This year’s playoffs have many new teams making an appearance. Some young and some old but all wanting the same outcome… the NBA Finals. With round one playing out we will see how these teams go to do in the second round.
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans, OKC wins 4-0
At the start of this season, no one could have predicted how great the OKC Thunder’s young core would be, but they have become one of the teams to beat in this year’s playoffs. Players like Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Chet Hologram were no match for the Pelicans, who shot a measly 39% from the floor, which will not be enough against this Thunder squad. After that defeating loss, the Pelicans need to look for a new formula.
(2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers, Nuggets Win 4-1
Though the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Lebron James and Anthony Davis, put forth their greatest efforts to try and defeat the Nuggets, they ultimately lost in 5. The former champions are attempting to make their run for back-to-back championships. Star players Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray were unstoppable during the entire series. Murray would catch fire at the end of every game, especially when it was clutch time, making multiple buzzer-beater shots over Davis and other Lakers. The final score of the series doesn’t justify how close these games were. The next matchup the Nuggets face is the Minnesota Timberwolves, another powerhouse team.
(5) Orlando Magic vs. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers, CLE wins 4-3
This may have been the best series of the entire first round, going all the way to game 7. While everyone was watching games like Lakers vs. Nuggets or Clippers vs. Mavericks, this intense matchup between Donavan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers against the second-year young star Paolo Banchero was taking place. In his playoff series debut, he averaged nearly 25 points per game. One of these young teams did have to lose, though, and that was the Magic losing to the Cavs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse stadium.
(7) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (2) New York Knicks, Knicks win 4-2
In this series, there were many players who put on a show for each team trying to win for their team, but one player in this series that just shined like no other was Knicks starting point guard Jalen Brunson. Brunson averaged over 34 points in this series, never letting off the gas. The 76ers did what they could, grabbing two games in the series, but the whole Knicks squad was knocking down shooters. 76ers guard Tyress Maxey looked like the only thing going well for them, dropping 46 points in game 5 to keep their team’s hopes alive. Eventually, though the Knicks secured the dub with two-star players Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, they still pulled through. This team is looking more hungry for the Finals than any other team in the race to the championships.
(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Dallas Mavericks: Mavs win 4-2
This was the Los Angeles Clippers last chance with this team to make a run for the NBA Finals. With most of their core players’ contracts running out at the end of this year, there was a lot on the line for this team to win. Unfortunately, though, Luka Donic and the Dallas Mavericks put on a clinic in the second half of the series, winning two in a row to close it out. Donic and Kyrie Irving were too much for a Clippers team without Kawhi Leanord, who was injured the whole time.
(6) Indiana Pacers vs (3) Milwaukee Bucks, Ind wins 4-2
This series was a shocker to many due to the way it ended. Many people still look at this Bucks team as they were when they won the finals, but they are not that anymore. This new era has the tall, ball-dominant guard players dominating the league like Tyrese Halliburton, who was on fire this whole series, averaging a little over ten assists. Damian Lillard tried his hardest to keep the Bucks alive, dropping over 30 points in multiple games. Though the Bucks were facing injury, so hopefully, next year, they will bounce back to their once selves; for the Pacers, they have a great shot at the finals with their star point forward.
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Miami Heat: Cel win 4-1
The score of this series was exactly what it was, an absolute beating by the Celtics. The Celtics were the better team in this matchup, beating the Heat in nearly every stat. Celtics forward Jason Tatum is looking to grab his first ring this year after losing in the finals to the Warriors 2 years ago. They are the clear favorite for the public to win, with their roster having so much depth. The Heat have had a lot of success in the recent postseasons, but they were fighting injuries this year so that we will see them back here next year.
