Conference Finals OpenThread: The NBA’s elite are fighting for a spot in the Finals

The NBA’s Conference Finals kick off Tuesday, with four of the NBA’s best teams vying for a spot in the NBA Finals. All credit due to them, but the Indiana Pacers feel like they are a step or two behind the other three teams still in the equation — the NBA’s winningest team, the Boston Celtics, who will face the Pacers, and the Dallas Mavericks, led by superstar Luka Doncic, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who just dethroned the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

Each series has an every-other-day schedule, so we are in store for nightly primetime basketball from May 21 to as late as June 3. Things are a bit more spaced out for the NBA Finals, with a projected game seven not hitting until June 23.

Here are the schedules and TV networks you will find for each conference finals series. This will be an open thread to house conversations for each conference matchup unless total comments reach critical mass and we are forced to open up a new thread. The NBA Finals will get its own thread when that matchup is set.

Eastern Conference Finals

Boston Celtics (1) vs. Indiana Pacers (6)

Game 1: 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 21 (ESPN)
Game 2: 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 23 (ESPN)
Game 3: 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 25 (ABC)
Game 4: 8 p.m. ET on Monday, May 27 (ESPN)
Game 5: 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 29 (ESPN)*
Game 6: 8 p.m. ET on Friday, May 31 (ESPN)*
Game 7: 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 2 (ESPN)*

*if necessary

Western Conference Finals

Minnesota Timberwolves (3) vs. Dallas Mavericks (5)

Game 1: 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 22 (TNT)
Game 2: 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 24 (TNT)
Game 3: 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 26 (TNT)
Game 4: 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 28 (TNT)
Game 5: 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 30 (TNT)*
Game 6: 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 1 (TNT)*
Game 7: 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, June 3 (TNT)*

*if necessary