Only 4 teams remain in the NBA this season. In the East we will have an unusual 2nd seed vs 8th seed matchup with Miami playing in the play-in for the right to play powerhouse Milwaukee and upsetting a strong Bucks team. The loss caused Coach Bud to lose his job and Miami behind Jimmy Butler moved on.
In the West the Number 1 seed Denver Nuggets will face the 7th seeded Lakers, although to call them a 7th seed after their trade deadline transformation is almost a misnomer.
Eastern Conference
Boston vs Philly As expected, Boston did beat Philly but it took 7 games. It did look for a time like a resurgent James Harden might have turned the tide, but in the end, he couldn’t find a way to play well enough with Joel Embiid to make it work. The loss caused Doc Rivers to lose his job.
Miami vs New York As expected, Miami outlasted New York mainly due to playoff Jimmy but solid contributions from all the starters.
Eastern Conference Finals Prediction: Number 2 Boston vs Number 8 Miami. Boston in 6. Playoff Jimmy shows up again but Boston has too many weapons and too much depth.
Western Conference
Denver vs Phoenix As expected, Denver was too much for Phoenix even with Kevin Durant. The loss cost Coach Monty his job.
Lakers vs Golden State As expected, the LA Lakers took out the Golden State Warriors in 7 games. Solid contributions from James and big man Davis overcame some good games by Steph Curry.
Western Conference Finals Prediction: Expect Jokic and the Nuggets to take the Lakers in 6. Don’t expect any coaches to lose their jobs if they lose.
That’s it for now. Let’s kick back and get ready to watch some great basketball players play some great basketball. See you for the finals!