As the summer approaches, it signals the end of the pro basketball  season. When the dust settles, only one team is left as champion. Will the Larry O’Brien trophy return to Oakland in the hands of the Golden State Warriors? Or will LeBron James lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to eternal glory, winning their second title in three years? Or perhaps, could a newcomer steal the title from both of these powerhouses? Thus far, the NBA playoffs have been nothing short of a wild adventure filled with twists, turns, and exciting game conclusions.

Let’s start with the Eastern Conference. At the beginning of the year, the Boston Celtics were primed for a title run. After trading for guard Kyrie Irving and signing Gordon Hayward in the offseason, the Celtics seemed like they would be the team to beat. However, that all quickly changed when Hayward suffered a gruesome broken ankle just minutes into the opening game, ending his season before it even began. The weight of the team then fell to Irving, who kept the Celtics atop the conference standings for most of the season until he was ruled out for the remainder of the season in early April with a knee injury. At this point, most fans and critics gave up on the Celtics, believing that their young crop of players could not compete without their two best players. The Celtics took this as a chip on their shoulder as they set out to prove that they were truly a force to be reckoned with. After ousting the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games, they easily handled the up-and-coming  Philadelphia 76ers in five games, setting the stage for a highly anticipated battle with LeBron James and the Cavaliers. The Celtics, led by rookie guard Jayson Tatum and veteran center Al Horford, won the first two games of the series in convincing fashion before losing the next two to tie the series up at 2-2. The teams exchanged victories in Games five and six, setting up a Game seven matchup in Boston. Despite a valiant effort, James’ efforts were simply too much for Boston, as the King’s 35 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists overwhelmed Brad Stevens and company. In the end, LeBron proved that he could not be stopped, as he will now play in his eighth straight NBA Final, the longest such streak in more than 20 years.

As for the Western Conference, things might turn out a little differently than usual. For the first time since 2014, the Golden State Warriors were not the number one seed in the NBA. In fact, they were not even the number one seed in the West this year. That honor goes to the Houston Rockets, who finished the season with a record of 65-17. Since trading for megastar James Harden in the 2013 offseason, the Rockets have been right on the doorstep of having a breakthrough and reaching their first NBA Finals since the 1990s. However, they always seem to come up one step short. This past offseason, the Rockets were determined to make the next step, as they made a blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Clippers to send nine-time All-Star guard Chris Paul to Houston. Combining Paul with Harden has seemed a very smart move thus far, as the backcourt has led the Rockets all the way to the Western Conference finals against the Warriors. In addition to Paul and Harden, the Rockets have had major help from players Clint Capela, Eric Gordon, and Head Coach Mike D’Antoni. As the season winds down, the Rockets will certainly have to play their best basketball if they want to capture the NBA title.