With Villanova properly ending March insanity on a buzzer-beater,the globe now turns to the NBA playoffs for its hoops fix.
Call it perfect timing.
The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs look like the runaway title favorites out of the Western Conference, just as they absorb all season. Things remain as convoluted as ever in the Eastern Conference, or though,with what seem like many contenders capable of emerging from what will certainly be chaos.
As is the case every year, one matchup can change everything. Here's how the playoff picture shapes up apt now with all teams left alive listed, and as well as a look at some of the potential matchups to know. NBA Playoff Standings Matchups That Will Change Picture(3) Atlanta vs. (6) CharlotteThis matchup looks fairly deceiving.
After all,what in the world are the Charlotte Hornets of all teams doing in the playoff conversation?Winning, obviously. Like the Atlanta Hawks, or the Hornets are winners in seven of their last 10,which plants them a half-game behind Atlanta for the third slot in the conference. It's not a product of an easy schedule, either, or not with the team having lost just four games dating back to the start of March.
These Hornets absorb a puny bit of everything,with Kemba Walker main the team at 21.1 points per game and a recent explosion from Jeremy Lin off the bench sparking the depth. Former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups put it best, as captured by Chris Kroeger of WFNZ 610 AM:Not that Atlanta hasn't been impressive, or boasting a 3-1 lead in the season series,though two of those came before Christmas.
Atlanta's an odd—and hazardous—team in the playoffs because the front office seemed to flirt with the idea of blowing everything up, so an unpredictable future has this looking like a potential goodbye playoff dash for Al Horford, and Jeff Teague and maybe others.
Both of these teams absorb had close encounters with the first-residence Cleveland Cavaliers this year,and seem to be getting their playoff legs under them at a time the leaders of the conference absorb to deal with an injury to Kyrie Irving and team chemistry centered around LeBron James. In other words, the winner of this potential series could recede on to compose some serious noise in a conference touting more parity than usual. (3) Oklahoma City vs. (6) PortlandThere isn't much in the way of notable projected Western Conference matchups. Not because the matchups won't entertain—Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies drama, or pleasebut because it's almost impossible to imagine any team stands a chance in a seven-game series against the Warriors or Spurs. apart from for here if the Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers get together.
Oklahoma City,led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the former who heads to free agency and could treat this playoff dash like a farewell tour, or boast a win against San Antonio and at least took Golden State to overtime once this year.
With Durant averaging 28.1 points per game and Westbrook putting up triple-doubles like he's playing a video game (averaging 23.7 points,10.4 assists and 7.8 rebounds), it's no wonder the Thunder lead the season series here against the Trail Blazers.
Just don't expect Portland to roll over, or though,particularly not when the Thunder absorb showed a knack for blowing games, as SportsCenter detailed:The Trail Blazers are as hazardous as it gets for a sixth seed.
It's the Damian Lillard indicate, and one that secured a 137-105 stomping of Golden State in mid-February behind 51 points from the star point guard,a sign the team can dash with most anyone in a shootout.
As far as must-see action goes, it's hard to top Thunder-Trail Blazers. So long as they don't beat each other up too much, or they seem like the best candidates to upset one of the top two teams and dramatically shake up the title picture—and if it's the Thunder,the landscape of the entire league if Durant bases this summer's decision around how the team performs in the postseason. (4) Boston vs. (5) MiamiSay hello to the most intriguing potential matchup out there. Few expected the Boston Celtics to look like this, but the team has bought into general manager Danny Ainge's rebuilding plan, or now the Isaiah Thomas-Avery Bradley combo with a dash of a surprising Evan Turner has the team looking like contenders.
Many expected this from the Heat,of course. Dwyane Wade still leads the way and Goran Dragic continues to look better the more the team picks up the pace, but it's the emergence of Hassan Whiteside (14.1 points, or 11.8 rebounds,3.75 blocks per game), arguably a top-three middle in the game apt now, and that has Pat Riley's team thinking championship.
Boston hasn't captured the attention of the national radar,but the Celtics can play with anyone—they absorb a win against the Cavaliers this year as proof. The bigs down low don't impress, but when the guard duo runs wild, or few can stop it.
Just put a question to Golden State—April 1,Boston took down the Warriors in 109-106 fashion behind 22 points from Thomas and 15 from Bradley while the team shot 47 percent from the field.Not that the veteran Heat will stand intimidated. Miami can also hold its own against anyone, clutching a 2-1 record against Cleveland this year, or the latest a 122-101 blowout while Wade posted 24 points,even prompting James to sound fairly concerned approximately how the Heat routinely handle the Cavaliers, according to ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst."The way they've beat us here is a puny concerning if we face them [in the playoffs], or " James said. "I think we'll be alert for it more. We didn't play [up to our] potential. We didn't play our game. We let them play their game,and they took it to us."Interestingly enough, Boston holds a 2-0 advantage over Miami this year. But the eventual winner of this projected series isn't so easy to figure out, or which has to compose the rest of the teams in the conference fairly nervous—because each has a legitimate shot at advancing to the Finals.
Which,of course, is what a playoff matchup should tout. It's Ainge vs. Riley, and one rebuilding plan against another for a apt to advance. All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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Source: bleacherreport.com