Hello, sportsfans!!! And welcome to the NBA Playoffs 2024! Once again, we are in that time of year when the top 16 teams in the NBA step forward to do battle until only one remains to raise the trophy. Each team has gone through 82 regular games, and the competition has been cut down to the final 16; 8 from the eastern and 8 from the western conference. There are 5 new entries in the elite 16 teams, which means that 5 former contenders – most notably the Golden State Warriors – are out of the playoff picture.
The 5 new teams that made it to the playoffs after a year or more of absence are the surprising Oklahoma City Thunder, the resurgent Dallas Mavericks, and the steadily improving teams of the New Orleans Pelicans, the Orlando Magic and the Indiana Pacers. Booted out and relegated to the rebuilding stage are the once proud and mighty Golden State Warriors, the promising Sacramento Kings, the injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies, the Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks.
This season marks the fourth year where a ‘play-in’ was used for the last 2 slots of both the eastern and western conference. The play-in is a great innovation that allows the 9th and 10th place teams a chance to steal a slot in the playoffs. This year’s play-in saw the Philadelphia 76ers, the Miami Heat, the LA Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans take the last bus to the playoffs. Booted out were the Chicago Bulls, the Atlanta Hawks, the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings, all of whom were worthy contenders in previous playoffs.
The playoffs began last 20 April, and we shall see the crowning of our NBA 2024 Season this June. This grueling 2-month gladiators’ tiff will pit teams in a best-of-7 format, with the winner going to the next round, while the loser exits.
The first round match-ups are as follows, with their current status.
Eastern Conference:
Boston Celtics (1st seed) vs Miami Heat (8th seed) The Miami Heat have managed to keep abreast with the Celtics 1-1 despite the absence of their main man and spiritual leader, Jimmy Butler. This comes as a big surprise, considering that the Celtics had topped the regular season by a mile. Still, expect the Celtics to bounce back from this lethargy and move forward to round 2.
New York Knicks (2nd) vs Philadelphia 76ers (7th) The seeding here is deceptive as the Sixers Joel Embiid’s absence for a time had pulled down the team’s standings significantly. Knicks lead the series 2-1. But with Joel back in the fray, expect the 76ers to give the Knicks a run for their money. In fairness to the Knicks, they have been able to keep competitive despite the absence of top scorer, Julius Randle. This should be a tough match-up for both. The Knicks are developing a tough-as-nails culture, but I’d give the edge to the Sixers, with a winning coach in Nick Nurse slowly inculcating a winning attitude despite a less-than-sterling roster.
Milwaukee Bucks (3rd) vs Indiana Pacers (6th) With Giannis Antetokounmpo and now, Kris Middleton, still languishing in the injured list, the Bucks are in danger of being booted out this early in the post-season. The Bucks were one of the top favorites for the title at the start of the season with Damian Lillard joining the already-stacked team, but these injuries to Giannis and Kris will spell doom if they don’t report for work on time. The Pacers, having beefed up their roster with the acquisition of former all-star Paskal Siakam, lead the series 2-1, and are aiming for an upset.
Cleveland Cavaliers (4th) vs Orlando Magic (5th) The Cavs have been steady with Donovan Mitchell leading the pack. They lead the series 2-1. However, the younger Magic are showing rapid maturity with Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. This will be a toss-up, with the Cavs having just a slight edge. And this can be seen in the fight at the center position.
Western Conference:
Oklahoma City Thunder (1st seed) vs New Orleans Pelicans (8th seed) The Thunder lead the series 2-0 and are expected to sweep the series. They had a minor scare in Game 1 due to complacency, and that should wake them up from that stupor. Shae Gilgeous Alexander’s leadership, plus the emergence of Chet Holmgren as a force not just underneath, has catapulted the team to the very top of the more talent-laden Western Conference. This, despite their absence from the playoffs in the previous year. The upside potential of this team is just amazing. I expect much from this team in the years ahead.
Denver Nuggets (2nd) vs LA Lakers (7th) The Nuggets lead 3-0, and this looks like curtains for the Lakers. The Lakers had led in double-digit figures on numerous occasions, but the Nuggets have been able to weather the storm each and every time. The Nuggets, starring the dynamic duo of Nikola Jokic – who I expect will clinch his nth NBA MVP title – and Jamal Murray, have acquired a championship maturity minus the big city swagger. They will be a tough nut to crack for the rest of the league. This series will be all over soon.
Minnesota Timberwolves (3rd) vs Phoenix Suns (6th) The Twolves lead this series 3-0 and are hoping to sweep the dangerous Suns. The Suns have been plagued with injuries the entire season, and have had very little chance to mix-and-match their 3 stars: Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. On the other hand, the Twolves have been slowly maturing, with Anthony Edwards now getting comfortable with his status as the team’s main man. If the Suns are not able to jell on time, the Twolves will take this series away from them, and it will be back to the rebuilding mode for the slowly-aging Suns once again.
LA Clippers (4th) vs Dallas Mavericks (5th) This could well be the most intriguing match-up of the 1st round. Kawhi Leonard returns to beef up an already well-oiled Clipper offense. Will he add value to the team at this point, or will he simply disrupt the team’s jello? On the other hand, Kyrie Irving’s acceptance of Luka Doncic’s top-gun status has worked wonders for the team’s chemistry. They have become a far more dangerous team with the 2 working together finally. Expect the Mavs to move up to the next round.
There you have it, folks. My bets for the East: Boston, Philadelphia, Indiana and Cleveland. For the West, it should be OKC, Denver, Minnesota and Dallas. Next week, we’ll see how I fared. How about you? Who do you think moves on? You willing to bet your mother-in-law on this? 
Cover photo courtesy of the LA Times. Other photos courtesy of Click2Houston, Sports Illustrated, WI Sports Heroics, AP News, Hoops Hype, Bleacher Report, The Mirror and the Denver Post. For a closer look, just click on the pics.
Color My World 
Nice photos
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Thanks for dropping by, Moongirl! Keep coming back!😊👍🏼
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I don’t know which was more disappointing, all the Knicks fans that got into the 76ers building, or how poorly the Sixers have played. This was a winnable series but the way New York is playing three wins in a row just isn’t in the cards. I really enjoyed the Clippers-Mavs game Sunday afternoon. I really thought the Clippers were going to blow that gigantic lead, but of all people James Harden came up great down the stretch and they managed to even the series. The Bucks season certainly has gone up in flames, hasn’t it? Giannis getting hurt was such a bummer.
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Yes, I thought the Sixers would blow out the Randle-less Knicks, but it seems Julius’ absence even got the team more glued. Same with the Clips. Thought Kawhi would be a great plus for them, but they’ve been winning without him. Then there’s the Suns. Thought Beal’s arrival beefed up scoring, but instead it diminished Booker’s and Durant’s fire. Looks like there’s addition in subtraction, and vice versa.
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