Each year, the NBA playoffs are accompanied by a surge of news, gossip, scandals, and sensations.
Basketball and betting fans freeze in anticipation. Who will be able to truly make miracles this season and who won’t reach the final stage? Whose tough relationship in the team will prevent them from taking revenge? Who will be the best player in the Basketball Association this time? Let’s debrief.
Which teams will meet in the playoffs this time?
Heat vs Hawks
The highly anticipated match between two interesting rivals is Miami Heat vs Atlanta Hawks. The confrontation can be described in one phrase: the puzzle pieces will fit, though we don’t know which pieces may become an issue. For example, Swiss Capela’s state of health, as he has just recovered from a serious injury. Obviously, fans put a lot of faith in the centre of the Atlanta Hawks. Trey Young’s skill should also be considered, as he broke the record of the season.
Sure, the Hawks have a lot of cards up their sleeves. They’re ready to fight to their last breath, resorting to the most unusual moves. How can Miami Heat respond? Firstly, the basketball players from Heat are the hosts of the match, which is an obvious plus. Secondly, last season they proved that they are excellent at defence. All in all, this will be a beautiful game. Watching how each of the teams will perform this time will be an interesting spectacle.
Unpredictability Award: Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets
Predictions from sports experts come out before each match. Experienced bettors with training try to predict the course of events. But this meeting seems to be the most unpredictable of all.
Both teams are a complete mystery to the viewers. Some say that the Celtics have grown stronger after the previous season, as the club’s management has given special attention to the defence. But the Nets focused on personal drama. Basketball players got carried away by problems within the team. Therefore, it’s quite difficult to predict their level of preparation for the playoffs. The main intrigue was whether Durant would return to training after a serious sprain. Luckily, the basketball player feels great. But the Nets’ problems don’t end there.
Everyone remembers the recent scandal with Kyrie Irving. The basketball player refused to get vaccinated against corona. Therefore, he couldn’t play at home meetings. The situation escalated to the point where the club’s managers rudely stated that they weren’t interested in a part-time player. Well, we’ll see Kyrie meeting the Celtics, which is going to be exciting.
Injuries and star addition: Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls
If there is such thing as justice, it found its way to Chicago Bulls this season. The legendary defender DeMar DeRozan joined the ranks of basketball players. According to him, this is the best season in his career. In a nutshell, DeMar as part of Chicago goes to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. They weren’t reaching stellar results for almost five years. Strong players of the team were seriously injured almost one after another. Chicago was on the verge of failure, and today they’re worthy contenders in the championship.
As for the current leaders of the NBA, who made it to the top tier for the first time in half a century in 2021, they’re ready to meet their rivals. The Bucks aren’t going to lose the championship title.
Duo of the season: Harden and Embiid
The match between the Philadelphia 76 and Toronto Raptors will revolve around the star duo. We know what these players are made of, and now they’re playing together. Some say that basketball players must conquer this season. There are still many questions. Can Embiid evenly distribute his forces? How easily will Harden and Embiid interact on the basketball court?
Powerful tandem will resist Toronto, and it’s incomprehensible how the Raptors are going to fight back. Most likely, the goal won’t be to win but to not lose too much.
Revision: Phoenix Suns and Pelicans
Suns are doing their best to show that they’ve learned from their past mistakes. They’re aiming for the champion’s title, which is a strong statement. Right now, the Suns are focusing on getting into the match regimen and getting used to it.
At the same time, New Orleans Pelicans are also striving for the champion’s title. They have something to be proud of, as Williamson’s departure didn’t affect the team’s well-coordinated work. The minimum objective has been achieved: they reached the playoffs.
Bears vs Minnesota: who beats who?
Memphis Grizzlies did a good job. In a short time, the guys moved from eighth place to the second. Considering that their rivals, Minnesota are happy with the very fact of getting into the playoffs, the Bears have every chance to show off their claws and teeth.
Memphis survived the departure of their leader Morant and didn’t give up. Hopefully, the basketball players haven’t run out of steam and are ready to focus on the most decisive stage of the season.
Star Serb in the Denver Nuggets against the Golden Straight
An interesting meeting it seems. If a couple of years ago the names of these clubs appeared on the same line, no questions would be asked. At that time, the Nuggets assembled a real star line-up that conquered the NBA. However, injuries happen to everyone and unexpectedly. The Nuggets have lost their strong position.
To date, the Warriors can only count on the amazing Serbian basketball player Nikola Jokovic. But can the Serbian single-handedly cope with the pressure of the Golden Straight? When analysing the composition of both teams, the Goldens look solid and intimidating. But Denver also has something to offer to the basketball world.
Dallas can be renamed into Doncic?
This joke has been around on the internet for a long time, as the excitement around the Slovenian basketball player is big. It seems that apart from Doncic, Dallas has nothing else to offer. The club’s opponents will be the Utah Jazz, who are in the worst state ever. They failed the championship final. But, according to the coach, they got together, and they’re ready to confront the indestructible Doncic.
