When will the NBA Finals start if the Dallas Mavericks sweep the Minnesota Timberwolves?
The Boston Celtics secured their spot in the Finals in Game 4, and now the Dallas Mavericks can do the same in Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And then there were three. At least for the time being. The Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves are fighting for the last spot in the NBA Finals, and if the Mavs can take care of business at home tonight they will be moving on to face the Boston Celtics in the championship series.
Boston moving on
Boston has cruised through the playoffs in all three of their series in the Eastern Conference. They took down the eighth seeded Miami Heat and exacted revenge after getting knocked out by the same team last season. That set up a showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
They won both series in five games and were awaiting an Indiana team that just got done with a seven game series against the New York Knicks. Indiana came into the series battered and bruised, but gave the Celtics a hell of a fight despite losing in four games. The Boston Celtics secured their spot in the Finals just two seasons after suffering a 4-2 defeat to the Golden State Warriors back in 2022.
Dallas knocking on the door
The Celtics are awaiting the winner of the Mavs - Wolves series, and they may not have to wait too long to find out their next opponent. Dallas jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the road thanks to a three point win in Game 1 and a Luka Doncic game winner in Game 2. Dallas returned home for Game 3, and used a 14-3 run to end the fourth quarter to take a 3-0 lead.
If the Mavericks win Game 4, it would be the first time two Conference Finals were determined by sweeps in the same year. It would be unprecedented if Dallas could wrap up the series tonight and return to the Finals 13 years after their last appearance.
The NBA has had Game 1 of the NBA Finals scheduled for June 6th since the beginning of the season, but they probably didn’t count on two sweeps in the Conference Finals. According to sources there will be no change to the start date even if the Western Conference Finals ends in four games, which would give teams plenty of time to rest and recover for an epic series for Larry O’Brien’s trophy.