17 hours Ago
It is time for the NBA Playoffs, with the bracket set following the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament, everyone rushes to fill out a bracket and predict how this postseason will end. The Oklahoma City Thunder owns the best record in the NBA and is a popular pick to make it out of the Western Conference. Let's dive into NBA Playoff predictions ahead of this afternoon's start.
Predicting the NBA Playoffs Western Conference Playoffs Round 1 No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.
8 Memphis Grizzlies The Oklahoma City Thunder had to wait until the 13th hour to find out its first-round opponent, but it wound up with the rightful No. 8 seeded Memphis Grizzlies. The Thunder have proven to be the much better team and this series should continue to show that.
Oklahoma City is 4-0 against Memphis this year with a point differential of 18.8 points per game. Memphis just lacks depth, which is concerning for this series and the Thunder's defense has the ability to lock down its three-headed scoring monster, with buckets tough to come by past Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Zach Edey will have his hands full against Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. While the rookie for Memphis can haul in rebounds, his tendency to foul and be lackluster at putting the ball in the basket leaves a lot to be desired, but he is the only trusted Grizzlie at the center position. OKC should take care of business in short order against Memphis.
Winner: Oklahoma City in Five No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No.
5 L.A. Clippers As is the case in most No.
4 vs. No. 5 seeds in the NBA Playoffs, this series can go either way.
It is not worth the war of words to staunchly back a pick that can easily go the other way. However, a decision had to be made. Let's roll with the Denver Nuggets, who own the best player on the planet, home court advantage and a supporting cast capable of stepping up on the biggest stages regardless of how streaky they have been this season.
This is still a 50-win ball club at the end of the day, this shouldn't be viewed as going out on a limb, as many will suggest. The Clippers have played some of the best basketball in the sport over the last 15 games, and head into the postseason hot. It is all clicking for them.
Kawhi Leonard looks closer to the peak of his powers than he has since bolting from Toronto, James Harden is turning in an excellent season, Norman Powell is more than capable of swinging this series and Ivica Zubac is elite defensively. Injury issues aside, because we can only go on the information that we have now, what happens if/when Zubac gets into foul trouble for the Clippers frontcourt? That is a big question on that side of the series for me. What happens when Russell Westbrook has to play? Is the biggest question on the other.
Westbrook has played his role for Denver almost perfectly this year, with a few blips here and there. However, the playoffs are different and Ty Lue is a great coach. The Clippers are able to ignore Westbrook on the outside and have an elite paint protector.
Westbrook will be emotionally charged, which often leads to bad plays from the future Hall of Famer. When reading this brief write-up, it is easy to see how up in the air this prediction is, but give me the best player and home court to decide these super thin margins. Winner: Denver Nuggets in Seven No.
3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves This is my favorite series on the board for either conference.
What do the Timberwolves do? Attempt to overwhelm the Purple-and-Gold with size using traditional bigs? Fight fire-with-fire and play their version of small ball, which is still more physically imposing than the Lakers' frontcourt? It will be interesting to see which way Chris Finch leans. On top of the rotational benefits the Timberwolves enjoy, their star player, Anthony Edwards, can not be undersold on the biggest stage, where he raises his game and is capable of flipping games. Can he flip enough of them to win a series against the Lakers? The answer for me is no.
The playoffs are about stars and the Lakers have at minimum 2.5 of them with Luka Doncic and LeBron James being worth at minimum three wins in their own right and Austin Reaves likely elevating his status in the league with this playoff run as well. On top of the three-headed playmaking and scoring monsters that the Lakers possess, their role players are more inspiring.
Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent have been there, done that. Rui Hachimura is stellar in his role. This will be a hard fought series, the Lakers just have more firepower and end up with a series win.
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers in Seven No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No.
7 Golden State Warriors Despite the end result of this pick, this scribe loves what the Houston Rockets have accomplished. This is a massive step in the right direction for Houston as a franchise with budding young talent such as Amen Thompson, Alprene Sengun and Jalen Green flanked by capable veterans. Its defense is championship caliber and daydream worthy for Mavericks GM Nico Harrison.
However, the Rockets lack what you need in the playoffs: A No. 1 bona fide bucket getter. Like a mediocre bullpen in need of a save, they turn to a closer by committee and try to scratch out games with Fred VanVleet one night, Jalen Green the next and Amen Thompson the following game.
The Rockets are so well-coached and own a unique lineup to try to throw the small-ball Warriors off kilter by pairing Sengun with Steven Adams. But the Warriors own not one but two guys you trust to put the pumpkin in the patch late in games in Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry. Golden State's role players are shaky, even on Tuesday, looking fearful to even touch the basketball down the stretch and a few lackluster games are expected even in this series.
Houston wants to get into the mud, and projecting a ton of close games favors the team with bucket getters. The Warriors take the series. Winner: Golden State Warriors in Six Round 2 No.
1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 4 Denver Nuggets This matchup will be must-see TV.
Oklahoma City has the better team, the MVP home court advantage and a more experienced coach. That is plenty in their favor. The Nuggets are no pushover, but to get to the Western Conference finals, OKC has to beat a good team and Denver is that one good team in their way.
The Thunder have been dominant from start to finish this season, There is no reason to overthink it; OKC wins. Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder in Six No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs.
No. 7 Golden State Warriors The Lakers and Warriors would be a series that Adam Silver is currently salivating over, just the possibility of it. Steph Curry vs.
LeBron James, Doncic on a big stage, Playoff Jimmy Butler, two massive markets, not competing against any other sporting event besides regular season baseball, it is all lining up for the league. Ultimately, the Lakers are just too much for the Warriors. Los Angeles has a deeper rotation of players you trust to hit shots on top of more star power.
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers in Six Western Conference Finals No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.
3 Los Angeles Lakers Without question, this is the best non-Finals series that is possible on the court. Forgetting storylines, market size and TV ratings, just hoops. These two played a baseball-style series to close the regular season in April that is positive foreshadowing for what a series will look like.
The Lakers are capable of getting hot from beyond the arc and blowing open a game but so can the Thunder. Ultimately, it will level out to being a competitive series with a ton of close games down to the wire and starpower when you mix Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren against Doncic, James, Reaves. As of now, you feel better about the Lakers' role players on the big stage, but under this scenario, the Thunder's role players will have earned that reputation as well.
Gilgeous-Alexander should be able to carve up the Lakers, the Thunder have home court and Oklahoma City needs slightly fewer breaks to go their way to win than Los Angeles. OKC gets it done, but what a season for the Lakers to reinvent themselves post-trade deadline. This series pick is the one I am least confident on in the entire postseason.
Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder in Seven Eastern Conference Playoffs Round 1 No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No.
8 Miami Heat The zombie Heat are gonna zombie Heat. Once again, they win the Miami invitational NBA Play-In tournament and have hopes of its culture carrying the franchise to a deep playoff run. However, they no longer have a player close to the caliber of Butler on this stage.
The Cavs have been great this season and on top of their regular season play just flatly have the better roster especially clearing Miami with its top end talent. Cleveland makes pretty light work of Miami. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers In Five No.
4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks Indiana is playing some great basketball, it is incredibly hard to pick against the great Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The Pacers are more well-coached, they have home-court advantage, they have a style of play that you have to feel good about and have been the slightly more consistent team with fewer question marks entering the playoffs. That ultimately decided this selection. Winner: Indiana Pacers in Seven No.
3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Detroit Pistons The Pistons are another fun story, tripling their win total to land in the NBA Playoffs and land a date with the big bad New York Knicks.
Detroit is a young team that has balanced veteran additions with player development beautifully this season and by no means lacks a chance to win this playoff series. However, it is a whole new ball game to collect wins in the playoffs for a year team, much less in the Garden. When games get more physical, when the crowd is not in their favor, nor are the whistles, JB Bickerstaff and his club are susceptible to unraveling.
While Cade Cunningham has had an incredible season, on this stage –– and any stage for now –– you have to lean Jalen Brunson as the best player in the series. New York's rotation is more proven in the playoffs and just more talented, even though Detroit can go deeper –– a slightly diminished skill in the playoffs, depending on health. A fun Pistons season ends at home against the Knicks.
Winner: New York Knicks in Six No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No.
7 Orlando Magic Boston is attempting to repeat as NBA Champions and is primed to do it. It's side of the bracket should be relatively easy for the Green and White. Orlando's defense is one that makes Nico Harrison blush but their lack of offensive firepower is a grave concern in this matchup.
Perhaps they get one game of the perfect mix that sees the Magic defense come out and fluster the Celtics' offense with a high-scoring game from Paolo Banchero and/or Franz Wagner to boot, but it seems unlikely. The Celtics have the best player, best coach, home court advantage and a really good defense in their own right. Boston should make quick work of Orlando.
Winner: Boston Celtics in Four Round 2 No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No.
4 Indiana Pacers Cleveland should be able to fend off the Pacers in Round 2. Indiana has struggled to close some games and especially been unable to blow big leads, if they can grow any against Cleveland. The Cavs are simply more talented and their front-court will be a lot to handle though Indiana should be able to combat it to some degree.
While Haliburton is a really good player, the Pacers back court can not compare to Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Then you get into the secondary offenses and Ty Jerome pioneers a stronger punch than Indiana can throw or hand. Winner: Cleveland Cavaliers in Six No.
2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 3 New York Knicks The Knicks' physical style of play is taxing on its matchups and itself.
New York will give Boston its best shot, but will be running on fumes by the end of the series. The Celtics own the best player in the series and when you go down the two rosters, Boston is not only more well-rounded but outright more talented even of just the top-8. Winner: Boston Celtics in Six Eastern Conference Finals No.
1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 2 Boston Celtics With all due respect to Cleveland, the Celtics are just the better team, regardless of the regular season outcomes.
The Celtics have been historically great on the road and will not be intimidated by losing home-court advantage in this series. A trip to the conference finals is a massive step forward for Cleveland and they still will be competitive in this series, but winning it? Not yet. Boston wins this on merit, not just Cleveland's inexperience.
This is still one of the league's best rosters and, for sure, the best group of players out East. Yes, it is hard to repeat as champions, but Boston is a unique group. It is impossible for me to bet against Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Payton Pritchard and company until proven otherwise.
Winner: Boston Celtics in Six NBA Finals Prediction No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.
2 Boston Celtics A clash of the two more talented teams in the NBA is a fitting way for this season to end. Boston has all the experience, Oklahoma City still the new kids on the block but a bunch that would have quickly gained respect by parlaying its regular season into an NBA Finals trip. However, the finals are different.
The lights are brighter, the margins are slimmer and the stakes are higher. Oklahoma City is led by the league MVP, the deepest roster in the NBA and a top notch coach to boot. Its questions surronding its role players are clearly answered favorably under this scenario.
Call me foolish, you are within your right to, but I still believe in the aura around the Garden. The strange things that happen in that building always favor the Green and White. That is a tough place to play and with the idea that Boston would split the first two games in OKC, it changes the series completely.
Again, I say, the Celtics have to fail for me to stop leaning with its core group of players who are battle-tested and exceptionally talented. If Holmgren and Williams can not help co-star a championship team in their second-ever playoff run, all the solace they need would be across the hall in that Boston locker room. It took years for Tatum and Brown to get to this point.
It even took a Finals loss. Boston wins it and repeats as Champions, but Oklahoma City still owns its best season ever. Winner: Boston Celtics in Six This NBA Playoff bracket is one of the most exciting in recent years, with plenty of tight series on the docket and coin flip games that should make for exciting basketball over the course of three months.
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