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What an NBA season it was. It’s all over now, and only 20 teams are left. By the end of the week, just 16 will still be standing, with a thrilling playoffs set to ensue. Before that happens, here are some predictions on how this will all go.
NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference Play-In
The Charlotte Hornets will host the Miami Heat. The winner will face the loser of the Philadelphia 76ers-Orlando Magic game. The winner of that first game will be the seven seed, and the winner of Hornets-Heat versus the loser of Magic-6ers will be the eight seed.
The Hornets will win the first game at home, sending Miami into the offseason. The Magic will win the first contest, moving on to the playoffs. The Hornets will then beat the 76ers to earn the final playoff spot with Joel Embiid sidelined.
Western Conference Play-In
The Phoenix Suns will host the Portland Trail Blazers. The winner will go on to face the San Antonio Spurs as the seven seed. The loser will play the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers versus the Golden State Warriors.
The Suns will win, advancing to the playoffs. The Warriors will also win, sending the Clippers home. The Warriors will then beat the Trail Blazers, cementing a first-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder as the eight seed.
First Round
East
Here are the predictions for the NBA’s Eastern Conference:
- Detroit Pistons over Charlotte Hornets in seven games
- Boston Celtics over Orlando Magic in five games
- Atlanta Hawks over New York Knicks in seven games
- Cleveland Cavaliers over Toronto Raptors in six games
The Hornets are surging and way better than their record, but the Pistons have throttled them this year. They’ve learned from those games, but it won’t be enough. The Celtics just beat Orlando while resting every starter in a game the Magic needed to win, which says enough.
The Hawks are as good as anyone lately, and they have the second-best five-man unit in the NBA. Over seven games, that will make enough of a difference. The Raptors are not in the same class as the other outright playoff teams, and the Cavaliers will dispatch them.
West
Here are the predictions for the West:
- Oklahoma City Thunder over Golden State Warriors in four
- San Antonio Spurs over Phoenix Suns in five
- Denver Nuggets over Minnesota Timberwolves in six
- Houston Rockets over Los Angeles Lakers in seven
The Thunder are just that good. No Play-In team is going to push them for a seven-game series. This one might be ugly. The Spurs are also really good, but the Suns are good enough to steal a game or two from them.
The Nuggets are better and healthier than the Timberwolves, though Anthony Edwards can help tilt the scales back to Minnesota. The Lakers are without Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic, but LeBron James can drag them to seven against a disheveled Rockets team.
Second Round
East
- Pistons over Hawks in six
- Celtics over Cavaliers in seven
The Pistons are really good, and they’re healthy. As fun as the Hawks have been, the Pistons are a true buzzsaw in the NBA. The Celtics are also pretty good, and they can beat a team in a variety of ways. The Cavaliers won’t have the firepower to keep up for seven games.
West
- Thunder over Rockets in six
- Spurs over Nuggets in seven
The Thunder are a juggernaut, but the Rockets have enough talent to stay afloat for a few games and keep it interesting. The Spurs and Nuggets might end up as the best series. As good as they are, Nikola Jokic always gives Victor Wembanyama a difficult game.
Third Round
- Celtics over Pistons in seven
- Spurs over Thunder in seven
Two seven-game series? The Conference Finals could be electric. The Celtics have been amazing all year, and they have Jayson Tatum back. The Pistons haven’t seen the Celtics with Tatum. The Spurs beat the Thunder four times in five games this year, and that could be the difference.
NBA Finals
- Spurs over Celtics in seven
No one expected the Spurs or Celtics to be this good this season, so this would be an excellent matchup. Victor Wembanyama is just too much of a one-man show-stopper to feel good about predicting anyone to beat them.
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