The second round of the NBA playoffs is among us and this year we have some of the most interesting matchups I have ever witnessed coming to fruition. I was way off in my predictions of the last round of the playoffs, so hopefully, I can get some predictions right this time around. Slated to start this afternoon is the faceoff between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics.
A couple of hours after that we have the chance to watch the Golden State Warriors take on the Memphis Grizzlies. Two games worth watching, and two games that will have the NBA talking on Twitter tonight. So, without further ado, let’s jump right in and predict who makes it out of the second round of the NBA playoffs.
Bucks VS Celtics
This series is the hardest to predict, solely based on the reason that both these teams have the same amount of chance to take the cake. The Celtics completely dominated the Brooklyn Nets, sweeping the team from New York fashionably and easily. The Celtics are firing on all cylinders, and their suffocating defense can even make the most potent offenses look mediocre at best. When it comes to the Bucks, they have the greatest player in the world, Giannis Antentokoumpo on their side, as well as a slew of depth pieces that can take over a game as well.
The Celtics seem to have everything going for them heading into this series, but will the experience of the Bucks trump the confidence of the Celts? I think it does. The Bucks have built themselves as a team where if their star players aren’t producing that night, the depth players pick up the slack and deliver even more. That is a dangerous quality to play against, and if the Celtics aren’t on their A-game at all times, this series goes to the Bucks.
Prediction – Bucks in 7
GSW VS Grizzlies
The Ja Morant-led Memphis Grizzlies have quickly become one of the most exciting teams to watch in these playoffs, even if Morant himself hasn’t had his best outings. The team narrowly avoided being sent to seven games by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and if you watched that series you would know that the T-Wolves were more to blame for losing than the Grizzlies beating them. The fact of the matter is that the Grizzlies simply didn’t play well enough, and against any other opponent in the first round, they would’ve been bounced.
The Warriors on the other hand seem to have everything going for them. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are playing better than ever. Jordan Poole and Gary Payton II are stepping up big-time for the team. Even depth players we rarely hear about are shining in their limited roles with the team. It’s not hard to see that this team is hot right now, and with that type of confidence, I don’t see how they’ll allow the Grizzlies to beat them.
Final Prediction – Warriors in 4
76ers VS Heat
The Heat are playing like their namesake; hot. The team is absolutely on fire and made quick work of Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks. The 76ers just came off a challenging series against the Raptors, one of the toughest teams to play against in the NBA. In terms of preparation, the 76ers just came off playing a super-tough opponent, so I would give them the slight edge in this series. However, they are going to be without Joel Embiid, who has suffered an orbital fracture and concussion. Can James Harden and Tyrese Maxey step up and lead this team to a win against the Heat? Hopefully, but I don’t see it happening.
The Heat have too much depth compared to the 76ers, and with Joel Embiid out of the lineup, they’ll look to bully the 76ers in the paint, something they are awfully good at doing against other teams. Bam Adebayo is going to be the key to Miami winning this series. If he plays the way he always does, then this is an easy win for the Heat.
Final Prediction – Heat in 5
Mavericks VS Suns
This western conference matchup is going to be the toughest to predict, as Luka Doncic is back, but Chris Paul has decided to go G.O.A.T mode and light up teams on 100% FG shooting. This series is going to be an absolute dogfight, but for the simple reason that this Suns team has gone to the NBA finals and lost, I have them taking this series. It would have to take a miracle for them to allow the Mavs to stop them from getting back to the Finals. I don’t think Chris Paul would let that happen, no sir.
