In all my time that I’ve been watching NBA basketball, I can not recall one time in a playoff series where both in the East and West the series has been tied at 3-0 each. 

I think the Boston Celtics will win the 2023 NBA finals because, even though record-wise they were not the best team in their conference, they will play the best during the playoffs. With some notable names like Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Marcus Smart, the Celtics have some of the best players in the league and, after losing in the finals last year, they are a hungrier team to win. 

Jayson Tatum exploded with an absolute bomb of a game, dropping +50 points in Game 7 to eliminate the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals. The 76ers lost in a devastating 20-point loss to go home, and I don’t think there is a worse way to go out and end your season. 

In the previous two rounds of the playoffs, Philadelphia went to both Game 6 and Game 7, which is two close series, giving me doubts on how they’re going to pull out a win, but in every game of the previous round it was a tight game no matter what. Not once when they lost did they lose by less than 10 points, meaning they are evenly matched teams.

The Lakers got farther in the playoffs than many expected. Unfortunately, their playoff run ends here. The Lakers surprised everyone with their performance this postseason after barely even making it in with a 43-39 record, meaning they are barely over a .500 record. If they beat the Nuggets, they are in the finals. But that will be a challenge. 

The Nuggets have been dominant throughout the season and the playoffs. The Nuggets are first in the Northwest Division with a 53-29 record. The Lakers lost to the Nuggets in Games 1 and 2 of the series and are now losing in the series 0-2. In my opinion, the Lakers are unlikely to turn this around.