The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world. Every year, the best teams from across the United States and Canada compete against each other in a grueling playoff series to determine who will be crowned champions. This year, 16 teams are vying for the championship title, but only two will make it to the NBA Finals. So, how many teams are left in the NBA Finals?
The NBA Playoffs
The NBA playoffs are a single-elimination tournament that takes place after the regular season. The top eight teams in each of the Eastern and Western Conferences qualify for the playoffs. Throughout the playoffs, teams compete in a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games advancing to the next round. The winners of the conference finals move on to the NBA Finals.
The 2021 NBA Playoffs
The 2021 NBA playoffs are underway, with the first round beginning on May 22. The defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, are the top seed in the Western Conference and are looking to repeat as champions this year. In the East, the Brooklyn Nets are the top seed, led by superstars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.
The teams that are still in the running for the championship are the Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and the Atlanta Hawks. All of these teams have fought hard and played well throughout the season and the playoffs so far.
The NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the league’s championship series, where the two best teams in the league go head-to-head to determine who will be crowned the champions. The two teams left in the NBA Finals are the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.
The Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are the defending champions and the top seed in the Western Conference. They have been led by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who were both instrumental in leading the team to the championship last year. The Lakers have also been bolstered by the addition of veteran guard Dennis Schröder and forward Montrezl Harrell, both of whom have been key contributors throughout the season.
The Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are the second seed in the Western Conference. They have been led by All-Star guard Devin Booker and have received contributions from a number of other players, such as Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, and Mikal Bridges. The Suns have been on an incredible run in the playoffs, upsetting the defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the first round and then going on to defeat the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz to reach the NBA Finals.
Conclusion
The 2021 NBA Finals are just around the corner, and only two teams remain in the hunt for the championship title. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns have both been incredibly impressive this season and have shown that they have what it takes to be crowned champions. It should be an exciting series, with two teams that are both capable of winning the championship.