Bet On the NBA Finals Possible Matchups: The NBA Conference Finals are underway, with just 4 teams now in with a shot at winning the championship.
We probably all have an opinion on who that team might be, but before we get to the prediction, we need to think about which two teams might make it to the NBA Finals.
My Analysis
There are some who will tell you that the Eastern Conference is a foregone conclusion, but those are potentially some people who did not pay attention to Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Championship matchup. That one proved to be a whole lot closer than expected, with the Celtics needing a late 3-pointer to force OT, where they eventually came away with the win. With that being said, let’s take a look at the 4 potential options we have for the NBA Finals.
^Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks
Even with a bit of a struggle in Game 1, the expectation is still that the Boston Celtics will move on. In fact, the shortest odds on the series with the Pacers has the Celtics winning it in 5 games. If the Celtics do move on, they could potentially be looking at a matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. That might be one that they like when you consider that Boston won both meetings in the regular season, which included an absolute blowout in one of those meetings. The playoffs are different, but it would be advantage Celtics in this matchup.
^Boston Celtics vs Minnesota Timberwolves
If you were asking me to pick the matchup I want to see in the NBA Finals, this would almost certainly be the one I’d choose. Yes, the Celtics win both games against Minnesota in the regular season, but both of those games had to go to OT. This is not to suggest that a playoff series would be as tight, but I still think that this is the best possible matchup for fans looking for a competitive series.
^Indiana Pacers vs Dallas Mavericks
The argument could be made that there was more parity in the Western Conference and that it was stronger as a whole. That said, you look at how these two matched up in the regular season and you have to give the edge to the Pacers, who came into the playoffs as the #6 seed. In fact, it wasn’t even close, with the Pacers beating the Mavericks by close to 20 PPG over the two meetings. Again, things tend to be different in the playoffs, but you need to pay attention to those previous games if this is the Finals matchup.
^Indiana Pacers vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Things get flipped on their head a little with this potential matchup, as it was the Timberwolves winning both meetings against the Pacers in the regular season. To be fair, though, one of those games was decided by a mere 2 points, so we still might get a closer series if this is how it plays out. All of that said, you look at what the Timberwolves have done during the playoffs, and you get the sense that this is a team built for the postseason. Of course, they still need to get past the Mavericks.
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Check out the #NBAConferenceFinals presented by Google Pixel schedule ahead of tipoff tomorrow night!
IND/BOS Game 1: Tuesday at 8:00pm/et on ESPN
DAL/MIN Game 1: Wednesday at 8:30pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/NnNOjZd1l1
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