Written and Media By Justin Willis.
What do you remember from the NBA playoffs in the past? Think back to the 1998 NBA (National Basketball Association) playoffs when Micheal Jordan made the game-winning mid-range jumper versus the Utah Jazz in the Finals. Or when Allen Iverson stepped over Ty Lue after knocking down a three versus the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2003 NBA Finals. If that does not ring a bell, do you recall when Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavilers overcame a 3-1 deficient versus the Golden State Warriors? The 2018 NBA playoffs will promise to bring more highlights moments much like those in the past.
It is beginning to look a lot like playoff time. Yes, that is right; the NBA (National Basketball Association) playoffs are back this weekend starting April 14th! Following March Madness, this is the 2nd biggest basketball event of the year. The NBA playoffs are when the top 16 teams in the NBA faceoff in a best-out-of-seven game elimination. The bracket is split into two sides: the top eight teams in the East and top eight teams in the West. This means the NBA Finals are challenged between the champs of the West division and the victors of the East division. So what does the playoff picture look like this year?
Only a couple of games remain before the race to the playoffs officially begins. In the West, the Houston Rockets led by MVP candidate, James Harden, seem to be coasting at the number one seed. At the bottom of the list, the Minnesota Timberwolves sit at 8th place, and the Denver Nuggets come in at 9th. With the season on the line, one loss for the Timberwolves could give the Nuggets a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 2013. In the East, Drake’s very own Toronto Raptors sit at the number one spot while the Miami Heat and the Washington Wizards are bidding at 7th and 8th seeds, respectively.
Source: USA Today
The different match-ups and teams this year look to be pretty interesting. For starters, the Philadelphia 76ers have been a struggling organization for the past six years. They are looking to shock the world with keys players Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and J.J. Redick, who turned a 15th seed team to a 3rd seed team. The different predictions also keep everyone excited, one reason being a 4th match-up between the Warriors and The Cavaliers. After asking a couple of NBA fans to give their thoughts on a possible 4th match-up, one replied, “I think it will be horrible because it’s bad for the NBA.” Others said, “It doesn’t matter, Cavs in 6.” Overall, if there was to be a 4th match-up between the two teams, I believe that more people will be rooting for the Warriors than the Cavs due to the fact that people hate to see Lebron win.
Regardless of the outcome, the 2018 NBA Playoffs will be another event filled with many remarkable plays, a few heartbreaks, and one NBA champion team!
