The NBA Playoffs, Explained
You didn’t forget about the NBA playoffs did you? Here’s how it works and who’s going to win.
An excerpt from The Game Last Night, a daily newsletter that breaks down what’s happening in the world of sports.
The NBA had its two biggest nights ever earlier this week. Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors broke the record for most wins in a single season. And Kobe Bryant played his last (totally ridiculous) game with the Lakers after a 20 year career. But Saturday is playoff time.
How’s this thing work?
Easy, just ask the Brits. After the 82-game regular season, the top 8 teams from the two conferences are seeded into the playoffs. Those 16 teams play each other in an elimination tournament. Each team plays best of seven, so first to four wins the round. The finals are June 3rd.
Who’s going to win?
Also easy. Almost definitely the Golden State Warriors, possibly the best team in the history of the game of basketball. The San Antonio Spurs are their only real challenge. I mean, just look at this excel graph I made of Probability of Winning:
I’m no math major but, like, sure looks like a real cliffhanger out there.
Who plays who?
The first round starts Saturday. Remember, if Golden State or San Antonio are playing, those teams are favored to win. But look, the real tournament starts if one of those teams is upset, or when they play each other in the Western Conference championship.
So there’s no pressing need to read about all of these match-ups, but here we go anyway…
In the West you’ve got:
- No.1 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 8 Houston Rockets. Even though the Warriors are tired from winning 73 games, they’ll probably clean up. Houston’s been underwhelming all season. I mean, I guess Houston’s James “The Bearded Wonder” Harden might give them a run for their money but naaaaah.
- No. 4 LA Clippers vs. No. 5 Portland Trailblazers. The Clippers thought this season was theirs with star Blake Griffin. Didn’t quite pan out, as he was out with injuries most season. Portland, lead by Damian Lillard and for new starters, thought it was a “rebuilding year” and then sort of surprised themselves when they were good.
- No. 3 OKC Thunder vs. No. 6 Dallas Mavericks. OKC’s got some stars in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but they tend to choke in the 4th quarter. Which, like, isn’t ideal. The Mav’s made the playoffs for like the millionth time in a row, and have veteran all star Dirk Nowitzki.
- No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 7 Memphis Grizzlies. The Spurs are like, “The Best Team in the League,” but Golden State is like “The Best Team of All Time.” That’s sad for the Spurs, even though they’re the winningest two-seed in history, but anyway they’ll beat Memphis, whose two stars are out with injuries.
In the East, we’re looking at:
- No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Detroit Pistons. The Cavs, brought to you by LeBron James, lost to the Warriors in the Finals last year. They won the East, but mostly they won the gossip columns. They face a young Pistons team who they’ll probably beat. Things get interesting if the Cav’s win the conference, likely setting up a rematch with the Golden State Warriors in the Finals.
- No. 4 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 5 Boston Celtics. The Hawks are led by vets Al Horford and Paul Millsap. They won 3–1 in the regular season against the Celtics, who have a ton of young talent. Head coach Brad Stevens gets most of the applause for the Celtics rebuilding, but I guess some credit goes to the players too.
- No. 3 Miami Heat vs. No. 6 Charlotte Hornets. Look, if there’s anyone who’s going to challenge the Cav’s out east, it’s the Miami heat. They ended their season on a high note and have great playoff expectations (ha!). The Hornets, with Kemba Walker, have been much improved this season. It won’t be enough.
- No. 2 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 7 Indiana Pacers. The Raptors had an amazing season, scoring 50 wins for the first time in franchise history. They expect to win their first playoff series (i.e., beat the Pacers) since 2001. The Pacers missed last post-season with Paul George out, but now they’re back and I’ve been told not to underestimate them (I do).
Can I see a bracket?
It’s “may I see a bracket,” but here:
Any pro tips?
Option one is to glue yourself to a sports bar for two months and tell your waiter you don’t want to see the bottom of this basket of chicken wings. Option two is to keep reading The Game Last Night. Just saying.
