NBA conference finals: Schedule, predictions for four remaining teams

Sixteen teams entered the NBA postseason, but only four remain. The Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, and New York Knicks have advanced to the Western Conference Finals and Eastern Conference Finals, respectively. The Thunder and Knicks were here last season, but with different results. The Spurs, meanwhile, were WCF staples for a good chunk of the 21st century, but this is their first time back in the Victor Wembanyama era. The Cavaliers are trying to prove that their core is for real. What will actually happen in the conference finals, though? Below are schedules and predictions for the last round of the playoffs before the NBA Finals.

Conference Finals schedule

Note: All times are in Eastern time zone

New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers:

Game 1: Cavaliers @ Knicks, Tuesday. May 19 at 8 p.m.

Game 2: Cavaliers @ Knicks, Thursday, May 21 at 8 p.m.

Game 3: Knicks @ Cavaliers, Saturday, May 23 at 8 p.m.

Game 4: Knicks @ Cavaliers, Monday, May 25 at 8 p.m.

Game 5: Cavaliers @ Knicks, Wednesday, May 27 at 8 p.m.

Game 6: Knicks @ Cavaliers, Friday, May 29 at 8 p.m.

Game 7: Cavaliers @ Knicks, Sunday, May 31 at 8 p.m.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs:

Game 1: Spurs @ Thunder, Monday, May 18 at 8:30 p.m.

Game 2: Spurs @ Thunder, Wednesday, May 20 at 8:30 p.m.

Game 3: Thunder @ Spurs, Friday, May 22 at 8:30 p.m.

Game 4: Thunder @ Spurs, Sunday, May 24 at 8 p.m.

Game 5: Spurs @ Thunder, Tuesday, May 26 at 8:30 p.m.

Game 6: Thunder @ Spurs, Thursday, May 28 at 8:30 p.m.

Game 7: Spurs @ Thunder, Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m.

Western Conference Finals prediction

Despite their youth, the Thunder have experience. They not only won in the Western Conference Finals last year, but they went on to win the championship. Nothing has shown that they won’t repeat this year, and the team has dynasty written all over them. They have far from a cake walk in the WCF, though. The Spurs are also young and hungry. Like Oklahoma City, they have great depth, an MVP-caliber player, and tons of defensive firepower.

Wembanyama completely alters game plans because of his rim protection. The Defensive Player of the Year averaged 3.1 blocks per game in the regular season. That number is up to 4.1 in the postseason. The French big man is a freak on offense, too, as, despite his 7-foot-4 frame, he can operate as a dribbler and hit stepback jump shots. While Wembanyama is the face of the franchise, there is plenty to be excited about in San Antonio. Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle are inexperienced, but they play with a competitive fire and winning determination that is far advanced for their age. Plus, the team’s 3-point shooting has been stellar in the postseason. That was arguably the team’s biggest concern coming into the NBA playoffs.

The Thunder have a lanky shot blocker in their own right in Chet Holmgren. There is no lost love between him and Wembanyama, as the two sparked a rivalry well before reaching the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just won his second straight MVP award, and Mark Daignault has the tools to adjust his rotation on a game-to-game basis.

The Thunder’s depth, versatility, and fluidity will be too much for the Spurs to handle. Plus, Jalen Williams is returning to the fold. It tends to take a postseason heartbreak before teams take the step to become champions, and the Thunder will hand the Spurs that hurt. There are too many defenders on the OKC roster, including Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace, as well as too many shooters, like Isaiah Joe and Jared McCain, for the Spurs to pull out a win. Oklahoma City will finish the job in five games, which does mean the Spurs will hand them their first loss of the NBA playoffs at some point in this series.

Eastern Conference Finals prediction

The Eastern Conference Finals are bound to be more competitive than the matchup out West. This series seems likely to go seven games, but who will advance to the championship? The Knicks have a defensive identity highlighted by elite perimeter defense from Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges. Mitchell Robinson is a premier rim protector, too. Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns hold things down on offense, the guard as one of the best floor generals in the league and the center as perhaps the best 3-point shooting big man in NBA history.

Donovan Mitchell is the engine that makes the Cavaliers work. He can score at will from all three levels, and he is particularly potent in the postseason, which is evidenced by his three 50-point games in the NBA playoffs. No other active player has that many 50-point postseason performances. Mitchell has been teamed up with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen for a while now, but the core just hasn’t been able to get to the conference finals, so their Game 7 win over the Detroit Pistons could serve as motivation going forward.

The series might come down to the successes or failures of James Harden. The former MVP is top 10 on the all-time scoring list and a multiple-time league leader in assists. Clearly, The Beard has all of the talent in the world. However, he has become well-known for his postseason regression. He even struggled with some costly turnovers in the conference semifinals.

If Harden can play like his regular season self and not his postseason self, the Cavaliers can win this series. Playoff bunders have proven to be a part of the Harden experience, though, and that will cost Cleveland. New York wins this in seven games.

The post NBA conference finals: Schedule, predictions for four remaining teams appeared first on ClutchPoints.