ELITE eight is complete.
Eastern Conference matchups
Bucks (1) vs Celtics (0) - A triple-double from Giannis allowed the Bucks to snatch home court advantage from the Celtics. They quickly dispatched the Nets in their series. The key to this series is for Boston to stop Giannis. If they can find a matchup for Giannis, they might have a chance of dethroning the defending NBA champions. There will be no sweep here, but I am picking the Bucks in six.
Heat (0) vs 76ers (0) - An exciting matchup pitting Jimmy Butler with his former team. Game one will dictate how far the series will go. Miami’s depth versus the Sixers’ firepower is undoubtedly a good matchup. Sad to see Joel Embiid miss a few games in this series because of the contusions he sustained in the Toronto series. I am going with the Heat in six.
Western Conference matchups
Warriors (1) vs Grizzlies (0) - GSW won a nail-biting win over the Grizzlies in game one. With the way the Grizzlies are playing this season, expect them to continue in the playoffs. Ja and company might have their hands full with this GSW squad, but it will be an exemplary process for them as they mature as a team. It will be a fun-filled series. GSW in six.
Suns (0) vs Mavericks (0) - The Suns survived a gritty Pelicans team in the first round. Now they face Luka and the Mavs, another gritty team who wants to advance to the conference finals. If Luka can stay healthy for this series, the Suns will be in for a battle. If not, the Suns will breeze through the series in six.
With the matchups, series sweeps might not happen. The elite eight are all battle-tested and tough teams. We might also be witnessing the changing of the guards in the NBA. With future Hall of Famers, LBJ and KD out early. In addition, up-and-coming superstars Ja, Luka, and Devin Booker are turning heads around with their stellar playoff highlights. Incidentally, the most dominant team of late, the Warriors, are finding their form just in time and maybe out to reclaim their place as the kings of the NBA.
We anticipate an exciting second round and conference finals that will remain after the elite eight battles. We are all looking forward to the Final 4.