Category: Basketball

After a gruelling regular season and a thrilling playoffs series, we have our two NBA Finals competitors. In the biggest basketball event of the year, the Indiana Pacers are set to go head-to-head with Oklahoma City Thunder, with the first game of the best-of-seven series getting underway today.

Indiana were the Eastern Conference champions while Oklahoma prevailed in the Western Conference and we’re set to crown a new victor following the Boston Celtics’ triumph last year. Incredibly, this will be the first time in NBA history that we’ll see a seventh consecutive different champion.

How do the NBA Finals work?

Just like the entire NBA playoffs so far, the NBA Finals will be played out across a best-of-seven series. The Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder have seven games scheduled throughout June – at least four will definitely be played, with a further three in the diary if necessary.

Following a sensational regular season performance, Thunder have home court advantage. They finished with a remarkable record of 68-14, meaning they’ll play the first two games of the Finals at home. Indiana will then host the following two, before the remaining three games are alternated.

The road to the 2025 NBA Finals

Oklahoma City Thunder are the clear favourites to win this year’s NBA Championship and have been since the start of the playoffs. They won an incredible 64 of their 82 matches, led by point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named this season’s MVP and is the odds-on favourite to claim the same award for the Finals.

They topped the Western Conference and, crucially, beat the Indiana Pacers in both of their meetings in the regular season, which gives them a huge psychological advantage. They breezed through the playoffs, seeing off challenges from Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves en route to the Finals.

In fact, they haven’t lost to an Eastern Conference team since March of last year. Their opponent that day? The Indiana Pacers! And Oklahoma’s opponents will be desperately hoping that history will repeat itself over the coming weeks.

They struggled at the start of the season and found themselves on the wrong end of a 10-15 record when they lost at home to the Charlotte Hornets back in December. But they managed to turn things around and ultimately finished in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Pacers ended the regular season with a 50-32 record and their improved form was in large part down to the performances of key players Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. And they’ll need the duo to be firing if they want to win their first ever NBA title – their only other NBA Finals appearance came back in 2000 where they fell short against the LA Lakers.

While the odds are heavily stacked against them, they’ve been defying them in recent months. They saw off challenges from Milwaukee Bucks and the New York Knicks in their run to the Finals, as well as beating Cleveland Cavaliers, who were among the favourites before the season got underway.

Who are the key players?

When looking for a difference maker, it’s hard to see past Thunder superstar Gilgeous-Alexander. The Canadian has been sensational this season, recording his best-ever season with a points per game record of 32.7

But Oklahoma aren’t a one-man team and have a host of stars that help Gilgeous-Alexander shine, including Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. While they’ve got plenty of match-winners for the Pacers to worry about, Indiana have some secret weapons of their own.

Haliburton may have missed out on the Eastern Conference MVP award to teammate Siakam, but he’s a big moments player and if his side are going to cause an upset, he’s almost guaranteed to be involved.

Yet while individual performances are needed, one thing the Pacers have in their favour is depth. Their squad is packed full of talent and the fact that no player on their roster has averaged more than 33.6 minutes per game this season shows that their coach, Rick Carlisle, is confident in his entire squad’s ability.

When are the NBA Finals matches?

Game 1 – Thursday 5th June
Game 2 – Sunday 8th June
Game 3 – Wednesday 11th June
Game 4 – Friday 13th June
Game 5 – Monday 16th June
Game 6 – Thursday 19th June
Game 7 – Sunday 22nd June

After a gruelling season, it’s almost time for the NBA playoffs, which sees 16 teams go head-to-head as they look to be crowned this year’s champions. The Boston Celtics are looking to retain their crown after beating the Dallas Mavericks last year to win a record 18th NBA title.

But it won’t be easy and there are plenty of incredible teams looking to stand in their way. With the basketball action already underway, here’s everything you need to know about this year’s NBA playoffs.

How do the playoffs work?

The NBA is split into the Eastern Conference and Western Conference, which are then separated into smaller divisions. Each team plays 82 matches and at the end of the regular season, the six best teams from each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs.

To determine the remaining four competitors, the teams that finish seventh to tenth take part in a play-in tournament, with the victors taking the final spots that are known as the seventh and eighth seeds. In the playoffs, teams compete over best-of-seven matches in each round, with the first round winners advancing to the conference semi-finals.

Following that comes the conference finals, which determine the ultimate winner of each conference. The two conference winners then meet in the NBA final, which will finally see this year’s NBA champions crowned. The playoffs continue throughout May and into June, with this year’s final starting on Thursday 5th June.

Who are the favourites to win the NBA playoffs?

Oklahoma City Thunder are the current bookies’ favourites after storming to glory in the Western Conference. They won an incredible 64 of their 82 games, which secured them the Maurice Podoloff Trophy and home-court for the entire playoffs series. Their success is in large part down to the form of point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is among the favourites to be crowned this year’s MVP.

However, despite their dominance in the NBA this year, Oklahoma will be wary of the Boston Celtics who are on a mission to win a record 19th title as they enter the playoffs for the 11th year in a row, which is a new NBA record. Led by star players Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the defending champions finished in the Eastern Conference after comfortably winning the Atlantic Division with 61 victories. They’re looking to become the first team to secure back-to-back championships since the Golden State Warriors in 2018.

They finished behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, who topped the Eastern Conference with an impressive 64 wins. After firing J. B. Bickerstaff at the end of last season, they got off to a flier under new coach Kenny Atkinson, starting the season with 15 consecutive wins. Despite their strong early season form, they’ll be slightly worried about their end of season run-in. They went 8-8 in their final 16 matches, which doesn’t breed much confidence ahead of the playoffs.

And while they’re by no means the favourites, you can never rule out a title charge from the LA Lakers. They boast three of the best players in the league in four-time MVP LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. Their main issue is keeping the trio fit – they’ve played just 21 games together this season. After finishing third in the Western Conference, the LA Lakers will be looking to win their first title since 2020 and they start their campaign against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the same side they met in their opening regular season game.

Elsewhere, the New York Knicks could spring a surprise after claiming third seed in the Eastern Conference. While they’re enjoying their best season in quite some time, they seem to lack quality when it matters and lost all eight matches this season when coming up against Oklahoma and Cleveland.

Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors, who won their third championship back in 2022, will fancy their chances despite having to rely on the play-in tournament to qualify for the playoffs. They started the season strongly, going 12-3 in their opening 15 games, but faded slightly. However, they boast star quality in Steph Curry and after seeing off the Memphis Grizzlies in their play-in clash, they’ve got momentum on their side.

First round matches

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Miami Heat
Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks
New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons
Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic

Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Memphis Grizzlies
Denver Nuggets vs LA Clippers
LA Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves
Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors

After an exciting 2023/24 campaign, next week marks the beginning of the 2024/25 NBA season. With the Preseason well underway and another thrilling campaign in store, here at Engage we take you through everything you need to know, including key teams, key players and NBA Paris 2025!

The 2023/24 NBA season saw Boston Celtics win their first title since 2008 as they beat Dallas Mavericks 4 games to 1, with a game 5 win of 106-88. A commanding victory for the Celtics saw them become record holders for the most NBA Championship wins with 18 victories to go ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the Mavericks’ third appearance in the NBA finals having only won the competition once back in 2011. The Celtics will be keen to expand on their record and success of 2024 by going one better this season and winning their first consecutive titles since 1969.

Key Teams to Watch out for in 2025

Aside from the Celtics, who else can we see challenge for the title this season? The Mavericks will be keen to make amends for their agonising defeat in June, however, Preseason hasn’t been all plain sailing for the Texan side. They have begun the Preseason with three defeats to find themselves struggling for form. They will certainly have to show signs of improvements if they are to surpass the heights of last season.

The Celtics, on the other hand, have carried on their form from last season with 4 out of 5 wins in Preseason so far as they look to carry on their success. Teams with a 100% win record so far include New York Knicks with four wins and Golden State Warriors with five wins. The Knicks were knocked out by the Indiana Pacers in the quarter-final of last season’s Playoffs, narrowly slipping to a one game defeat. However, after an unbeaten Preseason so far, they will certainly have eyes on their first title since 1973!

The Pacers saw a semi-final defeat to eventual champions the Celtics, having only made one appearance in the final in their history, losing to Los Angeles Lakers back in 2000. The Pacers have won one and lost twice in Preseason with the aim of reaching the final next June.

The Warriors had a slightly mediocre campaign last year as they were defeated in the play-ins, failing to make the Playoffs. Winners in 2022, the Warriors will be keen to add to their seven titles already and have shown their intent with a perfect start.

2023 Champions Denver Nuggets have struggled to get off the ground in the Preseason at all so far, having been defeated in four consecutive games. If they are to have any chance of regaining the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy, they will need to turn their fortunes around quickly!

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Players to Watch in 2024/25

With the teams battling it out to be crowned NBA Champions, who can make the difference for their sides this year?

Last season the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic led the Championship’s offensive stats with an average of 33.9 points while Domantas Sabonis boasted the best defensive stats with 13.7 rebounds. Meanwhile Victor Wembanyama made an average of 3.6 blocks per game for San Antonio Spurs while Tyrese Haliburton made the most assists on average with 10.9 per game for the Pacers.

These four will be keen to impress once again this season and help their teams battle it out towards Championship glory.

As far as Preseason is concerned, Anthony Edwards leads the way in the offensive stats with an average of 23.5 points per game for the Minnesota Timberwolves while Sabonis once again leads the way for the Sacramento Kings in the hope he can propel his team to a victorious campaign.

With some fantastic players on show, can anyone drive their team to the Championship title and be the hero in 2025?

NBA Paris 2025

Fancy being there to see the action yourself? Engage Hospitality are offering you a fantastic opportunity to watch the NBA live from the best seats in the house in Paris! As part of the NBA’s global expansion, this brilliant opportunity to see your favourites at NBA Paris 2025 is one you must not miss!

Watch as the San Antonio Spurs take on the Indiana Pacers twice with both games expected to be a thrilling encounter. It will see Victor Wembanyama return to his home nation to play, with fans of the NBA star expected to be out in force. Wembanyama scored an average of 21.4 points per game last season and the Frenchman will be keen to perform on home turf.

NBA Paris 2025 will take place on the 23rd and 25th January 2025 and will be the fourth time the Championship has travelled to Paris. Check out Engage Hospitality to watch all of the action from NBA Paris with the best hospitality seats on offer!

The 2024 NBA playoffs are well underway after the close of the regular season. The best teams from each conference will battle it out in a four-round, best of seven format in order to be crowned NBA champion.

Excitement surrounds basketball particularly in 2024 in the build-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics after the announcement of the USA team’s star-studded line-up. A less developed sport in other countries, basketball is becoming a lot more popular here in the UK and Europe, but what are the NBA playoffs all about?

The NBA playoffs is a tournament that is played at the end of the regular season between the best teams from both the Western and Eastern Conference. It is a tournament that decides who is crowned champion of the NBA with the top 6 teams from each group automatically advancing to the tournament. The latter two spots are decided via the play-in tournament between teams placed 7th-10th in each conference.

Teams will battle it out for the famous Larry O’Brien Trophy using a best of seven series. The first team to win four games advances to the next round with the other team eliminated. The teams will advance to play another team from the same conference until all but one team from each conference are eliminated. The teams left from each conference will battle it out in the final for the Championship.

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Who to look out for this year?

After the USA announced a stellar men’s team for the 2024 Olympics including Lebron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, there has been plenty of talent on show this year in the NBA. In the regular season it was Oklahoma City Thunder who topped the Western Conference while Boston Celtics topped the Eastern Conference. It’s the Boston Celtics who are the earliest favourites for the trophy while Denver Nuggets, last year’s champions, are second favourites.

The Celtics have made a strong start in their bid to overthrow the Nuggets. After a victory on Tuesday against last year’s runners-up, Miami Heat, they are 3-1 up with only one more victory needed to eliminate the Florida-based club. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are well on their way to defend their Championship title after defeating the Lakers 4 games to 1 in the first round. They will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the next round after they also defeated the Phoenix Suns in a whitewash.

Will it be a Celtics vs Nuggets final? Well the Thunder will have something to say about that. With the same amount of wins as the Nuggets, they have certainly made a strong case for a title challenge this year. A 4-0 whitewash of New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs suggest they are a team to be feared in 2024.

Runners up in the Eastern Conference, New York Nicks, will be keen to get their hands on the Larry O’Brien trophy. With three wins so far against the 76ers after 5 games, they will be looking for one more victory to advance to the next round of fixtures.

So who do you think will take the title? Plenty of teams will be gunning for victory in what is going to be a blockbuster final no matter who is taking part. A litter of talent on show is exciting basketball fans across the globe in the preparation for the 2024 Olympics.

As the NBA expands across the world, overseas matches are becoming more popular with games taking place in Europe. Check out NBA Paris and watch your favourite stars from the best seats in the house in 2025 with Engage Hospitality.

The NBA season is well underway but there’s still plenty of action on the horizon before the playoffs get underway in April. The Denver Nuggets are the current champions but following a summer of trades and a blockbuster start to the campaign throughout the divisions, they face stiff competition to defend their crown.

Denver Nuggets pick up where they left off

After claiming their first NBA Championship last year, the Denver Nuggets have carried on that momentum into the new season. Led by Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, the Colorado-based side triumphed over Miami Heat in game five back in June.

The defending champions have arguably the best starting five in the whole of the NBA and they have won nine matches so far. They started the season strongly with four consecutive wins, including victory over the LA Lakers on the opening day.

They’re currently on a two-game losing streak but find themselves third in the Western Conference. Two-time NBA MVP Jokic has continued his dominance with a 28.8 PPG average. The Serbian scored a high of 36 points but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Houston Rockets as his side ultimately lost 107-104.

How has the NBA season started?

In the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves lead the way in the standings following a narrow 121-120 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at the weekend. They’ve lost just three times so far and are targeting their first ever finals win this season.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder sit just below them in the standings. They’ve recorded 10 wins, including an emphatic 134-91 triumph over the Portland Trail Blazers at the weekend. Key man Shai Gilgeous-Alexander netted 28 points in that victory to follow up his 40-point game the week before.

That defeat heaped further misery on the Trail Blazers, who lost Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks over the summer. The Oregon side find themselves second bottom with just three wins and 10 defeats.

In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics are rolling back the years. Despite winning a joint-highest 17 championships, only one of those has come this century. Yet they’re flying at the top of the standings with 11 wins and just two defeats. They’ve won their last six games in a row with talisman Jayson Tatum leading the charge.

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia 76ers are also riding high despite losing James Harden to the LA Clippers in the summer. They’ve won 10 games so far and have scored over 100 points in every match, including a huge 146 against the Washington Wizards.

Down the bottom of the table, the Chicago Bulls are struggling and long for the days of Michael Jordan and co. pulling the strings. The Bulls didn’t make the playoffs last year, losing to eventual Eastern Conference champions the Miami Heat. They’ve lost nine games and desperately need to turn things around quickly.

Last dance for LeBron?

Despite turning 39 next month, LeBron James is still firing for the LA Lakers and while he’s very much in the twilight of his career, he has his sights set firmly on a fifth NBA title this season.

The four-time NBA champion became the all-time leading points scorer in history earlier this year and he’s continued in that vein this term, averaging 26.4 so far and netting 37 last time out against the Houston Rockets.

James considered retirement over the summer but he’ll want to go out with a bang and will see it as the ultimate goodbye if he can secure the Lakers their first championship since 2020.

But his side will need to up for it if that dream is to become a reality. The Lakers have won five of their last six games but that form papers over the cracks of a disappointing start that has seen them lose six times so far.

The NBA is heading to Paris

If you fancy taking in some NBA action, don’t worry – there’s no need to travel all the way to the States. That’s because the world’s greatest basketball league is on its way back to Paris in the new year.

The Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday 11th January, with both sides looking to repeat last season’s efforts and make the playoffs. They’ve both endured mixed starts to the campaign and currently find themselves 8th and 10th respectively in the Eastern Conference.

Both sides will fancy their chances at climbing further up the standings and the showpiece event in Paris could be the place to see them turn their fortunes around.

We’ve got a range of hospitality options on offer for the game, giving you the chance to enjoy the match in style, as well as enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour, a meet and greet with an NBA legend and exclusive food and drinks packages.