** indicates that the 2019-20 regular season went on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 22 teams returned to play to determine playoff seeding, and the playoffs were in a "bubble" at Disney World; the 2020-21 regular season was shortened to 72 games (instead of 82) and was the first season to feature the play-in tournament for teams ranked 7th - 10th in each conference.
| Season | Conference | Winner | Series | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | West | Dallas Mavericks | 4-1 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2023-24 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-0 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2022-23 | West | Denver Nuggets | 4-0 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2022-23 | East | Miami Heat | 4-3 | Boston Celtics |
| 2021-22 | West | Golden State Warriors | 4-1 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2021-22 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | Miami Heat |
| 2020-21** | West** | Phoenix Suns** | 4-2 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2020-21** | East** | Milwaukee Bucks** | 4-2 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2019-20** | West** | Los Angeles Lakers** | 4-1 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2019-20** | East** | Miami Heat** | 4-2 | Boston Celtics |
| 2018-19 | West | Golden State Warriors | 4-0 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2018-19 | East | Toronto Raptors | 4-2 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2017-18 | West | Golden State Warriors | 4-3 | Houston Rockets |
| 2017-18 | East | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-3 | Boston Celtics |
| 2016-17 | West | Golden State Warriors | 4-0 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2016-17 | East | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-1 | Boston Celtics |
| 2015-16 | West | Golden State Warriors | 4-3 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2015-16 | East | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-2 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2014-15 | West | Golden State Warriors | 4-1 | Houston Rockets |
| 2014-15 | East | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-0 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2013-14 | West | San Antonio Spurs | 4-2 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2013-14 | East | Miami Heat | 4-2 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2012-13 | West | San Antonio Spurs | 4-0 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2012-13 | East | Miami Heat | 4-3 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2011-12 | West | Oklahoma City Thunder | 4-2 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2011-12 | East | Miami Heat | 4-3 | Boston Celtics |
| 2010-11 | West | Dallas Mavericks | 4-1 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2010-11 | East | Miami Heat | 4-1 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2009-10 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2009-10 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Orlando Magic |
| 2008-09 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2008-09 | East | Orlando Magic | 4-2 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2007-08 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2007-08 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2006-07 | West | San Antonio Spurs | 4-1 | Utah Jazz |
| 2006-07 | East | Cleveland Cavaliers | 4-2 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2005-06 | West | Dallas Mavericks | 4-2 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2005-06 | East | Miami Heat | 4-2 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2004-05 | West | San Antonio Spurs | 4-1 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2004-05 | East | Detroit Pistons | 4-3 | Miami Heat |
| 2003-04 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2003-04 | East | Detroit Pistons | 4-2 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2002-03 | West | San Antonio Spurs | 4-2 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2002-03 | East | New Jersey Nets | 4-0 | Detroit Pistons |
| 2001-02 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Sacramento Kings |
| 2001-02 | East | New Jersey Nets | 4-2 | Boston Celtics |
| 2000-01 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2000-01 | East | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-3 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1999-00 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1999-00 | East | Indiana Pacers | 4-2 | New York Knicks |
| 1998-99 | West | San Antonio Spurs | 4-0 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1998-99 | East | New York Knicks | 4-2 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1997-98 | West | Utah Jazz | 4-0 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1997-98 | East | Chicago Bulls | 4-3 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1996-97 | West | Utah Jazz | 4-2 | Houston Rockets |
| 1996-97 | East | Chicago Bulls | 4-1 | Miami Heat |
| 1995-96 | West | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-3 | Utah Jazz |
| 1995-96 | East | Chicago Bulls | 4-0 | Orlando Magic |
| 1994-95 | West | Houston Rockets | 4-2 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1994-95 | East | Orlando Magic | 4-3 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1993-94 | West | Houston Rockets | 4-1 | Utah Jazz |
| 1993-94 | East | New York Knicks | 4-3 | Indiana Pacers |
| 1992-93 | West | Phoenix Suns | 4-3 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1992-93 | East | Chicago Bulls | 4-2 | New York Knicks |
| 1991-92 | West | Portland Trail Blazers | 4-2 | Utah Jazz |
| 1991-92 | East | Chicago Bulls | 4-2 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1990-91 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1990-91 | East | Chicago Bulls | 4-0 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1989-90 | West | Portland Trail Blazers | 4-2 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1989-90 | East | Detroit Pistons | 4-3 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1988-89 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1988-89 | East | Detroit Pistons | 4-2 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1987-88 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-3 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 1987-88 | East | Detroit Pistons | 4-2 | Boston Celtics |
| 1986-87 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1986-87 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | Detroit Pistons |
| 1985-86 | West | Houston Rockets | 4-1 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1985-86 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-0 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1984-85 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1984-85 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-1 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1983-84 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1983-84 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-1 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1982-83 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1982-83 | East | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-1 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1981-82 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1981-82 | East | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-3 | Boston Celtics |
| 1980-81 | West | Houston Rockets | 4-1 | Kansas City Kings |
| 1980-81 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1979-80 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1979-80 | East | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-1 | Boston Celtics |
| 1978-79 | West | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-3 | Phoenix Suns |
| 1978-79 | East | Washington Bullets | 4-3 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1977-78 | West | Seattle SuperSonics | 4-2 | Denver Nuggets |
| 1977-78 | East | Washington Bullets | 4-2 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1976-77 | West | Portland Trail Blazers | 4-0 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1976-77 | East | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-2 | Houston Rockets |
| 1975-76 | West | Phoenix Suns | 4-3 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1975-76 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1974-75 | West | Golden State Warriors | 4-3 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1974-75 | East | Washington Bullets | 4-2 | Boston Celtics |
| 1973-74 | West | Milwaukee Bucks | 4-0 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1973-74 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-1 | New York Knicks |
| 1972-73 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Golden State Warriors |
| 1972-73 | East | New York Knicks | 4-3 | Boston Celtics |
| 1971-72 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-2 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1971-72 | East | New York Knicks | 4-1 | Boston Celtics |
| 1970-71 | West | Milwaukee Bucks | 4-1 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1970-71 | East | Baltimore Bullets | 4-3 | New York Knicks |
| 1969-70 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1969-70 | East | New York Knicks | 4-1 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1968-69 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-1 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1968-69 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-2 | New York Knicks |
| 1967-68 | West | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-0 | San Francisco Warriors |
| 1967-68 | East | Boston Celtics | 4-3 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1966-67 | West | San Francisco Warriors | 4-2 | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1966-67 | East | Philadelphia 76ers | 4-1 | Boston Celtics |
Note: The 1967 NBA playoffs started the eight (8) team tournament format with no first-round byes.