First Round of Playoffs
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics (#1) vs Miami Heat (#8)
Celtics won 4 – 1
| Boston Celtics | Miami Heat | |
| Game 1 | 114 (W) | 94 |
| Game 2 | 101 | 111 (W) |
| Game 3 | 104 (W) | 84 |
| Game 4 | 102 (W) | 88 |
| Game 5 | 118 (W) | 84 |
Highlights:
- The Celtics became the first team in postseason history to score 100+ points and hold opponents to under 90 in three straight playoff games (Games 3-5).
- Jayson Tatum recorded his first playoff triple-double in Game 1 with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
- Miami set a franchise playoff record with 23 three-pointers in their Game 2 victory.
New York Knicks (#2) vs Philadelphia 76ers (#7)
Knicks won 4 – 2
| New York Knicks | Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Game 1 | 111 (W) | 104 |
| Game 2 | 104 (W) | 101 |
| Game 3 | 114 | 125 (W) |
| Game 4 | 97 (W) | 92 |
| Game 5 | 106 | 112 (W – OT) |
| Game 6 | 118 (W) | 115 |
Highlights:
- In Game 2, the Knicks pulled off a remarkable comeback, one of only four times in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97) that a team won a playoff game after trailing by at least 5 points in the last 30 seconds.
- Jalen Brunson made history by becoming just the third player in NBA history with four consecutive playoff games of 35+ points and 5+ assists in a single postseason, joining LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
Milwaukee Bucks (#3) vs Indiana Pacers (#6)
Pacers won 4 – 2
| Milwaukee Bucks | Indiana Pacers | |
| Game 1 | 109 (W) | 94 |
| Game 2 | 108 | 125 (W) |
| Game 3 | 118 | 121 (W – OT) |
| Game 4 | 113 | 126 (W) |
| Game 5 | 115 (W) | 92 |
| Game 6 | 98 | 120 (W) |
Highlights:
- The Bucks made history in Game 1 as the first team in NBA history to win a playoff game without their top two regular-season leading scorers (Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard).
- The Pacers’ victory marked their first playoff series win since 2014, ending a 10-year drought.
Cleveland Cavaliers (#4) vs Orlando Magic (#5)
Cavaliers won 4 – 3
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Orlando Magic | |
| Game 1 | 97 (W) | 83 |
| Game 2 | 96 (W) | 86 |
| Game 3 | 83 | 121 (W) |
| Game 4 | 89 | 112 (W) |
| Game 5 | 104 (W) | 103 |
| Game 6 | 96 | 103 (W) |
| Game 7 | 106 (W) | 94 |
Highlights:
- The Cavaliers won their first playoff series without LeBron James since 1993, ending a 30-year drought.
- This was the only first-round series in 2024 to reach Game 7.
- The series featured extreme home-court advantage, with the home team winning the first six games by an average margin of 22.3 points.
Western Conference
Oklahoma City Thunder (#1) vs New Orleans Pelicans (#8)
Thunder won 4 – 0
| Oklahoma City Thunder | New Orleans Pelican | |
| Game 1 | 117 (W) | 95 |
| Game 2 | 124 (W) | 92 |
| Game 3 | 106 (W) | 85 |
| Game 4 | 97 (W) | 89 |
Highlights:
- At an average age of 23.9 years, the Thunder were the youngest #1 seed in NBA history.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showcased his MVP-caliber play, highlighted by 38 points on 13-of-24 shooting in the close-out Game 4.
- This was Oklahoma City’s first playoff series win since 2016.
Denver Nuggets (#2) vs LA Lakers (#7)
Nuggets won 4 – 1
| Denver Nuggets | LA Lakers | |
| Game 1 | 114 (W) | 103 |
| Game 2 | 101 (W) | 99 |
| Game 3 | 105 | 112 (W) |
| Game 4 | 108 (W) | 106 |
| Game 5 | 108 (W) | 106 |
Highlights:
- The defending champions continued their recent playoff dominance over the Lakers, eliminating them for the second consecutive year.
- Games 2, 4, and 5 were all decided by just two points, showcasing the Nuggets’ clutch execution.
Minnesota Timberwolves (#3) vs Phoenix Suns (#6)
Timberwolves won 4 – 0
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Phoenix Suns | |
| Game 1 | 120 (W) | 95 |
| Game 2 | 105 (W) | 93 |
| Game 3 | 126 (W) | 109 |
| Game 4 | 122 (W) | 116 |
Highlights:
- Minnesota completed the first playoff sweep in franchise history.
- This series featured one of the most surprising outcomes of the playoffs, as the Timberwolves completely dominated a Suns team with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.
- The Wolves held the high-powered Suns under 117 points in all four games, showcasing their elite defense.
LA Clippers (#4) vs Dallas Mavericks (#5)
Mavericks won 4 – 2
| LA Clippers | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Game 1 | 109 (W) | 97 |
| Game 2 | 93 | 96 (W) |
| Game 3 | 90 | 101 (W) |
| Game 4 | 116 (W) | 111 |
| Game 5 | 93 | 123 (W) |
| Game 6 | 101 | 114 (W) |
Highlights:
- In Game 5, the Mavericks delivered a shocking 30-point blowout (123-93) on the road, completely changing the series momentum.
- Kyrie Irving showed his clutch ability in Game 2, scoring 19 of his 21 points in the final 14 minutes to secure a crucial road win.
- This series victory set the stage for Dallas’s unexpected run to the NBA Finals.
Conference Semifinals
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics (#1) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (#4)
Celtics won 4-1
| Boston Celtics | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Game 1 | 120 (W) | 95 |
| Game 2 | 94 | 118 (W) |
| Game 3 | 106 (W) | 93 |
| Game 4 | 109 (W) | 102 |
| Game 5 | 113 (W) | 98 |
Highlights:
- In Game 2, Cleveland delivered a stunning 24-point win (118-94), which was the biggest playoff victory by a double-digit underdog since 1991.
- Jayson Tatum made history in the series, becoming only the second player since 1973 (joining LeBron James in the 2016 Finals) to lead both teams in a playoff series in total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
New York Knicks (#2) vs Indiana Pacers (#6)
Pacers won 4 – 3
| New York Knicks | Indiana Pacers | |
| Game 1 | 121 (W) | 117 |
| Game 2 | 130 (W) | 121 |
| Game 3 | 106 | 111 (W) |
| Game 4 | 89 | 121 (W) |
| Game 5 | 121 (W) | 91 |
| Game 6 | 103 | 116 (W) |
| Game 7 | 109 | 130 (W) |
Highlights:
- In the decisive Game 7, Indiana became the first road team to win in the series, breaking the pattern where the home team had won every game.
- The series featured extreme swings, with four games decided by 30+ points (Games 4, 5, 6, and 7).
- This victory sent the Pacers to their first Conference Finals since 2014.
Western Conference
Oklahoma City Thunder (#1) vs Dallas Mavericks (#5)
Mavericks won 4 – 2
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Game 1 | 117 (W) | 95 |
| Game 2 | 110 | 119 (W) |
| Game 3 | 101 | 105 (W) |
| Game 4 | 100 (W) | 96 |
| Game 5 | 92 | 104 (W) |
| Game 6 | 116 | 117 (W) |
Highlights:
- In the series-clinching Game 6, Dereck Lively II (20 years, 96 days old) became the youngest player in NBA history to record 10+ points and 15+ rebounds in a playoff game.
- This upset victory over the West’s top seed continued the Mavericks’ surprising playoff run after missing the playoffs entirely the previous season.
Denver Nuggets (#2) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (#3)
Timberwolves won 4 – 3
| Denver Nuggets | Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| Game 1 | 99 | 106 (W) |
| Game 2 | 80 | 106 (W) |
| Game 3 | 117 (W) | 90 |
| Game 4 | 115 (W) | 107 |
| Game 5 | 112 (W) | 97 |
| Game 6 | 70 | 115 (W) |
| Game 7 | 90 | 98 (W) |
Highlights:
- Game 6 featured a historic 45-point victory (115-70) by Minnesota, which was the largest margin of victory against a defending champion in playoff history.
- In the decisive Game 7, Minnesota overcame a 20-point deficit to win, the largest Game 7 comeback in NBA playoffs history.
- This marked the fifth straight year the defending champion was eliminated before the conference finals.
- The Nuggets’ elimination confirmed there would be unique NBA champions across a six-year span for the first time since 1975-1980.
Conference Finals
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics (#1) vs Indiana Pacers (#6)
Celtics won 4 – 0
| Boston Celtics | Indiana Pacers | |
| Game 1 | 133 (W – OT) | 128 |
| Game 2 | 126 (W) | 110 |
| Game 3 | 114 (W) | 111 |
| Game 4 | 105 (W) | 102 |
Highlights:
- In Game 1, the Celtics made franchise history as three players (Tatum, Brown, and Holiday) each scored 25+ points in a Conference Finals game for the first time.
- This was Boston’s third straight trip to the Conference Finals and sixth in eight seasons, showcasing their dynasty-level consistency.
Western Conference
Minnesota Timberwolves (#3) vs Dallas Mavericks (#5)
Mavericks won 4 – 1
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Game 1 | 105 | 108 (W) |
| Game 2 | 108 | 109 (W) |
| Game 3 | 107 | 116 (W) |
| Game 4 | 105 (W) | 100 |
| Game 5 | 103 | 124 (W) |
Highlights:
- In Game 4, Kyrie Irving’s close-out game perfection ended as he lost for the first time in 15 career playoff close-out opportunities.
- Luka Dončić made history by becoming the first player to lead all players in points, rebounds, and assists entering the NBA Finals.
- The Mavericks became just the second #5 seed in NBA history to make the Finals, joining the 2019-20 Miami Heat.
NBA Finals
Boston Celtics (#1, East) vs Dallas Mavericks (#5, West)
Celtics won 4 – 1
| Boston Celtics | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Game 1 | 107 (W) | 89 |
| Game 2 | 105 (W) | 98 |
| Game 3 | 93 | 99 (W) |
| Game 4 | 106 (W) | 99 |
| Game 5 | 106 (W) | 88 |
Highlights:
- Boston’s playoff prize money totaled $12,059,435, the most a team had ever won from the postseason bonus money pool.
- Boston secured their record-breaking 18th NBA Championship, surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers (17) for most in NBA history.
- This marked the sixth different champion in six consecutive years, something that hadn’t happened since 1975-1980.
- Jaylen Brown was named Finals MVP after averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists.
- Luka Dončić recorded the first triple-double in Dallas franchise Finals history in Game 2 (32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists).
- Jayson Tatum became one of the few players to win both an NBA championship and Olympic gold medal in the same year, joining Kyrie Irving (2016), LeBron James (2012), Scottie Pippen (1996, 1992), and Michael Jordan (1992).