegas Summer League, Championship
The championship is determined by a single-elimination tournament; the top 8 teams receive a first-round bye.


2015 NBA Summer League, Las Vegas Summer League, Championship, Seeding criteria
Teams are seeded first by overall record, then by a tiebreaker system


2015 NBA Summer League, Las Vegas Summer League, Championship, Seeding criteria
The head-to-head result is extremely unlikely to apply in determining seeding, since the teams play only three games before being seeded. It is impossible for two teams to both be 3-0 or 0-3 and have played one another. It is also very unlikely that exactly two teams and no others finish either 2-1 or 1-2 and for those two teams to have played one another.


2015 NBA Summer League, Las Vegas Summer League, Championship, Seeding criteria
Even in the situation where there is a multiple-team tie and some but not all the teams have superior or inferior quarter points, the remaining teams look first to the point differential even if only two teams remain. Unlike tiebreak criteria often found in sports leagues, multiple-team ties that are reduced to two teams by progression through the tiebreaker steps are not returned to the first step of the two-team tiebreaker.


2015 NBA Summer League, Las Vegas Summer League, Championship, Seeding criteria
First-round losers played consolation games to determine 17th through 24th places based on the tiebreaker system stated above. Second-round losers played consolation games to determine ninth through 16th places.


2015 NBA Summer League, Las Vegas Summer League, Honors
The All-Summer League First and Second Teams were selected by a panel of media members in attendance at the Las Vegas NBA Summer League.


2015 NBA draft
The 2015 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2015, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It was televised nationally in the U.S. by ESPN. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. The draft lottery took place on May 19, 2015.


2015 NBA draft
The Minnesota Timberwolves won the draft lottery to earn the first overall pick in the draft. It marked the first time in Timberwolves history that they would receive the first overall pick through the lottery. The player selected would also be the third consecutive number one pick on the Timberwolves roster, joining Andrew Wiggins (2014) and Anthony Bennett (2013) - who were traded to Minnesota for forward Kevin Love. This draft also gave the Los Angeles Lakers the second overall pick after jumping over the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks within the draft lottery.