Last Year's NBA Conference Finals Schedule

Furthering my hypothesis that the NHL Lockout created a myriad of scheduling problems for the NBA Playoffs this year, here was the schedule for the NBA's Conference Finals in 2012, one year ago:

This was the conference finals schedule just last year...

Western Conference Finals:  Spurs/Thunder

Game 1: 5/27

Game 2: 5/29

Game 3: 5/31

Game 4: 6/2  

Game 5: 6/4

Game 6: 6/6

Eastern Conference Finals: Celtics/Heat

Game 1: 5/28

Game 2: 5/30

Game 3: 6/1

Game 4: 6/3

Game 5: 6/5

Game 6: 6/7

All of these were scheduled PERFECTLY... almost exactly how you want them with one off day in between.  It's how I remember watching these series in years past.  honestly, the NHL lockout messed everything up... I don't see any other explanation.

I read somewhere, don't quote me, that the NHL always gets first right of refusal when scheduling playoff matchups.  The reason is probably due to the complications in setting up an ice rink as opposed to an NBA basketball court.  Normally the NHL would already be into its Conference Finals by now and only half as many teams would be accounted for.  Both leagues were forced to schedule based on all possible permutations.

It's a very strange paradigm this year... but the NBA seems to be paying the price for the NHL's shortened season.