The Boston Celtics have made quick work of everyone in the Eastern Conference these playoffs, and now, they have officially advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals. The Celtics are still awaiting their opponent, but we do know what the NBA Finals schedule will look like. So, here is a look at Boston's schedule in the championship series after their sweep of the Indiana Pacers.
Where is the NBA Finals?
The Celtics were the top team throughout the regular season, so regardless of who their opponent will be, they will still have home-court advantage in the Finals. The Celtics play their games at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, so Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 will be there.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Dallas Mavericks are duking it out with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dallas is up 3-0 in the series, and there has never been a 3-0 comeback in NBA postseason history, meaning in all likelihood, Dallas will advance to the Finals to take on the Celtics. The Mavericks play their games at the American Airlines Center. If the Timberwolves pull off the miraculous comeback, then you can expect Games 3, 4, and 6 of the NBA Finals to be at the Target Center.
How to watch the NBA Finals
ABC will be the exclusive broadcaster of the NBA Finals, meaning you can catch every game on fuboTV.
*Watch NBA Finals games live with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Game 1: TBD @ Celtics on Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 2: TBD @ Celtics on Sunday, June 9 at 8 p.m. ET
Game 3: Celtics @ TBD on Wednesday, June 12 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 4: Celtics @ TBD on Friday, June 14 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 5: TBD @ Celtics on Monday, June 17 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 6: Celtics @ TBD on Thursday, June 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 7: TBD @ Celtics on Sunday, June 23 at 8 p.m. ET
What we know so far
While we don't know their NBA Finals opponent, we do know that the Celtics have been dominant all year. The team had the best offensive rating and the second best defensive rating in the entire league throughout the regular season. They have taken things to a new level in the postseason, too, as they have only lost two total games through three rounds.
While leading the best team in the league, Jayson Tatum played at an MVP level all year, even finishing fifth in voting for the league's most prestigious regular season award. It can be argued that Tatum hasn't even been Boston's best player in the playoffs, though. Jaylen Brown deserves that honor.
Brown has shot incredibly efficient (while Tatum has not), which led to the wing to winning the Larry Bird Trophy in honor of being the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. He narrowly beat his star frontcourt partner for the award, but the duo are proving why they are one of the best duos in the league.
To make matters worse for Boston's future opponent, Tatum has seemingly fixed the efficiency issues that plagued him in the first two rounds, too. He had two 36-point games in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Boston was able to make it this far because of their depth, though. Derrick White, in particular, has been incredible in the playoffs. The guard has a 38-point game and a three-game stretch where he made 20 three-pointers to his name these playoffs.
Additionally, Jrue Holiday has played lockdown defense, Al Horford has brought a veteran presence, and Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser have been reliable pieces off of the bench. The former of those four players was brought in via trade during the offseason, and his acquisition has paid off for the team.
Kristaps Porzingis was the other big name player Boston brought in during the offseason. However, he has been out with a calf injury since the first round. His presence would give Boston a much better outlook for the NBA Finals, and signs are pointing to the star big main making his return next round.
Regardless of who Boston plays, they will be viewed as the favorites, as they have been all season long. Both Dallas and Minnesota offer them unique challenges, but no one has been able to slow down the Celtics so far. Boston advanced at least to the conference finals in six of the last eight seasons, but they only made it to the NBA Finals in 2022 during that stretch. They lost to the Golden State Warriors that year, but will this be the year the team's core finally breaks out and extends the franchise's championship total to what would be a league-high 18?
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