The NBA playoffs have produced some truly amazing upsets this year. At the start of the season, not many would have put their money on any of the four teams that populate the Eastern and Western Conference finals, except maybe the Thunder. The results of the various brackets have astounded fans and pundits alike. With last year’s champions out, this year promises a unique twist as all four teams have waited a long time to get this far.
The Western Conference has given us a lot to talk about
The wild, wild West has been the “flashier side” of the NBA for a few decades now. Since the Lakers became the toast of the town in Hollywood, the teams in the West have dominated the NBA for the best part of 20 years. However, that record has began to shift. As of 2024, the East has produced more NBA Championship winning teams, evening out the talent pool and financial returns.
The talk of the town in the Western Conference this year before the playoffs was the Luka Dončić trade by the Dallas Mavericks to the LA Lakers. The NBA was excited to see how far the Lakers could get with the Superstar pairing of Lebron James and Luka Dončić. The Lakers would ultimately fail as they were beaten by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.
The Wolves would then go on to beat the Golden State Warriors, setting them up for a matchup against the top seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder and a certain MVP candidate are on the team to beat this year. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the best thing to come out of Canada since Steve Nash. With the Thunder winning Game 1 against the Wolves, Minnesota has a lot riding on this season, as they have never reached the NBA Finals before.
The NBA’s Eastern Conference arguably has the better teams overall
The Eastern Conference has produced some shocking results in 2025. Chief among those, early on in the playoffs, was the Indiana Pacers defeating the Milwaukee Bucks and their star, Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Pacers have Tyrese Haliburton leading them this year, and defeating the Bucks must have felt good for the Pacers and their fans.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were on a tear as well, but the team ultimately fell short against the Pacers after beating the Miami Heat. However, the star of the Eastern Conference has got to be the New York Knicks. They produced the upset of the year as they somehow managed to beat the Champions, the Boston Celtics. The Celtics just never seemed to own that title and were dispatched rather easily, considering the talent and championship rings the team has.
The problems for the Celtics only got worse, and the Knicks, being led by one of the best point guards in the league recently, Jaylen Brunson, pulled off a truly remarkable upset by beating the Celtics. The matchup between the Knicks and Pacers is promising to be as spectacular as the rest of this season’s playoffs.
Who will win the ultimate prize in basketball this year, West or East?
With the NBA Finals looming, the majority of the teams have turned their attention to the talent in the Draft Lottery. However, NBA fans are glued to their screens, as the last time any of the four finalists won the Finals was way back in 1979. The Thunder is the team that came closest of the four. The odds are slightly leaning towards the Thunder winning it all as they have the better record overall, but we all know how much New York wants that elusive title as the NBA Champion side. Regardless, everyone is looking forward to the showdown.
