Western Conference
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder came in looking hot, with a 68-14 record, which led the NBA in wins this season. They were led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, this year’s favorite to win the MVP award. They easily captured the #1 seed in the playoffs and were the favorite to win the NBA Finals. After the Play-In Tournament, which saw mediocre teams fight for the #7 and #8 seeds, Oklahoma City was set to play the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies lost their first Play-In game but had Ja Morant step up and give them a win. Their defense-based team came into Oklahoma with a challenging matchup, and they could not stop the Thunder. The Grizzlies were destroyed by good defense and an inability to maintain a lead against the star-studded squad in Oklahoma City. The Thunder swept the series, winning all four games needed to advance without a loss.
Another pivotal series in the playoffs was when the Denver Nuggets squared off with the Los Angeles Clippers. Both teams came in with a 50-32 record, and a thrilling series was expected. Denver, the #4 seed, were carried in by Nikola Jokic’s dirty work. The Clippers use a solid offense and strong defense. They had leaders in James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. In Games 1 and 2, there were two close, contested matchups that split the series 1-1. The Clippers snagged a blowout in Game 3, and in Game 4, Aaron Gordon made a buzzer-beating dunk for a Nuggets win. The next two games were split with easier wins, and the series came down to Game 7, where the winner would advance to play the Oklahoma City Thunder. But, Los Angeles wasn’t up for the challenge. James Harden performed terribly, and the Clippers’ defense could not seem to stop Denver’s offense, breaking down in the second and third quarters. After an intriguing series, the Denver Nuggets would keep on playing for a championship.
The #3 seed vs. #6 seed matchup in the West was set to be a great one. The Lakers came rolling in after a trade that sent them Luka Doncic from Dallas and only gave Anthony Davis, a big man. They also had LeBron James and Austin Reaves, a premier shooting guard. Many people thought that their high-speed offense would easily take down the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves focused on letting their star players shine. So, the players were ready, and they went on to play some ball. In the first and second games, the teams split after laziness on the court with both sides. After that, though, the Timberwolves stormed ahead and took the next two games of a tied series due to clutch 4th-quarter performances. Then, in Game 5, Los Angeles had to win three in a row, but their undersized lineup couldn’t stop Rudy Gobert, the point-scoring and rebounding beast who carried the team and erupted for 27 points and 24 rebounds, both playoff career highs for him. After an overhyped series, the Minnesota Timberwolves asserted their dominance and advanced to the second round.
The last series in the West was the #2-seeded Houston Rockets playing the #7-seeded Golden State Warriors. The Warriors were in the Play-In Tournament, so nobody expected much out of them against a monster team like Houston. Golden State has a strong defensive focus. They traded for Jimmy Butler, a premium player, from the Heat this season, and they are known to have a stud in Stephen Curry, a 3-point shooter. Meanwhile, the Rockets play very fast-paced with their young talent. Jalen Green, a 23-year-old, leads the team with 21 points per game. For Game 1 and Game 2, Steph Curry and Jalen Green had their own heroic nights, splitting the series. Then, Game 3 was easy for Golden State in a huge win, and in Game 4, the Dubs took another game, edging Houston out by three. However, Golden State’s upset dreams were halted as the Rockets took the next two games easily, evening the series up at 3-3. That meant that the next game, Game 7 in Houston, would determine who would move on to play the Timberwolves. In the game that mattered the most, Buddy Hield gave it his all and scored 33 points. The win was comfortable for Golden State, and at the end of May 4, the Golden State Warriors would keep on playing.
Eastern Conference
In the East, the Cavaliers came speeding out of Cleveland after finishing first in the East with a 64-18 record because of star players like Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen having stellar seasons. Also in the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat, who finished 8th with a 37-45 record, came in without their star player, Jimmy Butler, who left them to join the Warriors in the West by demanding a trade. After this, the Heat felt defeated going into the Play-In Tournament, and they faced the Chicago Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks, who they beat in overtime to send Atlanta home and push themselves into Round 1 of the playoffs. They faced the Cavs, who came in all guns blazing. As the Cavs and Heat finished there was a clear winner, the Cavs, who swept the Heat in four games without a loss and are now hot once again, showing their dominance across the league.
After finishing 4th in the East, the Pacers were looking good having had a 50-32 record. One of the keys for the Pacers coming into the first round was keeping Tyrese Haliburton hot, as he led the team in scoring, assists, and minutes played. The team trying to knock the Pacers out was the Bucks, who finished 48-34 in the East, earning themselves the 5th seed. Leading this offense is one of the best players in the league, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’s leading the Bucks in 5 major categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Then, on April 29, the Pacers were heading home with their heads high for Game 5 of the series. As the game headed into overtime, the tension in the players and fans grew until the Pacers were down by one with 2 seconds to go. When the clock ticked down, Tyrese Haliburton took the ball and drove in for a layup. When he made his shot, the crowd erupted because that drive sent them past the Bucks. People thought this would be a close matchup, but the Pacers proved many wrong by winning the series 4-1, and now, they head to Cleveland for round two.
Coming into the postseason, the Knicks were looking good as the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference with a 51-31 record. When star player Jalen Brunson stepped up this season, leading the team to a playoff spot. The Knicks played the Detroit Pistons, who surprisingly finished 6th in the East with a 44-38 record after finishing last in the East with a 14-68 record the year prior. The team is led by Cade Cunningham at point guard, averaging 26 points per game. As the series came to a start, the Pistons came in with nothing to lose. In Game 6, the Knicks had a 3-2 lead going into Detroit and were tied, but with 13 seconds left, Jalen Brunson, who had a monster game with 40 points, was given a wide-open drive to win the game. Instead of taking the beautiful opportunity, he took a risk and shot a 3-pointer. He made the shot. That was the dagger in the Knicks’ 4-2 series win over Detroit, moving them on to the second round of the playoffs.
The Celtics were heading into the playoffs feeling comfortable after winning the NBA Finals the previous year, but this season, they finished 2nd in the East with a 61-21 record, clinching the #2 seed. This star-studded Celtics team was up against the Orlando Magic, who finished the season with a 41-41 record. The Magic were a Play-In Tournament team, and they won against the Hawks to make it. Orlando had one of the best defensive ratings in the league. As the Game 5 buzzer sounded, Boston won five games, only losing one. Attacking the paint and drawing fouls was the key to their winning effort. This defining win by the Celtics sent them soaring into the second round, where they will face Jalen Brunson and the Knicks, who hope to spoil the Celtics’ run for back-to-back championship wins.
Conclusion
The NBA Playoffs are the most important part of the NBA season. There are tons of great moments, and it is an exciting time of the year for fans. The second round, or conference semifinals, has four intriguing matchups: Thunder vs. Nuggets, Timberwolves vs. Warriors, Cavaliers vs. Pacers, and Knicks vs. Celtics. Then, there are the conference championships, and of course, the NBA Finals. It will be a fun road to the finals and one that everyone will want to watch.
