By DaVince “Dino” Wright
NBA Playoff is Rocking!
What can you say about the NBA season? Trades topped the headlines and the NBA All-Star Weekend was the strangest of all times! Now we are down to the second part of the season. It’s championship time! This time of the year births new teams and talented players taking the next step in their careers becoming immortalize in NBA lore. The Grizzlies, Rockets, Thunder and Magic are young teams led by young faces and the NBA is looking to stamp their names alongside Magic, Jordan and Bird. The Celtics are looking to repeat as champions while the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers who among several other contenders want to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy. Tune in and see who’s moving on or who’s going on vacation. This article will cover the first round with series predictions at the end.
NBA Playoff Match up – Sunday, April 20th
Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder
Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics
Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets
Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder
4/20 – Sunday – 12:00 p.m. – TV: ABC
The Thunder have been the best team in the Western Conference all season long. Now it’s time to make their presence known in the playoffs. The Thunder are led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 32 points per game and he’s the front-runner for league MVP this season. He will be the x-factor for the Thunder in this series. The Memphis Grizzlies beat the Dallas Mavericks in the final play-in game and are looking for more. Player matchup: Grizzlies Ja Morant vs Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This series is only going 5 games. Oklahoma City is the better team. Final Prediction: Thunder in 5 games!
Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics
4/20 – Sunday – 2:30 p.m. – TV: ABC
The Boston Celtics are looking to repeat as champions, and the road starts with them hosting the Magic. Last season’s NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown will be back on the floor for this game after missing 20 games this season. He will be the x-factor for the Celtics. The Magic are led by Franz Wagner a four-year vet from Michigan that no one saw coming. The Magic are a young team that plays physical defense that can and will out rebound teams in the 4th quarter. Player matchup: Magic Paolo Banchero vs Celtics Jason Tatum. The Magic will put up a fight, but Boston will prevail in this series.
Final Prediction: Celtics in 5 games!
Miami Heat vs Cleveland Cavaliers
4/20 – Sunday – 6:00 p.m. – TV: TNT/TruTV/Max
The Miami Heat fought to get to the 8th spot winning their games in the play-in tournament. I like the Heat’s scrappy and willing to get in the mud and work for the victory. Here’s where the waters turn murky. The Cleveland Cavaliers are the best team in the Eastern Conference, and they will rock the Heat’s cradle in the series. Miami is led by guard Tyler Herro along with Bam Adebayo’s defense and rebounding has lifted the Heat from some pretty close games this season. The Cavaliers are led by Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers have only lost 7 games at home this season. Player matchup: Heat Tyler Herro vs Cavaliers Donovan Mitchell. The Cavaliers are solid with their 9-man rotation which makes it difficult to game plan against. The Cavaliers are the deepest team in the playoffs.
Final Prediction: Cavaliers in 5 games!
Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets
4/20 – Sunday – 8:30 p.m. – TV: TNT/TruTV/Max
The Golden State Warriors had to fight to get into the playoffs this season with a win over the Grizzlies. The Warriors became one of the best teams in basketball since trading for Jimmy Butler III. Production and defense went up across the board since bring him in. The Houston Rockets are one of the youngest, boldest and toughest teams in the league. The Rockets are led by Jalen Green a 3-year vet that does everything. This will be a tough series for both teams. The team that plays tough on the defensive end and create turnovers will be the victor in this series. Player matchup: Warriors Jimmy Butler III vs Rockets Amen Thompson. This series will go 6 games easily! I’m taking Golden State 4-2 in a tough series. Final Prediction: Warriors in 7!
