NBA Finals 2027: Preview and What to Watch

The NBA Finals are the last test of a long season, a best-of-seven series that decides the champion after eighty-two regular-season games and three rounds of playoffs, and the 2027 Finals, expected in June, arrive with a league that has never been more open. The Boston Celtics, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Denver Nuggets, the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers all have a real chance, and the days when one team dominated the league for a decade are gone. The modern NBA is defined by international stars, by three-point shooting, and by teams that can win from anywhere on the court, and the Finals are where those styles collide. This preview looks at the contenders, the star players, the matchups that will decide the series, and the history that makes the Finals the most watched event in basketball. Whether you are a lifelong fan or a new viewer, the Finals are the best place to start, because they are basketball at its highest level, with the best players, the biggest crowds, and the most pressure.

The Contenders: Boston, Oklahoma City and Denver

The Boston Celtics arrive as the most complete team in the league, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading a roster that can score, defend and shoot from deep, and with a championship won in 2024 that proved they could finish the job. Boston’s strength is depth: they have five players who can score twenty points on a given night, they switch on defence, and they shoot more three-pointers than any team in history, which means they can come back from a deficit in minutes. The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league’s most valuable player in 2025, are the youngest and most exciting team, with a roster built through the draft and a defence that forces turnovers and runs in transition. The Thunder won more than sixty games in the 2024-25 season and reached the conference finals, and their window is just opening. The Denver Nuggets, built around Nikola Jokic, the three-time MVP, remain the most difficult team to defend, because Jokic is a centre who passes like a point guard, scores from anywhere, and makes every team-mate better.

The Stars Who Will Decide the Series

The NBA Finals are decided by stars, because in a seven-game series, the best player on the court usually wins, and the 2027 Finals will feature several of the best players in the world. Jayson Tatum, who has been the face of the Celtics for a decade, is a complete scorer who can shoot, drive and defend, and his Finals experience, including a championship, gives him an edge in the biggest moments. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the most unstoppable scorer in the league, with a mid-range game that no defender can stop, and his calm in the fourth quarter has made him the player opponents fear most. Nikola Jokic is the most unique player in basketball, a centre who averages a triple-double, who sees passes no one else sees, and who has won a championship and a Finals MVP. Other stars to watch include Luka Doncic, whose scoring and passing can take over a game, Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose power and athleticism are unmatched, and Anthony Edwards, the young star of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who plays with a joy and a confidence that has made him a fan favourite.

How a Seven-Game Series Is Won

A best-of-seven series is a different test from a single game, because it rewards adjustment, depth and resilience more than a single hot shooting night. The team with home-court advantage hosts the first two games, then travels for two, then returns home for the fifth, and the pattern continues until one team wins four games. That format means a team can lose the first two games and still win the series, as the Cleveland Cavaliers did in 2016, coming back from three games to one down to beat the Golden State Warriors, in the greatest comeback in Finals history. Coaches adjust after every game, changing their defence, their rotations and their matchups, and the team that adjusts fastest usually wins. Depth matters, because injuries and foul trouble can remove a starter, and the bench must step up. The Finals are also a mental test, because the pressure grows with every game, and the players who can perform when the season is on the line are the ones who become champions.

Three-Point Shooting and the Modern Game

The modern NBA is defined by the three-point shot, and the Finals are where that style is tested most severely. Teams now attempt more than forty three-pointers per game, and the Celtics, who led the league in three-point attempts, have built their offence around the idea that a three-pointer is worth more than a two-pointer, and that a team that shoots well from deep can outscore any opponent. The risk is that a team can go cold, and a cold shooting night in the Finals can cost a game, which is why the best teams also have a plan for when the shots do not fall: they drive to the basket, they post up, and they defend. The Thunder and the Nuggets play a different style, with more mid-range shots and more passing, and their success proves that there is more than one way to win. The Finals will be a clash of styles, and the team that can impose its style on the series, while also adapting when its shots do not fall, will win.

Defence, Coaching and the Small Details

Defence wins championships, and the Finals are where the best defences are tested, because the stars on the other team will score, and the question is whether you can make them work for every point. The Celtics, with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, have the best perimeter defence in the league, and they switch on every screen, which means there is no weak link to attack. The Thunder, with Chet Holmgren and Lu Dort, have a defence that forces turnovers and blocks shots, and they run in transition off every stop. Coaching matters in the Finals, because the coaches must make adjustments after every game, manage their rotations, and keep their players calm under pressure. The small details, a free throw, a rebound, a loose ball, can decide a game, and in a seven-game series, the team that wins the small details usually wins the series. The Finals are not won by the team with the most talent, they are won by the team that executes best when it matters most.

The History of the NBA Finals

The NBA Finals have a history that stretches back to 1947, and the list of champions reads like a history of basketball itself. The Boston Celtics won eleven championships in thirteen years in the 1950s and 1960s, with Bill Russell, the greatest winner in American sport, and their rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers, who have won seventeen titles, is the greatest rivalry in the sport. The Chicago Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, won six championships in the 1990s, and Jordan’s Finals MVP awards and his flu game, when he scored thirty-eight points while ill, are part of basketball legend. The modern era has been more open, with the Golden State Warriors winning four titles, the Lakers and the Celtics adding to their totals, and new champions such as the Denver Nuggets in 2023 and the Boston Celtics in 2024. The 2027 Finals will add a new chapter to that history, and the winner will join a list that includes the greatest teams ever to play the game.

How to Watch the 2027 Finals

The NBA Finals are broadcast around the world, with games played every two or three days in June, and the series is best watched live, because the tension builds with every game. The games start in the evening in the United States, which means early morning in Asia and late night in Europe, but the highlights and the analysis are available the next day. The best way to follow the Finals is to watch the first two games, which set the tone, and then to watch how the coaches adjust, because the adjustments are the story of the series. Look for the matchups: who guards the other team’s best player, who wins the rebounding battle, and which bench scores more points. The Finals MVP, who is voted for after the series, usually goes to the best player on the winning team, and the award is a measure of who performed best when it mattered most. Whether your team wins or loses, the Finals are the best basketball in the world, and they are worth staying up for.

The Eastern Conference Race

The Eastern Conference race in 2027 is led by the Boston Celtics, who have the best record in the league, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have built a young, talented team around Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. The New York Knicks, who play at Madison Square Garden, the most famous arena in basketball, have a team built around Jalen Brunson, who has become one of the best guards in the league, and they have the most passionate fans in the NBA. The Milwaukee Bucks, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, remain a threat, because Giannis is the most physically dominant player in the league, and a healthy Bucks team can beat anyone. The Eastern Conference is deep, with several teams capable of reaching the Finals, and the playoffs will be a test of depth, health, and the ability to win on the road, because the team that wins the East will have survived three tough series.

The Western Conference Race

The Western Conference is even deeper, with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Los Angeles Lakers all capable of reaching the Finals. The Thunder, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, are the youngest team, the Nuggets, with Nikola Jokic, are the most experienced, and the Timberwolves, with Anthony Edwards, are the most exciting. The Lakers, with LeBron James, who is still playing at a high level in his forties, and Luka Doncic, who joined the team in a trade that shocked the league, are the most talked-about team, because they have two superstars who can win a game on their own. The West is a gauntlet, and the team that emerges will have beaten three great teams, and they will be battle-tested for the Finals in a way that the Eastern champion may not be.

The Role Players Who Win Championships

Championships are won by stars, but they are also won by role players, the ones who defend, rebound, shoot open threes, and do the dirty work that does not show up in the highlights. The Celtics have Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, who defend the other team’s best guards, and Al Horford, who has played in the league for nearly twenty years and still contributes. The Thunder have Lu Dort, who is one of the best defenders in the league, and Chet Holmgren, who blocks shots and shoots threes. The Nuggets have Aaron Gordon, who defends, dunks, and does everything his team needs. These players do not get the headlines, but they win games, because a star can score forty points and still lose if his team-mates do not defend, rebound, and make open shots. The Finals MVP will go to a star, but the championship will be won by a team, and the role players are the reason.

Injuries, Load Management and the Long Season

The NBA season is long, with eighty-two regular-season games, and injuries are the biggest threat to a championship, because a team that loses its best player in the playoffs is unlikely to win. Load management, where stars rest during the regular season to stay fresh for the playoffs, is controversial, because fans pay to see the stars play, but it is also necessary, because the season is gruelling and the playoffs are even more intense. The teams that manage their players’ minutes, that keep them healthy, and that have depth to cover an injury, are the ones that reach the Finals. The 2027 Finals will be won by a team that is healthy, because the best team in the league is not the one with the most talent, it is the one that is healthy at the right time, and that is a lesson every champion has learned.

My Take:

I think the NBA Finals are the best championship in American sport, and I say that because a seven-game series is the fairest test in sport. In football, a single game can be decided by a bad call, a lucky bounce, or a penalty shootout, and the best team does not always win. In basketball, over seven games, the best team almost always wins, because there are too many possessions, too many adjustments, and too many chances for the better team to prove it. I love that, because it means the Finals are not a lottery, they are a test, and the team that wins has earned it. I also love that the Finals are played in June, when the season is long and the players are tired, because that tiredness reveals character, and the players who can perform when they are exhausted are the ones who become champions.

My strongest feeling is about Nikola Jokic, because he is the most unusual superstar in the history of basketball, and I think he is underrated because he does not look like a superstar. He is not fast, he is not athletic in the way that Giannis or LeBron are, and he does not dunk over people, but he is the smartest player on the court, and his passing, his shooting, and his understanding of the game are unmatched. He averages a triple-double, he makes his team-mates better, and he won a championship with a team that no one thought could win it. I think Jokic is the best player in the world, and I think history will remember him as one of the greatest centres ever, alongside Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O’Neal. He proves that basketball is not only about athleticism, it is about intelligence, and intelligence is the most underrated skill in sport.

I also believe the Oklahoma City Thunder are the future of the NBA, and I believe that because they have built their team the right way. They did not buy a championship, they drafted well, they developed their players, and they waited, and now they have the youngest, most exciting team in the league, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the most unstoppable scorer in the game. I love watching the Thunder, because they play with joy, they defend with energy, and they share the ball, and that is the kind of basketball that makes new fans. I think they will win a championship in the next few years, and I think when they do, it will be a victory for the idea that a small-market team can win by building, not by buying, and that is a lesson the whole league should learn.

Another thing I care about is the three-point revolution, because it has changed basketball in ways that are both good and bad. The good is that the game is faster, more skilled, and more exciting, because players can shoot from anywhere, and a team can come back from twenty points down in minutes. The bad is that the game has become one-dimensional, with teams shooting forty three-pointers a game and forgetting the mid-range, the post-up, and the art of the pass. I think the best teams are the ones that can do both, that can shoot threes and also score inside, and that can adapt when the threes do not fall. The Finals will be won by a team that can do both, because a team that relies only on threes will lose when the shots go cold, and a team that can score in different ways will always have an answer.

Finally, I think the NBA Finals are a reminder that basketball is a global game, and that is something to celebrate. The best players in the league come from Serbia, Slovenia, Greece, Canada, France, and Cameroon, as well as the United States, and the Finals are watched in every country in the world. I love that, because it means a child in any country can dream of playing in the Finals, and that dream is real, because the league is open to anyone who is good enough. I hope the 2027 Finals produce a great series, with seven games, with stars performing at their best, and with a winner who earns it, because that is what the Finals should be: the best basketball in the world, played by the best players, for the highest stakes, and watched by the whole world.

I also think LeBron James deserves more respect than he gets, because he has played at the highest level for more than twenty years, he has won four championships, and he is still one of the best players in the league in his forties, which is unheard of in basketball. People compare him to Michael Jordan, and that debate will never end, but LeBron’s longevity, his ability to adapt his game, and his leadership, are unmatched. I have watched him play since he was a teenager, and I have seen him evolve from a scorer to a passer to a leader, and that evolution is the mark of a great player. I think history will remember him as one of the two greatest players ever, alongside Jordan, and I think the debate about who is better is less important than the fact that we got to watch both of them, which is a privilege.

There is one more thing I care about, and it is the way the NBA has become a global game, because the best players now come from every continent, and the Finals are watched in every country. I love that a child in Serbia, Slovenia, or Cameroon can dream of playing in the NBA, and that dream is real, because the league is open to anyone who is good enough. I think that globalisation has made the game better, because it has brought new styles, new skills, and new fans, and it has made the NBA the most diverse league in American sport. I hope the 2027 Finals reflect that diversity, with stars from different countries, playing different styles, and showing the world that basketball is a game for everyone, no matter where you come from.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are the NBA Finals 2027?

The NBA Finals 2027 are expected to be played in June 2027, after the regular season and three rounds of playoffs, in a best-of-seven series.

Who are the favourites for the NBA Finals 2027?

The Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets are among the leading contenders, with the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers also in the mix.

How many games are in the NBA Finals?

The NBA Finals are a best-of-seven series, with the first team to win four games crowned champion, and the team with home-court advantage hosting games one, two, five and seven.

Who is the best player in the NBA in 2027?

Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum are among the leading candidates, with Jokic a three-time MVP and Gilgeous-Alexander the MVP in 2025.

What is the greatest NBA Finals comeback?

The Cleveland Cavaliers came back from three games to one down to beat the Golden State Warriors in 2016, the only time a team has won the Finals from that position.

Who has won the most NBA championships?

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have each won seventeen championships, the most in NBA history, with the Celtics winning eleven titles in thirteen years in the 1950s and 1960s.