Sports
When Do the NBA Finals Start? – Sports Illustrated
The 2024 NBA playoffs have been full of twists and turns, and will wind up crowning a new champion as the Denver Nuggets were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round. The conference finals matchups are set, but we we can now look forward to the NBA Finals and what the schedule currently looks like. The finals will begin on June 6 and could last through the June 23.
The conference finals are set, as the Boston Celtics will take on the Indiana Pacers for supremacy in the Eastern Conference, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks will battle to see who is the best in the Western Conference.
The Celtics were the top team in the Eastern Conference all season and breezed through the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers to get here. They'll face the plucky Pacers, who earned the six-seed and upset the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks to reach this point.
The Timberwolves earned the third seed in the Western Conference and upset the Nuggets in seven games in the second round. Meanwhile, the Mavericks earned the five seed and topped the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder to reach the conference title series.
Whichever teams advance will match up in the NBA Finals. All games will be broadcast on ABC. The full schedule for that series follows.
GAME
DATE/TIME
CHANNEL
Game 1
Thursday, June 6, 8:30 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 2
Sunday, June 9, 8 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 3
Wednesday, June 12, 8:30 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 4
Friday, June 14, 8:30 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 5 (if necessary)
Monday, June 17, 8:30 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 6 (if necessary)
Thursday, June 20, 8:30 p.m. ET
ABC
Game 7 (if necessary)
Sunday, June 23, 8 p.m. ET
ABC
Here's a look back at how the playoffs have played out so far.
(1) Boston Celtics def. (8) Miami Heat in 5 games
(2) New York Knicks def. (7) Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers def. (5) Orlando Magic in 7 games
(6) Indiana Pacers def. (3) Milwaukee Bucks in 6 games
(1) Boston Celtics def. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games
(6) Indiana Pacers def. (2) New York Knicks in 7 games
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder def. (8) New Orleans Pelicans in 4 games
(2) Denver Nuggets def. (7) Los Angeles Lakers in 5 games
(3) Minnesota Timberwolves def. (6) Phoenix Suns in 4 games
(5) Dallas Mavericks def. (4) Los Angeles Clippers in 6 games
(3) Minnesota Timberwolves def. (2) Denver Nuggets in 7 games
(5) Dallas Mavericks def. (1) Oklahoma City Thunder in 6 games
That is how we got to the conference finals. We'll see what happens leading into the NBA Finals.
RYAN PHILLIPS
Ryan Phillips is a Senior Writer on the Breaking & Trending News Team at Sports Illustrated. Ryan has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining the SI team in 2024. He also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. Ryan is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism school.
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