Four Remain: Which Teams Will Square Off in the NBA Finals This Season?

The NBA playoffs are nearing its end, and pretty soon, we’ll be able to see the last two teams who will face off for the NBA Championship. In the Eastern Conference, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are battling Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. In the Western Conference, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are duking it out with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

Surprisingly, last year’s contenders from each conference are absent. The Boston Celtics convincingly defeated the reigning NBA champions Giannis Antetekoumnpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games. On the other side, the Dallas Mavericks thrashed Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns in seven games. However, the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors made quick work of their opponents both in just six games.

Now that the stage is set, who among the four teams remaining will face off for the NBA championship?

Miami Heat

With Jimmy Butler’s defensive capabilities, the Heat have defeated strong contenders in the East. In the first round, the Miami Heat made quick work of the Atlanta Hawks. Jimmy Butler was able to contain Trae Young’s shooting. With the primary offensive option for the Hawks limited, the Heat won the series in domination fashion, four games to one.

In the second round, they faced a stronger team in the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers were considered the best picks to win this year’s NBA title. With the duo of elite big man Joel Embiid and scoring apostle James Harden, the Heat was in deep trouble. Despite the odds stacked against the Heat, a determined Jimmy Butler got his redemption as the Heat defeated the 76ers in six games.

As of this writing: The Miami Heat is tied with the Boston Celtics at one game a piece for the Eastern Conference title.

Dallas Mavericks

The Odds to Win NBA Finals are certainly good for the other teams this season. The Dallas Mavericks, however, are taking a more challenging route. The Dallas Mavericks had to dispatch the Utah Jazz in the first round. The Jazz team had elite all-star Donovan Mitchell and defensive specialist Rudy Gobert on their roster. Yet, despite the star power that the Jazz had, the Mavs won the series 4-2.

The defending Western Conference champions, the Phoenix Suns, were patiently waiting in the wings for the Mavs in the 2nd round. Instead, in what was supposed to be a thrashing for the Mavs, an angry Luka Doncic made history by becoming only the 3rd player in NBA history to score more than 600 points in his first 20 playoff games. He joins two legends in this elusive club: Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan.

Going down the wire, the last game of the series turned out to be a whipping for the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and the rest of the Phoenix team were left dumbfounded as the Dallas Mavericks steamrolled them in game seven on their own home court.

As of this writing: Currently, the Mavs are down one game to nothing against the Golden State Warriors.

Boston Celtics

Going back to the East, the young core of the Boston Celtics was determined to reach their first-ever playoff appearance. The Celtics had to face off against the star-studded Brooklyn Nets in the 1st round. Due to incredible defense and a bit of drama on the sidelines, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics convincingly swept Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets.

Just like the Dallas Mavericks, the Boston Celtics had to face off with the defending champion of their conference. Standing in their way were Giannis Antetekoumpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. As the reigning and defending NBA champs, the Bucks were a formidable opponent for the Celtics. However, in a hard-fought series, the Boston Celtics eliminated the defending champs 4-3.

As of this writing: The Celtics are tied 1-1 with the Heat. The series will shift to the TD Garden in Boston.

Golden State Warriors

The Golden State Warriors, led by Stephen Curry, faced off against an undermanned Denver Nuggets team. Although Nikola Jokic won the regular season MVP, the Nuggets had no answer for the Warriors. With Draymond Green locking down Jokic, the Nuggets fell to the Warriors 4-1.

Up next for the Warriors were the Memphis Grizzlies. Made up of young but talented players, the Memphis Grizzlies also had superstar and most-improved player of the year, Jah Morant. In a physical series, the Grizzlies succumbed to injuries and lost the series with the Warriors in just six games.

As of this writing: The Golden State Warriors have a one-game lead over the Dallas Mavericks.

Take Your Pick

With a preview of the teams and a look at the playoff route they took, who among the four best teams will get a chance to play for the NBA title? Will the Heat or Celtics come out on top of the East? Will Dallas score an upset over Golden State in the West? No matter who faces who, NBA fans are excited about the outcome.