2021 NBA playoffs

2021 NBA playoffs

Dates	May 22 – July 20, 2021
Season	2020–21
Teams	16
Champions	Milwaukee Bucks (2nd title)
Runners-up	Phoenix Suns (3rd finals appearance)
Semifinalists	Atlanta Hawks Los Angeles Clippers
← 2020 2022 →

The 2021 NBA playoffs was a postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2020–21 season. With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the NBA for the second consecutive year, the regular season was reduced to 72 games for each team and the start date of the playoffs was moved from its usual time in mid-April to May 22, 2021. It ended with the 2021 NBA Finals in July.

The 2021 NBA Finals matchup featured the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns. Game 1 of the series was played on July 6, where the Suns took down the Bucks 118–105. Game 2 was played on July 8 at the Phoenix Suns Arena (now called Footprint Center) and ended with a score of 118–108 in favor of the Phoenix Suns. The Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA Finals in 6 games after being down 0–2, their first championship since 1971.

Both the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and the 2020 NBA Finals runner-up Miami Heat lost in the first round to the eventual finalists: the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks, respectively. The Suns advanced to their first NBA Finals since 1993 after winning the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Clippers in six games; the Bucks also won the Eastern Conference Finals in six games against the Atlanta Hawks to reach their first NBA Finals since 1974.^[1]

Overview[]

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Notable updates to postseason appearances[]

• The Portland Trail Blazers entered their eighth consecutive postseason, which is currently the longest active streak in the NBA.
• The Boston Celtics entered their seventh consecutive postseason.
• The Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks (which entered their first Finals appearance since 1974) entered their fifth consecutive postseason.
• The Philadelphia 76ers entered their fourth consecutive postseason.
• The Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets entered their third consecutive postseason.
• The Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks entered their second consecutive postseason.
• The Washington Wizards made their first postseason appearance since 2018.
• The Atlanta Hawks (which entered their first Conference Finals appearance since 2015) and Memphis Grizzlies made their first postseason appearance since 2017.
• The New York Knicks made their first postseason appearance since 2013.
• The Phoenix Suns made their first postseason appearance since 2010 and their first Finals appearance since 1993.
• The Houston Rockets missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years.
• The Toronto Raptors missed the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers missed the playoffs for the first time in six years.
• The Orlando Magic missed the playoffs for the first time in three years.
• The San Antonio Spurs missed the playoffs for the second straight year, marking the first time in franchise history that the team has missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons, after losing to Memphis in the play-in tournament.
• The Golden State Warriors missed the playoffs for the second straight year, despite finishing the regular season as the 8th seed, after losing to the Grizzlies in the play-in tournament.

Notable occurrences[]

• The Milwaukee Bucks swept the Miami Heat in the first round, marking the 45th straight year a sweep occurred in the NBA playoffs. The last year a sweep did not occur in the playoffs was 1976.
• The Mavericks-Clippers series was the first of the 2021 playoffs to have a Game 7, making it the 22nd consecutive NBA postseason to feature a Game 7. The last time a Game 7 did not take place in the playoffs was 1999.
• Not counting the 2020 NBA playoffs which was held at a neutral site, the Mavericks-Clippers series was the first in NBA history where the road team won the first six games of a best-of-7 and the first since 1995 to have the road team win the first five games of a best-of-7.
• Both 2020 NBA finalists (Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat) were eliminated in the first round. This was the third time overall and the first since 2007 that this had happened.
• The Los Angeles Lakers first round loss to the Phoenix Suns marked the first time that the defending NBA champions was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs since the San Antonio Spurs in the 2015 playoffs.
• With the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Miami Heat eliminated in the first round (along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Toronto Raptors failing to qualify for the playoffs), by the second round the 2021 playoffs ensured one team of its first championship in the 21st century.
• This Finals was the first since 2014 to not include Andre Iguodala, who played in the past six finals with the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat. It was also the first Finals since 1998 to not feature either the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, or San Antonio Spurs; and the first since 1994 to not feature either Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Scottie Pippen or Michael Jordan.
• For the first time in his 18-year career, LeBron James lost a first-round playoffs series when the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in Game 6.^[2]
• Damian Lillard set an NBA record of 12 three-point field goals made in a single playoff game, which was previously held by Klay Thompson.^[3]
• LeBron James became the only player in NBA history to be in the playoff top 10 for all five major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals).
• Chris Paul became the first player to reach 15 assists with 0 turnovers three separate times in the NBA playoffs.
• Nikola Jokić joined Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only players with 30 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists in an NBA playoff game.
• Kevin Durant became the first player in NBA history with 45 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists in a single playoff game. He also set an NBA record for most points in a Game 7 with 48 against the Milwaukee Bucks.^[4]
• The Los Angeles Clippers became the first team in NBA history to overcome an 0–2 deficit twice in the same postseason. They also made it to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.^[5]
• With the Clippers advancing to the Western Conference Finals to face the Suns, this ensured that a Pacific Division team played in the NBA Finals for the seventh consecutive postseason.
• The Milwaukee Bucks won a Game 7 on the road for the first time in franchise history.
• Neither the first-seeded team nor the second-seeded team made the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year.
• The Atlanta Hawks became the fourth team in the last 40 years to reach the Conference Finals with a midseason coaching replacement.
• Neither first-seeded team made the Conference Finals for the first time since 1994.
• Devin Booker joined Charles Barkley and LeBron James as the only players with 40-point triple-double in a conference finals game. He also joined Oscar Robertson and Luka Dončić as the only players with a 40-point triple-double before turning 25.
• Deandre Ayton became the first player in the shot-clock era with a 70+ FG% in any 12-game postseason span (min. 100 att), and the first since 1954–55 NBA season.
• Deandre Ayton became the first player in NBA history to average 15 points and 10 rebounds while shooting at least 65% from the field in a single postseason.
• Jae Crowder now owns the longest active finals streak when the Phoenix Suns made the NBA Finals, having also made it last year with Miami.
• Chris Paul became the oldest player in NBA history with 40+ points in a closeout game. He is also the second oldest player to drop 40 points in any playoff game.
• With Rajon Rondo and Fat Lever losing in the Western Conference Finals to the Suns, Shaquille O'Neal's 37-year streak of having a former teammate in the NBA Finals came to an end.
• The Phoenix Suns became the first team in NBA history to move on to the NBA Finals after missing the postseason in the prior ten seasons. They also held the worst record (.302 winning pct) in five seasons prior to an appearance in the final postseason round in the history of the NBA, NFL, NHL, or MLB.
• Both NBA finalists in the 2020–2021 season have not been in the finals for over two decades (the Suns in 1993, the Bucks in 1974).
• Trae Young became the second player in NBA history to average 28+ PPG and 9+ APG in a single playoff run (minimum 15 games, LeBron James in 2018).
• Trae Young tied LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki by scoring the 4th most points in a Conference Finals game with 48 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 5th player in NBA history with 9+ 30/10 games in a single postseason since 1963.
• By winning the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, the Milwaukee Bucks are the only NBA franchise to win both the Eastern & Western Conference Titles.
• Chris Paul joins Michael Jordan as the only players with 30+ points and 9+ assists in an NBA Finals debut. Jordan accomplished this feat in 1991. He also joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan as players with 30+ points in an NBA Finals game age 36 or older.^[6]
• Deandre Ayton became the fourth player in the shot-clock era (since 1955) with at least 20 points, 15 rebounds, and shooting 80+ FG% in an NBA Finals game (Bill Russell, Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain). Ayton joins Abdul-Jabbar as the only players to do so in their Finals debuts.
• Chris Paul scored or assisted on 54 points in Game 1, the 3rd most in an NBA Finals debut all time (Allen Iverson with 61 in 2001, Michael Jordan with 60 in 1991).
• The Phoenix Suns became the third team to make 20+ three-point shots in a Finals game, joining the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Golden State Warriors.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo joined Shaquille O'Neal as the only players with 40+ points and 10+ rebounds in back-to-back Finals games. He also scored 103 points through the first three Finals game of his career, ranking fourth behind Rick Barry (122), Allen Iverson (106), and Willis Reed (104).
• Devin Booker set a new record for most points for a player in his first NBA playoffs appearance, accumulating 601 points, overtaking Ricky Barry (521) and Julius Erving (518).
• The Suns became the first team in NBA history to lose a Finals game despite shooting better than 50% and keeping their opponent below at least 42%.
• Khris Middleton and Devin Booker became the 4th pair of opponents to put up at least 40 points in the same game.
• Devin Booker became the seventh player in NBA history to put up back-to-back 40 point games in the Finals. Booker is also the first Suns player to achieve this and is also the first overall to lose both of these games.
• Devin Booker's 82 points in Games 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals reflects the highest total of any player who lost consecutive Finals Games (John Havlicek and LeBron James each had 80 in consecutive games).
• Devin Booker joined Rick Barry as the only players to record at least ten 30 point games in their first postseason all time.
• The Suns became the first team in NBA history to lose a playoff game shooting at least 55% from the field and at least 60% from three.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton became the 2nd pair of teammates to record at least 500 points and 100 assists in a single postseason.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton became the 5th trio of teammates in NBA Finals history to record at least 25 points while shooting at least 50% from the field in the same game.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 5th player in NBA Finals history to record at least 30 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 0 turnovers.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 2nd player in NBA Finals history to record at least 3 games recording 40 points and 10 rebounds.
• With Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo winning a championship this year, they join Kostas Antetokounmpo (2020 with Los Angeles Lakers) as the only sibling trio in NBA history to win a championship.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 7th player in NBA Finals history to record a 50 point game. He also tied Bob Pettit for the most points scored in a Finals closeout game.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 5th player in NBA Finals history to record at least 30 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, and 0 turnovers.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 1st player in NBA Finals history to record 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a game, then became the first to record 50 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in a game.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded the second-most games in a single postseason scoring at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.
• Chris Paul became the 1st player in NBA history to blow four separate 2-0 series leads in a best-of-7 series.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 3rd player in NBA history to win multiple regular-season MVPs, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Finals MVP (Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan)
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 2nd player in NBA history to win multiple regular-season MVPs and Finals MVP while playing at the power forward position (Tim Duncan).
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 1st player in NBA Finals history to average 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting at least 60% FG. In addition, he is the 1st player in NBA Finals history to average 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal while shooting at least 50% on field goals.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 9th player in NBA history to win multiple MVPs and a Finals MVP. He joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Tim Duncan as the only ones to do so at 26 years old or younger.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first player in NBA history with 5 All-Star selections, 5 All-NBA selections, multiple MVPs, 1 Finals MVP, and 1 DPOY before turning 27 years old.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo tied Kevin Durant by averaging the 5th most PPG in an NBA Finals win with 35.2 (Durant averaged 35.2 PPG in 2017).
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the 1st player in NBA history to win Most Improved Player, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Finals MVP.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo became the fourth international player and third European player to win the Finals MVP, joining Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria) in 1994 and 1995, Tony Parker (France) in 2007, and Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) in 2011.
• The Milwaukee Bucks became the fifth team in NBA Finals history to overcome an 0-2 deficit and win the title. They also became the third team to win 4 consecutive games after being down 0-2. The last team to accomplish this feat is the 2006 Miami Heat.
• The Milwaukee Bucks became the second team in NBA playoff history to overcome an 0-2 deficit twice in the same postseason (2021 Los Angeles Clippers).

Format[]

The NBA Board of Governors approved a format for the 2020–21 season to have a play-in tournament involving the teams that ranked 7th through 10th in each conference. The 7th place team and 8th place team participate in the double-chance game, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the 7-seed. The loser then plays the winner of elimination game between the 9th place and 10th place teams to determine the playoff's 8-seed. The NBA's regular playoff format would then proceed as normal.^[7]

Under the NBA's regular playoff format, the eight teams with the most wins in each conference qualified for the playoffs. The seedings were based on each team's record. Each conference's bracket was fixed; there was no reseeding. All rounds were best-of-seven series; the series ended when one team won four games, and that team advanced to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, were in a 2–2–1–1–1 format. In the conference playoffs, home court advantage went to the higher-seeded team (number one being the highest). Seeding was based on each team's regular season record within a conference; if two teams had the same record, standard tiebreaker rules were used. Conference seedings were ignored for the NBA Finals: Home court advantage went to the team with the better regular season record, and, if needed, ties were broken based on head to head record, followed by intra-conference record.

Playoff qualifying[]

On April 25, 2021, the Utah Jazz became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.^[8]

Eastern Conference[]

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Play-in	Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in conference	Best record in NBA
1	Philadelphia 76ers	49–23	—	April 28[9]	May 14[10]	May 14[10]	—
2	Brooklyn Nets	48–24	—	April 27[11]	—	—	—
3	Milwaukee Bucks	46–26	—	May 4[12]	April 30[13]	—	—
4	New York Knicks	41–31	—	May 12[14]	—	—	—
5	Atlanta Hawks	41–31	—	May 12[14]	May 15[15]	—	—
6	Miami Heat	40–32	—	May 11[16]	—	—	—
7	Boston Celtics	36–36	May 12[14]	May 18[17]	—	—	—
8	Washington Wizards	34–38	May 14[18]	May 20[19]	—	—	—

Western Conference[]

Seed	Team	Record	Clinched
			Play-in	Playoff berth	Division title	Best record in conference	Best record in NBA
1	Utah Jazz	52–20	—	April 25[8]	May 7[20]	May 16[21]	May 16[21]
2	Phoenix Suns	51–21	—	April 28[22]	May 14[23]	—	—
3	Denver Nuggets	47–25	—	May 3[24]	—	—	—
4	Los Angeles Clippers	47–25	—	May 3[25]	—	—	—
5	Dallas Mavericks	42–30	—	May 14[26]	May 7[27]	—	—
6	Portland Trail Blazers	42–30	—	May 16[28]	—	—	—
7	Los Angeles Lakers	42–30	May 16[28]	May 19[29]	—	—	—
8	Memphis Grizzlies	38–34	May 10[30]	May 21[31]	—	—	—

Bracket[]

Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage, the higher seeded team, are shown in italics.

First Round

Conference Semifinals

Conference Finals

NBA Finals

E1

Philadelphia*

4

E8

Washington

1

E1

Philadelphia*

3

E5

Atlanta*

4

E4

New York

1

E5

Atlanta*

4

E5

Atlanta*

2

Eastern Conference

E3

Milwaukee*

4

E3

Milwaukee*

4

E6

Miami

0

E3

Milwaukee*

4

E2

Brooklyn

3

E2

Brooklyn

4

E7

Boston

1

E3

Milwaukee*

4

W2

Phoenix*

2

W1

Utah*

4

W8

Memphis

1

W1

Utah*

2

W4

LA Clippers

4

W4

LA Clippers

4

W5

Dallas*

3

W4

LA Clippers

2

Western Conference

W2

Phoenix*

4

W3

Denver

4

W6

Portland

2

W3

Denver

0

W2

Phoenix*

4

W2

Phoenix*

4

W7

LA Lakers

2

* Division winner
Bold Series winner
Italic Team with home-court advantage

First Round[]

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Eastern Conference First Round[]

(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (8) Washington Wizards[]

Regular-season series show

Philadelphia won 3–0 in the regular-season series
December 23, 2020 Recap Washington Wizards 107, Philadelphia 76ers 113 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA January 6, 2021 Recap Washington Wizards 136, Philadelphia 76ers 141 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA March 12, 2021 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 127, Washington Wizards 101 Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

This was the sixth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning three of the first five meetings.^[32]

Previous playoffs series show

Philadelphia leads 3–2 in all-time playoff series

1971 Philadelphia 76ers 3, Baltimore Bullets 4 1971 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1978 Philadelphia 76ers 2, Washington Bullets 4 1978 Eastern Conference Finals 1980 Philadelphia 76ers 2, Washington Bullets 0 1980 Eastern Conference First Round 1985 Philadelphia 76ers 3, Washington Bullets 1 1985 Eastern Conference First Round 1986 Philadelphia 76ers 3, Washington Bullets 2 1986 Eastern Conference First Round

(2) Brooklyn Nets vs. (7) Boston Celtics[]

Regular-season series show

Brooklyn won 3–0 in the regular-season series
December 25, 2020 Recap Brooklyn Nets 123, Boston Celtics 95 TD Garden, Boston, MA March 11, 2021 Recap Boston Celtics 109, Brooklyn Nets 121 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY April 23, 2021 Recap Boston Celtics 104, Brooklyn Nets 109 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, but the first since the New Jersey Nets relocated to Brooklyn and became the Brooklyn Nets in 2012, with the Nets winning the first two meetings.^[33]

Previous playoffs series show

Brooklyn leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
2002 Boston Celtics 2, New Jersey Nets 4 2002 Eastern Conference Finals 2003 Boston Celtics 0, New Jersey Nets 4 2003 Eastern Conference Semifinals

(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (6) Miami Heat[]

The Bucks struggled offensively against Miami, shooting only 16% (5-31) on three-point shots. The game went into overtime thanks to a game-tying, buzzer-beating layup by Jimmy Butler, but Milwaukee was able to pull away and win on a Khris Middleton jump shot, made with only 0.5 seconds left.

The Bucks erupted for 46 points in the first quarter, setting a new franchise playoff record, en route to a dominating 132-98 victory. The Bucks would make 22 three-pointers, after making only 5 in game 1.

The Bucks would cruise to another convincing victory in game 3, to take a commanding 3-0 series lead on Miami. In games 2 & 3, the Heat led for only :17, out of 96 minutes of game time.

Though Miami built a 7-point lead at halftime, the Bucks went on a 24–6 run in the third quarter to take a lead they would not relinquish, leading to a four-game sweep of the Heat.

Regular-season series show

Milwaukee won 2–1 in the regular-season series
December 29, 2020 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 144, Miami Heat 97 American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL December 30, 2020 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 108, Miami Heat 119 American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL May 15, 2021 Recap Miami Heat 108, Milwaukee Bucks 122 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Heat winning the first two meetings.^[34]

Previous playoffs series show

Miami leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
2013 Milwaukee Bucks 0, Miami Heat 4 2013 Eastern Conference First Round 2020 Milwaukee Bucks 1, Miami Heat 4 2020 Eastern Conference Semifinals

(4) New York Knicks vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks[]

In Game 1, Trae Young hits the game-winning floater with 0.9 seconds left.

Regular-season series show

New York won 3–0 in the regular-season series
January 4, 2021 Recap New York Knicks 113, Atlanta Hawks 108 State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA February 15, 2021 Recap Atlanta Hawks 112, New York Knicks 123 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY April 21, 2021 Recap Atlanta Hawks 127, New York Knicks 137 (OT) Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Knicks winning the first two meetings.^[35]

Previous playoffs series show

New York leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
1971 Atlanta Hawks 1, New York Knicks 4 1971 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1999 Atlanta Hawks 0, New York Knicks 4 1999 Eastern Conference Semifinals

Western Conference First Round[]

(1) Utah Jazz vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies[]

Regular-season series show

Utah won 3–0 in the regular-season series
March 26, 2021 Recap Memphis Grizzlies 114, Utah Jazz 117 Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT March 27, 2021 Recap Memphis Grizzlies 110, Utah Jazz 126 Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT March 31, 2021 Recap Utah Jazz 111, Memphis Grizzlies 107 FedExForum, Memphis, TN

This was the first playoff meeting between the Jazz and the Grizzlies.^[36]

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers[]

Regular-season series show

Phoenix won 2–1 in the regular-season series
March 2, 2021 Recap Phoenix Suns 114, Los Angeles Lakers 104 Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA March 21, 2021 Recap Los Angeles Lakers 94, Phoenix Suns 111 Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ May 9, 2021 Recap Phoenix Suns 110, Los Angeles Lakers 123 Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

This was the 13th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning eight of the first 12 meetings.^[37]

Previous playoffs series show

LA Lakers leads 8–4 in all-time playoff series

1970 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 3 1970 Western Division Semifinals 1980 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 1 1980 Western Conference Semifinals 1982 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 0 1982 Western Conference Semifinals 1984 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 2 1984 Western Conference Finals 1985 Los Angeles Lakers 3, Phoenix Suns 0 1985 Western Conference First Round 1989 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 0 1989 Western Conference Finals 1990 Los Angeles Lakers 1, Phoenix Suns 4 1990 Western Conference Semifinals 1993 Los Angeles Lakers 2, Phoenix Suns 3 1993 Western Conference First Round 2000 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 1 2000 Western Conference Semifinals 2006 Los Angeles Lakers 3, Phoenix Suns 4 2006 Western Conference First Round 2007 Los Angeles Lakers 1, Phoenix Suns 4 2007 Western Conference First Round 2010 Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 2 2010 Western Conference Finals

(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Portland Trail Blazers[]

Regular-season series show

Denver won 2–1 in the regular-season series
February 23, 2021 Recap Portland Trail Blazers 106, Denver Nuggets 111 Ball Arena, Denver, CO April 21, 2021 Recap Denver Nuggets 106, Portland Trail Blazers 105 Moda Center, Portland, OR May 16, 2021 Recap Denver Nuggets 116, Portland Trail Blazers 132 Moda Center, Portland, OR

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Portland winning two of the first three meetings.^[38]

Previous playoffs series show

Portland leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
1977 Denver Nuggets 2, Portland Trail Blazers 4 1977 Western Conference Semifinals 1986 Denver Nuggets 3, Portland Trail Blazers 1 1986 Western Conference First Round 2019 Denver Nuggets 3, Portland Trail Blazers 4 2019 Western Conference Semifinals

(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Dallas Mavericks[]

Regular-season series show

Dallas won 2–1 in the regular-season series
December 27, 2020 Recap Dallas Mavericks 124, Los Angeles Clippers 73 Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA March 15, 2021 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 109, Dallas Mavericks 99 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX March 17, 2021 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 89, Dallas Mavericks 105 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Clippers winning the first meeting.^[39]

Previous playoffs series show

LA Clippers leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2020 Dallas Mavericks 2, Los Angeles Clippers 4 2020 Western Conference First Round

Conference Semifinals[]

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Eastern Conference Semifinals[]

This was the first time both Conference Semifinals went seven games since 2001.

(1) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks[]

Regular-season series show

Philadelphia won 2–1 in the regular-season series
January 11, 2021 Recap Philadelphia 76ers 94, Atlanta Hawks 112 State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA April 28, 2021 Recap Atlanta Hawks 83, Philadelphia 76ers 127 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA April 30, 2021 Recap Atlanta Hawks 104, Philadelphia 76ers 126 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning both previous meetings.^[40]

Previous playoffs series show

Philadelphia leads 2–0 in all-time playoff series
1980 Atlanta Hawks 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4 1980 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1982 Atlanta Hawks 0, Philadelphia 76ers 2 1982 Eastern Conference First Round

(2) Brooklyn Nets vs. (3) Milwaukee Bucks[]

Game 7 would go on to be an instant classic with both teams locked in for the entire game. In the final seconds of regulation, Kevin Durant appeared to have given the Nets a 1-point lead on a fadeaway three-point shot with 1 second left. Replay showed, however, that his foot was on the line. With the score tied at 109, Milwaukee had a chance to win the series, but Giannis Antetokounmpo's turnaround jumpshot missed, sending the game into overtime. The Nets held a two-point lead until the final 90 seconds of overtime where the Bucks would score on back-to-back possessions to get on the board and take a 113–111 lead with 40 seconds remaining. The Nets had possession in the last 15 seconds of the game, concluding with yet another game-tying, almost-three-point jump shot attempt by Durant; however, it was all air. The Bucks subsequently sealed the game on two free throws by Brook Lopez (a former Net), sending them to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in three years. This marked the first Game seven to go into overtime since 2006. It was also the Bucks' first victory on the road in a postseason game seven, having gone 0–7 in previous playoff road game seven's.

Regular-season series show

Milwaukee won 2–1 in the regular-season series
January 18, 2021 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 123, Brooklyn Nets 125 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY May 2, 2021 Recap Brooklyn Nets 114, Milwaukee Bucks 117 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI May 4, 2021 Recap Brooklyn Nets 118, Milwaukee Bucks 124 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, but the first since the New Jersey Nets relocated to Brooklyn and became the Brooklyn Nets in 2012, with the Bucks winning two of the first three meetings.^[41]

Previous playoffs series show

Milwaukee leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
1984 Milwaukee Bucks 4, New Jersey Nets 2 1984 Eastern Conference Semifinals 1986 Milwaukee Bucks 3, New Jersey Nets 0 1986 Eastern Conference First Round 2003 Milwaukee Bucks 2, New Jersey Nets 4 2003 Eastern Conference First Round

Western Conference Semifinals[]

(1) Utah Jazz vs. (4) Los Angeles Clippers[]

The Clippers were trailing by 22 at the end of the first half in Game 6. They went down 25 at the start of the third quarter, before a retaliation led by Terance Mann allowed the Clippers to fight back to within 3 points at the end of the third quarter. In the fourth, the momentum from the third quarter and Utah's struggles allowed the Clippers to complete the comeback, becoming the first team to recover from being down 0–2 twice in the same playoffs, and reaching their first Conference Finals in franchise history.^[42]

Regular-season series show

Utah won 2–1 in the regular-season series
January 1, 2021 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 100, Utah Jazz 106 Vivint Arena, Salt Lake City, UT February 17, 2021 Recap Utah Jazz 114, Los Angeles Clippers 96 Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA February 19, 2021 Recap Utah Jazz 112, Los Angeles Clippers 116 Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the previous three meetings.^[43]

Previous playoffs series show

Utah leads 3–0 in all-time playoff series
1992 Los Angeles Clippers 2, Utah Jazz 3 1992 Western Conference First Round 1997 Los Angeles Clippers 0, Utah Jazz 3 1997 Western Conference First Round 2017 Los Angeles Clippers 3, Utah Jazz 4 2017 Western Conference First Round

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (3) Denver Nuggets[]

Regular-season series show

Denver won 2–1 in the regular-season series
January 1, 2021 Recap Phoenix Suns 106, Denver Nuggets 103 Ball Arena, Denver, CO January 22, 2021 Recap Denver Nuggets 130, Phoenix Suns 126 (OT) Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ January 23, 2021 Recap Denver Nuggets 120, Phoenix Suns 112 (2OT) Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ

This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with Phoenix winning two of the first three meetings.^[44]

Previous playoff series show

Phoenix leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series
1982 Denver Nuggets 1, Phoenix Suns 2 1982 Western Conference First Round 1983 Denver Nuggets 2, Phoenix Suns 1 1983 Western Conference First Round 1989 Denver Nuggets 0, Phoenix Suns 3 1989 Western Conference First Round

Conference Finals[]

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Eastern Conference Finals[]

(3) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks[]

Atlanta's top offensive star, Trae Young, scored 48 points in his conference finals debut, while the Hawks rallied in the 2nd half to beat the Bucks in game 1 in Milwaukee, aided by 5 offensive rebounds in the final 2 minutes.

The Bucks rode a 20-0 scoring run in the 2nd quarter to run away with a game 2 victory

Trailing by 2 points going into the 4th quarter, the Bucks' Khris Middleton would carry Milwaukee to victory in game 3, outscoring Atlanta in the final quarter by himself, 20-17, en route to a game-high 38 points, putting the Bucks back in the lead in the series and getting back homecourt advantage. Atlanta's loss was also compounded when Trae Young suffered a bruised foot when he rolled his ankle over a referee's foot, leaving his status for the rest of the series in doubt.

The Bucks' 3-point woes returned in game 4, as the team only shot 21% (8-39) in a loss to Atlanta that evened the series once more. Even worse, the Bucks' superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, badly twisted his knee while trying to defend an alley-oop dunk, though an MRI the following day revealed no structural damage, leaving Antetokounmpo potentially available for either game 7 or the NBA Finals.

With both teams' stars out with injuries, both the Hawks and Bucks needed contributions from their other players in game 5. The Bucks would deliver, led by Brook Lopez's 33 points. In addition to Lopez, 3 other Bucks starters (Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Bobby Portis) scored at least 20 points. While Atlanta kept the game close, aided by Bogdan Bogdanovic's 28 points, the Bucks took a 3-2 series lead, leaving them one win away from the Eastern Conference championship.

Facing elimination, the Hawks got Trae Young back to start game 6, but he still struggled with his injured foot, scoring only 14 points. After leading Atlanta by only 4 points at halftime, Khris Middleton would score the Bucks' first 16 points of the 3rd quarter to build a 19-point lead going into the 4th quarter. The Bucks would weather a wave of hot shooting from Bogdan Bogdanovic and Cam Reddish, helped by a crucial 3-point shot by PJ Tucker, and an alley-oop dunk by Brook Lopez that essentially clinched the game and the series for the Bucks. The victory gave the Bucks the Eastern Conference championship, their 3rd overall conference title, and their first trip to the NBA Finals since 1974.

Game 6 was also the final game announced by famed baseketball broadcaster Marv Albert.

Regular-season series show

Milwaukee won 2–1 in the regular-season series
January 24, 2021 Recap Atlanta Hawks 115, Milwaukee Bucks 129 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI April 15, 2021 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 120, Atlanta Hawks 109 State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA April 25, 2021 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 104, Atlanta Hawks 111 State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA

This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning two series apiece.^[45]

Previous playoffs series show

Tied 2–2 in all-time playoff series
1984 Milwaukee Bucks 3, Atlanta Hawks 2 1984 Eastern Conference First Round 1988 Milwaukee Bucks 2, Atlanta Hawks 3 1988 Eastern Conference First Round 1989 Milwaukee Bucks 3, Atlanta Hawks 2 1989 Eastern Conference First Round 2010 Milwaukee Bucks 3, Atlanta Hawks 4 2010 Eastern Conference First Round

Western Conference Finals[]

(2) Phoenix Suns vs. (4) Los Angeles Clippers[]

• Deandre Ayton dunks in the game-winning alley-oop off the inbound pass from Jae Crowder with 0.7 seconds remaining.

The Clippers shot 0–12 in the fourth quarter on shots that could have tied the game or taken the lead. That is the most such attempts without a make in the fourth quarter of a game over the last 25 postseasons.

Chris Paul's 41 points matches his career high with that of his performance as a member of the Houston Rockets in Game 5 against the Utah Jazz in 2018, both of which were series clinchers. Paul once played for the Clippers from 2011 to 2017. Patrick Beverley shoved Paul during timeout led to an ejection and suspended for the first game of the 2021–22 season and turned out to be the last game of Beverley's career with the Clippers before being traded twice to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Regular-season series show

LA Clippers won 2–1 in the regular-season series
January 3, 2021 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 112, Phoenix Suns 107 Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ April 8, 2021 Recap Phoenix Suns 103, Los Angeles Clippers 113 Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA April 28, 2021 Recap Los Angeles Clippers 101, Phoenix Suns 109 Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Suns winning the previous meeting.^[46]

Previous playoffs series show

Phoenix leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
2006 Los Angeles Clippers 3, Phoenix Suns 4 2006 Western Conference Semifinals

NBA Finals: (W2) Phoenix Suns vs. (E3) Milwaukee Bucks[]

Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by NBA. If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.

Regular-season series show

Suns won 2–0 in the regular-season series
February 10, 2021 Recap Milwaukee Bucks 124, Phoenix Suns 125 Phoenix Suns Arena, Phoenix, AZ April 19, 2021 Recap Phoenix Suns 128, Milwaukee Bucks 127 (OT) Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI

This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first meeting.^[47]

Previous playoffs series show

Milwaukee leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series
1978 Milwaukee Bucks 2, Phoenix Suns 0 1978 Western Conference First Round

Statistical leaders[]

Category	Game High			Average
	Player	Team	High	Player	Team	Avg.	GP
Points	Damian Lillard	Portland Trail Blazers	55	Luka Dončić	Dallas Mavericks	35.7	7
Rebounds	Deandre Ayton	Phoenix Suns	22	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Milwaukee Bucks	12.8	21
Assists	James Harden Trae Young	Brooklyn Nets Atlanta Hawks	18	Russell Westbrook	Washington Wizards	11.8	5
Steals	Kyle Anderson	Memphis Grizzlies	6	Kyle Anderson	Memphis Grizzlies	2.8	5
Blocks	Robert Williams	Boston Celtics	9	Rudy Gobert	Utah Jazz	2.1	11

Notable fan incidents[]

Throughout the playoffs, there were a number of incidents at multiple games involving fans:

• May 26: A fan spat at Trae Young during Game 2 of the Hawks/Knicks series at Madison Square Garden in New York City.^[48]
• May 26: A fan dumped popcorn on Russell Westbrook during Game 2 of the Wizards/76ers series at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.^[49][50]
• May 26: Three fans were verbally disruptive towards the family of Ja Morant during Game 2 of the Grizzlies/Jazz series at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City.^[51] There were also insensitive remarks made towards the family of Dillon Brooks.^[52]
• May 30: A fan threw a water bottle at Kyrie Irving following Game 4 of the Celtics/Nets series at TD Garden in Boston after the game.^[53]
• May 31: A fan ran onto the court during Game 4 of the Wizards/76ers series at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.^[54]
• June 20: A fan threw a can onto the court in the closing seconds of Game 7 of the Hawks/76ers series in Philadelphia.^{[citation needed]}

Media coverage[]

Television[]

ESPN, ABC, TNT, and NBA TV broadcast the playoffs nationally in the United States. During the first two rounds, games were split by ESPN, ABC and TNT. NBA TV also televised selected games in the first round. Regional sports networks affiliated with teams also broadcast the games, except for games televised on ABC. ESPN/ABC had exclusive coverage of the Western Conference Finals while TNT had exclusive coverage of the Eastern Conference Finals. ABC had exclusive coverage of the NBA Finals for the 19th straight year.

This was the final postseason for Marv Albert, who announced his retirement on May 17, 2021. Albert, who turned 80 in June, has spent most of the last 31 years as the lead broadcaster for NBA coverage on TNT and NBC.^[55]

References[]

External links[]

• Basketball – Reference.com's 2021 Playoffs section