NBA playoff preview: Buckle up for wild ride

Here’s a look at two other second-round NBA playoff matchups, with the final Western series hinging on Sunday’s Game 7 between the Los Angeles Clippers and Utah Jazz — the winner gets to take on the mighty Warriors:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

No. 1 Boston vs. No. 4 Washington (Season series tied 2-2)

NEED TO KNOW

Make no mistake about it, these teams do not like each other. The regular-season games included a handful of confrontations, all of the Wizards wore black to one game against Boston in some odd display of solidarity, and there could be ugliness as the series goes on. . . . Aside from that, though, it’s a matchup of two outstanding back-courts — Boston’s Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley vs. Washington’s John Wall and Bradley Beal — and the winner of that duel will likely prevail in this series. . . . The wild cards are big men Al Horford of the Celtics and Marcin Gortat of the Wizards. Washington hammered Boston on the boards in their four regular-season meetings. What will happen? Celtics in seven

WESTERN CONFERENCE

No. 2 San Antonio vs. No. 3 Houston (Spurs won season series 3-1)

NEED TO KNOW

Buckle up, folks, this could be special. None of the four games between the teams this season was decided by more than six points, and three were two-point nailbiters. . . . The key matchup, of course, is between MVP candidates James Harden of the Rockets and Kawhi Leonard of the Spurs. Harden averaged almost 30 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds against San Antonio this season. . . . Houston is the best and most frequent three-point shooting team in the league, but San Antonio’s ability to close out on shooters is top notch. . . . Nene of the Rockets was resurgent in the first round against Oklahoma City, and Houston’s Pau Gasol has a true championship pedigree.

What will happen? Spurs in seven Doug Smith