Manu Ginobili sealed the deal by hitting a three-pointer that extended the Spurs' lead to 10 with about a minute and a half to go. They faced each other in the Eastern Conference First Round in 2010 (won by the Celtics, 4–1) and in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2011 (won by the Heat, 4–1). Out in Denver, eventual Coach of the Year winner George Karl powered the Nuggets to 57 wins. Il formato è identico all'edizione precedente. Game 1 was a very close affair, with both teams going back and forth in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Then, after the third period, West left the game with a knee injury. It was soon followed by Bosh's third three-pointer of the night (a career-high three 3 pointers) that gave the Heat the lead for good. Fueled by the league's top scorer, Carmelo Anthony, and an offense that drained a league-record 891 3-pointers, the Knicks amassed 54 wins.The Indiana Pacers upped their win total by seven while the Boston Celtics fell from East powerhouse to a .500 team.In Los Angeles, the Lakers added Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to a mix that included Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, and title dreams were born. The Lakers still had one last chance to tie but Kobe Bryant's three missed, with Harden hitting two free-throws to effectively seal the deal. They were also well prepared because they were able to sweep their previous opponent, the Utah Jazz. With 7:36 remaining in the game, the Thunder came back to retake the lead at 77–76, but the Heat then scored eight unanswered points to build an 84–77 advantage with 3:47 left. Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) shoots against Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) during Game 5 of the NBA finals, Thursday, June 21, 2012, in Miami. The Celtics were hot in the second, scoring 35 points en route to tying the game at halftime. The Celtics would still have a 7-point lead at halftime. He came off the bench in the game and scored 9 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in 14 minutes played. The Heat defeated the Thunder 100-96 in Game 2, tying the series at one game a piece and giving the Thunder their first home playoff loss of the season.

The Thunder defeated the Heat, 105–94, in Game 1. That mark included the second-longest win streak in NBA history, a 27-game run that began Jan. 30 vs. Brooklyn and ended March 27 vs. Chicago.The Chicago Bulls, the Eastern Conference's top seed in 2011-12, lost ex-MVP Derrick Rose to a torn ACL during the 2011 playoffs. The fourth quarter was close.

The 2012 Stanley Cup Finals ended the day before. With the Celtics up 71–66 with 4:24 left in the third, a block by Wade on Allen ignited a 15–4 run by the Heat to end the quarter, as they took a 6-point lead heading into the fourth. The Lakers were not able to respond as they watched the Thunder take the series, 4–1, to send the Lakers back home for the second straight season in the Conference Semifinals. Even though the Heat won the regular season series, 3–1, this playoff series was expected to be a close one. The Hawks had homecourt advantage for the series despite being the lower seeded team by having the better season-record of the two; the Celtics took the 4th-seed by winning their division title. Miami held the lead for most of the first three quarters, including a 13-point lead at one point during the second quarter. The Thunder quickly took control through the first three quarters and stretched their lead to as high as 35. With the score tied at 98, Russell Westbrook committed a crucial turnover when he slipped and lost the ball. The Heat made five three-pointers to jump to a 29–22 lead by the end of the first quarter, but Oklahoma City kept on pace with Miami to keep the score at 54–47 by halftime. Game 7 of the Lakers–Nuggets series ensured a 13th straight postseason with at least one Game 7 played. In the game, Bosh returned for the first time since he got injured in Game 1 of the Heat-Pacers series but was not much of a help on the offensive end.