With the Lakers punching their ticket to the big dance on Saturday, the league has since confirmed the 2020 NBA Finals schedule.
The NBA has outlined two possible schedules, depending on what happens next in the Eastern Conference finals between the Celtics and Heat.
According to The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears, if Miami wins Game 6 and advances on Sunday, the schedule will look like this:
2020 NBA Finals Schedule
| GAME | DATE | TIME | HOME | AWAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 30 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Lakers | Heat |
| 2 | Oct. 2 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Lakers | Heat |
| 3 | Oct. 4 | 7:30 p.m. ET | Heat | Lakers |
| 4 | Oct. 6 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Heat | Lakers |
| 5* | Oct. 9 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Lakers | Heat |
| 6* | Oct. 11 | 7:30 p.m. ET | Heat | Lakers |
| 7* | Oct. 13 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Lakers | Heat |
But if the Celtics force a Game 7, the schedule will be as follows:
| GAME | DATE | TIME | HOME | AWAY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct. 2 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Lakers | Heat/Celtics |
| 2 | Oct. 4 | 7:30 p.m. ET | Lakers | Heat/Celtics |
| 3 | Oct. 6 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Heat/Celtics | Lakers |
| 4 | Oct. 9 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Heat/Celtics | Lakers |
| 5* | Oct. 11 | 7:30 p.m. ET | Lakers | Heat/Celtics |
| 6* | Oct. 13 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Heat/Celtics | Lakers |
| 7* | Oct. 16 | 9:00 p.m. ET | Lakers | Heat/Celtics |
Either way, we’re hooking these Finals straight into our veins.
The Lakers will be feeling great entering the series with that commanding close-out win against the Nuggets in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday.
LeBron James will be feeling especially good as not only did he torch Denver down the stretch in Game 5 (he must have read this) but closing the series early will allow for some much needed extra rest.
While the Heat have the upper hand against the Celtics in terms of wins, Boston has all the momentum after securing the biggest win of the series in Game 5.
But regardless of who comes out of the East, a spectacular storyline lies on the horizon.
LeBron will either be playing his old Heat squad, or we’ll be in for another Lakers-Celtics Finals, just like old times.
Game 6 between the Celtics and Heat tips off Sunday at 7:30pm ET.