Welcome to the highly anticipated 2023 NBA Western Conference Finals, an exhilarating showdown that pits two powerhouse teams against each other in a battle for the right to compete for the prestigious Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy. As the excitement reaches fever pitch, fans worldwide eagerly await to witness the best of the Western Conference competing in a breathtaking display of athleticism, skill, and passion on the basketball court.
As the series unfolds, it will be fascinating to see which team will emerge as the Western Conference champion, securing their place in the NBA Finals. All the NBA playoff games promise to be a captivating blend of high-octane offense, strategic defense, and thrilling clutch moments. Stay tuned for a rollercoaster of emotions as these giants of the NBA battle for supremacy in the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
2023 Western Conference Finals: Schedule and Format
The NBA Conference Finals 2023 are scheduled to begin on May 16-17. But the dates might change to May 14-15.
The 2023 Western Conference Finals will follow a best-of-seven format, with the first team to win four games advancing to the NBA Finals. The series will adhere to the 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the higher-seeded team hosting Games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the lower-seeded team hosts Games 3, 4, and 6.
Explanation of the format of the Western Conference Finals
The Western Conference Finals, part of the NBA Playoffs, follow a best-of-seven series format. Both competing teams aim to win four out of the seven possible games to secure their spot in the NBA Finals, where they will face off against the Eastern Conference champion.
The format used for the Western Conference Finals is called the 2-2-1-1-1 format. This refers to how the games are scheduled in terms of home-court advantage. The team with the higher regular-season seeding is awarded the home-court advantage, hosting Games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the lower-seeded team hosts Games 3, 4, and 6.
It's important to note that Games 5, 6, and 7 are marked with an asterisk (*) because they will only be played if necessary. If one team wins four games before reaching Game 5, 6, or 7, the series will end, and the winning team will advance to the NBA Finals.
In the 2023 Western Conference Finals, the Golden State Warriors (higher-seeded team) face the Los Angeles Clippers (lower-seeded team). The Warriors have a home-court advantage and will host Games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the Clippers will host Games 3, 4, and 6.
How to Watch the 2023 Western Conference Finals?
The 2023 Western Conference Finals will be broadcast on national television, allowing fans to catch all the action as it unfolds. Here are the various ways you can watch the games:
National TV Broadcast: Major networks like ESPN or TNT typically broadcast the Western Conference Finals games. Check your local listings to find the specific channel and the scheduled air time for each game.
NBA TV: NBA TV is a subscription-based channel dedicated to everything NBA. Subscribing to NBA TV will grant you access to live games, including the Western Conference Finals, as well as exclusive content and analysis.
Online Streaming: Several online platforms offer live streaming of NBA games. Some popular options include:
ESPN: ESPN is a sports network that broadcasts the NBA playoff games. If you have a suitable cable connection or channel subscription, you can watch the playoffs and finals on the ESPN app or channel.
TNT: TNT provides a free subscription for the users to watch some of the selected games of NBA playoffs and finals.
NBA League Pass: The paid subscription to NBA league pass will let you watch the live stream of the NBA matches.
Radio Broadcast: If you prefer to listen to the games, you can tune in to your local sports radio station or use the NBA Game Time app for live audio coverage.
Hulu Live TV: Hulu Live TV is also an online streaming service, you can subscribe to Hulu Live TV and watch the live streaming of all the NBA matches.
Recap of the 2022 Western Conference Finals
In the 2022 NBA Western Conference Finals, the Golden State Warriors faced the Dallas Mavericks. Led by Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors won the series in 5 games, defeating Dallas 4-1. In the Finals, the Warriors faced the Boston Celtics and won their fourth NBA title.
Here below are a few notable performances and stats from the series:
Luka Dončić had the highest points per game and rebound per game for any player remaining in the playoffs. The win-share of Luka was 1.7 which could be higher than Curry if he would not have missed the games against Jazz.
Stephen Curry did not score a lot of three pointers with only 37.5% which is horrible for a shooter of his caliber. But he was pretty good in defense which led the Warriors to win 4-1 against Dallas.
Jalen Brunson has the third highest win-share in the Western Conference and was the second scoring option for the Dallas Mavericks in the finals.
Stephen Curry was awarded the inaugural NBA Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player with an average of 23.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists in five games.
