We are a month into the NBA Playoffs. The 16 best teams of the 2023-2024 regular season have been going head to head in hopes of taking home the championship ring. After many intense games on the court, we are down to the four teams that will compete in the Conference Finals of the best basketball league on the planet: the Boston Celtics, the Indiana Pacers, the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Along the way, the four finalists beat out several franchises that were favored to make it further, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder, Western champions in the regular season; the Denver Nuggets, current holders of the Larry O'Brien trophy; and the New York Knicks, who lost their chance at taking home a championship title.

Boston Celtics-Indiana Pacers

Without a doubt, no team has had a better season than the Celtics. They have been practically unstoppable. Boston beat out the other 14 teams in the Eastern Conference and finished first in the regular season. They have continued to show their dominance in the playoffs. In the ten games they have played so far, they have only lost two: one in the first round against the Miami Heat and another in the semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They have scored an average of 108.1 points per game. They will play in their fourth conference final in the last five seasons.

Jayson Tatum has played a crucial role in his team's success. The 26-year-old basketball player has made the Celtics one of the great NBA franchises of recent times. He has been a leader on the court and scored most of his team's points in each game. He has played alongside other great players who have played consistently well such as Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday. They all have the same goal: to take home the Celtics' 18th title.

The Celtics will face the Pacers in the upcoming conference finals. Indianapolis hasn't made it this far in the NBA playoffs since the 2013-2014 season when they lost to the Heat. In the last ten years, they haven't made it past the first round of the playoffs. This year, they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, and, after a frantic comeback in the semifinals, the Knicks. They have the highest scoring average of the four finalists in this year's playoffs (114.2 points per game). Their performance so far has been surprising.

Few believe the Pacers have a chance. Many believe they are heading into an impossible situation. If they want to make it to the NBA Finals, the team led by Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner will have to work hard. Coach Rick Carlisle will have to come up with a strategy to stop the Celtics.

Dallas Mavericks-Minnesota Timberwolves

In the 2010-2011 season, the Mavericks won their only NBA title. Since then, the Dallas franchise hasn't made it to the top except for two seasons ago when they lost in the Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Before that, there was rarely a time when they didn't make it to the semifinals. Now they have a new opportunity to advance to the NBA Finals. They have beat out the Los Angeles Clippers and the Thunder, with an average of 106.5 points.

Luka Doncic has been leading the Mavericks since 2018 when he made his debut in the NBA after playing in Spain. The Slovenian player has been a key player for the franchise. Another player who has had a remarkable season is Kyrie Irving. It is up to both of them to take the Mavs to the NBA Finals.

The Mavericks will be up against the Timberwolves. The Minneapolis franchise has done remarkably well. For most of the regular season, the Thunder and the Nuggets competed for the top spot in the Western Conference, although, in the end, they finished third. They defeated the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals. In the first round, they beat out the Phoenix Suns. They have scored 108.4 points per game. This is their second time making it to the conference finals.

Anthony Edwards' name stands out above all of his teammates. The 22-year-old player is currently playing his third and best season in the NBA. He is one of the best players in this year's playoffs. Some even think he is the current best player in the NBA. Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert have also had a great year.