The Conference Finals are the last step for every Championship contender in order to get to the NBA Finals. It’s bound to produce bangers every single year.

In this piece, we rank the 5 greatest Conference Finals matchups of the past decade. The ones who went back and forth, down the wire, and produced some of the most iconic playoff moments. We will be considering the quality of the teams as well as the overall closeness of the matchup (in terms of point differentials and other similar statistics).

With that, let’s get into the greatest NBA Conference Finals matchups of recent memory.

2018 Eastern Conference Finals: Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3) vs Boston Celtics (3-4)

First off are two teams who were tangled up all season back in 2017-18.

The Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers were always at odds with each other back in the 2017-18 NBA season: the infamous Kyrie Irving trade took place between the two teams, Gordon Hayward’s gruesome injury occurred in the Oracle Arena in the season opener, and of course, they would eventually meet in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The young, Irving-less Boston Celtics led by a rookie Jayson Tatum looked to do the unthinkable against LeBron James and his retooled Cleveland Cavaliers. With great contributions from Terry Rozier, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, and other key pieces, Boston was able to take a 3-2 series lead; by all accounts, they looked the better team throughout the series and was tipped to represent the East in the NBA Finals.

However, LeBron James in the 2018 Playoffs was a different beast. Except for Game 1, he led all scorers the entire series and put up an all-time performance in Game 6 to force a Game 7 in Boston; a 46-11-9 performance from the King was enough to extend the series.

James went on to have another spectacular Game 7 performance, putting up 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 9 assists. This dominant performance from the King, along with 19 big points from veteran Jeff Green, was enough to send his Cavs to the NBA finals.

2013 Eastern Conference Finals: Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers

Prime Big 3 Miami Heat against the greatest Indiana Pacer team since Reggie Miller. This matchup was bound to be great.

The Heat looked to continue their dominance in the Eastern Conference after winning their first NBA Championship in 2012 against a young Oklahoma City Thunder. Their greatest threat in the East, meanwhile, came in the form of the Indiana Pacers, led by rising star Paul George and soon-to-be All-Star Roy Hibbert.

The two, of course, would meet in the Eastern Conference Finals after relatively easy paths in the past round. The stage was set for the young Paul George to cement his superstar status against arguably the best player and the best team in the world at the time.

Indiana and Miami were neck-to-neck in the first two games; the teams won 2 games apiece by no more than an average of 5 points. Throughout 6 games (wherein the two teams were tied 3-3), PG13 averaged a strong 24.5 PPG on 50% shooting from the field; LeBron, meanwhile, led both teams in scoring at the same timeframe with 28.5 PPG on 51.6% shooting.

So, the stage was set for the two superstars to fight it out in Game 7, with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line. LeBron James brought his usual A-game, putting up 32, 8, and 4 in the eventual Heat win. Unfortunately for the Pacers, George had a stinker, only scoring 7 points on just 2-of-9 shooting from the field for the whole contest.

2012 Eastern Conference Finals: Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics

Two of the favorites to win the 2012 NBA Championships clashed in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Both teams saw the 2012 NBA season as bounce-back years: LeBron James and the Miami Heat looked to redeem themselves after getting embarrassed in the previous year’s Finals, while the aging Boston Big 3 looked to have a last hurrah with Rajon Rondo in his prime at the time.

Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce against Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James. The Boston Big 3 have already defeated James in his Cleveland Cavaliers days and looked to score another W against The King.

The Celtics looked to be in control after 5 games, with a 3-2 lead and a Game 6 to be played in TD Garden. It was win-or-go-home for the Miami Heat. Two straight years of failed  Championship bids for the so-called “Heatles” would be seen as arguably the biggest, most laughable failure in NBA history. In short, LeBron had to step up.

The King would then deliver one of the greatest playoff performances of his career, and arguably one of the greatest in NBA history full stop. James put up a ridiculous stat line of 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists to force a Game 7 in the AA arena. With only Dwyane Wade (17) scoring in double digits for Miami, it was undoubtedly a huge job for Bron.

Miami’s Big 3 would go on to outperform Boston’s in Game 7, with James, Wade, and Bosh scoring 31, 23, and 19 respectively. Pierce, Allen, and Garnett, meanwhile, were held to just 19, 15, and 14 points.

2016 Western Conference Finals: Golden State Warriors vs Oklahoma City Thunder

One of the greatest Playoff comebacks in NBA history, and it wasn’t even the only one that season.

The 73-9 Golden State Warriors looked to steamroll to the NBA Finals after a relatively easy path to the WCF. However, it was there where they had to face the formidable Oklahoma City Thunder led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Despite the combined firepower of KD and Russ, however, the Warriors were still tipped to win the series.

Incredibly, the Thunder went on to hold a 3-1 NBA Western Conference Finals lead due to impressive performances from their two superstars; KD and Russ averaged 31 and 31.5 points respectively throughout 4 games.

Despite Durant’s 40 points in Game 5, the Warriors managed to pull one game back due to massive outings from Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Andrew Bogut who put up a 15-14 game.

Game 6 turned out to be the most iconic game of the series, producing what we now know as Game 6 Klay; Klay Thompson had one of his outrageous scoring outbursts that night, scoring 41 points with 11 threes made.

Led by Steph Curry’s 36 points and 7 threes, the Warriors eventually completed the 4-3 comeback in Game 7 after being down 3-1.

This was arguably the most pivotal playoff matchup of the past decade, as it was said to be the catalyst of Kevin Durant’s move to the Golden State Warriors to extend their NBA dynasty for three more years.

2018 Western Conference Finals: Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors

In terms of stakes, storylines, excitement, and all-around hype, the 2018 NBA Western Conference Finals top this list without a doubt.

The Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors in 2018 looked to be two of the greatest teams formed in the past decade. With the unexpectedly excellent addition of Chris Paul to their roster, the Houston Rockets looked like the epitome of efficient, offensive basketball under Mike D’Antoni. Flanked by sharpshooters Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, and Gerald Green, along with big man Clint Capela under the basket, Paul and James Harden fired the Rockets to the 1 seed (a franchise-high tally for Houston).

The 2nd-seeded Golden State Warriors weren’t far behind, meanwhile; they were fielding one of the most lethal teams in NBA history with Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant at the forefront of it all.

It was truly one of the most even Conference Finals matchups in NBA history. There was very little to separate the two excellent teams.

With Chris Paul’s leadership and playmaking looking like the difference-maker in the series, the Rockets went up 3-2 and looked set to do the unthinkable: eliminate the healthy, all-time great Golden State Warriors in the Conference Finals.

However, Paul would tragically go down with a hamstring injury in the final seconds in Game 5. The Rockets won that game, but the loss of the Point God proved to be crucial for the series, and fatal for Harden and company.

Game 6 Klay would show up right on schedule, leading all scorers with 35 points to force a game 7 in the Toyota Center. Despite trailing by double-digits at halftime, the Warriors eventually booked their ticket to the NBA finals, with the Rockets’ usually-lethal outside shooting abandoned them at the worst possible time. Houston famously missed a record 27 consecutive three-pointers that game and shot an abysmal 15.9% from downtown.