The NBA playoffs are upon us
Happy Easter everyone. Even though this is styled as a boxing/ MMA column, every now and then I like to dabble into another sport close to my heart, which is basketball.
And there's no better time to share my thoughts as the NBA playoffs are set to kickoff today, Easter Sunday.
EAST. Things are a bit wild and unpredictable at the Eastern conference.
The defending champions Cleveland Cavaliers were supposed to be the team to beat, but an unprecedented slide in the second half of the season ( they were 23-23 in last 46 games), relegated them to the second seed in the playoffs where they are penciled to meet the 7th seed Indiana Pacers.
Top seed Boston Celtics will face off against Chicago Bulls while No. 3 Toronto Raptors will play the Milwaukee Bucks. The Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks meet up in a battle of No. 4 and 5 seeds.
Regardless of their recent sub -par performances, the Cavs will still be a force to be reckoned with.
The playoffs are totally different from the regular season games, as each team can now focus and prepare exclusively on their opponents in a series match-up and make adjustments.
This is where Lebron James seems to thrive. He has never lost in a first round playoff series, and even though the Pacers are led by Paul George who has registered monstrous numbers lately, that may not be enough to stave off the Cavs.
The Celtics are playing great ball lately but they rely too much on Isiah Thomas. So I still think the Cavs will be the last team standing in the East, although I expect them to encounter some rough sailing in the second and third rounds.
WEST. Last year's runner-up, the Golden State Warriors have re-tooled and added the prolif- ic Kevin Durant, resulting in a league best 67-15 record.
In the first round they will be facing the Portland Trailblazers. This team matches up well against the Warriors in the 3pt shooting department, but is too inconsistent in other aspects of the game so I don't expect the Warriors to fall to the upset axe.
No.2 San Antonio Spurs will play the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Utah Jazz face off against the LA Clippers with the latter enjoying crucial home court advantage.
In a battle of MVPs, Russel Westbrook's OKC Thunder will play James Harden's Houston Rockets.
I'm giving the Clippers the dark horse card in the West, but in the end, the Warriors should emerge victorious and set up that rematch against the Cavs for the NBA title.
LAST ROUND. It's on a dear friend, Liezel A. Siu, who recently celebrated her birthday. Cheers!
The playoffs are totally different from the regular season games, as each team can now focus and prepare exclusively on their opponents in a series match-up and make adjustments.