By Matthew Barnes, Sports Editor
The first round of the NBA Playoffs recently wrapped up, and the favorites took care of business. The top four teams in both conferences advanced, and only one series was decided by a Game 7. Despite the lack of parity in this year’s tournament, the results do set up for some electrifying bouts in the conference semifinals. Here are my predictions on who wins these matchups:
Eastern Conference: No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 4 Boston Celtics
The Celtics looked stellar in Game 1 of this series, holding their opponents to 90 points and irritating Giannis Antetokounmpo throughout. This series should be wildly competitive with some amazing star power involved. Antetokounmpo is a potential MVP this year, and I do not expect any more mediocre performances like the first game. Boston is well-coached and is playing better in the playoffs, which makes it a very tempting pick. However, I trust that the depth and athleticism of the Bucks will allow them squeak by in seven games.
Eastern Conference: No. 2 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers
The Raptors have been known for notoriously underachieving in the postseason, but Kawhi Leonard is trying to change that stigma. Leonard has been an absolute monster in the postseason, averaging 30.7 points on 58 % shooting. He has been perfectly complemented by youngster Pascal Siakam, who has claimed his stardom this postseason. Siakam is putting up 23.7 points and 8.2 rebounds so far. The Sixers have a tremendous starting lineup from top to bottom, and it’s not like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are scrubs. A month ago, I would have chosen the 76ers to win this series, but the Raptors are playing elite ball right now. This series will have a fair share of drama, but I like Toronto in six games.
Western Conference: No. 1 Golden State Warriors vs No. 4 Houston Rockets
At the beginning of the season, this would have been most people’s prediction for the Western Conference Finals. After Houston slipped to a four seed, its destiny with Golden State was inevitable. This rematch from last year is based on consistency vs. erratic play. The Warriors are back-to-back champions, and even when they have off nights, they are still pretty good. The Rockets are either the most unstoppable team in the league or an easy win. This is due to the fact that in the playoffs, they are launching 43 three-pointers per game. When those are falling, James Harden and his crew are juggernauts. However, in the first round, they had a few nights where those were not falling. They cannot afford that to happen when Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are on the other end of the court. The Rockets will have two phenomenal games in this series, but four that go the other way. Give me the reigning champs in six.
Western Conference: No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers
The Nuggets inched by their first round opponent and were a minute away from being sent home. They had an underwhelming series overall but are still an incredibly well-rounded team. Nikola Jokic is one of the best big men in the league, and Jamal Murray is a walking bucket when his teammates need him to hit a big shot. I like the Nuggets roster more than the Blazers — there’s just one problem: They don’t have Damian Lillard. Lillard has been slept on all season but is making a case for a top-five guard in the NBA. He is averaging 33 points a game this postseason and doing so shooting 48% from deep. On top of that, Lillard dropped 50 points and buried a game-winning three from a step in front of the half court line to close out the Thunder. Lillard will keep that momentum and shred the Nuggets, giving Portland the victory in six games.
