NBA playoff races to watch, predictions and first-round matchups we want to see

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It’s March Madness in the NBA! With only two weeks left in the regular season, many teams are still fighting for playoff seeding. Which East contender can avoid the Celtics’ side of the bracket? Will the Rockets bounce the Warriors from the play-in tournament? Our NBA writers break down the playoff races to watch and make predictions for the stretch run.

1. What’s the most intriguing playoff race in the East?

Vincent Goodwill: 2-3-4, because it’ll determine two things. One, who’ll avoid the Celtics in the second round since nobody would want to line up against them until absolutely necessary. And secondly, who would conceivably have home court against the other top seed in the semifinals. Cleveland needs to get healthy. Milwaukee needs to get right. And the Knicks are just right there, hoping health will allow them to make this playoff competitive.

Dan Devine: The 3-4-5 cluster. Can the Knicks, winners of seven of eight, keep surging up the standings? Will the Magic, who’ve run neck-and-neck with New York since mid-January, continue to keep pace? And if the Cavaliers can’t stem their slide once Donovan Mitchell comes back, just how powerful will their déjà vu be when they realize they’re once again locked in a 4-vs.-5 matchup with a tough-as-nails up-and-comer with a meat-grinder defense?

Jake Fischer: The Sixers’ playoff seeding. The reigning MVP, who has never advanced beyond the second round, clawing through the play-in tournament as an 8-seed, would be phenomenal theater. As Joel Embiid nears his return from injury, where Philadelphia falls between seeds 6-8 will be fascinating for the conference’s overall landscape. We could get the Sixers having to stave off elimination, just to draw Boston or Milwaukee in Round 1.

Dan Titus: The battle for the 3-seed. The Knicks and Cavaliers have withstood a slew of injuries this season and are getting healthy at the right time. They are currently a half-game apart for the third seed, which, if the current standings hold, would play the Pacers — a far more attractive first-round adversary than the slow-paced, defensive-driven Orlando Magic.

Jalen Green and…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-playoff-races-to-watch-predictions-and-first-round-matchups-we-want-to-see-143049926.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-03-29 14:30:49

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