Knicks and Thunder clinch conference final spots

The New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder have already moved on, and the NBA’s conference-final field is halfway set. New York swept the Philadelphia 76ers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals, while Oklahoma City swept the Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 in the Western Conference semifinals, according to Basketball-Reference’s team schedule pages. Friday, May 15 is the next hinge point in the bracket. The Cleveland Cavaliers lead the Detroit Pistons 3-2 and host Game 6, while the San Antonio Spurs lead the Minnesota Timberwolves 3-2 and travel for Game 6, according to the NBA’s official schedule page. That leaves two teams waiting and two series still unresolved. If Cleveland and San Antonio both win on May 15, the conference-final matchups would be Knicks-Cavaliers in the East and Thunder-Spurs in the West; if either trailing team extends its series, Game 7s are listed for Sunday, May 17 on the NBA schedule. (basketball-reference.com) ### How did New York get here so quickly? (nba.com) The Knicks finished off Philadelphia in a 4-0 series, Basketball-Reference’s New York team page says. The same page lists New York as having beaten Atlanta 4-2 in the first round before the sweep of the 76ers in the conference semifinals. (nba.com) New York’s path matters because it is the only confirmed Eastern Conference finalist as of May 15. Basketball-Reference lists the Knicks’ last game as a 144-114 win at Philadelphia, which closed the series and sent them into the waiting position for the winner of Cavaliers-Pistons. (basketball-reference.com) ### What did Oklahoma City do in the West? Oklahoma City also advanced with a sweep. Basketball-Reference’s Thunder game log page says the Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 4-0 in the first round and then beat the Lakers 4-0 in the Western Conference semifinals. The Thunder arrived in this round as the West’s top regular-season team. (basketball-reference.com) Basketball-Reference lists Oklahoma City at 64-18, first in the Western Conference, and says its last game was a 115-110 road win over the Lakers. ### Which series can still change the bracket tonight? (basketball-reference.com) Cleveland enters Friday with a one-game edge in the East. Basketball-Reference lists the Cavaliers as leading Detroit 3-2, and the NBA schedule shows Game 6 in Cleveland on May 15. San Antonio is in the same position in the West. (basketball-reference.com) Basketball-Reference lists the Spurs as leading Minnesota 3-2 after a 126-97 win over the Timberwolves, and the NBA schedule shows Game 6 on May 15 in Minnesota. ### What matchups are still possible? The Eastern Conference final can only be New York against Cleveland or Detroit. (basketball-reference.com) The Knicks are already through, and the Cavaliers-Pistons series is the only remaining East semifinal on the NBA schedule. The Western Conference final can only be Oklahoma City against San Antonio or Minnesota. (basketball-reference.com) The Thunder have clinched their spot, and the Spurs-Timberwolves series remains active at 3-2. ### When will the final four be set? May 15 could settle both remaining spots. The NBA schedule lists only two games that day — Detroit at Cleveland and San Antonio at Minnesota — with both series at 3-2. (basketball-reference.com) Sunday, May 17 is the fallback date if either series goes the distance. The NBA schedule lists a possible Cavaliers-Pistons Game 7 and a possible Timberwolves-Spurs Game 7 for that date. (basketball-reference.com) (nba.com)