2024 NBA playoffs bracket, schedule, scores: NBA Finals start June 6 as Celtics await Mavericks or Wolves (2024)

The Boston Celtics are back in the NBA Finals for the second time in three years. But they'll have to wait a little while longer to learn their opponent. The Minnesota Timberwolves are still alive against the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals after keeping their season alive and avoiding a sweep with a Game 4 win Tuesday night. The Mavs still lead the series, 3-1, entering Thursday's Game 5.

There is no Game 5 in the Eastern Conference finals. The Celtics eliminated the Indiana Pacers in a four-game sweep to win the Eastern Conference. The Celtics, who also made the NBA Finals in 2022, are looking for their first title since 2008. Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals is set for Thursday, June 6, so the Celtics will have more than a week off before playing again.

Regardless of which of the three remaining teams wins the 2024 title, the NBA will have its sixth different champion in six years -- something that has not happened since 1975-1980.

The postseason field started with 20 teams, and now we're down to three. The Warriors, Kings, Hawks and Bulls were ousted in the Play-In Tournament before the Pelicans, Suns, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, 76ers, Bucks and Magic were eliminated in the first round. The Cavs, Thunder, Knicks and Nuggets were sent home in the second round.

Here's a look at the upcoming schedule, as well as all the playoff scores. All games airing on ABC, ESPN and NBA TV are streaming onfubo(try for free).

Tuesday's playoff scores

  • Game 4: Timberwolves 105, Mavericks 100 -- Dallas leads 3-1

Below is a look at the complete playoff bracket:

2024 NBA playoff bracket

2024 NBA playoffs bracket, schedule, scores: NBA Finals start June 6 as Celtics await Mavericks or Wolves (1)

Upcoming NBA playoffs schedule

(All times Eastern)

Thursday, May 30
Game 5: Timberwolves vs. Mavericks, 8:30 p.m., TNT

Saturday, June 1
Game 6*: Mavericks vs. Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m., TNT

Monday, June 3
Game 7*: Timberwolves vs. Mavericks, 8:30 p.m., TNT

Thursday, June 6
NBA Finals Game 1, 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo

Sunday, June 9
NBA Finals Game 2: 8 p.m., ABC/fubo

Wednesday, June 12
NBA Finals Game 3: 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo

Friday, June 14
NBA Finals Game 4: 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo

Monday, June 17
NBA Finals Game 5*: 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo

Thursday, June 20
NBA Finals Game 6*: 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo

Sunday, June 23
NBA Finals Game 7*: 8 p.m., ABC/fubo

* if necessary

Conference finals scores

Celtics vs. Pacers
Game 1: Celtics 133, Pacers 128 (OT)
Game 2: Celtics 126, Pacers 110
Game 3: Celtics 114, Pacers 111
Game 4: Celtics 105, Pacers 102
(Boston wins series 4-0)

Timberwolves vs. Mavericks
Game 1: Mavericks 108, Timberwolves 105
Game 2: Mavericks 109, Timberwolves 108
Game 3: Mavericks 116, Timberwolves 107
Game 4: Timberwolves 105, Mavericks 100

Second-round scores

Celtics vs. Cavaliers
Game 1: Celtics 120, Cavaliers 95
Game 2: Cavaliers 118, Celtics 94
Game 3: Celtics 106, Cavaliers 93
Game 4: Celtics 109, Cavaliers 102
Game 5: Celtics 113, Cavaliers 98
(Boston wins series 4-1)

Knicks vs. Pacers
Game 1: Knicks 121, Pacers 117
Game 2: Knicks 130, Pacers 121
Game 3: Pacers 111, Knicks 106
Game 4: Pacers 121, Knicks 89
Game 5: Knicks 121, Pacers 91
Game 6: Pacers 116, Knicks 103
Game 7: Pacers 130, Knicks 109
(Indiana wins series 4-3)

Thunder vs. Mavericks
Game 1: Thunder 117, Mavericks 95
Game 2: Mavericks 119, Thunder 110
Game 3: Mavericks 105, Thunder 101
Game 4: Thunder 100, Mavericks 96
Game 5: Mavericks 104, Thunder 92
Game 6: Mavericks 117, Thunder 116
(Dallas wins series 4-2)

Nuggets vs. Timberwolves
Game 1: Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 99
Game 2: Timberwolves 106, Nuggets 80
Game 3: Nuggets 117, Timberwolves 90
Game 4: Nuggets 115, Timberwolves 107
Game 5: Nuggets 112, Timberwolves 97
Game 6: Timberwolves 115, Nuggets 70
Game 7: Timberwolves 98, Nuggets 90
(Minnesota wins series 4-3)

First-round scores

Celtics vs. Heat
Game 1: Celtics 114, Heat 94
Game 2: Heat 111, Celtics 101
Game 3: Celtics 104, Heat 84
Game 4: Celtics 102, Heat 88
Game 5: Celtics 118, Heat 84
(Boston wins series 4-1)

Knicks vs. 76ers
Game 1: Knicks 111, 76ers 104
Game 2: Knicks 104, 76ers 101
Game 3: 76ers 125, Knicks 114
Game 4: Knicks 97, 76ers 92
Game 5: 76ers 112, Knicks 106 (OT)
Game 6: Knicks 118, 76ers 115
(Knicks win series 4-2)

Bucks vs. Pacers
Game 1: Bucks 109, Pacers 94
Game 2: Pacers 125, Bucks 108
Game 3: Pacers 121, Bucks 118 (OT)
Game 4: Pacers 126, Bucks 113
Game 5: Bucks 115, Pacers 92
Game 6: Pacers 120, Bucks 98
(Indiana wins series 4-2)

Cavaliers vs. Magic
Game 1: Cavaliers 97, Magic 83
Game 2: Cavaliers 96, Magic 86
Game 3: Magic 121, Cavaliers 83
Game 4: Magic 112, Cavaliers 89
Game 5: Cavaliers 104, Magic 103
Game 6: Magic 103, Cavaliers 96
Game 7: Cavaliers 106, Magic 94
(Cleveland wins series 4-3)

Thunder vs. Pelicans
Game 1: Thunder 94, Pelicans 92
Game 2: Thunder 124, Pelicans 92
Game 3: Thunder 106, Pelicans 85
Game 4: Thunder 97, Pelicans 89
(Oklahoma City wins series 4-0)

Nuggets vs. Lakers
Game 1: Nuggets 114, Lakers 103
Game 2: Nuggets 101, Lakers 99
Game 3: Nuggets 112, Lakers 105
Game 4: Lakers 119, Nuggets 108
Game 5: Nuggets 108, Lakers 106
(Denver wins series 4-1)

Timberwolves vs. Suns
Game 1: Timberwolves 120, Suns 95
Game 2: Timberwolves 105, Suns 93
Game 3: Timberwolves 126, Suns 109
Game 4: Timberwolves 122, Suns 116
(Minnesota wins series 4-0)

Clippers vs. Mavericks
Game 1: Clippers 109, Mavericks 97
Game 2: Mavericks 96, Clippers 93
Game 3: Mavericks 101, Clippers 90
Game 4: Clippers 116, Mavericks 111
Game 5: Mavericks 123, Clippers 93
Game 6: Mavericks 114, Clippers 101
(Dallas wins series 4-2)

2024 NBA playoffs bracket, schedule, scores: NBA Finals start June 6 as Celtics await Mavericks or Wolves (2024)

FAQs

What is the format for the NBA playoffs in 2024? ›

Each conference's bracket is fixed with no reseeding. All rounds are a best-of-seven series; a series ends when one team wins four games, and that team advances to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, are in a 2–2–1–1–1 format with regards to hosting.

Who won the basketball championship in 2024? ›

The Boston Celtics, the NBA's Eastern Conference champions, won the 2023-24 NBA title in five games over the Dallas Mavericks, the NBA's Western Conference champions.

What team has the first round pick NBA 2024? ›

Updated on June 17, 2024 at 8:55 pm. Against the odds, the Atlanta Hawks won the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft for the first time in franchise history.

What is the NBA Finals schedule format? ›

Both conferences conduct the playoffs in the traditional bracket format. All rounds are best-of-seven series. Series are played in the 2–2–1–1–1 format, meaning the team with home-court advantage hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while their opponent hosts games 3, 4, and 6, with games 5, 6 and 7 being played if needed.

Which team won the most NBA championships? ›

The Boston Celtics now have the most championships in NBA history. Check out how many titles each franchise has won.

Do the Celtics have 17 championships? ›

The Celtics won their 18th championship on Monday night — which the N.B.A. says is a record. They broke a tie with their longtime archrivals — the undoubtedly inferior Los Angeles Lakers, who have 17.

Has the Celtics ever won a championship? ›

The Boston Celtics again stand alone among NBA champions. Tatum had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, and the Celtics topped the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday night to win the franchise's 18th championship, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.

Who is the 2024 NBA final MVP? ›

2024 NBA Finals bad beat: Jaylen Brown beats out Jayson Tatum for Finals MVP. Jaylen Brown bettors are on the right side of a bad beat once again. The star wing took home Finals MVP after the Boston Celtics took down the Dallas Mavericks to win the title in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Who won the MVP 2024 finals? ›

Jaylen Brown wins 2024 NBA Finals MVP – Boston 25 News.

Has Jayson Tatum won a ring? ›

Jayson Tatum and Bill Russell Finals MVP Jaylen Brown led the Celtics to their record-breaking 18th NBA title. “He told me I was the best in the world …

Do NBA Finals winners get money? ›

The NBA doesn't give out prize money for winning a ring, per se, but members of the winning team will receive a tidy payout from the Player Playoff Pool. It's a system designed to reward teams for advancing further in the playoffs, and it allows them to dole out their earnings as they see fit.

Is the NBA Finals trophy pure gold? ›

The new design also features a stylish detail, where the 24-karat gold vermeil has been masked to reveal the underlying sterling silver along the "ribs" of the ball and the rope details of the net.

What are the 4 rounds of the NBA playoffs? ›

The NBA playoffs typically begin in April and end in June. Teams play up to four playoff series: the first round, conference semifinals, conference finals, and the NBA Finals. NBA playoffs are known for their intensity and competitiveness, with games often decided in the final moments.

How many games are in the first round of the NBA playoffs? ›

Format and Progression

The NBA playoffs consist of four main rounds: the First Round, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and the NBA Finals. Each series within these rounds adheres to a best-of-seven format, where a team must win four games to advance to the next stage.

Do all NBA Finals go to 7 games? ›

The Forum in Inglewood, California hosted eight game sevens when it was the home of the Los Angeles Lakers. The NBA Finals has always employed a best-of-seven series format.

How many NBA teams are there? ›

The league is composed of 30 teams, 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada.

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