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With the Conference Finals of the NBA playoffs currently underway, teams are now laying it all out on the court to book a seat at the NBA Finals. The NBA Finals features two of the best teams of the season as they compete for the elusive NBA championship.
Booking a trip to the Finals isn't easy by any means. However, some teams in the past have done so despite the odds. Here is a look at the 10 most unexpected NBA teams to make the Finals.
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2022-23 Miami Heat
Led by Jimmy Butler, the 2022-23 Miami Heat barely made the playoffs as they dropped their first Play-In Tournament assignment to the Atlanta Hawks before taking care of business against the Chicago Bulls to take the eight seed. They dispatched their Eastern Conference rivals in the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and a familiar foe in the Boston Celtics.
Unfortunately, their Cinderella run was snapped by the Denver Nuggets at the 2023 NBA Finals. Nonetheless, the Heat were tied for the lowest-seeded team to make it all the way to the Finals.
1998-99 New York Knicks
Prior to the 2022-23 Miami Heat, the first eighth-seeded team to ever make it to the Finals was the 1998-99 New York Knicks. After going 27-23 in a shortened NBA season, the Knicks rallied past the Miami Heat after grueling five games thanks to Allan Houston's clutch bucket.
New York entered the rest of the playoffs with all the momentum in the world. They swept the Atlanta Hawks before rolling past Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately, the San Antonio Spurs proved to be too much at the NBA Finals thanks to Tim Duncan and crew.
1994-95 Houston Rockets
Fresh from winning a championship, the Houston Rockets' title defense didn't exactly have an ideal start. They eventually finished the season with a 44-38 record to secure the sixth seed. A trade deadline push for Clyde Drexler probably kept their back-to-back hopes alive, reuniting him with college teammate Hakeem Olajuwon.
Both players were the cornerstones that disappointed contenders, the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and the San Antonio Spurs. The Rockets became the lowest seeded team to win it all after taking care of business against the Orlando Magic at the 1995 NBA Finals to complete the back-to-back.
2019-20 Miami Heat
During the 2019-20 season, the NBA was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, just like the rest of the world. But thanks to Adam Silver's stellar leadership, the league successfully mounted a bubble to save the season. One of the brightest moments inside the setup was how the Miami Heat carved out an inspiring playoff run despite entering the postseason as the fifth seed with a 44-29 record.
Unexpectedly, Jimmy Butler came to life, and his herculean effort allowed Miami to push past the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Boston Celtics. However, they fell to LeBron James and the No. 1 seeded Los Angeles Lakers at the 2020 NBA Finals.
2023-24 Dallas Mavericks
Four years later, another fifth seed managed to make it all the way to the Finals. In the 2024 NBA Finals, it was the 50-32 Dallas Mavericks, led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who represented the Western Conference. Doncic was simply the driving force, averaging 33.9 points per game to lead all playoff participants.
Dallas also successfully dispatched the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. But unfortunately, they fell to the Boston Celtics, who were spearheaded by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. The Celtics' dangerous core outplayed the Mavs in five games.
2006-07 Cleveland Cavaliers
While LeBron James and crew finished with a 50-32 record to settle for the second-best team in the Central Division, the Cleveland Cavaliers were still a young up-and-coming team against veteran laden Eastern Conference squads in the playoffs. Nonetheless, it was a herculean effort by James that shocked the world.
Averaging 27.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game in the 2007 playoffs, the Cavs pulled off surprises against the Washington Wizards and the New Jersey Nets before putting on a classic thriller of a series against the Detroit Pistons. However, their playoff run was dashed away after a sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
2008-09 Orlando Magic
It's safe to say that the 2008-09 season was Dwight Howard's coming-out party. He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. But more importantly, he led the Orlando Magic to a solid 59-23 record for the third seed in the East.
The Magic carried on their dominance in the playoffs, eliminating the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics before pulling the rug from under the top-seeded Cavaliers led by LeBron James. Everyone was expecting a Finals showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cavs, but Howard and the Magic crashed the party.
2020-21 Phoenix Suns
While the 2020-21 Phoenix Suns ended their playoff absence in dominant fashion with a 51-21 record, no one expected them to make it all the way to the NBA Finals. Headlined by Chris Paul and young guns DeAndre Ayton and Devin Booker, their lack of playoff experience didn't faze them at all. They sent the defending champions Lakers home before beating out the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets and the Los Angeles Clippers. It marked the franchise's first Finals appearance since 1993.
2010-11 Dallas Mavericks
In the 2010-11 season, it was a tough field in the Western Conference. However, thanks to an out-of-this-world playoff performance by Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks, they simply shocked the world.
The 57-25 Mavericks had one of the hardest championship runs as they finished off the Portland Trail Blazers, the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers, and the Kevin Durant-led Oklahoma City Thunder. As the cherry on top, they outplayed the heavily favored Miami Heat, who were led by the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, in the 2011 NBA Finals.
2018-19 Toronto Raptors
For several years, the Toronto Raptors were tormented by LeBron James in the playoffs. With James finally taking his talents to the Lakers, the window was open in the East. The Raptors certainly made the most out of the opportunity, but it wasn't easy. Led by a disgruntled Kawhi Leonard, Toronto somehow pulled off their first-round series win against the Orlando Magic, before escaping the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round thanks to an epic game-winner by Leonard.
They proceeded to finish off the Milwaukee Bucks in six games to punch their ticket to the Finals for the first time. And in miraculous fashion, the Raptors denied the Golden State Warriors a three-peat to capture the franchise's first championship banner.
