The 2024 postseason was a wild ride that felt like it was over before it really began, yet somehow lasted a lifetime for those of us watching. Honestly, if you looked at the nba playoff 2024 bracket back in April, you probably saw the Boston Celtics sitting at the top and thought, "Yeah, they've got this." They did. But the path there? Man, it was filled with some of the weirdest stat lines and most heartbreaking game 7s we’ve seen in years.
Boston basically spent the entire spring proving they were the best team in the world. They won 64 games in the regular season and then just... kept winning. They went 16-3 in the playoffs. That's absurd. Most teams are happy to survive a seven-game series; the Celtics treated the Eastern Conference like a light warmup before the main event.
Breaking Down the NBA Playoff 2024 Bracket Results
The East was a bit of a bloodbath for everyone not wearing green. We had the New York Knicks playing with a "next man up" mentality that was equal parts inspiring and painful to watch. Jalen Brunson was playing like a man possessed, but eventually, the injuries just became too much. They ran into the Indiana Pacers in the semifinals, and that series went all the way to a Game 7.
Indiana actually had a historic run. They were the No. 6 seed and ended up in the Eastern Conference Finals. Think about that for a second. They knocked off a hobbled Milwaukee Bucks team (who were missing Giannis Antetokounmpo) and then outlasted the Knicks. When they finally got to Boston, they gave them a scare in Game 1, taking it to overtime, but the Celtics were just too deep. Jaylen Brown was incredible, eventually taking home the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and then the big one—the NBA Finals MVP.
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Meanwhile, the Western Conference side of the nba playoff 2024 bracket was where the real drama lived. The Oklahoma City Thunder were the youngest No. 1 seed ever. People were skeptical. "Can they handle the pressure?" They swept the Pelicans, so the answer was a loud yes. But then they ran into the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks' Wild Ride to the Finals
Dallas was sort of the dark horse that everyone should have seen coming. They traded for Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington at the deadline, and suddenly their defense wasn't a total sieve. Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving finally found that rhythm everyone was waiting for. They took down the Clippers in six games, then sent the top-seeded Thunder home in six more.
But the real shocker? The Minnesota Timberwolves.
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Minnesota did something no one thought possible: they swept Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and the Phoenix Suns in the first round. Then they faced the defending champion Denver Nuggets. That series was a heavyweight fight. Minnesota went up 2-0, then Denver won three straight, then Minnesota won Game 6 by forty-five points. In Game 7, the Wolves were down by 20 on the road and somehow came back to win. It was the largest Game 7 comeback in NBA history.
Of course, their reward was facing a red-hot Mavs team in the Western Conference Finals. Luka was just too much. He was hitting step-back threes in Anthony Edwards' face and talking trash the whole time. Dallas won that series 4-1, setting up a clash with Boston.
The Finals: Banner 18 for Boston
The Finals themselves were kind of a letdown if you wanted a seven-game thriller. Boston won the first three games. Dallas won Game 4 by 38 points, which felt like a "don't sweep us" pride win, but then Boston closed it out in Game 5 at the TD Garden. 106-88. Jayson Tatum finally got his ring, finishing Game 5 with 31 points and 11 assists.
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People like to talk about the "easy path" the Celtics had because of injuries to guys like Jimmy Butler and Tyrese Haliburton. But look, you can only play who's in front of you. Boston had a +14 margin over the No. 2 seed in the East during the regular season. They were dominant from day one.
Actionable Takeaways from the 2024 Postseason
If you're looking back at the 2024 season to understand where the league is heading, here are a few things that actually matter:
- Roster Depth is King: Boston won because their 5th and 6th guys (like Derrick White and Jrue Holiday) could be 2nd or 3rd options on other teams.
- The "Old Guard" is Fading: LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry were all out by the end of the first round. The league belongs to the Lukas, Shais, and Ant-Mans now.
- Defense Still Wins: Dallas didn't make the Finals because of Luka's scoring; they made it because they finally learned how to protect the rim with Gafford and Lively.
The nba playoff 2024 bracket didn't just crown a champion; it signaled a massive shift in the NBA's power structure. The Celtics are back on top with 18 titles, passing the Lakers for the most in history. Whether they can stay there with the rising stars in the West is the question we'll be asking all through 2026.