The Minnesota Timberwolves certainly have high expectations as the 2025-26 season draws closer. Back-to-back conference finals appearances have left them on the doorstep of their first NBA Finals appearance.
How often have teams reached, or even better, won the NBA finals the year after losing two consecutive conference finals? Since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976, it hasn’t happened all that frequently.
2 teams have reached NBA finals after losing 2 consecutive conference finals
Since that merger beginning in the 1976-77 season, eight different franchises have lost in the conference finals back-to-back years. The Pacers have seen it happen to them three times, and the Suns twice.