The National Basketball Association, or NBA, is one of four major professional sports leagues in the USA and Canada. It features one of the highest levels of professional basketball in the world and has steadily built up a loyal fan base since its inception in 1947.
If you’re a beginner in the world of the NBA, it can be difficult to keep up with all of the information. This includes everything from the players and the rules of the game to the way that the finals are played.
Here is a beginner’s guide to help you understand what happens during the NBA finals.
A Brief Summary
The NBA Finals is a championship series of the NBA held after the regular league season is done. Not only are the finals the culmination of the Play-Offs and the game where East meets West, but it is also the climax of the entire year of the NBA!
The team that wins the Eastern Conference Finals goes on to earn one of two positions in the final championship round, with the other space awarded to the winner of the Western Conference Finals.
Both teams will then play a best-of-seven game series (the finals) to determine the overall league champion. The winning team of the whole series is awarded the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
Format
Up until 1985, the NBA Finals featured a two-two-one-one-one game format with the first two games and the final game being played in the area of the team with the home-court advantage. In simpler terms, the team that obtained a greater regular-season record.
To ease the amount of cross-country traveling that typically took place during the games, the format of the NBA finals was changed. Instead, it was played in a two-three–two format, where the first and last two games of the finals series were played in the arena of the team that earned the home-court advantage by having obtained a better record throughout the regular season.
Notable Statistics
Heading into each new season, the main aim of each team is to clinch the NBA championship.
To date, two franchises – the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics – alone make up an incredible 34 wins in the history of the NBA finals.
The Lakers have contested the NBA finals the most times, with 32 appearances and 17 wins, while the Boston Celtics have made 21 finals and have won 17.
In 2021, The Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA championship in 50 years after beating the Phoenix Suns in the best-of-seven playoff series. This was their second overall title.
NBA Finals Odds
Basketball betting fans are excited and there will be a great deal of money bet and wagered on the best-of-seven series.
You will never have to look far to discover excitement or drama when it comes to the NBA Finals. After all, you have some of the biggest names in basketball on the court – and this is the type of place where heroes are made and sporting legends are born.
There is a lot riding on the results of the NBA Finals for everyone, including bookmakers and punters. As a result, you may often find it difficult to find a soft line or really attractive odds during the NBA Finals. This is because bookmakers put lots of time and energy into ensuring their lines remain as balanced as possible.
If you would like to predict your favorite team’s Odds to Win NBA Finals and want to capitalize on their success, there are plenty of betting markets available to take advantage of throughout the entire process of the NBA Finals.
How To Keep Up With The NBA Finals
The NBA is a much-loved sporting event in the US. This means that regardless of where you live, you will be able to find an on-demand stream of each game alongside its subsequent analysis.
While it is always a better experience to watch the games live on air on your favorite TV station, this might not always be possible due to time differences where you live. If you do plan to watch the games live, you should keep this in mind so that you don’t miss a single second.
Staying up late or waking before the sun rises to watch a match is an excellent way to embrace basketball culture, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time.
The NBA Finals held after the postseason happens to be some of the most exciting and most anticipated annual sporting games. There is a lot more to learn about them, but this guide covers the basics that you will need to know as a beginner.
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