The first round of the NBA Playoffs is over, and it featured some amazing matchups. There were not one, but two series that featured 3-1 comebacks, and three series that went to seven games. The Thunder were the one team to sweep theie series, looking to defend their title. The most surprising team to reach the second round is the seven-seeded Sixers, who upset the Celtics.
Western Conference:
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Phoenix Suns
The Thunder seemed to pick up right where they left off in the regular season, dominating the Suns in every game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged almost 34 points across the four games, leading his team. The closest of these four games was the fourth and final one, with OKC winning 131-122. Led by head coach Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City will advance to the next round to face the Lakers, while the Suns’ first season under Jordan Ott ends in disappointing fashion
San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers
The Spurs started the series off strong, winning the first game, but Victor Wembanyama suffered a concussion in a Game 2 win for the Trail Blazers. The Spurs won without him in Game 3, but Wemby returned in time to help San Antonio win Game 4. With the Spurs fully healthy, Portland was no match. Mitch Johnson’s squad would win this series 4 games to 1, marking their first series victory in nine years. They will play the Timberwolves in the second round.
Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves, like the Spurs, battled with injuries to their star players. Donte Divincenzo went down in game four with a season-ending injury, while Anthony Edwards got hurt in game four and will likely be back for the next series. Even with the injuries, Minnesota was able to get the job done, led by Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets could never take control of the series, losing in six games. It’s a rough end to a strong season for Denver, while the Timberwolves advance to face the Spurs.
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Without Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic, the Lakers were still able to pull it off. Los Angeles went up 3-0, but the Rockets fought back to make it a 3-2 series. Despite this, the Lake Show was able to win it in Game 6 to advance. LeBron James led the way for Los Angeles in the absence of their other stars. Austin Reaves is expected to return for the Lakers, but Luka Doncic will still be out. They will play the Thunder in the next round.
Eastern Conference:
Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic
There has rarely been a team that came closer to defeat than the Pistons in this series. They were dominant all season long, yet the Magic played amazingly well in the first four games, taking a 3-1 lead. Detroit was able to fight back and win Game 5, making it a 3-2 series. In Game 6, the Pistons came back from being down by 24 points, and outscored the Magic 31-8 in the fourth quarter, winning 93-79. After that point, they never looked back, winning the series. The Pistons’ 3-1 comeback propels them to the next round, where they will face the Cavaliers.
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers
In the second of two 3-1 comebacks in the Eastern Conference, the 76ers found a way to win against the Celtics and complete the upset. The Celtics, one of the favorites to win the East, were showing it as they jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the series. But the Sixers played in full control in Games 5 and 6, before squeezing out a Game 7 victory to advance. This falloff is devastating for a Celtics team that had high hopes after the return of Jayson Tatum. For the Sixers, it is a big victory that sends them off to face the Knicks in the next round.
New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks
A common theme in these Eastern Conference series is teams that looked unable to figure things out, and being able to take control once they clicked. The Knicks were no exception to that. The Hawks looked like they had figured New York out in Games 2 and 3, sneaking out of those games with slim victories to take a 2-1 lead. Yet, something changed for the Knicks, as they looked like the best possible version of themselves, winning the next three games and taking the series. The way the Knickerbockers were playing in those last three games, especially Game 6, was as dangerous as any team has been. New York will go on to face the Sixers in a 2024 Playoffs rematch.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors
This was the most back-and-forth series of the first round. The Cavaliers won Games 1 and 2 of the series, but then the Raptors came chasing back into the series to win Games 3 and 4. Cleveland grabbed a win in a decisive Game 5, but Toronto won a thrilling overtime victory in Game 6 to force Game 7. In the seventh game, the Cavs won 114-102 to advance to the second round, a big step for a team that has struggled in the Playoffs in the past few years. The Cavaliers will continue on to play the Pistons in the second round, who are led by former Cleveland head coach JB Bickerstaff.
The second round matchups are as follows:
Thunder vs. Lakers
Spurs vs. Timberwolves
Pistons vs. Cavaliers
Knicks vs. 76ers
The second round features most of the teams that were expected, with the only real surprises being the Timberwolves and Sixers. Watch for a bunch of great matchups, but in particular, the Spurs vs. the Timberwolves should be very good.
My predictions for these matchups: Thunder, Spurs, Cavaliers, Knicks.
My predictions to make the Finals: Spurs and Knicks
