The NBA Finals pit the 53-win Denver Nuggets against the 44-win Miami Heat, which means that we’re going to see a second all-time NBA champion with a specific regular-season win total. The only question is whether it’s going to be for the first time in nearly 70 years, or the second time in a row.
53-win NBA champions: 2021-22 Golden State Warriors (53-29)
44-win NBA champions: 1956-57 Boston Celtics (44-28)
The 1948-49 Minneapolis Lakers also won 44 games, losing just 16, but they weren’t NBA champions. They were BAA champions, the forerunner league for the NBA, beating the Chicago Stags and Rochester Royals in the Western Division playoffs before a six-game triumph over the Wasington Capitols in the Finals.
Should be a good time.
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