For the fourth year in a row, the Eastern Conference …
The Eastern Conference has seen a consistent trend over the past four years where the champion of the conference lost in the previous year's Eastern Conference Finals. This pattern includes teams like the Knicks, Pacers, Celtics, and Heat. Each of these teams faced defeat in the ECF before winning the conference title the following year.
- ▪The Knicks won the Eastern Conference in 2026 after losing in the 2025 ECF.
- ▪The Pacers were the 2025 Eastern Conference champions following their loss in the 2024 ECF.
- ▪The Celtics claimed the Eastern Conference title in 2024 after being defeated in the 2023 ECF.
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