The NBA playoffs have reached the critical stage of the conference finals, featuring four teams that have each followed a distinct path to get here.
In the Western Conference, the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder battled through a tough seven-game series against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets to reach the finals. This marks the Thunder`s first appearance in the conference finals since the 2015-16 season.
Conversely, the Minnesota Timberwolves had a smoother journey to the West finals, dispatching the Golden State Warriors in just five games. This is the Timberwolves` second consecutive trip to this round, having been eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks last year.
On the Eastern side, the New York Knicks advanced to their first conference finals in 25 years by defeating the defending champion Boston Celtics in six games. They are set to face the Indiana Pacers, who surprisingly swept the East`s top seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in five games. Similar to the Wolves, the Pacers are in the conference finals for the second year running, after being swept by the Celtics in the previous season.
With only four teams remaining, our panel of NBA experts provides their predictions for the conference finals matchups.
Eastern Conference Finals
Indiana Pacers (4) vs.
New York Knicks (3)
Jerry Bembry: Knicks in 6
Jamal Collier: Knicks in 7
Chris Herring: Knicks in 7
Zach Kram: Pacers in 6
Bobby Marks: Pacers in 6
Dave McMenamin: Knicks in 7
Omar Raja: Knicks in 6
Ramona Shelburne: Knicks in 7
Andre Snellings: Pacers in 7
Marc Spears: Knicks in 7
Jeremy Woo: Pacers in 7
Michael C. Wright: Knicks in 7
Ohm Youngmisuk: Knicks in 7
Final Tally: New York 9, Indiana 4
Western Conference Finals
Minnesota Timberwolves (6) vs.
Oklahoma City Thunder (1)
Jerry Bembry: Thunder in 6
Jamal Collier: Timberwolves in 7
Chris Herring: Thunder in 6
Zach Kram: Thunder in 6
Bobby Marks: Thunder in 6
Dave McMenamin: Timberwolves in 6
Omar Raja: Timberwolves in 6
Ramona Shelburne: Thunder in 7
Andre Snellings: Timberwolves in 7
Marc Spears: Timberwolves in 7
Jeremy Woo: Thunder in 7
Michael C. Wright: Thunder in 6
Ohm Youngmisuk: Thunder in 7
Final Tally: Oklahoma City 8, Minnesota 5
