Eastern Conference Playoff Preview

(2)Boston Celtics (55-27) Vs Milwaukee Bucks (44-38)

This matchup features the 2nd seed Celtics taking on the 7th seed Milwaukee Bucks. These teams met 4 times during the regular season each winning once at home and once on the road. Boston lost Kyrie Irving to a knee injury late in the year. The Celtics only played the Bucks once without Irving. In that matchup the Bucks won a close game by 4 points at home.
The loss of Kyrie Irving is a big blow to the Celtics. They’re going to need Al Horford to lead the team and get solid production from young players Jaysen Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier. It’s going to be a tall task for them to make a run in these playoffs but they played Milwaukee tough the last time out. They also have home court advantage which is beneficial.
The Bucks come into this series led by Giannis Antetokounmpo who has been playing MVP caliber basketball. He has averaged 33 points and 11 rebounds per game vs the Celtics this year. They also have received solid play from Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe this year. Jabari Parker also returned just after midseason and has been playing well off the bench. They certainly have enough weapons to steal this series against the banged up Celtics.
Normally a 7 seed wouldn’t have much of a chance of winning a first round matchup but this is a special circumstance. The Bucks have the weapons to get it done. The Celtics are going to need their young players to step up big and sometimes that can be tough given the pressure of the playoffs. I predict the Bucks win this series in 6 games.

(4)Cleveland Cavaliers (50-32) Vs (5)Indiana Pacers (48-34)

This matchup features the 4th seed Cavaliers taking on the 5th seed Indiana Pacers. The Pacers won the season series against the Cavaliers 3-1 winning both times on their home floor and once in Cleveland. All 4 of those games were played before the February trade deadline when the Cavs made a dramatic overhaul to their team. The Cavs will have the home court advantage for this series.
Cleveland has made the NBA Finals the last 3 seasons and will come into these playoffs with high expectations. In their lone victory over the Pacers this year Lebron posted a triple double with 26 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds. They’re going to need him in top form if they expect to make a deep run in these playoffs. The Cavaliers will also need Kevin Love to produce and fortunately for them he appears fully recovered from the fracture in his left hand that kept him out for part of the year.
The Pacers have had a very successful season considering they traded away Paul George last offseason. They improved 6 wins over last year. The Pacers have also had success this year against the Cavaliers thanks to a balanced attack. Victor Oladipo and Darren Collison have led the way while they received strong support from Thaddeus Young and Domantas Sabonis in their wins over the Cavaliers this season. They have a very young team and they will need everyone to continue playing well if they expect to have a chance against the defending Eastern Conference Champion Cavaliers.
Looking at the records you might think this series would be a tossup but with Cleveland holding home court advantage and having Lebron James on their side I expect Cleveland to prevail in this series. I predict Cleveland wins this series in 5 games.

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Western Conference Playoff Preview

(4)Oklahoma City Thunder (48-34) Vs (5)Utah Jazz (48-34)

This matchup has the 4th seeded Thunder taking on the 5th seeded Jazz. These teams played 4 times this year with the Thunder taking 3 of the 4 matchups. The only win for the Jazz came in the first matchup early in the year when the Thunder were still getting acclimated with offseason acquisitions Carmello Anthony and Paul George. Both these teams posted the same regular season record. The Thunder earned the higher seed and home court advantage by way of the head to head tiebreaker.
The Thunder are led by their big three, Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmello Anthony. The Thunder had some trouble coming together early in the year. They have finally gelled as a team and are playing very well. If they can manage to get past this round they will pose a very tough matchup for the top seed Houston Rockets.
The Jazz are going have their work cut out for them matching up with the Thunders star power. If there is one area where the Jazz excel, it’s on defense. They’re one of only 2 teams holding their opponents under 100 points per game. They’re led on offense by rookie Donovan Mitchell and their defense is anchored by center Rudy Gobert. In the 4 games vs the Thunder this year they never scored more than 96 points so putting up enough points to win could also be a concern.
This series is a contrast of playing styles. The Thunder like to push the pace while the Jazz like to slow the game down and grind it out in the half court. The Thunder are the more experienced playoff team and that might be a key to their success. I predict that the Thunder will win this series in 6 games.

(1)Houston Rockets (65-17) Vs (8)Minnesota Timberwolves (47-35)

This matchup features the top seeded Rockets against the 8th seed Timberwolves. These teams met 4 times with the Rockets sweeping the season series. The Rockets dominated all these games and only the last one was somewhat competitive as the Wolves made a late run that eventually fell short.
The Rockets posted the best record in the league by far this season. James Harden is the clear favorite for the MVP award and it’s going to be tough to slow them down in these playoffs. This should be a pretty easy first round series for Houston. The Rockets are averaging 123 ppg game against the Timberwolves this season and I don’t see why they can’t continue that in the playoffs.
Minnesota is in the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. The rise of young stars Karl Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins along with the addition of Jimmy Butler have made them a formidable team. They lost Jimmy Butler for long stretch after the All-Star break that may have cost them a higher playoff seed. Fortunately, he’s back and healthy for the playoffs. Unfortunately, they’re up against the best team in the league who dominated them during the regular season.
The Rockets are a machine right now and I don’t see the Timberwolves having much of a chance in this series. The way the Rockets are rolling I think they make quick work of this young Timberwolves team. Maybe Minnesota gets a home game here but that’s about it. I predict Rockets win this series in 5 games.

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_{Author: @sevendst19
Editor: @bacchist}

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