Who’s Going to the NBA Playoffs?

Chicago, Miami, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City were the first four teams to clinch their playoff berths. But those teams saved their spot nearly two weeks ago; so what do the NBA playoffs look like now?

In addition to those four teams, seven more have also clinched their playoff berth. The East makes up four of those teams with Indiana, Boston, Atlanta, and Orlando claiming their spots in the past week and a half. The Eastern conference has also seen six teams drop out of the playoff running altogether – Detroit, New Jersey, Toronto, Cleveland, Washington, and Charlotte have all been eliminated.

The three teams that have saved their spot in Round One in the Western Conference are the L.A. Lakers, the L.A. Clippers, and Memphis. Five teams in the West have seen their playoff hopes die – Portland, Minnesota, Golden State, Sacramento, and New Orleans.

So even with five teams still to claim their own spot, what would the NBA playoffs look like if they were to begin today? Going by rankings alone:

 In the East:

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers
(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks
(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic
(4) Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks

In the West:

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz
(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Denver Nuggets
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Dallas Mavericks
(4) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies

Which matchup excites you most about the NBA playoffs? Do you think there are likely to be any dark horses that will emerge?

Categorized in: NBA