Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are headed to the Western Conference Finals after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in 6 games.
This series was an exciting matchup between 2 top MVP candidates in Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who both played extremely well in this series.
In this series, Luka averaged:
24.7 Points
10.5 Rebounds
8.7 Assists
1.8 Steals.
Shai averaged:
32.2 Points
8 Rebounds
7.3 Assists
1.2 Steals
A very impressive series from both MVP-level players.
This is the second time in his career that Luka will make the conference finals, but he has never made it past this to the finals.
The Mavericks will now play the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, which starts on Wednesday.
Pacers
The Indiana Pacers will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals after defeating the Knicks in 7 games.
This series was a great matchup between 2 amazing players Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton.
In this series, Haliburton averaged a very solid:
21.3 Points
7 Assists
4.3 Rebounds
53.8% of shots made
Brunson averaged an impressive:
29.7 Points
6.1 Assits
2.3 Rebounds
46.1% of shots made
While the Pacers did play very well, the biggest factor in this series was the Knicks' injuries.
The Knicks had to play all or some of this series without these great players:
Julius Randle (3x all-star and one of the best players on the team)
Mitchell Robinson (one of the team's best defenders and rebounders)
OG Anunoby (one of the team's best defenders and a great scorer)
Bojan Bogdanovic (a reliable scorer off the bench)
Josh Hart (one of the team's best rebounders, and a great scorer)
Jalen Brunson (the team's best player and one of the best players in the NBA) also got injured during game 7 and was unable to play most of the 4th quarter.
So while the Pacers did play well, it would have been a more interesting and exciting matchup if the Knicks had been healthy and not missing most of their starters.
The Pacers will now play the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, starting on Thursday.
Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are headed to the Western Conference Finals after eliminating the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
The Nuggets and 3x MVP Nikola Jokic won the championship last year, so this was a tough matchup for the Timberwolves, who were able to win the series in 7 games.
A big part of this series was the star players Nikola Jokic and Anthony Edwards.
In this series, Jokic averaged a really impressive:
29 Points
11.4 Rebounds
7.9 Assists
1.6 Steals
51.7% of shots made
Anthony Edwards averaged a very strong:
27.7 Points
5.7 Assists
5.1 Rebounds
1.6 Steals
50% of shots made
All 4 of the star players left in the playoffs (Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, Anthony Edwards, and Tyrese Haliburton) have never won an NBA championship, so they are likely all very motivated.
This year there will also be a sixth different NBA champion in the last 6 years, which ties the longest streak in NBA history.
The Eastern Conference Finals begin on Tuesday, May 21st.
The Western Conference Finals begin on Wednesday, May 22nd.
The NBA Finals begin on Thursday, June 6th.