<P> The National Basketball Association (NBA) (formerly Basketball Association of America (BAA) from 1946 to 1949) Finals is the championship series for the NBA and the conclusion of the NBA's postseason . All Finals have been played in a best - of - seven format, and contested between the winners of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference (formerly Divisions before 1970), except in 1950 in which the Eastern Division champion faced the winner between the Western and Central Division champions . Prior to 1949, the playoffs were instituted a three - stage tournament where the two semifinal winners played each other in the finals . The winning team of the series receives the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy . </P> <P> The home - and - away format in the NBA Finals is in a 2--2--1--1--1 format (the team with the better regular season record plays on their home court in Games 1, 2, 5 and 7) during 1947--1948, 1950--1952, 1957--1970, 1972--1974, 1976--1977, 1979--1984, 2014--present . It was previously in a 2--3--2 format (the team with the better regular season record plays on their home court in Games 1, 2, 6 and 7) during 1949, 1953--1955, and 1985--2013, in a 1--1--1--1--1--1--1 format during 1956 and 1971 and in a 1--2--2--1--1 format during 1975 and 1978 . </P> <P> The Eastern Conference / Division leads the Western Conference / Division in series won (38--32). The defunct Central Division won one championship . The Boston Celtics and the Minneapolis / Los Angeles Lakers alone own almost half of the titles, having won a combined 33 of 72 championships . </P> <P> Numbers in parentheses in the table are NBA Finals appearances as of the date of that NBA Finals, and are used as follows: </P>

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