Your Complete Guide to the 2021 NBA Championship Schedule and Key Matchups

I remember sitting on my worn-out couch last April, the faint smell of takeout pizza lingering in my apartment as I stared at my laptop screen. The 2021 NBA season had been unlike any other—bubble memories still fresh, arenas slowly welcoming back fans, and that peculiar compressed schedule that had basketball purists and casual fans alike scratching their heads. My friend Miguel, a lifelong Lakers fan from Manila, had just sent me a text that read "Di naman ako nagsisisi" — Tagalog for "I don't really regret it" — after staying up until 3 AM to watch LeBron and AD battle the Nets. That phrase stuck with me throughout the championship run, becoming something of a mantra for NBA fans worldwide who sacrificed sleep and social plans for hardwood drama.

The journey to what would become your complete guide to the 2021 NBA championship schedule and key matchups began in that moment. See, Miguel's message arrived during what I now consider the most fascinating stretch of the season—that mid-April period when contenders separate from pretenders. The Utah Jazz were riding high at 40-13, the Sixers and Nets were battling for Eastern supremacy, and out in Phoenix, Chris Paul was orchestrating what felt like a basketball renaissance. I found myself creating elaborate spreadsheets, not for work, but to track potential playoff scenarios. There was something magical about how the 72-game season condensed rivalries and intensified storylines, creating matchups we'd remember for years.

What made the 2021 championship chase particularly compelling was how the schedule unfolded like a carefully plotted novel. The play-in tournament added this delicious layer of uncertainty—remember when LeBron James famously criticized the concept after the Lakers slipped in the standings, only to benefit from it later? The first round gave us the Clippers-Mavericks rematch we craved, with Luka putting up historic numbers (he averaged 35.7 points in that series, insane for a 22-year-old). Then there was the Nets-Bucks semifinal that felt like the actual Finals, with KD's shoe size becoming the most debated topic in basketball after his game-tying shot in Game 7. I must have rewatched that entire series three times, each viewing revealing new nuances.

The conference finals brought their own unique flavor. The Western clash between the Suns and Clippers featured Chris Paul returning from COVID protocols to close out his first Finals berth, while the East saw the Bucks finally overcome the Hawks despite Trae Young's heroic 48-point performance in Game 1. What often gets lost in championship retrospectives is the physical toll—the 2021 playoffs saw more injuries than usual, with stars like Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, and Anthony Davis all missing critical games. This created unexpected opportunities for role players to become heroes, like Cameron Payne's electric 29-point game against the Clippers or Jrue Holiday's two-way mastery throughout the Bucks' run.

When we finally reached the Finals, the basketball gods delivered Suns vs Bucks—a matchup few predicted back in December. I'll admit I was rooting for Phoenix, partly because I wanted CP3 to get his ring, partly because Devin Booker's mid-range game is pure art. Those first two games in Phoenix had me convinced we were witnessing the coronation of a new powerhouse. But then Giannis happened. His 41-point, 13-rebound, 6-assist performance in Game 3 shifted the entire series momentum. The Milwaukee crowd during Game 6—that deafening roar when Giannis blocked Ayton's alley-oop attempt—still gives me chills. The Bucks closed it out 105-98, their first championship in 50 years, and as confetti rained down, I thought about Miguel's message again. None of us regretted those lost hours of sleep, because we'd witnessed something special.

Looking back, the 2021 NBA championship wasn't just about the final result—it was about the entire journey, from that strange December start through the grueling playoff battles. The compressed schedule created unexpected challenges and opportunities, the key matchups delivered unforgettable moments, and the eventual champion emerged through a perfect storm of talent, timing, and resilience. Even now, when I rewatch highlights from that Bucks-Suns series, I find myself marveling at how it all came together. The 2021 season taught me that in basketball, as in life, the most rewarding journeys often come with unexpected detours—and like Miguel said, when you finally reach the destination, you don't really regret any of it.