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Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
After a regular season packed with parity and one of the best MVP races of all time, the NBA postseason is here. It’s time to run through all the first-round series that are set.
We know who the seventh seeds are following the first night of play-in action, so we can break down the 2-7, 3-6 and 4-5 matchups in each conference.
In the East, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are set to take on the Boston Celtics’ juggernaut defense. The Chicago Bulls will face Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champions. And the Joel Embiid-James Harden pairing will get its first real test against the Toronto Raptors.
On the other side of the bracket, two of the league’s most brash and talented teams—the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves—will square off. Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry will give us one of the first round’s best superstar matchups. And Luka Doncic will try to bury the reeling Utah Jazz.
Predictions and analyses of all of the above can be found below.
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Steven Senne/Associated Press
Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving were phenomenal in the Brooklyn Nets’ 115-108 play-in victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. They combined for 59 points (on 21-of-31 shooting) and 23 assists.
However, that equated to a single-digit victory over a Cavs squad without Jarrett Allen, which points to Brooklyn’s issue as long as Ben Simmons remains out.
Is there enough firepower on the rest of the roster to overwhelm a truly dominant Celtics defense?
Durant is undoubtedly one of the scariest playoff performers in the league. Kyrie has had some legendary postseason moments. Robert Williams III is out with a knee injury (though he’s progressing toward a return).
But with Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics still have more options against those stars than most teams. And while Al Horford may not have the mobility and athleticism of Time Lord, he’s a heady and experienced anchor.
With that and the level of offense provided by Tatum (29.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 3.7 threes with a 40.2 three-point percentage over his last 33 games) and Brown (27.1 points over his last 12), Boston should have enough to squeak by.
That word is chosen carefully, though. It’s hard to imagine Durant going down without a fight. And in at least two or three games, he and Kyrie should get enough help from the likes of Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and Bruce Brown to secure some wins. Getting to four wouldn’t be surprising.
But the Celtics are ascending at a rate no one else can match. Since January 1, Boston’s plus-12.3 points per 100 possessions is first (and almost three points ahead of the second-place Phoenix Sun).
Prediction: Celtics in seven
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Morry Gash/Associated Press
There’s very little wind in the sails of the Chicago Bulls ahead of their first-round series with the Bucks.
A hot start to the season pretty much secured their playoff spot, but they’re 20-26 with a minus-4.1 net rating since January 9. It’s even worse (7-15 with a minus-7.6 net rating) since February 26.
And with Lonzo Ball already ruled out for the entirety of the playoffs, it’s hard to imagine those trends changing against the defending champions.
There is plenty of offensive firepower with DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic, but Lonzo is exactly the kind of connector that a team like this needs. Plus, his willingness to take a tough perimeter defensive assignment like Jrue Holiday or Khris Middleton will be missed.
The Bucks, meanwhile, more or less cruised to a 51-win season. When Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton were in the lineup, they were 37-10 (a 65-win pace over an entire season). And all three have a clean bill of health and plenty of rest heading into the first round.
We got an extended look at peak Bucks during last year’s postseason, and they’re about to show up again.
Prediction: Bucks in five
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Matt Slocum/Associated Press
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