The first round of the NBA playoffs is pretty much over for some teams, but for some, it’s just getting started. The Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Thunder are all looking to get out the brooms and sweep their respective opponents. The Nuggets are looking to go undefeated against the Lakers this season, dominating them in regular season and almost all of playoffs. In the second game against the Lakers, point guard Jamaal Murray hit a buzzer-beating fadeaway on Anthony Davis to win the game 101-99, after the Nuggets came storming back down 19 points. The Timberwolves have been dismantling the Suns, winning the first three games by 25, 12, and 15. As star guard Anthony Edwards said it best, “You know, they got KD (as in Kevin Durant), but we got Jaden McDaniels.” The top seeded Thunder looked shaky first game, narrowly winning by 2, but got the train back on the tracks the second game, winning by 32. As I am writing this, they are up 21 points in the fourth quarter with 6 minutes to go, so I think its safe to say game three is locked up. The Thunder are my pick to win it all, and they have been for awhile.
As for the rest of the matchups, there’s been some interesting things we’ve seen. Finishing up in the West, the Clippers and Mavs are fighting it out in the 4-5 matchup. Last game, Russel Westbrook was ejected late after his anger went up in a flare and he began to throw punches. These games have been competitive, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it went to 7. Luka Doncic has been putting on a defensive masterclass, along with the rest of the players, keeping the games relatively low scoring for how much potential offense there could be. I have the Mavs in 7 in this one.
Moving on to the East, there have been some notable headlines. The Celtics go down to Miami today with the series surprisingly tied 1-1. The Celtics at home dominance has been scary, so the fact that the Heat were able to steal one game this early is bringing the Celtics back down to Earth. A major issue with this is that the Heat are without All-Star Jimmy Butler, who sprained his MCL in the play-in game against the 76ers. This was a huge loss for the Heat, if the 8 seeded Heat were able to upset the Celtics, Butler has a small shot of returning towards the back half of the second round. The Knicks and 76ers series has been nothing short of brilliance to watch. I honestly have no idea who will win this series, but I also have a feeling it’ll get pushed to game 7. The Knicks currently have a 2-1 lead over the 76ers and Joel Embiid, but something interesting has come to light. Former MVP, Joel Embiid, has been getting treatment for Bell’s Palsey recently. This is a condition that effects muscles on one side of the face, causing loss of control and droopiness. This was noticed as Embiid was shooting free throws and his right eye kept fluttering shut. Embiid has yet to miss major minutes over this, so hopefully he is getting the help he needs. The Cavs and Magic matchup is easily the most boring right now. Both teams have won their respective home games, evening the series up 2-2. These games have been low scoring due to the great defense on both sides, but it’s quite literally like watching paint dry. I don’t know who will win this and I don’t care. The Bucks and Pacers matchup has definitely been the most shocking so far. The Bucks looked to be on a roll and heating up right before playoffs, until star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo hurt his Achilles with 2 games left in the regular season. He has missed the first three games of the series so far, with the Pacers taking a 2-1 lead. It is doubtful he plays in game four, but that’ll be up in the air come game time. Without Giannis, the Bucks look lost and the Pacers are capitalizing. If he doesn’t return soon, the Bucks might have to start looking for the next flight out to Cancun.
