The NBA Finals will start later this week, but the full schedule and the start of the series won’t be determined until the result of tonight’s Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat is decided.
The NBA Finals will start on Wednesday night if the Miami Heat takes care of the Celtics this evening, but they won’t start until Friday if the Celtics are able to stave off elimination and force a Game 7. Below are the two schedule scenarios provided by the NBA.
IF EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS DOES NOT NEED A GAME 7
| DAY | DATE | ET | GM | AWAY | HOME | VENUE | TV / R |
| Wed | 9/30 | 9:00 PM | 1 | Miami | L.A. Lakers | AHA | ABC/R |
| Fri | 10/2 | 9:00 PM | 2 | Miami | L.A. Lakers | AHA | ABC/R |
| Sun | 10/4 | 7:30 PM | 3 | L.A. Lakers | Miami | AHA | ABC/R |
| Tue | 10/6 | 9:00 PM | 4 | L.A. Lakers | Miami | AHA | ABC/R |
| Fri | 10/9 | 9:00 PM | 5* | Miami | L.A. Lakers | AHA | ABC/R |
| Sun | 10/11 | 7:30 PM | 6* | L.A. Lakers | Miami | AHA | ABC/R |
| Tue | 10/13 | 9:00 PM | 7* | Miami | L.A. Lakers | AHA | ABC/R |
IF EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS NEEDS A GAME 7
| DAY | DATE | ET | GM | AWAY | HOME | VENUE | TV / R |
| Fri | 10/2 | 9:00 PM | 1 | BOS/MIA | L.A. Lakers | AHA | ABC/R |
| Sun | 10/4 | 7:30 PM | 2 | BOS/MIA | L.A. Lakers | AHA | ABC/R |
| Tue | 10/6 | 9:00 PM | 3 | L.A. Lakers | BOS/MIA | AHA | ABC/R |
| Fri | 10/9 | 9:00 PM | 4 | L.A. Lakers | BOS/MIA | AHA | ABC/R |
| Sun | 10/11 | 7:30 PM | 5* | BOS/MIA | L.A. Lakers | AHA | ABC/R |
| Tue | 10/13 | 9:00 PM | 6* | L.A. Lakers | BOS/MIA | AHA | ABC/R |
| Fri | 10/16 | 9:00 PM | 7* | BOS/MIA | L.A. Lakers | AHA | ABC/R |
LeBron James and the Lakers are likely rooting for the Celtics tonight so they can have almost a week off in between games.
