List of every NBA Finals sweep in league history

The 2024 NBA Finals are almost here. Set to start on June 6, they are barely a week away. After quickly taking care of the Indiana Pacers, the Boston Celtics are patiently awaiting their next opponent. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves just avoided a sweep by winning Game 4 in the West. 

Even though the Timberwolves escaped the sweep, this year's playoffs have featured quite a few of those. The Phoenix Suns and the New Orleans Pelicans were both swept in the first round, and the Pacers were swept in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

But how likely is it to see a sweep in the Finals? While it is not incredibly likely—after all, the two teams in the finals should be some of the best teams in the league—it has happened several times before. 

List of every NBA Finals sweep in history

2018: The Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 

2007: The San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 

2002: The Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Jersey Nets 4-0

1995: The Houston Rockets swept the Orlando Magic 4-0

1989: The Detroit Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0

1983: The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0

1975: The Golden State Warriors defeated the Washington Bullets 4-0

1971: The Milwaukee Bucks swept the Baltimore Bullets 4-0

1959: The Boston Celtics beat the Minneapolis Lakers 4-0 

So far, there have been nine sweeps in the NBA Finals. The most recent one was in 2018 when the Golden State Warriors took care of business quickly. Last year, the Denver Nuggets came close, defeating the Miami Heat 4-1 on their way to the team's first title. To find all NBA season recaps, click here.

How many times have the Magic been swept in the playoffs? 

The Magic were swept once in the NBA Finals in 1995. Led by Shaquille O'Neal, Penny Hardaway, and Horace Grant, the team battled its way through the Eastern Conference but was eventually no match for the Houston Rockets. 

Other than that, the Magic have been swept three times in the playoffs. In 1993-94, Orlando was swept by the Indiana Pacers in the first round. Two seasons later, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls beat the Magic 4-0 in the Conference Finals. Most recently, Dwight Howard's 2006-07 Magic squad was swept by the Pistons in the first round. 

Since then, the Magic have been to the playoffs eight times. In 2008-09, they even made it all the way to the NBA Finals, losing 1-4 to the Los Angeles Lakers. Since the team's 2010 Conference Finals run, Orlando has not made it out of the first round but was never swept. 

Looking at the team's current core and its ability to make significant moves over the summer, that is likely to change in the coming seasons, however. Paolo Banchero and company already came close to beating the Cleveland Cavaliers this year.