The 2023 NBA conference finals are in full swing. So which teams are left in the postseason and what’s next?
This year’s playoffs saw a number of surprises in the first round, none bigger than the 8-seed Miami Heat — who emerged from the NBA’s play-in tournament — knocking off the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, who led the NBA with 58 wins in the regular season. In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers became the second play-in team to advance when they defeated the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies with a resounding 40-point victory in Game 6.
In the second round, the Denver Nuggets became the first team to advance to the conference finals, defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games. The Golden State Warriors entered the playoffs as the defending champions but made their exit with a Game 6 loss against the Lakers.
Meanwhile, the Heat knocked off the New York Knicks to set up an Eastern Conference finals rematch with the Boston Celtics, who needed seven games to oust the Philadelphia 76ers.
All four rounds of the NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven format, as has been the case since 2003. The NBA does not reseed after each round, so the bracket is set at the start of the tournament. (The Celtics, who own the best regular-season record among remaining teams, have home-court advantage throughout the rest of the playoffs.)
The top six teams in each conference automatically qualified for the playoffs, while the teams that finished the regular season in seventh through 10th places advanced to the NBA’s play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff teams in each conference.
The NBA Finals are slated to start June 1, with Game 7 — should the series go that long — scheduled for June 18. All NBA Finals games will be available on ABC and the ESPN App.
Note: Series odds provided by Caesars Sportsbook and the ESPN Basketball Power Index (BPI).
MORE: Odds | Picks | Second-round recap | First-round recap
WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Series odds: Denver -3500 | Los Angeles +1300
ESPN BPI: Denver (95%)
Game 1: Nuggets 132, Lakers 126
Game 2: Nuggets 108, Lakers 103
Game 3: Nuggets 119, Lakers 108
Game 4: Nuggets at Lakers | Monday
Game 5*: Lakers at Nuggets | Wednesday
Game 6*: Nuggets at Lakers | Friday
Game 7*: Lakers at Nuggets | Sun., May 28
* if necessary | All games 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
0:59
Nuggets go on huge 13-0 run to seal Game 3 win over Lakers
The Nuggets go on a big run to take a double-digit lead over the Lakers in the fourth quarter.
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS
Series odds: Miami -180 | Boston +150
ESPN BPI: Boston (72%)
Game 1: Heat 123, Celtics 116
Game 2: Heat 111, Celtics 105
Game 3: Celtics at Heat | Sunday
Game 4: Celtics at Heat | Tuesday
Game 5*: Heat at Celtics | Thursday
Game 6*: Celtics at Heat | Sat., May 27
Game 7*: Heat at Celtics | Mon., May 29
* if necessary | All games 8:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
3:21
Jimmy Butler, Heat shock Celtics again to take 2-0 series lead
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo take over in the fourth quarter to lead the Heat to another win in Boston.
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2020: LeBron, Lakers claim bubble title
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2019: Kawhi becomes King in the North
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2018: How sweep it is for Warriors
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2017: Durant puts Warriors back on top
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2016: ‘Cleveland, this is for you!’
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