It’s time for playoffs, NBA fans! The Boston Celtics are poised for another championship run, this time as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to make their own run and will likely face the Cs in the Eastern Conference finals if they roll past the Miami Heat in the first round, and either the Indiana Pacers or the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round.
But Boston’s path is much easier. They play the Orlando Magic in the first round, then the winner of the New York Knicks versus Detroit Pistons in the second round. The Celtics have a 4-0 record against the Knicks this season and a 3-1 record against the Pistons.
Orlando is the only East opponent that scares me.
Boston is 1-2 this season against the Magic, and in both losses, the Celtics shot below 20% from three-point range, combining to make 15 threes. Like I pointed out last week, the Celtics were 14-11 when making under 17 three-pointers in a game. In their one win against the Magic, they hit 17.
It’s definitely concerning, but which team has made the playoffs 11 years in a row? Not the Magic, who haven’t gotten past the first round since the 2009 season when they lost to the Celtics in the Conference Finals.
The Cavaliers have a tougher path to the Celtics. They can easily handle the Heat, but they have to hope they’ll face the Bucks in the second round, as Cleveland is 1-3 against the Pacers. I personally have the Pacers versus Celtics in the East Conference finals again, as I feel their experience, previous matchups and defense — the Cavs have committed almost 15 turnovers a game against Indiana this season — will make for a close series win. From there, I think the Celtics will beat the Pacers in a closer series than last year’s, when they swept Indiana.
And then there’s the almighty West. It’s always a tougher battle in the Western Conference, and the power that each team has can pose a threat to the Cs.
It’s hard to say who even comes out of here. Sure, you can make a great case that the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder will emerge as the victors, but they were the top seed last year and got booted in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks.
The West is the most unpredictable yet. The Golden State Warriors are 23-7 since acquiring Jimmy Butler, the Los Angeles Lakers are a questionable 18-10 with Luka Dončić and the Denver Nuggets may be back after losing four games in a row. And the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers can’t be counted out – sorry Memphis Grizzlies, you’re 0-4 against the Thunder this season, and none of the games were close.
OKC is the only team from the West to beat the Celtics twice this season, so an NBA Finals matchup between the two teams would be the most anticipated as far as offensive powerhouses go. The Thunder have also lost only two games against the East this season: the Cavaliers and the Bucks. It’s weird to remember now, as during the NBA Cup championship game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 8-24 from the field and sank only three free throws.
On top of the West, the only other force stopping the Celtics is injuries. Jaylen Brown has been dealing with a bone bruise on his right knee but seems to be good to go and without a minutes restriction as well.
In a press conference the day before the Celtics play the Magic on Easter April 20, Brown said he identifies with Boston’s “throw-a-punch-first mentality.” They sure will have to carry that mentality all throughout the playoffs, especially if injuries play a factor. Boston will want to keep big-man Kristaps Porziņģis healthy throughout the playoffs even if they’ve been a tad more successful without him this season (30-12 with, 31-9 without).
Nonetheless, the Celtics, and their fans, are aiming for a back-to-back championship. Check out their playoff hype video if you need another reason to get excited for this team.
The West, playoff stress and Jaylen Brown rest. It doesn’t matter, Celtics in 5.
