The finals series is set between the two greatest teams of all time, the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors. The Celtics are leading the series 1-0, but it’s still early to predict the winners of the 2022 NBA.
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The NBA finals odds will keep changing, as both the teams are evenly poised. It’s difficult to make it to the finals. Every team commits and works hard to take the final spot. However, not every team gets there and some teams are yet to make it to the finals even once.
This year, the NBA field narrowed down to four teams; the Celtics, Heat, Mavericks, and Warriors. The Celtics and the Warriors won their respective conference finals. Among these four teams, the Celtics had the most conference finals appearances, but it’s not the team with the most conference finals appearances.
The New Orleans Pelicans and the Charlotte Hornets are the only two teams that are yet to feature in the conference finals.
Which teams have the most conference finals appearances?
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers might be struggling lately, but it has the most conference finals appearances from either conference (23). They are still one of the best teams on the block and this achievement is the result of their sheer dominance over the last 25 years.
The driest spell of the Lakers was in the 1990s. They were not able to reach the western conference finals for six consecutive years until they drafted Kobe Bryant. After inducting the legend himself, the Lakers made eight appearances in the next 14 years and won five times.
Boston Celtics
After the Lakers, it has to be the Celtics. The rivalry between the two goes way back and both teams have been pushing each other to be the best of all time. Although the Celtics lead in several records against the Lakers like the most MVPs, wins, and head-to-head matchups, they trail in appearances in conference finals. The Celtics have 21 appearances so far.
After rebuilding of the team and drafting young blood, the Celtics look formidable. In the last six seasons, they have advanced to four conference finals. It’s a matter of time before the Celtics will take the lead from the Lakers.
San Antonio Spurs
With 14 conference finals appearances, the Spurs have strengthened their position in the NBA. In the last two decades, the Spurs have shown the world that despite being a newcomer; it’s possible to tackle the titans. They have established a winning culture and a team that can win championships.
The Spurs have made it into 22 straight playoffs and won five NBA championships. Over the last two decades, the Spurs have been regular in the western conference finals.
Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons
Both teams are tied with 11 conference finals appearances. The Bad Boys of Detroit, led by Isiah Thomas, dominated the late 1980s and won two consecutive NBA titles. What appeared to be a long-lasting dominance came to an end with Michael Jordan, who broke the shackles.
The Bulls were able to win six titles and made it hard for the Pistons to even go through the first round. However, the last decade has not been fruitful for either team, as they both have struggled to reach the conference finals.
Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns
The two most underperforming teams have appeared in conference finals 10 times only. Both teams have always looked strong on the paper but were unable to perform as per expectations.
Despite several conference finals appearances, the Suns are yet to win the title. The Thunder won the only championship back in 1979 before the rebranding.
