Celtics cruise to third finals in five years
The Boston Celtics punched their ticket to the NBA Finals with a 118-96 blowout of the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 34 points and 11 rebounds, earning Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors for the second time in his career.
Boston's 4-0 sweep was the first in the Eastern Conference since 2022. The Celtics shot 48% from the field across the series and held the Knicks to under 100 points in three of four games. Jaylen Brown added 28 points in the clincher, and Kristaps Porzingis anchored the defense with 4 blocks.
Thunder end Denver's reign
In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the defending champion Denver Nuggets 4-2 in a hard-fought series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 42 points in Game 6 to close out the series at Paycom Center. Chet Holmgren added 18 points and 12 rebounds.
The Thunder, who finished the regular season with a 62-20 record — best in the NBA — have not won a championship since relocating from Seattle in 2008. Their only finals appearance was in 2012, where they lost to the Miami Heat.
Finals matchup and schedule
Game 1 will be played Thursday night at TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics enter as slight favorites given home-court advantage and finals experience. But the Thunder boast the league's top-ranked offense and the likely MVP in Gilgeous-Alexander.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said all games will air on ABC, with the series expected to run through mid-June.