The Denver Nuggets are headed to the NBA’s Final Four.
The top seed in the Western Conference became the first team to make it to the conference final round of these NBA playoffs, after ousting the Phoenix Suns 125-100 on Thursday night.
It’s Denver’s first time in the conference finals since 2020, the bubble season. The Nuggets will meet either the Los Angeles Lakers or Golden State Warriors for the West title.
Philadelphia could have gotten to the conference finals as well on Thursday, but dropped a Game 6 at home to Boston 95-86. Game 7 of that series is Sunday, in Boston.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Friday’s schedule had two Game 6 contests — New York at Miami (Heat lead 3-2) and Golden State at the Lakers (L.A. leads 3-2).
There are no games Saturday. Game 7 of 76ers-Celtics is Sunday, and if a Game 7 is necessary for Warriors-Lakers, it’ll be Sunday as well. A Game 7 of Heat-Knicks would be Monday.
HOW TO WATCH
— The television schedule for Sunday remains undecided. If there is a Lakers-Warriors Game 7, it’ll be at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC, and Philadelphia-Boston would be at 8 p.m. on TNT. If there is no Game 7 of Lakers-Warriors, then the Philly-Boston game is at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC.
— If New York and Miami have a Game 7 on Monday, it’ll be on TNT.
— Team broadcasters will no longer air games. Everything after the first round is exclusive to national windows and not available for local telecasts.
— The NBA Finals on ABC begin June 1.
CONFERENCE FINALS SCHEDULE
The conference finals will begin Tuesday with the Warriors-Lakers winner at Denver — that game coming just after the NBA draft lottery in Chicago, where one team will win the right to choose Victor Wembanyama in next month’s draft.
The rest of the conference finals schedule:
West — May 18 at Denver, May 20 and 22 at Warriors-Lakers winner, May 24 at Denver, May 26 at Warriors-Lakers winner, May 28 at Denver.
