After each NBA season, most people can tell which team was crowned as the champion. However, not many can tell exactly how they became champion. In fact, not many people know the format of the NBA Playoffs. So in this article we'll try to break down how many games are needed to win at each postseason stage, especially at the NBA Finals.
Since the 2020 NBA Playoffs, the NBA installed a Play-In tournament between the 7th through 10th places of each conference. These games decide the last two teams that qualify to the NBA Playoffs as are known. These matchups are a one-game decider hosted at the higher-seeded team's home.
As for the NBA Playoffs, the eight best-seeded teams from both Eastern and Western Conferences are qualified to the postseason. It starts with a best-of-seven series from the First Round to the Conceference Finals. To advance are needed to win 4 games in the series. As for the Finals, the answer is right below.
How many games a team needs to win the championship?
Since the NBA was created in 1950 to the 1985 season, the NBA Finals had a best-of-seven series as it is known today. The team with the best record hosts the first two games, then both would travel to the lower-seeded team’s arena for games 3 and 4. And if necessary game 5 and 7 would be for the higher-seeded team and game 6 would be hosted at the lower-seeded team’s home.
Right before the 1985 season, the NBA decided to change the Finals format. This due to a need to revolutionize the game to atract more audience. This format was as follows, the best record's team would host games 1 and 2, then shift the lower-seeded team’s home for games 3 through 5. And if neceesary, games 6 and 7 would be hosted by the team with the best record. However, the team still needed to win 4 games to be crown as champions. This format was used until the 2013 NBA Finals.
Then, in 2014 NBA season, the original format was restore. Still, a team needs to win 4 games to clinch the NBA Championship, however there was one modification, though. This main change was the extra day of rest added between games in the Finals series. Typically this break is between games 2 and 3. In addtion, this format allows both teams to have the home-court advantage at least twice in a series.