The NBA Playoffs have started, and now, we can enjoy the best basketball has to offer on both sides of the court. Some teams have already booked their place in the conference semifinals, but there were also some huge surprises, especially in the Eastern Conference, so let’s check which teams look like they could lift Larry O’Brien NBA Championship Trophy and which teams performed poorly.
Western Conference
Three teams have already progressed to the conference semifinals in the NBA playoffs, and two of them, Denver and Phoenix, will play for their place in the finals. Of course, the first round isn’t over yet, far from it, but we have already witnessed some extremely interesting games and even some surprises in both conferences. As for the Western, these two teams didn’t give that much chance to their opponents in the first round, as Clippers and Timberwolves simply weren’t strong enough, and their max was to grab one W in the postseason.
On the other hand, we are yet to see which two teams will face each other in the semis, and the series between Kings and Warriors is one of the most interesting so far. Namely, after losing the first two games on the road, Golden State proved to be a pretty tough nut to crack, especially playing at home, as they managed to win both home games and tie the score 2:2. The winner from this series will face Lakers or Grizzlies in the western conference semifinals, and currently, Lakers win in the series 3:1.
King James has once again shown everyone that he still has many things to offer in the NBA Playoffs as he led his side to an unexpected win in their first game. We also must mention Hachimura and his great performance in that game, as he scored 29 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and had 1 assist in that game. Even though they lost the next one on the road, they managed to win both games at home and are now heading back on the road to try and finish the series in 5 games.
Predictions
As for who could go all the way to the NBA Finals from the western conference, by many analysts and experts, if the Nuggets manage to overcome a much better and more experienced Phoenix side, they could go even go all the way. Of course, Phoenix is the team with the highest chance to win the ring from this conference, and the great news for the Phoenix fans is that Booker, Ayton, Paul, and Durant have clicked and now look unbeatable. On the other hand, no one should ever write off James and the Lakers, especially now when they have some new players eager to prove themselves.
Bust-wise, even though there weren’t many surprises so far, the way the Grizzlies played and the fact they have already lost one game at home and are currently trailing in their series with the Lakers may be looked upon as an underperformance. Okay, their last two games at the Lakers court were pretty good, and one can even say they lacked a bit of luck, but there is no excuse for their poor performance in the first game, especially by Morant, who scored only 18 points.
Eastern Conference
The situation at Eastern Conference is nothing less interesting than the one in the Western one, as we have many attractive events to look upon. Namely, the Philadelphia 76ers are the only club in the entire league that easily won their opponent in the first round with a 4-0 total score. They are now waiting for the better one from the Boston Celtics vs. Atalanta Hawks match, as one of these teams is the next obstacle on Philadelphia’s way to the title.
New York Knicks and Miami Heat will face each other in the quarter-finals and try to find their way to the semis, as they were better teams in the first round. Both of them have beaten their opponents in five matches and proved they are serious candidates for the title.
There is no doubt that we will witness some of the best NBA matches ever, and since the Sixers have one of the best players, Joel Emblid, it will be interesting to see whether he is capable of taking them to the victory podium. Unfortunately, he is now recovering from a knee injury, but the great thing for him and his club is the seven-day break between the matches that he can use to recover and get back on the court better than ever.
Predictions
As we have already mentioned, the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks have already found their way to the quarter-finals, and each of these teams has a great chance to go to the semi-finals. However, we cannot forget Boston Celtics and Atalanta Hawks, who are still finding their way to the quarter-finals in the nerve-breaking match, which cannot leave any true fan indifferent.
The Sixers are considered the biggest favorites as they not only have one of the best players in their team but also have the most time to prepare for the next match, physically and mentally. Of course, reaching the finals is much more difficult than it seems, and they will need to put a lot of effort to succeed in that.
Final thoughts
Finals still seem to be far away, but since the semi-final matches could be on the program earlier than planned, there is not much time left. Namely, the semi-finals were planned for the 1st and 2nd of May, but the first match between the Suns and Nuggets can easily be played on the 29th and 30th of April, which can change the other match dates too.
However, now is a great time for some predictions, and if you are an NBA fan who thinks that he can guess the winner or the player who will score the most, you will need a reliable website to place a bet on and maybe win some money, so visit 22bet.online/ro/.