The race at the top of the Eastern Conference standings drew plenty of attention as the season approached its conclusion, while the race out West was decided early.
That was because the Suns ran away with the best record and won the most games since the 2017-18 Rockets. The team with the next-best record, the Grizzlies, also resides in the Western Conference, as do the sixth-seeded Nuggets, led by the presumptuous back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokiu0107.
After four of five NBA championships between 2014-18 went to West teams West, two of the last three titles went to East teams.