2021 NBA playoffs
Tournament details
DatesMay 22 – July 20, 2021
Season2020–21
Teams16
Final positions
ChampionsMilwaukee Bucks (2nd title)
Runner-upPhoenix Suns
Semifinalists

The 2021 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2020–21 season. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the NBA for the second consecutive year, the regular season was reduced to 72 games for each team and the start date of the playoffs was moved from its usual time in mid-April to May 22, 2021. It ended with the 2021 NBA Finals in July.

The 2021 NBA Finals matchup featured the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns. The Bucks won the NBA Finals in six games after being down 0–2, their first championship since 1971.

Both the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and the 2020 NBA Finals runner-up Miami Heat lost in the first round to the eventual finalists: the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks, respectively. The Suns advanced to their first NBA Finals since 1993 after winning the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Clippers in six games; the Bucks also won the Eastern Conference finals in six games, against the Atlanta Hawks to reach their first NBA Finals since 1974.[1]

It was the first year the NBA used a 20-team playoff, with a two-stage system in both conferences, with 16 of the 20 teams advancing to the second stage. The first stage, the NBA play-in games, was a four-team playoff in each conference for the No. 7 to No. 10 seeds in each conference. In this format, the No. 7 and No. 8 teams need to win one game to advance to the second stage, with a double chance, while the No. 9 and No. 10 teams need to win two games to advance, eliminated by just one loss.

Overview

Notable updates to postseason appearances

Notable occurrences

  • The Memphis Grizzlies became the first No. 9 seed to advance to the playoffs, defeating the Golden State Warriors in the second game of the first stage play–in.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks swept the Miami Heat in the first round, marking the 45th straight year a sweep occurred in the NBA playoffs. The last year a sweep did not occur in the playoffs was 1976.
  • With Miami not winning a road game, their streak of winning a road game in a playoff series ends at 23, a streak that started in 2011. This record would be surpassed by the Warriors in the following year.
  • The MavericksClippers series was the first of the 2021 playoffs to have a Game 7, making it the 22nd consecutive NBA postseason to feature a Game 7. The last time a Game 7 did not take place in the playoffs was 1999.
  • Not counting the 2020 NBA playoffs which was held at a neutral site, the Mavericks–Clippers series was the first in NBA history where the road team won the first six games of a best–of–7 and the first since 1995 to have the road team win the first five games of a best–of–7.
  • Both 2020 NBA finalists (Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat) were eliminated in the first round. This was the third time overall and the first since 2007 that this had happened, in which the Miami Heat were also one of the finalists who were eliminated.
  • The Los Angeles Lakers first round loss to the Phoenix Suns marked the first time that the defending NBA champions was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs since the San Antonio Spurs in the 2015 playoffs.
  • With the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat eliminated in the first round (along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Toronto Raptors failing to qualify for the playoffs), by the second round the 2021 playoffs ensured one team of its first championship in the 21st century.
  • This Finals was the first since 1999 to not feature the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, or San Antonio Spurs.
  • This Finals was the first since 2014 to not include Andre Iguodala, who had played in the past six finals with the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat.
  • For the first time in his 18-year career, LeBron James lost a first-round playoffs series when the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in Game 6.[2]
  • Damian Lillard set an NBA record of 12 three-point field goals made in a single playoff game, which was previously held by Klay Thompson in 2016.[3]
  • LeBron James became the only player in NBA history to be in the playoff top 10 for all five major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals).
  • Chris Paul became the first player to reach 15 assists with 0 turnovers three separate times in the NBA playoffs.
  • Nikola Jokić joined Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players with 30 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists in an NBA playoff game.
  • Kevin Durant became the first player in NBA history with 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a single playoff game. He also set an NBA record for most points in a Game 7 with 48 against the Milwaukee Bucks.[4]
  • The Los Angeles Clippers became the first team in NBA history to overcome an 0–2 deficit twice in the same postseason. They also made it to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history.[5]
  • With the Clippers advancing to the Western Conference finals to face the Suns, this ensured that a Pacific Division team played in the NBA Finals for the seventh consecutive postseason.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks won a Game 7 on the road for the first time in franchise history.
  • Neither the first–seeded team nor the second-seeded team made the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight year.
  • The Atlanta Hawks became the fourth team in the last 40 years to reach the conference finals with a midseason coaching replacement.
  • Neither first–seeded team made the conference finals for the first time since 1994.
  • Devin Booker joined Charles Barkley and LeBron James as the only players with 40–point triple–double in a conference finals game. He also joined Oscar Robertson and Luka Dončić as the only players with a 40–point triple–double before turning 25.
  • Deandre Ayton became the first player in the shot–clock era with a 70+ FG% in any 12–game postseason span (min. 100 att), and the first since 1954–55 NBA season.
  • Deandre Ayton became the first player in NBA history to average 15 points and 10 rebounds while shooting at least 65% from the field in a single postseason.
  • Jae Crowder now owns the longest active finals streak when the Phoenix Suns made the NBA Finals, having also made it last year with Miami.
  • Chris Paul became the oldest player in NBA history with 40+ points in a closeout game. He is also the second oldest player to drop 40 points in any playoff game.
  • With Rajon Rondo losing in the Western Conference finals to the Suns, Shaquille O'Neal's 37–year streak of having a former teammate in the NBA Finals came to an end.
  • The Phoenix Suns became the first team in NBA history to move on to the NBA Finals after missing the postseason in the prior ten seasons. They also held the worst record (.302 winning pct) in five seasons prior to an appearance in the final postseason round in the history of the NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB.
  • Both NBA finalists in the 2020–2021 season have not been in the finals for over two decades (the Suns in 1993, the Bucks in 1974).
  • Trae Young became the second player in NBA history to average 28+ PPG and 9+ APG in a single playoff run (minimum 15 games, LeBron James in 2018).
  • Trae Young tied LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki by scoring the 4th most points in a Conference finals game with 48 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 5th player in NBA history with 9+ 30/10 games in a single postseason since 1963.
  • By winning the 2021 Eastern Conference finals, the Milwaukee Bucks are the only NBA franchise to win both the Eastern & Western Conference Titles. However, the Warriors franchise achieved the same deeds when the East and the West were called "Divisions", before they were realigned as "Conferences" in the 1970-71 expansion. Before 1970-71, the teams emerged from the East and West playoff brackets were called Eastern Divsion Champions and Western Division Champions, respectively. The Philadelphia Warriors won the Eastern Division in 1956, while the San Francisco Warriors won the Western Division in 1964 and 1967. The Golden State Warriors also won 7 conference titles after 1970-71.
  • Chris Paul joins Michael Jordan as the only players with 30+ points and 9+ assists in an NBA Finals debut. Jordan accomplished this feat in 1991. He also joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan as players with 30+ points in an NBA Finals game age 36 or older.[6]
  • Deandre Ayton became the fourth player in the shot-clock era (since 1955) with at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, and shooting 80+ FG% in an NBA Finals game (Bill Russell, Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain). Ayton joins Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to do so in their Finals debuts.
  • Chris Paul scored or assisted on 54 points in Game 1, the 3rd most in an NBA Finals debut all time (Allen Iverson with 61 in 2001, Michael Jordan with 60 in 1991).
  • The Phoenix Suns became the third team to make 20+ three-point shots in a Finals game, joining the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Golden State Warriors.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo joined Shaquille O'Neal as the only players with 40+ points and 10+ rebounds in back–to–back Finals games. He also scored 103 points through the first three Finals game of his career, ranking fourth behind Rick Barry (122), Allen Iverson (106), and Willis Reed (104).
  • Devin Booker set a new record for most points for a player in his first NBA playoffs appearance, accumulating 601 points, overtaking Ricky Barry (521) and Julius Erving (518).
  • The Suns became the first team in NBA history to lose a Finals game despite shooting better than 50% and keeping their opponent below at least 42%.
  • Khris Middleton and Devin Booker became the 4th pair of opponents to put up at least 40 points in the same game.
  • Devin Booker became the seventh player in NBA history to put up back–to–back 40 point games in the Finals. Booker is also the first Suns player to achieve this and is also the first overall to lose both of these games.
  • Devin Booker's 82 points in Games 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals reflects the highest total of any player who lost consecutive Finals Games (John Havlicek and LeBron James each had 80 in consecutive games).
  • Devin Booker joined Rick Barry as the only players to record at least ten 30 point games in their first postseason all time.
  • The Suns became the first team in NBA history to lose a playoff game shooting at least 55% from the field and at least 60% from three.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton became the 2nd pair of teammates to record at least 500 points and 100 assists in a single postseason.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton became the 5th trio of teammates in NBA Finals history to record at least 25 points while shooting at least 50% from the field in the same game.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 5th player in NBA Finals history to record at least 30 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 0 turnovers.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 2nd player in NBA Finals history to record at least 3 games recording 40 points and 10 rebounds.
  • With Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo winning a championship this year, they join Kostas Antetokounmpo (2020 with Los Angeles Lakers) as the only sibling trio in NBA history to win a championship.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 7th player in NBA Finals history to record a 50-point game. He also tied Bob Pettit for the most points scored in a Finals closeout game.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 5th player in NBA Finals history to record at least 30 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 0 turnovers.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 1st player in NBA Finals history to record 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a game, then became the first to record 50 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a game.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded the second-most games in a single postseason scoring at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.
  • Chris Paul became the 1st player in NBA history to blow four separate 2–0 series leads in a best–of–7 series.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 3rd player in NBA history to win multiple regular–season MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Finals MVP (Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan)
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 2nd player in NBA history to win multiple regular–season MVPs and Finals MVP while playing at the power forward position (Tim Duncan).
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 1st player in NBA Finals history to average 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting at least 60% FG. In addition, he is the 1st player in NBA Finals history to average 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal while shooting at least 50% on field goals.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 9th player in NBA history to win multiple MVPs and a Finals MVP. He joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan as the only ones to do so at 26 years old or younger.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first player in NBA history with 5 All-Star selections, 5 All-NBA selections, multiple MVPs, 1 Finals MVP, and 1 DPOY before turning 27 years old.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo tied Kevin Durant by averaging the 5th most PPG in an NBA Finals win with 35.2 (Durant averaged 35.2 PPG in 2017).
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 1st player in NBA history to win Most Improved Player, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo became the fourth international player and third European player to win the Finals MVP, joining Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria) in 1994 and 1995, Tony Parker (France) in 2007, and Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) in 2011.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks became the fifth team in NBA Finals history to overcome an 0–2 deficit and win the title. They also became the third team to win 4 consecutive games after being down 0–2. The last team to accomplish this feat is the 2006 Miami Heat.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks became the second team in NBA playoff history to overcome an 0–2 deficit twice in the same postseason (2021 Los Angeles Clippers).
  • The Milwaukee Bucks became the first team below the 2nd seed to win a championship since the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

Format

The NBA Board of Governors approved a format for the 2020–21 season to have a play-in tournament involving the teams that ranked 7th through 10th in each conference. The 7th place team and 8th place team participate in the double-chance game, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the 7-seed. The loser then plays the winner of the elimination game between the 9th place and 10th place teams to determine the playoff's 8-seed. The NBA's regular playoff format would then proceed as normal.[7]

Under the NBA's regular playoff format, the eight teams with the most wins in each conference qualified for the playoffs. The seedings were based on each team's record. Each conference's bracket was fixed; there was no reseeding. All rounds were best-of-seven series; the series ended when one team won four games, and that team advanced to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, were in a 2–2–1–1–1 format. In the conference playoffs, home court advantage went to the higher-seeded team (number one being the highest). Seeding was based on each team's regular season record within a conference; if two teams had the same record, standard tiebreaker rules were used. Conference seedings were ignored for the NBA Finals: Home court advantage went to the team with the better regular season record, and, if needed, ties were broken based on head-to-head record, followed by intra-conference record.

Playoff qualifying

On April 25, 2021, the Utah Jazz became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.[8] While noted in the below tables, division titles have no bearing on seeding.[9]

Eastern Conference

SeedTeamRecordClinched
Play-in
berth
Playoff berthDivision titleBest record
in conference
Best record
in NBA
1Philadelphia 76ers49–23April 28[10]May 14[11]May 14[11]
2Brooklyn Nets48–24April 27[12]
3Milwaukee Bucks46–26May 4[13]April 30[14]
4New York Knicks41–31May 12[15]
5Atlanta Hawks41–31May 12[15]May 15[16]
6Miami Heat40–32May 11[17]
7Boston Celtics36–36May 12[15]May 18[18]
8Washington Wizards34–38May 14[19]May 20[20]

Indiana (34–38) and Charlotte (33–39) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.[21]

Western Conference

SeedTeamRecordClinched
Play-in
berth
Playoff berthDivision titleBest record
in conference
Best record
in NBA
1Utah Jazz52–20April 25[8]May 7[22]May 16[23]May 16[23]
2Phoenix Suns51–21April 28[24]May 14[25]
3Denver Nuggets47–25May 3[26]
4Los Angeles Clippers47–25May 3[27]
5Dallas Mavericks42–30May 14[28]May 7[29]
6Portland Trail Blazers42–30May 16[30]
7Los Angeles Lakers42–30May 16[30]May 19[31]
8Memphis Grizzlies38–34May 10[32]May 21[33]

Golden State (39–33) and San Antonio (33–39) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.[21]

Bracket

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.

First round Conference semifinals Conference finals NBA Finals
            
E1 Philadelphia* 4
E8 Washington 1
E1 Philadelphia* 3
E5 Atlanta* 4
E4 New York 1
E5 Atlanta* 4
E5 Atlanta* 2
Eastern Conference
E3 Milwaukee* 4
E3 Milwaukee* 4
E6 Miami 0
E3 Milwaukee* 4
E2 Brooklyn 3
E2 Brooklyn 4
E7 Boston 1
E3 Milwaukee* 4
W2 Phoenix* 2
W1 Utah* 4
W8 Memphis 1
W1 Utah* 2
W4 LA Clippers 4
W4 LA Clippers 4
W5 Dallas* 3
W4 LA Clippers 2
Western Conference
W2 Phoenix* 4
W3 Denver 4
W6 Portland 2
W3 Denver 0
W2 Phoenix* 4
W2 Phoenix* 4
W7 LA Lakers 2
  • * Division winner
  • Bold Series winner
  • Italic Team with home-court advantage

First round

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Eastern Conference first round

(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (8) Washington Wizards

May 23
1:00pm
Washington Wizards 118, Philadelphia 76ers 125
Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 34–34, 31–38, 25–26
Pts: Bradley Beal 33
Rebs: Bradley Beal 10
Asts: Russell Westbrook 14
Pts: Tobias Harris 37
Rebs: Ben Simmons 15
Asts: Ben Simmons 15
Philadelphia leads series, 1–0
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Attendance: 11,160
Referees: Eric Lewis, Pat Fraher, Kevin Cutler
May 26
7:00pm
Washington Wizards 95, Philadelphia 76ers 120
Scoring by quarter: 24–35, 33–36, 23–23, 15–26
Pts: Bradley Beal 33
Rebs: Rui Hachimura 7
Asts: Russell Westbrook 11
Pts: Simmons, Embiid 22 each
Rebs: Dwight Howard 11
Asts: Ben Simmons 8
Philadelphia leads series, 2–0
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Attendance: 11,160
Referees: Marc Davis, Kevin Scott, Jacyn Goble
May 29
7:00pm
Philadelphia 76ers 132, Washington Wizards 103
Scoring by quarter: 36–28, 36–30, 37–28, 23–17
Pts: Joel Embiid 36
Rebs: Tobias Harris 13
Asts: Ben Simmons 9
Pts: Russell Westbrook 26
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 12
Asts: Russell Westbrook 10
Philadelphia leads series, 3–0
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 10,665
Referees: James Capers, Ben Taylor, Michael Smith
May 31
7:00pm
Philadelphia 76ers 114, Washington Wizards 122
Scoring by quarter: 31–28, 30–32, 19–32, 34–30
Pts: Tobias Harris 21
Rebs: Tobias Harris 13
Asts: Tobias Harris 5
Pts: Bradley Beal 27
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 21
Asts: Russell Westbrook 14
Philadelphia leads series, 3–1
Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Attendance: 10,665
Referees: Kane Fitzgerald, Courtney Kirkland, Sean Corbin
June 2
7:00pm
Washington Wizards 112, Philadelphia 76ers 129
Scoring by quarter: 29–29, 34–36, 31–38, 18–26
Pts: Bradley Beal 32
Rebs: Russell Westbrook 8
Asts: Russell Westbrook 10
Pts: Seth Curry 30
Rebs: Ben Simmons 10
Asts: Ben Simmons 11
Philadelphia wins series, 4–1
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Attendance: 15,523
Referees: Josh Tiven, Ed Malloy, Tre Maddox

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning three of the first five meetings.[34]

(2) Brooklyn Nets vs. (7) Boston Celtics

May 22
8:00pm
Boston Celtics 93, Brooklyn Nets 104
Scoring by quarter: 21–16, 32–31, 20–31, 20–26
Pts: Jayson Tatum 22
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 10
Asts: Smart, Tatum 5 each
Pts: Kevin Durant 32
Rebs: Kevin Durant 12
Asts: James Harden 8
Brooklyn leads series, 1–0
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
Attendance: 14,391
Referees: Josh Tiven, Courtney Kirkland, Scott Wall
May 25
7:30pm
Boston Celtics 108, Brooklyn Nets 130
Scoring by quarter: 26–40, 21–31, 35–38, 26–21
Pts: Marcus Smart 19
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 11
Asts: Kemba Walker 7
Pts: Kevin Durant 26
Rebs: Brown, Durant 8 each
Asts: James Harden 7
Brooklyn leads series, 2–0
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
Attendance: 14,774
Referees: James Capers, Ken Mauer, Sean Corbin
May 28
8:30pm
Brooklyn Nets 119, Boston Celtics 125
Scoring by quarter: 32–33, 25–28, 27–35, 35–29
Pts: James Harden 41
Rebs: Kevin Durant 9
Asts: James Harden 10
Pts: Jayson Tatum 50
Rebs: Tristan Thompson 13
Asts: Jayson Tatum 7
Brooklyn leads series, 2–1
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Attendance: 4,789
Referees: Eric Lewis, Curtis Blair, Brent Barnaky
May 30
7:00pm
Brooklyn Nets 141, Boston Celtics 126
Scoring by quarter: 33–34, 40–26, 39–31, 29–35
Pts: Kevin Durant 42
Rebs: Kyrie Irving 11
Asts: James Harden 18
Pts: Jayson Tatum 40
Rebs: Jayson Tatum 7
Asts: Marcus Smart 9
Brooklyn leads series, 3–1
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Attendance: 17,226
Referees: John Goble, Rodney Mott, Kevin Cutler
June 1
7:30pm
Boston Celtics 109, Brooklyn Nets 123
Scoring by quarter: 24–31, 27–28, 28–27, 30–37
Pts: Jayson Tatum 32
Rebs: Tatum, Thompson 9 each
Asts: Jayson Tatum 5
Pts: James Harden 34
Rebs: James Harden 10
Asts: James Harden 10
Brooklyn wins series, 4–1
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
Attendance: 14,993
Referees: Zach Zarba, Ben Taylor, Michael Smith

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, but the first since the New Jersey Nets relocated to Brooklyn and became the Brooklyn Nets in 2012, with the Nets winning the first two meetings.[35]

(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (6) Miami Heat

May 22
2:00pm (1:00 pm CDT)
Miami Heat 107, Milwaukee Bucks 109 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 24–22, 26–31, 28–27, 21–19, Overtime: 8–10
Pts: Goran Dragić 25
Rebs: Adebayo, Ariza 12 each
Asts: Jimmy Butler 8
Pts: Khris Middleton 27
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 18
Asts: Khris Middleton 6
Milwaukee leads series, 1–0
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Attendance: 9,107
Referees: David Guthrie, Sean Wright, Tyler Ford

The Bucks struggled offensively against Miami, shooting only 16% (5–31) on three-point shots. The game went into overtime thanks to a game-tying, buzzer-beating layup by Jimmy Butler, but Milwaukee was able to pull away and win on a Khris Middleton jump shot, made with only 0.5 seconds left.

May 24
7:30pm (6:30 pm CDT)
Miami Heat 98, Milwaukee Bucks 132
Scoring by quarter: 20–46, 31–32, 27–29, 20–25
Pts: Dewayne Dedmon 19
Rebs: Dewayne Dedmon 9
Asts: Adebayo, Butler, Dragić 4 each
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 31
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 13
Asts: Jrue Holiday 15
Milwaukee leads series, 2–0
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Attendance: 9,107
Referees: Marc Davis, Josh Tiven, Mark Lindsay

The Bucks erupted for 46 points in the first quarter, setting a new franchise playoff record, en route to a dominating 132–98 victory. The Bucks would make 22 three-pointers, after making only 5 in game 1.

May 27
6:30pm
Milwaukee Bucks 113, Miami Heat 84
Scoring by quarter: 26–14, 23–22, 37–24, 27–24
Pts: Khris Middleton 22
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 17
Asts: Jrue Holiday 12
Pts: Jimmy Butler 19
Rebs: Adebayo, Butler 8 each
Asts: Jimmy Butler 6
Milwaukee leads series, 3–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
Attendance: 17,000
Referees: James Capers, Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy

The Bucks would cruise to another convincing victory in game 3, to take a commanding 3–0 series lead on Miami. In games 2 & 3, the Heat led for only :17, out of 96 minutes of game time.

May 29
12:30pm
Milwaukee Bucks 120, Miami Heat 103
Scoring by quarter: 22–26, 35–38, 34–21, 29–18
Pts: Brook Lopez 25
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 12
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 15
Pts: Bam Adebayo 20
Rebs: Bam Adebayo 14
Asts: Jimmy Butler 10
Milwaukee wins series, 4–0
American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL
Attendance: 17,000
Referees: Zach Zarba, James Williams, Karl Lane

Though Miami built a 7-point lead at halftime, the Bucks went on a 24–6 run in the third quarter to take a lead they would not relinquish, leading to a four-game sweep of the Heat.

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first two meetings.[36]

(4) New York Knicks vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

May 23
7:00pm
Atlanta Hawks 107, New York Knicks 105
Scoring by quarter: 24–16, 28–34, 19–23, 36–32
Pts: Trae Young 32
Rebs: Clint Capela 13
Asts: Trae Young 10
Pts: Alec Burks 27
Rebs: Julius Randle 12
Asts: Derrick Rose 5
Atlanta leads series, 1–0
Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
Attendance: 15,047
Referees: Tony Brothers, Ed Malloy, Derrick Collins
May 26
7:30pm
Atlanta Hawks 92, New York Knicks 101
Scoring by quarter: 27–20, 30–24, 18–32, 17–25
Pts: Trae Young 30
Rebs: Clint Capela 12
Asts: Trae Young 7
Pts: Derrick Rose 26
Rebs: Julius Randle 12
Asts: Rose, Randle 4 each
Series tied, 1–1
Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
Attendance: 16,254
Referees: David Guthrie, Rodney Mott, Tom Washington
May 28
7:00pm
New York Knicks 94, Atlanta Hawks 105
Scoring by quarter: 31–29, 13–29, 28–28, 22–19
Pts: Derrick Rose 30
Rebs: Julius Randle 11
Asts: Derrick Rose 5
Pts: Trae Young 21
Rebs: Clint Capela 12
Asts: Trae Young 14
Atlanta leads series, 2–1
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Attendance: 15,743
Referees: John Goble, Pat Fraher, Tyler Ford
May 30
1:00pm
New York Knicks 96, Atlanta Hawks 113
Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 23–28, 22–35, 25–25
Pts: Julius Randle 23
Rebs: Julius Randle 10
Asts: Julius Randle 7
Pts: Trae Young 27
Rebs: Clint Capela 15
Asts: Trae Young 9
Atlanta leads series, 3–1
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Attendance: 16,458
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Mark Lindsay
June 2
7:30pm
Atlanta Hawks 103, New York Knicks 89
Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 31–26, 22–15, 29–27
Pts: Trae Young 36
Rebs: Clint Capela 15
Asts: Trae Young 9
Pts: Julius Randle 23
Rebs: Julius Randle 13
Asts: Rose, Barrett 5 each
Atlanta wins series, 4–1
Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
Attendance: 16,512
Referees: Kane Fitzgerald, Courtney Kirkland, Brian Forte

In Game 1, Trae Young hits the game-winning floater with 0.9 seconds left.

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first two meetings.[37]

Western Conference first round

(1) Utah Jazz vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies

May 23
9:30pm (7:30 pm MDT)
Memphis Grizzlies 112, Utah Jazz 109
Scoring by quarter: 17–24, 32–19, 34–31, 29–35
Pts: Dillon Brooks 31
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 13
Asts: Ja Morant 4
Pts: Bojan Bogdanović 29
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 15
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 11
Memphis leads series, 1–0
Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Attendance: 13,750
Referees: James Capers, Ken Mauer, Dedric Taylor
May 26
10:00pm (8:00 pm MDT)
Memphis Grizzlies 129, Utah Jazz 141
Scoring by quarter: 27–36, 27–38, 43–29, 32–38
Pts: Ja Morant 47
Rebs: Valančiūnas, Anderson 6 each
Asts: Ja Morant 7
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 25
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 13
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 15
Series tied, 1–1
Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Attendance: 14,200
Referees: Kane Fitzgerald, James Williams, JB DeRosa
May 29
9:30pm (8:30 pm CDT)
Utah Jazz 121, Memphis Grizzlies 111
Scoring by quarter: 34–22, 28–29, 34–34, 25–26
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 29
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 14
Asts: Mike Conley Jr. 8
Pts: Ja Morant 28
Rebs: Valančiūnas, Anderson 13 each
Asts: Ja Morant 7
Utah leads series, 2–1
FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Attendance: 12,185
Referees: Josh Tiven, Sean Wright, Derrick Collins
May 31
9:30pm (8:30 pm CDT)
Utah Jazz 120, Memphis Grizzlies 113
Scoring by quarter: 34–31, 25–23, 41–33, 20–26
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 30
Rebs: Royce O'Neale 9
Asts: Donovan Mitchell 8
Pts: Ja Morant 23
Rebs: Jonas Valančiūnas 12
Asts: Ja Morant 12
Utah leads series, 3–1
FedExForum, Memphis, TN
Attendance: 12,185
Referees: David Guthrie, Kevin Scott, Tre Maddox
June 2
9:30pm (7:30 pm MDT)
Memphis Grizzlies 110, Utah Jazz 126
Scoring by quarter: 27–47, 24–28, 25–31, 34–20
Pts: Brooks, Morant 27 each
Rebs: Jackson Jr., Morant 7 each
Asts: Ja Morant 11
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 30
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 15
Asts: Donovan Mitchell 10
Utah wins series, 4–1
Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Attendance: 14,250
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brothers, Tyler Ford

This was the first playoff meeting between the Jazz and the Grizzlies.[38]

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers

May 23
3:30pm (12:30pm MST)
Los Angeles Lakers 90, Phoenix Suns 99
Scoring by quarter: 25–32, 20–21, 23–28, 22–18
Pts: LeBron James 18
Rebs: Andre Drummond 9
Asts: LeBron James 10
Pts: Devin Booker 34
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 16
Asts: Booker, Paul 8 each
Phoenix leads series, 1–0
Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 11,824
Referees: Kane Fitzgerald, Bill Kennedy, Rodney Mott
May 25
10:00pm (7:00pm MST)
Los Angeles Lakers 109, Phoenix Suns 102
Scoring by quarter: 30–24, 23–23, 26–25, 30–30
Pts: Anthony Davis 34
Rebs: Andre Drummond 12
Asts: LeBron James 9
Pts: Devin Booker 31
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 10
Asts: Cameron Payne 7
Series tied, 1–1
Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 11,919
Referees: Zach Zarba, Tre Maddox, Brian Forte
May 27
10:00pm (7:00pm PDT)
Phoenix Suns 95, Los Angeles Lakers 109
Scoring by quarter: 28–27, 12–16, 23–33, 32–33
Pts: Deandre Ayton 22
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 11
Asts: Booker, Paul, Payne 6 each
Pts: Anthony Davis 34
Rebs: Davis, Drummond 11 each
Asts: LeBron James 9
LA Lakers lead series, 2–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 7,825
Referees: Scott Foster, Sean Wright, Sean Corbin
May 30
3:30pm (12:30pm PDT)
Phoenix Suns 100, Los Angeles Lakers 92
Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 31–26, 27–15, 19–27
Pts: Chris Paul 18
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 17
Asts: Chris Paul 9
Pts: LeBron James 25
Rebs: LeBron James 12
Asts: LeBron James 6
Series tied, 2–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 8,025
Referees: Marc Davis, Tony Brothers, Brent Barnaky
June 1
10:00pm (7:00pm MST)
Los Angeles Lakers 85, Phoenix Suns 115
Scoring by quarter: 26–34, 10–32, 27–26, 22–23
Pts: LeBron James 24
Rebs: Andre Drummond 13
Asts: LeBron James 7
Pts: Devin Booker 30
Rebs: Ayton, Booker, Craig 7 each
Asts: Chris Paul 6
Phoenix leads series, 3–2
Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 16,163
Referees: James Capers, Ken Mauer, Curtis Blair
June 3
10:30pm (7:30pm PDT)
Phoenix Suns 113, Los Angeles Lakers 100
Scoring by quarter: 36–14, 26–27, 27–35, 24–24
Pts: Devin Booker 47
Rebs: Devin Booker 11
Asts: Chris Paul 12
Pts: LeBron James 29
Rebs: LeBron James 9
Asts: Gasol, James 7 each
Phoenix wins series, 4–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 8,550
Referees: David Guthrie, Ben Taylor, Tom Washington

This was the 13th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning eight of the first 12 meetings.[39]

(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers

May 22
10:30pm (8:30 pm MDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 123, Denver Nuggets 109
Scoring by quarter: 35–30, 23–31, 38–25, 27–23
Pts: Damian Lillard 34
Rebs: Jusuf Nurkić 12
Asts: Damian Lillard 13
Pts: Nikola Jokić 34
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 16
Asts: Campazzo, Morris 5 each
Portland leads series, 1–0
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Attendance: 7,732
Referees: Marc Davis, Kevin Scott, Curtis Blair
May 24
10:00pm (8:00pm MDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 109, Denver Nuggets 128
Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 36–42, 26–28, 22–27
Pts: Damian Lillard 42
Rebs: Jusuf Nurkić 13
Asts: Damian Lillard 10
Pts: Nikola Jokić 38
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 8
Asts: Monté Morris 7
Series tied, 1–1
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Attendance: 7,727
Referees: John Goble, Ben Taylor, Michael Smith
May 27
10:30pm (7:30pm PDT)
Denver Nuggets 120, Portland Trail Blazers 115
Scoring by quarter: 39–30, 25–29, 20–20, 36–36
Pts: Nikola Jokić 36
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 11
Asts: Facundo Campazzo 8
Pts: Damian Lillard 37
Rebs: Jusuf Nurkić 13
Asts: Jusuf Nurkić 6
Denver leads series, 2–1
Moda Center, Portland, OR
Attendance: 8,050
Referees: Zach Zarba, Tony Brothers, Karl Lane
May 29
4:00pm (1:00pm PDT)
Denver Nuggets 95, Portland Trail Blazers 115
Scoring by quarter: 24–32, 23–25, 19–36, 29–22
Pts: Nikola Jokić 16
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 9
Asts: Facundo Campazzo 7
Pts: Norman Powell 29
Rebs: Robert Covington 9
Asts: Damian Lillard 10
Series tied, 2–2
Moda Center, Portland, OR
Attendance: 8,050
Referees: David Guthrie, Ed Malloy, Tom Washington
June 1
9:00pm (7:00pm MDT)
Portland Trail Blazers 140, Denver Nuggets 147 (2OT)
Scoring by quarter: 25–38, 37–27, 32–27, 27–29, Overtime: 14–14, 5–12
Pts: Damian Lillard 55
Rebs: Covington, Nurkić 11 each
Asts: Damian Lillard 10
Pts: Nikola Jokić 38
Rebs: Michael Porter Jr. 12
Asts: Nikola Jokić 9
Denver leads series, 3–2
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Attendance: 10,463
Referees: Eric Lewis, Sean Wright, Mark Lindsay
June 3
8:00pm (5:00pm PDT)
Denver Nuggets 126, Portland Trail Blazers 115
Scoring by quarter: 29–33, 32–35, 37–33, 28–14
Pts: Nikola Jokić 36
Rebs: JaMychal Green 9
Asts: Monté Morris 9
Pts: Damian Lillard 28
Rebs: Robert Covington 10
Asts: Damian Lillard 13
Denver wins series, 4–2
Moda Center, Portland, OR
Attendance: 10,022
Referees: James Capers, Bill Kennedy, Rodney Mott

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Portland winning two of the first three meetings.[40]

(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Dallas Mavericks

May 22
4:30pm (1:30 pm PDT)
Dallas Mavericks 113, Los Angeles Clippers 103
Scoring by quarter: 33–30, 27–25, 26–25, 27–23
Pts: Luka Dončić 31
Rebs: Luka Dončić 10
Asts: Luka Dončić 11
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 26
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 10
Asts: George, Leonard 5 each
Dallas leads series, 1–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 6,117
Referees: Zach Zarba, Tre Maddox, Brian Forte
May 25
10:30pm (7:30pm PDT)
Dallas Mavericks 127, Los Angeles Clippers 121
Scoring by quarter: 35–33, 36–40, 30–19, 26–29
Pts: Luka Dončić 39
Rebs: Luka Dončić 7
Asts: Luka Dončić 7
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 41
Rebs: Paul George 12
Asts: Rajon Rondo 7
Dallas leads series, 2–0
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 6,885
Referees: Scott Foster, Bill Kennedy, Curtis Blair
May 28
9:30pm (8:30pm CDT)
Los Angeles Clippers 118, Dallas Mavericks 108
Scoring by quarter: 31–34, 32–27, 26–25, 29–22
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 36
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 8
Asts: Rajon Rondo 8
Pts: Luka Dončić 44
Rebs: Luka Dončić 9
Asts: Luka Dončić 9
Dallas leads series, 2–1
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Attendance: 17,705
Referees: Kane Fitzgerald, Courtney Kirkland, Mark Lindsay
May 30
9:30pm (8:30pm CDT)
Los Angeles Clippers 106, Dallas Mavericks 81
Scoring by quarter: 31–22, 30–23, 21–15, 24–21
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 29
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 10
Asts: Rajon Rondo 4
Pts: Luka Dončić 19
Rebs: Dorian Finney-Smith 8
Asts: Luka Dončić 6
Series tied, 2–2
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Attendance: 17,761
Referees: Eric Lewis, Pat Fraher, Tyler Ford
June 2
10:00pm (7:00pm PDT)
Dallas Mavericks 105, Los Angeles Clippers 100
Scoring by quarter: 35–28, 21–26, 33–21, 16–25
Pts: Luka Dončić 42
Rebs: Luka Dončić 8
Asts: Luka Dončić 14
Pts: Paul George 23
Rebs: Ivica Zubac 11
Asts: George, Rondo 6 each
Dallas leads series, 3–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 7,428
Referees: John Goble, James Williams, Sean Corbin
June 4
9:00pm (8:00pm CDT)
Los Angeles Clippers 104, Dallas Mavericks 97
Scoring by quarter: 26–28, 22–17, 25–32, 31–20
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 45
Rebs: Paul George 13
Asts: Paul George 6
Pts: Luka Dončić 29
Rebs: Boban Marjanović 9
Asts: Luka Dončić 11
Series tied, 3–3
American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Attendance: 18,324
Referees: Marc Davis, Ken Mauer, Curtis Blair
June 6
3:30pm (12:30pm PDT)
Dallas Mavericks 111, Los Angeles Clippers 126
Scoring by quarter: 38–35, 24–35, 23–30, 26–26
Pts: Luka Dončić 46
Rebs: Kristaps Porziņģis 11
Asts: Luka Dončić 14
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 28
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 10
Asts: Paul George 10
LA Clippers win series, 4–3
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 7,342
Referees: Scott Foster, Josh Tiven, Sean Wright

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Clippers winning the first meeting.[41]

Conference semifinals

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Eastern Conference semifinals

This was the first time both Conference semifinals went seven games since 2001.

(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

June 6
1:00pm
Atlanta Hawks 128, Philadelphia 76ers 124
Scoring by quarter: 42–27, 32–27, 25–29, 29–41
Pts: Trae Young 35
Rebs: Clint Capela 10
Asts: Trae Young 10
Pts: Joel Embiid 39
Rebs: Tobias Harris 10
Asts: Ben Simmons 10
Atlanta leads series, 1–0
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: James Capers, Ben Taylor, Tom Washington

The Atlanta Hawks dominated during the early part of the game, leading by as much as 26 points. However, the 76ers performed a major rally, eventually cutting the deficit to just 3 points with a minute left in regulation. 20 seconds later, Bogdan Bogdanovic hit a clutch 3, but the 76ers would make it a 3-point game again with 28.7 seconds left. Joel Embiid then committed a clear path foul, giving Atlanta 2 free throws and possession of the ball. The Hawks sealed the game with Trae Young's alley-oop assist to John Collins. Trae Young secured a double-double with 35 points and 10 assists for The Hawks. Joel Embiid scored 39 points for the 76ers.

June 8
7:30pm
Atlanta Hawks 102, Philadelphia 76ers 118
Scoring by quarter: 20–33, 35–24, 29–34, 18–27
Pts: Gallinari, Young 21 each
Rebs: John Collins 10
Asts: Trae Young 11
Pts: Joel Embiid 40
Rebs: Joel Embiid 13
Asts: Danny Green 8
Series tied, 1–1
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Ken Mauer

After the 76ers started the game up 20–4 with 6 minutes left in the 1st quarter, the Hawks rallied and the game remained close until the start of the 4th quarter, in which the 76ers blew the game open with a 14–0 run, resulting in the series being tied at a game apiece. Joel Embiid secured a double-double with 40 points and 13 rebounds, while Danny Green had 8 assists. Trae Young also scored a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists while John Collins grabbed 10 rebounds.

June 11
7:30pm
Philadelphia 76ers 127, Atlanta Hawks 111
Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 33–36, 34–19, 32–36
Pts: Joel Embiid 27
Rebs: Joel Embiid 9
Asts: Joel Embiid 8
Pts: Trae Young 28
Rebs: Clint Capela 16
Asts: Trae Young 8
Philadelphia leads series, 2–1
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Attendance: 16,432
Referees: Zach Zarba, Kevin Scott, Courtney Kirkland

The 76ers cruised their way to victory throughout the entire game thanks in part to Joel Embiid's 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. Trae Young scored 28 points and 8 assists in the losing effort for the Hawks.

June 14
7:30pm
Philadelphia 76ers 100, Atlanta Hawks 103
Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 34–29, 20–31, 18–23
Pts: Tobias Harris 20
Rebs: Joel Embiid 21
Asts: Ben Simmons 9
Pts: Trae Young 25
Rebs: Clint Capela 13
Asts: Trae Young 18
Series tied, 2–2
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Attendance: 16,502
Referees: John Goble, Josh Tiven, Curtis Blair

Despite being down by 18, the Atlanta Hawks staged a comeback, eventually taking their first lead since the 1st quarter at the start of the 4th quarter. The 76ers were up by 4 with 2:20 left in the 4th quarter, but the Hawks responded with a 7–0 run, leading by 3 with 49.6 seconds left. After Embiid got fouled and made both free throws to make it 101-100, and a turnover by John Collins, the 76ers had a chance at leading the series 3 games to 1. Embiid's go-ahead shot fell short and the ball went out of bounds, last touched by Ben Simmons, giving Atlanta the ball with 8.2 seconds left. After Trae Young made both of his free throws to make it a 3-point game, the 76ers had 6.6 seconds left to tie it, but Seth Curry's game-tying 3-pointer was no good, giving Atlanta the comeback victory.

June 16
7:30pm
Atlanta Hawks 109, Philadelphia 76ers 106
Scoring by quarter: 24–38, 16–24, 29–25, 40–19
Pts: Trae Young 39
Rebs: John Collins 11
Asts: Trae Young 7
Pts: Joel Embiid 37
Rebs: Joel Embiid 13
Asts: Ben Simmons 9
Atlanta leads series, 3–2
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: David Guthrie, Eric Lewis, Bill Kennedy

In the pivotal Game 5, the 76ers appeared to be on their way to victory, leading by as much as 26 points and with a 99.7% win probability according to ESPN.[42] However, the Hawks, who came back from down 18 in the previous game, performed one of the most memorable comebacks in NBA Playoffs history. The Sixers were still up 104–94 with 4 minutes left in the game, only for the Hawks to respond with a 13–0 run to take a 3-point lead with 50 seconds left, their first lead of the entire game.

With 12 seconds left, a blocking foul by Danilo Gallinari sent Joel Embiid to the line with the Hawks leading by 3. He missed both free throws and Atlanta then had possession of the ball. Trae Young sealed it with 2 clutch free throws, and Seth Curry then made a meaningless basket to make the final score 109–106 in favor the Hawks, who were now one game away from their first conference finals berth since 2015. Once the final buzzer sounded, the 76ers' faithful booed their entire team off the floor due to the collapse.

Trae Young led the Hawks' comeback victory with 39 points and 7 assists.

The Hawks became the 6th team in NBA Playoffs history to win a playoff game after trailing by 18+ points entering the 4th quarter in the shot clock era.

June 18
7:30pm
Philadelphia 76ers 104, Atlanta Hawks 99
Scoring by quarter: 22–29, 25–22, 33–25, 24–23
Pts: Curry, Harris 24 each
Rebs: Joel Embiid 13
Asts: Ben Simmons 5
Pts: Trae Young 34
Rebs: Capela, Huerter 11 each
Asts: Trae Young 12
Series tied, 3–3
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Attendance: 16,610
Referees: Scott Foster, Pat Fraher, James Williams

With the Hawks looking to advance to the Eastern Conference finals on their home floor, they led by as much as 12 points during the 2nd quarter. But the 76ers, who were trying to stave off elimination after back-to-back collapses, managed to take control of the game. However, the game once again would go down to the wire, as the Sixers were up 94–87 with 3 minutes left. The Hawks responded with 2 three-pointers from Gallinari and Young, who cut the deficit to one with 1:59 left in the 4th quarter. The lights at State Farm Arena went out, causing a one-minute delay. Once the lights came back on, Philadelphia immediately responded by preserving the lead as Tobias Harris would make 2 game-sealing free throws to send the series back to Philadelphia for Game 7 on Sunday night.

June 20
8:00pm
Atlanta Hawks 103, Philadelphia 76ers 96
Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 23–18, 28–25, 27–25
Pts: Kevin Huerter 27
Rebs: John Collins 16
Asts: Trae Young 10
Pts: Joel Embiid 31
Rebs: Tobias Harris 14
Asts: Ben Simmons 13
Atlanta wins series, 4–3
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
Attendance: 18,624
Referees: James Capers, Kane Fitzgerald, Sean Wright

In front of a loud Wells Fargo Center, Game 7 was a deadlocked affair, with neither team able to gain a double-digit lead. The game and the serie once again came down to the wire. With 1:12 left in the 4th quarter, the Hawks were leading, 93–92, and had the ball. Kevin Huerter attempted a 3-point shot that missed, but was fouled by Matisse Thybulle, sending him to the line where he made 3 free throws. On the next possession, Danilo Gallinari stripped Joel Embiid of the ball and then dunked to make it 98–92 in favor of the Hawks, who from that point on had complete control of the game. The Atlanta Hawks upset the top-seeded 76ers to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 6 years.

Kevin Huerter was the Hawks' top scorer with 27 points, John Collins grabbed 16 rebounds and Trae Young had 10 assists.

For the Sixers, Joel Embiid scored 31 points, while Tobias Harris grabbed 14 rebounds.

Ben Simmons' Game 7 performance was criticized as he scored only 5 points with 13 assists. With 3:30 left in the 4th quarter and the Sixers down 2, Simmons passed up a wide open dunk and instead passed to Matisse Thybulle, who got fouled and split the free throws. Sixers' coach Doc Rivers was asked in his post-game conference if Simmons could be the point guard of a championship team, with Rivers responding "I don't know the answer to that right now". Joel Embiid cited the decision as the turning point of the game.

Eventually it would be Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond & Seth Curry's last playoff game as a 76er, as all of them were traded to the Brooklyn Nets on February 10, 2022.

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning both previous meetings.[43]

(2) Brooklyn Nets vs. (3) Milwaukee Bucks

June 5
7:30pm
Milwaukee Bucks 107, Brooklyn Nets 115
Scoring by quarter: 32–30, 29–33, 23–35, 23–17
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 34
Rebs: Khris Middleton 13
Asts: Jrue Holiday 6
Pts: Kevin Durant 29
Rebs: Blake Griffin 14
Asts: Kyrie Irving 8
Brooklyn leads series, 1–0
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
Attendance: 15,750
Referees: David Guthrie, Bill Kennedy, Mark Lindsay
June 7
7:30pm
Milwaukee Bucks 86, Brooklyn Nets 125
Scoring by quarter: 19–36, 22–29, 24–30, 21–30
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 18
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 11
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 4
Pts: Kevin Durant 32
Rebs: Blake Griffin 8
Asts: Durant, Irving 6 each
Brooklyn leads series, 2–0
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
Attendance: 15,776
Referees: Kane Fitzgerald, Pat Fraher, James Williams
June 10
7:30pm (6:30pm CDT)
Brooklyn Nets 83, Milwaukee Bucks 86
Scoring by quarter: 11–30, 31–15, 23–22, 18–19
Pts: Kevin Durant 30
Rebs: Brown, Durant 11 each
Asts: Kevin Durant 5
Pts: Khris Middleton 35
Rebs: Khris Middleton 15
Asts: Jrue Holiday 5
Brooklyn leads series, 2–1
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Attendance: 16,310
Referees: Marc Davis, Eric Lewis, Tyler Ford
June 13
3:00pm (2:00pm CDT)
Brooklyn Nets 96, Milwaukee Bucks 107
Scoring by quarter: 26–23, 22–30, 21–28, 27–26
Pts: Kevin Durant 28
Rebs: Kevin Durant 13
Asts: Kevin Durant 5
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 34
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 12
Asts: Jrue Holiday 9
Series tied, 2–2
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Attendance: 16,310
Referees: Scott Foster, Tony Brothers, Ed Malloy
June 15
8:30pm
Milwaukee Bucks 108, Brooklyn Nets 114
Scoring by quarter: 29–15, 30–28, 28–38, 21–33
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 34
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 12
Asts: Jrue Holiday 8
Pts: Kevin Durant 49
Rebs: Kevin Durant 17
Asts: Kevin Durant 10
Brooklyn leads series, 3–2
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
Attendance: 16,067
Referees: James Capers, Ken Mauer, Ben Taylor
June 17
8:30pm (7:30pm CDT)
Brooklyn Nets 89, Milwaukee Bucks 104
Scoring by quarter: 19–26, 29–33, 19–19, 22–26
Pts: Kevin Durant 32
Rebs: Kevin Durant 11
Asts: James Harden 7
Pts: Khris Middleton 38
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 17
Asts: Holiday, Middleton 5 each
Series tied, 3–3
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Attendance: 16,310
Referees: Zach Zarba, Kane Fitzgerald, Courtney Kirkland
June 19
8:30pm
Milwaukee Bucks 115, Brooklyn Nets 111 (OT)
Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 22–25, 35–28, 27–28, Overtime: 6–2
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 40
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 13
Asts: Jrue Holiday 8
Pts: Kevin Durant 48
Rebs: Blake Griffin 11
Asts: James Harden 9
Milwaukee wins series, 4–3
Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York City
Attendance: 16,287
Referees: Marc Davis, John Goble, Josh Tiven

Game 7 would go on to be an instant classic with both teams locked in for the entire game. In the final seconds of regulation, Kevin Durant appeared to have given the Nets a 1-point lead on a fadeaway three-point shot with 1 second left. Replay showed, however, that his foot was on the line. With the score tied at 109, Milwaukee had a chance to win the series, but Giannis Antetokounmpo's turnaround jump shot missed, sending the game into overtime. The Nets held a two-point lead until the final 90 seconds of overtime where the Bucks would score on back-to-back possessions to get on the board and take a 113–111 lead with 40 seconds remaining. The Nets had possession in the last 15 seconds of the game, with Durant shooting a similar turnaround game-tying, almost-three-point jump shot; however, it was an airball. The Bucks subsequently sealed the game on two free throws by Brook Lopez (a former Net), sending them to the Eastern Conference finals for the second time in three years. This marked the first game seven to go into overtime since 2006 involving the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs, which the Mavericks won and prevented the team from blowing a 3–1 lead to the Spurs. It was also the Bucks' first victory on the road in a postseason game seven, having gone 0–7 in previous playoff road game seven's. It also became the seventh team in NBA playoff history and the first since the 2017–18 Cleveland Cavaliers that a road team won game seven in the postseason also joined by other teams the 1968–69 Boston Celtics (who upset the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1969 series.), 1970–71 Baltimore Bullets (who were swept by eventual champions Bucks in the 1971 series.), the 2006–07 Utah Jazz, 2007–08 San Antonio Spurs, the 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2017–18 Cleveland Cavaliers, and followed by 2021–22 Dallas Mavericks, and also the third team in NBA playoff history to win game seven on the road in overtime joined the 2001–02 Los Angeles Lakers, and the 2005–06 Mavericks' team.

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, but the first since the New Jersey Nets relocated to Brooklyn and became the Brooklyn Nets in 2012, with the Bucks winning two of the first three meetings.[44]

Western Conference semifinals

(1) Utah Jazz vs. (4) Los Angeles Clippers

June 8
10:00pm (8:00 pm MDT)
Los Angeles Clippers 109, Utah Jazz 112
Scoring by quarter: 25–18, 35–29, 19–32, 30–33
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 23
Rebs: Paul George 10
Asts: Rajon Rondo 6
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 45
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 12
Asts: Joe Ingles 7
Utah leads series, 1–0
Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Attendance: 18,007
Referees: John Goble, Eric Lewis, Brian Forte
June 10
10:00pm (8:00 pm MDT)
Los Angeles Clippers 111, Utah Jazz 117
Scoring by quarter: 29–30, 24–36, 33–27, 25–24
Pts: Reggie Jackson 29
Rebs: Morris, George 10 each
Asts: Paul George 6
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 37
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 20
Asts: Ingles, Mitchell 4 each
Utah leads series, 2–0
Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Attendance: 18,007
Referees: Scott Foster, Tre Maddox, Kevin Cutler
June 12
8:30pm (5:30 pm PDT)
Utah Jazz 106, Los Angeles Clippers 132
Scoring by quarter: 23–27, 26–37, 34–30, 23–38
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 30
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 10
Asts: Donovan Mitchell 4
Pts: Kawhi Leonard 34
Rebs: Kawhi Leonard 12
Asts: George, Leonard 5 each
Utah leads series, 2–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 8,185
Referees: Kane Fitzgerald, James Williams, Michael Smith
June 14
10:00pm (7:00 pm PDT)
Utah Jazz 104, Los Angeles Clippers 118
Scoring by quarter: 13–30, 31–38, 29–26, 31–24
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 37
Rebs: O'Neale, Gobert 8 each
Asts: Bogdanović, Mitchell 5 each
Pts: Leonard, George 31 each
Rebs: Paul George 9
Asts: Batum, George 4 each
Series tied, 2–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 8,474
Referees: Zach Zarba, Sean Wright, Sean Corbin
June 16
10:00pm (8:00 pm MDT)
Los Angeles Clippers 119, Utah Jazz 111
Scoring by quarter: 36–37, 24–28, 32–18, 27–28
Pts: Paul George 37
Rebs: Paul George 16
Asts: Paul George 5
Pts: Bojan Bogdanović 32
Rebs: Rudy Gobert 10
Asts: Joe Ingles 6
LA Clippers leads series, 3–2
Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
Attendance: 18,007
Referees: John Goble, Josh Tiven, Curtis Blair
June 18
10:00pm (7:00 pm PDT)
Utah Jazz 119, Los Angeles Clippers 131
Scoring by quarter: 33–31, 39–19, 22–41, 25–40
Pts: Donovan Mitchell 39
Rebs: Gobert, O'Neale 10 each
Asts: Donovan Mitchell 9
Pts: Terance Mann 39
Rebs: Paul George 9
Asts: Reggie Jackson 10
LA Clippers wins series, 4–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 17,105
Referees: James Capers, Eric Lewis, Kevin Scott

The Clippers were trailing by 22 at the end of the first half in Game 6. They went down 25 at the start of the third quarter, before a retaliation led by Terance Mann allowed the Clippers to fight back to within 3 points at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth, the momentum from the third quarter and Utah's struggles allowed the Clippers to complete the comeback, becoming the first team to recover from being down 0–2 twice in the same playoffs, and reaching their first Conference finals in franchise history.[45]

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the previous three meetings.[46]

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (3) Denver Nuggets

June 7
10:00pm (7:00 pm MST)
Denver Nuggets 105, Phoenix Suns 122
Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 30–29, 21–31, 26–34
Pts: Nikola Jokić 22
Rebs: JaMychal Green 11
Asts: Campazzo, Morris 6 each
Pts: Mikal Bridges 23
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 10
Asts: Chris Paul 11
Phoenix leads series, 1–0
Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 16,219
Referees: Marc Davis, Courtney Kirkland, Kevin Scott
June 9
9:30pm (6:30pm MST)
Denver Nuggets 98, Phoenix Suns 123
Scoring by quarter: 21–25, 21–27, 25–34, 31–37
Pts: Nikola Jokić 24
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 13
Asts: Nikola Jokić 6
Pts: Devin Booker 18
Rebs: Ayton, Booker 10 each
Asts: Chris Paul 15
Phoenix leads series, 2–0
Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 16,529
Referees: Zach Zarba, Josh Tiven, Bill Kennedy
June 11
10:00pm (8:00pm MDT)
Phoenix Suns 116, Denver Nuggets 102
Scoring by quarter: 37–27, 22–28, 31–21, 26–26
Pts: Devin Booker 28
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 15
Asts: Chris Paul 8
Pts: Nikola Jokić 32
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 20
Asts: Nikola Jokić 10
Phoenix leads series, 3–0
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Attendance: 18,277
Referees: James Capers, Sean Wright, Ben Taylor
June 13
8:00pm (6:00pm MDT)
Phoenix Suns 125, Denver Nuggets 118
Scoring by quarter: 28–22, 35–33, 33–28, 29–35
Pts: Chris Paul 37
Rebs: Devin Booker 11
Asts: Chris Paul 7
Pts: Will Barton 25
Rebs: Nikola Jokić 11
Asts: Monté Morris 6
Phoenix wins series, 4–0
Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Attendance: 18,290
Referees: David Guthrie, Pat Fraher, Rodney Mott

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Phoenix winning two of the first three meetings.[47]

Conference finals

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Eastern Conference finals

(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

June 23
8:30pm (7:30pm CDT)
Atlanta Hawks 116, Milwaukee Bucks 113
Scoring by quarter: 25–28, 29–31, 34–26, 28–28
Pts: Trae Young 48
Rebs: Clint Capela 19
Asts: Trae Young 11
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 34
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 12
Asts: Jrue Holiday 10
Atlanta leads series, 1–0
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Attendance: 16,310
Referees: Zach Zarba, Eric Lewis, Tyler Ford

Atlanta's top offensive star, Trae Young, scored 48 points in his conference finals debut, while the Hawks rallied in the 2nd half to beat the Bucks in game 1 in Milwaukee, aided by 5 offensive rebounds in the final 2 minutes.

June 25
8:30pm (7:30pm CDT)
Atlanta Hawks 91, Milwaukee Bucks 125
Scoring by quarter: 28–34, 17–43, 18–26, 28–22
Pts: Trae Young 15
Rebs: Capela, Collins 8 each
Asts: Bogdan Bogdanović 4
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 25
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 9
Asts: Khris Middleton 8
Series tied, 1–1
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Attendance: 16,422
Referees: Scott Foster, Pat Fraher, Courtney Kirkland

The Bucks rode a 20–0 scoring run in the 2nd quarter to run away with a game 2 victory.

June 27
8:30pm
Milwaukee Bucks 113, Atlanta Hawks 102
Scoring by quarter: 27–32, 29–24, 27–29, 30–17
Pts: Khris Middleton 38
Rebs: Antetokounmpo, Middleton 11 each
Asts: Jrue Holiday 12
Pts: Trae Young 35
Rebs: Clint Capela 11
Asts: Kevin Huerter 7
Milwaukee leads series, 2–1
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Attendance: 16,650
Referees: Marc Davis, Sean Wright, Kevin Scott

Trailing by 2 points going into the 4th quarter, the Bucks' Khris Middleton would carry Milwaukee to victory in game 3, outscoring Atlanta in the final quarter by himself, 20–17, en route to a game-high 38 points, putting the Bucks back in the lead in the series and getting back homecourt advantage. Atlanta's loss was also compounded when Trae Young suffered a bruised foot when he rolled his ankle over a referee's foot, leaving his status for the rest of the series in doubt.

June 29
8:30pm
Milwaukee Bucks 88, Atlanta Hawks 110
Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 16–26, 24–36, 26–23
Pts: Jrue Holiday 19
Rebs: Antetokounmpo, Middleton 8 each
Asts: Jrue Holiday 9
Pts: Lou Williams 21
Rebs: Capela, Collins 7 each
Asts: Lou Williams 8
Series tied, 2–2
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Attendance: 16,478
Referees: James Capers, Josh Tiven, Tom Washington

The Bucks' 3-point woes returned in game 4, as the team only shot 21% (8–39) in a loss to Atlanta that evened the series once more. Even worse, the Bucks' superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, hyperextended his knee while trying to defend an alley-oop dunk, though an MRI the following day revealed no structural damage, and Antetokounmpo potentially available for either game 7 or the NBA Finals.

July 1
8:30pm (7:30pm CDT)
Atlanta Hawks 112, Milwaukee Bucks 123
Scoring by quarter: 22–36, 34–29, 22–26, 34–32
Pts: Bogdan Bogdanović 28
Rebs: Capela, Collins 8 each
Asts: Kevin Huerter 7
Pts: Brook Lopez 33
Rebs: Khris Middleton 13
Asts: Jrue Holiday 13
Milwaukee leads series, 3–2
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Attendance: 16,389
Referees: David Guthrie, Tony Brothers, James Williams

With both teams' stars out with injuries, both the Hawks and Bucks needed contributions from their other players in game 5. The Bucks would deliver, led by Brook Lopez's 33 points. In addition to Lopez, 3 other Bucks starters (Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Bobby Portis) scored at least 20 points. While Atlanta kept the game close, aided by Bogdan Bogdanovic's 28 points, the Bucks took a 3–2 series lead, leaving them one win away from the Eastern Conference championship.

July 3
8:30pm
Milwaukee Bucks 118, Atlanta Hawks 107
Scoring by quarter: 28–24, 19–19, 44–29, 27–35
Pts: Khris Middleton 32
Rebs: Holiday, Portis 9 each
Asts: Jrue Holiday 9
Pts: Cam Reddish 21
Rebs: John Collins 11
Asts: Trae Young 9
Milwaukee wins series, 4–2
State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Attendance: 16,620
Referees: Zach Zarba, Eric Lewis, Sean Wright

Facing elimination, the Hawks got Trae Young back to start game 6, but he still struggled with his injured foot, scoring only 14 points. After leading Atlanta by only 4 points at halftime, Khris Middleton would score the Bucks' first 16 points of the 3rd quarter to build a 19-point lead going into the 4th quarter. The Bucks would weather a wave of hot shooting from Bogdan Bogdanovic and Cam Reddish, helped by a crucial 3-point shot by PJ Tucker, and an alley-oop dunk by Brook Lopez that essentially clinched the game and the series for the Bucks. The victory gave the Bucks the Eastern Conference championship, their 3rd overall conference title (though the previous two were for the Western Conference), and their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1974.

Game 6 was also the final game announced by famed basketball broadcaster Marv Albert.

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two series apiece.[48] Four months later, two teams from Milwaukee and Atlanta would meet again in a sports postseason as the Braves beat the Brewers in the 2021 NLDS.

Western Conference finals

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (4) Los Angeles Clippers

June 20
3:30pm (12:30pm MST)
Los Angeles Clippers 114, Phoenix Suns 120
Scoring by quarter: 21–21, 33–36, 39–36, 21–27
Pts: Paul George 34
Rebs: Nicolas Batum 10
Asts: Rajon Rondo 7
Pts: Devin Booker 40
Rebs: Devin Booker 13
Asts: Devin Booker 11
Phoenix leads series, 1–0
Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 16,583
Referees: David Guthrie, Tony Brothers, Ben Taylor
June 22
9:00pm (6:00pm MST)
Los Angeles Clippers 103, Phoenix Suns 104
Scoring by quarter: 22–25, 25–23, 24–27, 32–29
Pts: Paul George 26
Rebs: Ivica Zubac 11
Asts: Paul George 6
Pts: Cameron Payne 29
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 14
Asts: Cameron Payne 9
Phoenix leads series, 2–0
Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 16,645
Referees: Scott Foster, Kane Fitzgerald, Curtis Blair
June 24
9:00pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Phoenix Suns 92, Los Angeles Clippers 106
Scoring by quarter: 21–29, 27–17, 21–34, 23–26
Pts: Deandre Ayton 18
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 9
Asts: Chris Paul 12
Pts: Paul George 27
Rebs: Ivica Zubac 16
Asts: Paul George 8
Phoenix leads series, 2–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 17,222
Referees: Marc Davis, John Goble, James Williams
June 26
9:00pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Phoenix Suns 84, Los Angeles Clippers 80
Scoring by quarter: 29–20, 21–16, 19–30, 15–14
Pts: Devin Booker 25
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 22
Asts: Chris Paul 7
Pts: Paul George 23
Rebs: Paul George 16
Asts: Paul George 6
Phoenix leads series, 3–1
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 18,222
Referees: Zach Zarba, Eric Lewis, Ken Mauer

The Clippers shot 0 of 12 in the fourth quarter on shots that could have tied the game or taken the lead. That is the most such attempts without a make in the fourth quarter of a game over the last 25 postseasons. During the last 8 seconds of the game when the Clippers trailed by 1 point, there was a controversial call where Nicolas Batum of the Clippers deflected the ball off the finger tips of Cameron Payne of the Suns, but the ball was given to the Suns. There was no review of the play despite a heavy plea from the Clippers.

June 28
9:00pm (6:00pm MST)
Los Angeles Clippers 116, Phoenix Suns 102
Scoring by quarter: 36–26, 23–26, 32–26, 25–24
Pts: Paul George 41
Rebs: Paul George 13
Asts: Paul George 6
Pts: Devin Booker 31
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 11
Asts: Chris Paul 8
Phoenix leads series, 3–2
Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 16,664
Referees: David Guthrie, Pat Fraher, Courtney Kirkland
June 30
9:00pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Phoenix Suns 130, Los Angeles Clippers 103
Scoring by quarter: 33–29, 33–28, 31–26, 33–20
Pts: Chris Paul 41
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 17
Asts: Chris Paul 8
Pts: Marcus Morris 26
Rebs: George, Morris 9 each
Asts: Reggie Jackson 8
Phoenix wins series, 4–2
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 18,495
Referees: Marc Davis, John Goble, Sean Wright

Chris Paul's 41 points matched his career high with that of his performance as a member of the Houston Rockets in Game 5 against the Utah Jazz in 2018, both of which were series clinchers. Paul previously played for the Clippers from 2011 to 2017. Patrick Beverley shoved Paul during a timeout, which led to an ejection, a flagrant foul, a technical foul and being suspended by the league president, former All-Star player and former head coach Kiki VanDeWeghe and current league commissioner Adam Silver for the first game of the 2021–22 season. This turned out to be the last game of Beverley's career with the Clippers before being traded away twice to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Beverley became the first player to be suspended for first game of the following season since Andrew Bynum in the 2011 NBA playoffs, for shoving and elbowing J. J. Barea during the Los Angeles Lakers' eventual four–game sweep by the eventual NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks.

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the previous meeting.[49]

NBA Finals

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.
July 6
9:00pm (6:00pm MST)
Milwaukee Bucks 105, Phoenix Suns 118
Scoring by quarter: 26–30, 23–27, 27–35, 29–26
Pts: Khris Middleton 29
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 17
Asts: Jrue Holiday 9
Pts: Chris Paul 32
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 19
Asts: Chris Paul 9
Phoenix leads series, 1–0
Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 16,557
Referees: Marc Davis, Josh Tiven, Pat Fraher
July 8
9:00pm (6:00pm MST)
Milwaukee Bucks 108, Phoenix Suns 118
Scoring by quarter: 29–26, 16–30, 33–32, 30–30
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 42
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 12
Asts: Khris Middleton 8
Pts: Devin Booker 31
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 11
Asts: Chris Paul 8
Phoenix leads series, 2–0
Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 16,583
Referees: Zach Zarba, Tony Brothers, Sean Wright
July 11
8:00pm (7:00pm CDT)
Phoenix Suns 100, Milwaukee Bucks 120
Scoring by quarter: 28–25, 17–35, 31–38, 24–22
Pts: Chris Paul 19
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 9
Asts: Chris Paul 9
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 41
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 13
Asts: Jrue Holiday 9
Phoenix leads series, 2–1
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Attendance: 16,637
Referees: Scott Foster, Eric Lewis, James Williams
July 14
9:00pm (8:00pm CDT)
Phoenix Suns 103, Milwaukee Bucks 109
Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 29–32, 30–24, 21–33
Pts: Devin Booker 42
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 17
Asts: Chris Paul 7
Pts: Khris Middleton 40
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 14
Asts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 8
Series tied, 2–2
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Attendance: 16,911
Referees: James Capers, David Guthrie, Courtney Kirkland
July 17
9:00pm (6:00pm MST)
Milwaukee Bucks 123, Phoenix Suns 119
Scoring by quarter: 21–37, 43–24, 36–29, 23–29
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 32
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 9
Asts: Jrue Holiday 13
Pts: Devin Booker 40
Rebs: Deandre Ayton 10
Asts: Chris Paul 11
Milwaukee leads series, 3–2
Footprint Center, Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 16,562
Referees: Marc Davis, Josh Tiven, James Williams
July 20
9:00pm (8:00pm CDT)
Phoenix Suns 98, Milwaukee Bucks 105
Scoring by quarter: 16–29, 31–13, 30–35, 21–28
Pts: Chris Paul 26
Rebs: Jae Crowder 13
Asts: Booker, Paul 5 each
Pts: Giannis Antetokounmpo 50
Rebs: Giannis Antetokounmpo 14
Asts: Jrue Holiday 11
Milwaukee wins series, 4–2
Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
Attendance: 17,397
Referees: Scott Foster, Eric Lewis, Tony Brothers

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first meeting.[50]

Statistical leaders

CategoryGame HighAverage
PlayerTeamHighPlayerTeamAvg.GP
Points Damian LillardPortland Trail Blazers55 Luka DončićDallas Mavericks35.77
Rebounds Deandre AytonPhoenix Suns22 Giannis AntetokounmpoMilwaukee Bucks12.821
Assists James Harden
Trae Young
Brooklyn Nets
Atlanta Hawks
18 Russell WestbrookWashington Wizards11.85
Steals Kyle AndersonMemphis Grizzlies6 Kyle AndersonMemphis Grizzlies2.85
Blocks Robert WilliamsBoston Celtics9 Rudy GobertUtah Jazz2.111

Notable fan incidents

Throughout the playoffs, there were a number of incidents at multiple games involving fans:

Media coverage

Television

ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV broadcast the playoffs nationally in the United States. During the first two rounds, games were split by ESPN, ABC, and TNT. TNT primarily aired games on Saturday through Wednesday while ESPN does so on Friday and Saturday. For Thursday games, TNT had them in the first round and ESPN in the second round. ABC then aired selected games in the first two rounds on Friday through Sunday. NBA TV also televised selected games in the first round on Tuesday through Thursday. Regional sports networks affiliated with teams also broadcast the games, except for weekend games televised on ABC.[lower-alpha 1] ESPN/ABC had exclusive coverage of the Western Conference finals while TNT had exclusive coverage of the Eastern Conference finals. ABC had exclusive coverage of the NBA Finals for the 19th straight year.

This was the final postseason for Marv Albert, who announced his retirement on May 17, 2021. Albert, who turned 80 in June, had spent most of the previous 31 years as the lead broadcaster for NBA coverage on TNT and NBC.[58]

Notes

  1. Game 3 of the Celtics–Nets first round series aired nationally on ABC and co-existed with the teams' respective regional sports networks.

See also

References

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