When do the NBA Finals start this season?

The 2024 NBA Playoffs are in full swing. Only one first-round series remains undecided, and some big fish, like the Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Phoenix Suns, have already been eliminated. 

In their stead, young teams, like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Indiana Pacers, are still in the mix. With the Conference Semifinals almost here, it is time to start thinking about the NBA Finals.

Can the Denver Nuggets repeat? Will Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown finally get a title? Can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his young Thunder team shock the NBA world? Even if the Orlando Magic are not playing in the NBA Finals—they have a chance to move past the first round but then would have to face the Boston Celtics—there are still plenty of things to get excited about. 

When are the 2024 NBA Finals? 

Thursday, June 6, will mark the beginning of the 2024 NBA Finals. After that, the schedule will look as follows:

Game 2: Sunday, June 9

Game 3: Wednesday, June 12

Game 4: Friday, June 14

Game 5 (if necessary): Monday, June 17

Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, June 20

Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, June 23

Where can I watch the 2024 NBA Finals?

This year, ABC will be the exclusive broadcaster for the NBA Finals. 

Which teams are currently the favorites to make the NBA Finals?

Currently, the Boston Celtics and the Denver Nuggets are the favorites to make it out of their respective conferences. Neither pick is surprising, as both were some of the best teams in the regular season. 

The Nuggets will have to beat the Timberwolves to get there, while the Celtics are still waiting for either the Magic or the Cavaliers to win their series. There are always some surprises in the playoffs, and other teams have solid cases as well, like the Thunder, the Mavericks, or the Knicks. 

When was the last time the Magic played in the NBA Finals?

The last time the Magic played in the NBA Finals was in the 2008-09 season when they fell 1-4 to the Lakers. Led by Dwight Howard and Reshard Lewis, that team put together a great season but was ultimately no match for Kobe Bryant and his Lakers squad. 

While we should not expect the Magic to make a finals run quite yet, this team is in a great position to bring long-term playoff success to Orlando and build a real contender sooner rather than later.