The Excitement of the NBA Playoffs: Structure, Schedule, and Champions

After the 82-game regular season ride, the spectacle of the NBA playoffs has begun with the first round in the East and West. The Denver Nuggets are the reigning champions and want to try to defend the ring (it has been since 2018 that a franchise has not won for two consecutive years, the Warriors won) but the fight for the prestigious Larry O’Brien Trophy is fierce. Below we explain how the playoffs of the American basketball league work. How the NBA playoffs are structured The NBA Playoff series are played best of 7 games: this means that the first team to win 4 games advances each round. Game 1, game 2, and the possible game 5 and game 7 are played at the home of the team with the better seed, game 3, game 4, and the possible game 6 at the home of the team with the worse regular season record. During the playoffs, the top 8 teams in the East on one side and the top 8 in the West on the other compete. The first faces the eighth, the second faces the seventh, and so on. The two best in the East face off in the Conference final and likewise in the West. Semifinals and Conference finals The playoffs started on April 20, just after the last act of the play-ins that allowed the Lakers and the Pelicans to access the final phase of the tournament. The Conference semifinals will begin on May 6-7, but could be moved up to May 4-5 (if the previous round concludes earlier than expected). The Conference finals will start on May 21-22, but could be moved up to May 19-20 (if the previous round concludes earlier than expected) When the NBA Finals are played The NBA Finals, which decree the championship victory, will start on June 6 and end around July 23 (depending on the progress of the matches). The roll of honor 2022-23: Denver Nuggets 2021-22: Golden State Warriors 2020-21: Milwaukee Bucks 2019-20: Los Angeles Lakers 2018-19: Toronto Raptors 2017-18: Golden State Warriors 2016-17: Golden State Warriors 2015-16: Cleveland Cavaliers 2014-15: Golden State Warriors 2013-14: San Antonio Spurs 2012-13: Miami Heat 2011-12: Miami Heat 2010-11: Dallas Mavericks 2009-10: Los Angeles Lakers 2008-09: Los Angeles Lakers 2007-08: Boston Celtics 2006-07: San Antonio Spurs 2005-06: Miami Heat 2004-05: San Antonio Spurs 2003-04: Detroit Pistons 2002-03: Los Angeles Lakers 2001-02: Los Angeles Lakers 2000-01: Los Angeles Lakers