NBA Conference Finals

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Eastern and Western Conference Finals logos for 2008. Eastern and Western Conference Finals logos for 2008.
Eastern and Western Conference Finals logos for 2008.
NBA Postseason
NBA Playoffs
NBA Conference Finals
NBA Finals
Game 7

The National Basketball Association Conference Finals are the Eastern conference and Western conference Championship series of the NBA. The Conference Finals are best of seven series like the NBA Playoffs and Finals. The two series are played in late May each year after the first and second rounds of the NBA Playoffs and before the NBA Finals. The final two teams in the Eastern conference and Western Conference face off. The series are the conference equivalents of the NBA Finals. At the conclusion of the Conference Finals winners are presented with a silver trophy, caps, t-shirts, and advance to the NBA Finals.

The division finals was a best-of-three series from 1949 to 1950; a best-of-five series from 1951 to 1957, and a best-of-seven series since 1957. In 1971, the NBA realigned itself into two conferences with two divisions from the original two divisions (there were three divisions in the 1950-51 season) which led to the renaming as "Conference Finals".

Contents

[edit] Eastern Division/Conference

[edit] Divisional Finals

Season East Champion East Runner-Up Games
1948-49 Washington Capitols New York Knicks 2-1
1949-50 Syracuse Nationals New York Knicks 2-0
1950-51 New York Knicks Syracuse Nationals 3-2
1951-52 New York Knicks Syracuse Nationals 3-1
1952-53 New York Knicks Boston Celtics 3-1
1953-54 Syracuse Nationals Boston Celtics 2-0
1954-55 Syracuse Nationals Boston Celtics 3-1
1955-56 Philadelphia Warriors Syracuse Nationals 3-2
1956-57 Boston Celtics Syracuse Nationals 3-0
1957-58 Boston Celtics Philadelphia Warriors 4-1
1958-59 Boston Celtics Syracuse Nationals 4-3
1959-60 Boston Celtics Philadelphia Warriors 4-2
1960-61 Boston Celtics Syracuse Nationals 4-1
1961-62 Boston Celtics Philadelphia Warriors 4-3
1962-63 Boston Celtics Cincinnati Royals 4-3
1963-64 Boston Celtics Cincinnati Royals 4-1
1964-65 Boston Celtics Philadelphia 76ers 4-3
1965-66 Boston Celtics Philadelphia 76ers 4-1
1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers Boston Celtics 4-1
1967-68 Boston Celtics Philadelphia 76ers 4-3
1968-69 Boston Celtics New York Knicks 4-1
1969-70 New York Knicks Milwaukee Bucks 4-1
1970-71 Baltimore Bullets New York Knicks 4-3

[edit] Conference Finals

Season East Champion East Runner-Up Games
1971-72 New York Knicks Boston Celtics 4-1
1972-73 New York Knicks Boston Celtics 4-3
1973-74 Boston Celtics New York Knicks 4-1
1974-75 Washington Bullets Boston Celtics 4-2
1975-76 Boston Celtics Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2
1976-77 Philadelphia 76ers Houston Rockets 4-2
1977-78 Washington Bullets Philadelphia 76ers 4-2
1978-79 Washington Bullets San Antonio Spurs 4-3
1979-80 Philadelphia 76ers Boston Celtics 4-1
1980-81 Boston Celtics Philadelphia 76ers 4-3
1981-82 Philadelphia 76ers Boston Celtics 4-3
1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers Milwaukee Bucks 4-1
1983-84 Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks 4-1
1984-85 Boston Celtics Philadelphia 76ers 4-1
1985-86 Boston Celtics Milwaukee Bucks 4-0
1986-87 Boston Celtics Detroit Pistons 4-3
1987-88 Detroit Pistons Boston Celtics 4-2
1988-89 Detroit Pistons Chicago Bulls 4-2
1989-90 Detroit Pistons Chicago Bulls 4-3
1990-91 Chicago Bulls Detroit Pistons 4-0
1991-92 Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers 4-2
1992-93 Chicago Bulls New York Knicks 4-2
1993-94 New York Knicks Indiana Pacers 4-3
1994-95 Orlando Magic Indiana Pacers 4-3
1995-96 Chicago Bulls Orlando Magic 4-0
1996-97 Chicago Bulls Miami Heat 4-1
1997-98 Chicago Bulls Indiana Pacers 4-3
1998-99 New York Knicks Indiana Pacers 4-2
1999-2000 Indiana Pacers New York Knicks 4-2
2000-01 Philadelphia 76ers Milwaukee Bucks 4-3
2001-02 New Jersey Nets Boston Celtics 4-2
2002-03 New Jersey Nets Detroit Pistons 4-0
2003-04 Detroit Pistons Indiana Pacers 4-2
2004-05 Detroit Pistons Miami Heat 4-3
2005-06 Miami Heat Detroit Pistons 4-2
2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons 4-2
2007-08 Boston Celtics Detroit Pistons 4-2

[edit] Western Division/Conference

[edit] Divisional Finals

Season West Champion West Runner-Up Games
1946-47 Chicago Stags Washington Capitols 4-2
1947-48 Baltimore Bullets Chicago Stags 4-2
1948-49 Minneapolis Lakers Rochester Royals 2-0
1949-50 Anderson Packers Indianapolis Jets 2-1
1950-51 Rochester Royals Minneapolis Lakers 3-1
1951-52 Minneapolis Lakers Rochester Royals 3-1
1952-53 Minneapolis Lakers Fort Wayne Pistons 3-2
1953-54 Minneapolis Lakers Rochester Royals 2-1
1954-55 Fort Wayne Pistons Minneapolis Lakers 3-1
1955-56 Fort Wayne Pistons St. Louis Hawks 3-2
1956-57 St. Louis Hawks Minneapolis Lakers 3-0
1957-58 St. Louis Hawks Detroit Pistons 4-1
1958-59 Minneapolis Lakers St. Louis Hawks 4-2
1959-60 St. Louis Hawks Minneapolis Lakers 4-3
1960-61 St. Louis Hawks Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
1961-62 Los Angeles Lakers Detroit Pistons 4-2
1962-63 Los Angeles Lakers St. Louis Hawks 4-3
1963-64 San Francisco Warriors St. Louis Hawks 4-3
1964-65 Los Angeles Lakers Baltimore Bullets 4-3
1965-66 Los Angeles Lakers St. Louis Hawks 4-3
1966-67 San Francisco Warriors St. Louis Hawks 4-2
1967-68 Los Angeles Lakers San Francisco Warriors 4-0
1968-69 Los Angeles Lakers Atlanta Hawks 4-1
1969-70 Los Angeles Lakers Atlanta Hawks 4-0
1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks Los Angeles Lakers 4-1

[edit] Conference Finals

Season West Champion West Runner-Up Games
1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers Milwaukee Bucks 4-2
1972-73 Milwaukee Bucks Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
1973-74 Milwaukee Bucks Chicago Bulls 4-0
1974-75 Milwaukee Bucks Golden State Warriors 4-3
1975-76 Phoenix Suns Milwaukee Bucks 4-0
1976-77 Portland Trail Blazers Los Angeles Lakers 4-0
1977-78 Seattle SuperSonics Denver Nuggets 4-2
1978-79 Seattle SuperSonics Phoenix Suns 4-3
1979-80 Los Angeles Lakers Seattle SuperSonics 4-1
1980-81 Houston Rockets Kansas City Kings 4-1
1981-82 Los Angeles Lakers San Antonio Spurs 4-0
1982-83 Los Angeles Lakers San Antonio Spurs 4-2
1983-84 Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns 4-2
1984-85 Los Angeles Lakers Denver Nuggets 4-1
1985-86 Houston Rockets Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
1986-87 Los Angeles Lakers Seattle SuperSonics 4-0
1987-88 Los Angeles Lakers Dallas Mavericks 4-3
1988-89 Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns 4-0
1989-90 Portland Trail Blazers Phoenix Suns 4-2
1990-91 Los Angeles Lakers Portland Trail Blazers 4-2
1991-92 Portland Trail Blazers Utah Jazz 4-2
1992-93 Phoenix Suns Seattle SuperSonics 4-3
1993-94 Houston Rockets Utah Jazz 4-1
1994-95 Houston Rockets San Antonio Spurs 4-2
1995-96 Seattle SuperSonics Utah Jazz 4-3
1996-97 Utah Jazz Houston Rockets 4-2
1997-98 Utah Jazz Los Angeles Lakers 4-0
1998-99 San Antonio Spurs Portland Trail Blazers 4-0
1999-2000 Los Angeles Lakers Portland Trail Blazers 4-3
2000-01 Los Angeles Lakers San Antonio Spurs 4-0
2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers Sacramento Kings 4-3
2002-03 San Antonio Spurs Dallas Mavericks 4-2
2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers Minnesota Timberwolves 4-2
2004-05 San Antonio Spurs Phoenix Suns 4-1
2005-06 Dallas Mavericks Phoenix Suns 4-2
2006-07 San Antonio Spurs Utah Jazz 4-1
2007-08 Los Angeles Lakers San Antonio Spurs 4-1

[edit] Central Division

[edit] Divisional Finals

Season Central Champion Central Runner-Up Games
1949-50[1] Minneapolis Lakers Fort Wayne Pistons 2-0

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ The winner of the Western and Central Division Finals met in the NBA Semi-Finals in order to determine who would face the Eastern Division champion Syracuse Nationals in the NBA Finals. The Minneapolis Lakers defeated the Anderson Packers in the best-of-three series, 2-0 to advance to the Finals against the Syracuse Nationals.

[edit] References

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NBA Playoffs
Conference Finals • Game 7 • Memorial Day Miracle • The Shot
1940s 1947 1948 1949
1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
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