What an Action-Packed NBA Playoff This is Turning Out To Be!

Two former champs – the Nuggets and the Warriors – are banking on their veteran cage IQ to bring them to the next stage. The defending champs Celtics, on the other hand, are not (yet) showing any championship smarts in their series. This is a golden opportunity for the upstarts in the playoffs to learn, albeit on the fly, if they are to compete for the bigger battles ahead. Indeed, the playoff duels are a different set of games. And it will take more than just raw talent, physical strength and youthful exuberance to make it to the top.

What’s Next After the LA Lakers’ Shock Exit?

The Lakers could not sustain their superior ball because fatigue caught up with their maxxed out starters. JJ relied heavily on his first 5, failing to optimize his rotation, opting not to make adjustments particularly late in games. Ultimately, this fatigue factor would also lead to defensive lapses, the breakdown in the offensive rhythm, and more critically, more exposure to possible injuries.

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Are the LA Clippers For Real?

The LA Clippers’ pleasant surprise, challenging the top echelons of the Western Conference, is not due to a single factor. It is the result of a combination of health, chemistry, maturity, leadership, momentum and morale. With these elements aligning for the Clippers, a team with a history of being in the mix, only to fall short in the playoffs, can definitely soar even higher, even straight to the championship.

Kai Sotto On the Rise!

Kai Sotto, that gentle giant who has found himself a special spot in the Philippine National Basketball Team named Gilas, has been improving his game lately. And reports have it that he is now in the radar of NBA scouts in search for tall durable talents who can bang bodies with the big bad behemoths in the NBA.

NBA Cup 2024: Top Teams Battle in Final Eight

The short format has been interesting but brutal for the likes of the record-setting Cleveland Cavs (21-3) and the defending champs Boston Celtics (19-4). Despite their league-leading numbers in the regular season, one miscue was all it took to take them out of contention. Gone too were some of the games biggest stars in Lebron James, Kevin Durant, NIkola Jokic and Joel Embiid. My picks to go to the semis next week: it will be the veterans from the Knicks and the Bucks in the east; while the upstarts in the Mavs and the Rockets will do battle in the west.

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