NBA Finals Format Restored to 2-2-1-1-1

The NBA Finals format underwent a restoration to the 2-2-1-1-1 structure, which is designed to enhance the competitive balance and home-court advantage for teams based on their regular season performance. In this format, the team with the superior regular season record hosts the first two games of the Finals. Following these initial games, the opposing team hosts the next two games. If the series extends beyond four games, the remaining three games are played alternately at each team's home arena. This alternation begins with the arena of the team that had the better record during the regular season. The restoration of this format aimed to ensure that the team with the better performance throughout the season has a slight edge in the championship series, reflecting the importance of regular season success in determining playoff outcomes. This structure has been a part of the NBA's playoff format in various forms and is intended to maximize fan engagement and attendance at games, as well as to reward teams for their performance over the course of the season.