The Race is on for the NBA Finals; Who Will Make the Cut?
With the NBA play-in tournament out the way, the NBA playoffs are in full swing. If you missed the play-in, here’s a recap of what happened. The Timberwolves grabbed the 7th seed in the Western Conference, and the Pelicans acquired the 8th seed.
In the Eastern Conference, the Nets managed to get the 7th seed, and the Hawks took the 8th seed. So, from 30 teams, we are now down to 16. We are facing 1st and 2nd rounds, semi-finals, and a final series.
With 16 teams left, who are most likely to progress and make it to the finals? Well, just based on how the seasons have ended on both the Eastern and Western sides, the NBA betting suggests it will be Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns.
Eastern Conference Finalist Prediction: Miami Heat
Miami Heat (53 wins and 29 losses) were only contested by the Celtics, Bucks, and 76ers. Out of those three, it looks like the Celtics might have it in them to create some upsets.
The Phoenix Suns took the Western Conference by a huge margin with 64 wins to 18 losses record, arguably being the best team of the regular season. Never write off the Golden State Warriors, though.
Miami’s key players are guards Tyler Herro & Kyle Lowry and center Bam Adebayo. A standout player for Miami is shooting forward Jimmy Butler.
This team has a good defense and excellent capability in scoring, especially from behind the 3-point line. A solid defense and easy-scoring players make a deadly cocktail.
Miami will find themselves against the Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. If they can stop Hawk’s guards Trae Young and Bodgan Bogdanovic, they should be able to take those series. In the 2nd round, they will face either Philadelphia or Toronto.
Out of these two teams, it looks that the Philadelphia 76ers will come out on top to face Miami.
If Miami beats the 76ers, they have a chance of facing Boston in the semi-finals. The Boston Celtics have looked strong in the regular season, and in point guard Marcus Smart and shooting forward Jayson Tatum; they have the tools to go all the way.
A Miami vs. Boston semi-final series looks like a good matchup, and we will get to see who comes out on top: Butler or Tatum.
Western Conference Finalist Prediction: Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns were arguably the best team of the regular season. Key players like guard Devin Booker, center Deandre Ayton and guard Chris Paul were standouts in the regular season. Booker might be the best of the bunch.
Phoenix will face New Orleans in the first round. Not many people will suggest that the Suns will have a hard time beating the Pelicans in the series, but shooting forward, Brandon Ingram and mid-season trade CJ McCollum will want to change some minds.
If Phoenix gets past New Orleans, they will face the series winner of Dallas vs. Utah. The Mavericks and Jazz are equally matched, but based on the strength in the regular season, the odds tip slightly in Dallas’ favor.
The Mavericks will not be an easy task for Phoenix to dispose of in the 2nd round. With Luka Doncic out for at least the start of the series, the current man to stop is Jalen Brunson, Dallas’ point guard.
In the semi-finals, the odds are on Phoenix facing either Memphis or Golden State. Ja Morant has been incredible for the Grizzlies this season. They shouldn’t have too many issues besting Minnesota in the series.
However, they will face the Golden State Warriors in the 2nd round. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson have been dominating games for the Warriors. The smart money seems to be on Golden State to progress and face Phoenix in the semi-finals.
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Don’t Count Them Out: Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors
You can’t discount the real pathways both the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors have to make it to the finals. Tatum and Curry have shown true leadership in the regular season and are poised to lead the way in the playoffs.
We might see a Celtics vs. Suns final series or Heat vs. Warriors. What would the odds be on a Celtics vs. Warriors final series?
The key to surviving the playoffs and making it to the finals comes down to which team can keep their players injury-free. Just looking at the regular season, it looks like Miami and Phoenix are shoe-ins for the finals.
But if Miami’s Jimmy Butler or Phoenix’s Devin Booker picks up an injury that stretches over 2-3 games, then life can get very tough. Maybe not so much in the 1st round, but especially in the 2nd round, not even to mention the semi-finals.
If Miami brings less than their best to the semi-finals with potentially Boston, then the Boston Celtics might find themselves in the finals. If Phoenix picks up injuries, then one can see the Golden State Warriors reaching the finals.
