The NBA Playoffs Have Arrived!
The 2023-2024 NBA regular season has been a whirlwind and an intense 82-game regular season that's been action-packed, filled with drama, adversity, and surprises. Throughout a loaded Western Conference, a young, talented Oklahoma City Thunder team clinched the number one seed, outplaying both the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Out East, the New York Knicks won six out of their last seven games, passing the Milwaukee Bucks to clinch the second seed. When it comes to the NBA playoffs, they’re always intriguing, but this season has the chance to be the most suspenseful it’s been in quite some time.
Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament Matchups
(7.) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (8.) Miami Heat
(9.) Chicago Bulls vs. (10.) Atlanta Hawks
Confirmed Eastern Conference Series
(3.) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (6.) Indiana Pacers
(4.) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5.) Orlando Magic
The East’s first-seeded Boston Celtics will play the winner of the 76ers/Heat game. While the New York Knicks will either face the loser of the 76ers/Heat game or the winner of the Bulls/Hawks matchup. While both the Celtics and the Knicks have proven themselves to be top-tier basketball teams, a first-round matchup against playoff-experienced teams like the 76ers or the Heat may cause a problem. Especially if one of these two teams plays the Miami Heat, who have the opportunity to make a deep playoff run like they have the past few seasons.
Western Conference Play-In Tournament Matchups
(7.) New Orleans Pelicans vs. (8.) Los Angeles Lakers
(9.) Sacramento Kings vs. (10.) Golden State Warriors
Confirmed Western Conference Series
(3.) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (6.) Phoenix Suns
(4.) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5.) Dallas Mavericks
The young, loaded Oklahoma City squad will face the winner of the Pelicans/Lakers game. Denver will either face the loser of the Pelicans/Lakers game or the winner of the Kings/Warriors matchup. The Western Conference playoffs will be an all-out brawl, with all 10 of these teams looking to prove why they rightfully deserve to be in the postseason discussion. It’s going to be interesting what happens, and how these series play out, as any of these 10 Western Conference playoff teams have a chance to make the NBA Finals, and they all have stars that can run deep into the postseason. Nuggets Nikola Jokić is looking to prove not only to the league but to the world that he can give the Nuggets a second straight championship.
