Maybe not entirely surprised - cue Kevin Durant, "Am I surprised by the Nuggets?" - but more impressed by the way they've gotten here. I don't think anyone expected them to be here. Kendra Andrews: The Heat, who late in the season looked like they could be heading into a summer of major changes. The Lakers are also a remarkable story as the West's No. Now they are back in the conference finals against Boston for a third time in four years. They played the Milwaukee Bucks, the favorites to win the title, in the first round and dispatched them in five games. After benefiting from atypically strong 3-point shooting in the first round (45%, easily best of any team), the Heat regressed to the mean in the conference semifinals (31%) yet still controlled the series against the Knicks. Kevin Pelton: The Heat, who are now tied for the best record in the playoffs (8-3) with the top-seeded Nuggets. To see the turnaround they've made in such a short amount of time - Miami trailed the Chicago Bulls in the final minutes of the East's final play-in matchup - is one of the most unexpected runs I've seen during a decade and a half covering the league. This team looked like it was on the brink of a retool just a few weeks ago. Which team are you most surprised to see in the conference finals? Our experts break down the biggest matchups and storylines ahead of the conference finals, and they reveal what they're looking forward to most on basketball's biggest stage.ġ. The Nuggets passed their toughest test yet in felling a star-studded Phoenix Suns team that featured Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Chris Paul. LeBron James and the Lakers are not done yet, defeating Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in six games in the King's quest for another Finals run. The Heat have been on an historic run of their own as the only 8-seed since 1999 to advance to the conference finals after defeating the New York Knicks - and it's thanks to Jimmy Butler. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics outdueled league MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, as Tatum put together a historic Game 7 performance in the East semifinals. 8 seed via the play-in, take on the second-seeded Boston Celtics for a spot in the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat, who are the No. 1 seed with the league's best record - in the West. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers, who advanced through the play-in tourney, will face the Denver Nuggets - the No. Of those four teams, however, two made the playoffs through the play-in tournament. ET, ESPN), with just four teams remaining in the fight for the NBA title. The Eastern and Western conference finals begin Tuesday (8:30 p.m. NBA, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat NBA playoffs 2023: Our insiders dissect the Eastern and Western conference finals You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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