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With the Washington Wizards inflicting a crushing defeat upon the Indiana Pacers on Thursday, the playoff matchups for the Eastern Conference are all set. The first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs has a variety of fixtures. These range from a David vs. Goliath battle between the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets to a too-close-to-call affair between the Atlanta Hawks and the New York Knicks.
Round 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs could throw up a few upset results
The battle to come out of the East begins tonight with the Miami Heat taking on the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks will be looking to exact revenge for last year's second-round exit at the hands of Jimmy Butler and co. The battle between Miami and Milwaukee will be followed by what is expected to be a one-sided affair between the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets.
With that said, here are five bold predictions for Round 1 of the Eastern Conference matchups -
#5 Miami Heat have all the tools to upset the Milwaukee Bucks
After years of playoff disappointment, the Milwaukee Bucks front office made some major changes to the roster - both to solve the aforementioned issue and to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo in the franchise. In came Jrue Holiday, who has transformed the Bucks offense and defense, evident in their stellar 46-26 record.
However, there is a good possibility of the Milwaukee Bucks crashing out of the Eastern Conference playoffs against a familiar foe, the Miami Heat. Despite having an underwhelming regular season, the Heat have a strategic plan and the personnel to upset the Bucks.
The biggest advantage for the Heat is that they have multiple bodies to throw at Giannis - Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Trevor Ariza. Antetokounmpo had trouble operating in the paint against Adebayo, and Ariza is a seasoned veteran who has made a name for making life hell for offensive-minded players.
The Miami Heat also have a good pool of adept three-point shooters in Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro. The Bucks are poor at defending three-point shots, which might lead to them getting knocked out by Erik Spoelstra's team in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
#4 Trae Young, not Julius Randle, will be the more important player for his team
Julius Randle made the NBA All-Star team this season. He is also a favorite to feature in the All-NBA team and win the Most Improved Player award. Randle and the Knicks are all set to take on the Atlanta Hawks in Round 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The Hawks' offense will be led by Trae Young, who averaged 25 points and 9 assists during the regular season. Randle and Young will be the talismans of their teams going into this enticing matchup. There is a good chance that Young outshines Randle.
The New York Knicks ended the regular season as the third-best defense in the league. Defense plays an important role in the playoffs, and it could be argued that Tom Thibodeau's defensive scheme will be more pivotal to the Knicks set up than Randle's talent.
Young, on the other hand, is the heart and soul of the Hawks team. He is likely to make a bigger impact for them than Randle does for the Knicks.
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#3 The Boston Celtics will take a few games off the Brooklyn Nets
The general consensus amongst fans and analysts is that the Brooklyn Nets will sweep the Jaylen Brown-less Boston Celtics. But there is certainly a likelihood of Brad Stevens' men taking the Nets to six games in the Eastern Conference Round 1 matchup.
The Brooklyn Nets' defense hasn't been particularly impressive. That's the biggest chink in their armor, which players like Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker have the ability to exploit. Tatum exploded for 50 points against the Wizards and there is a low probability of the Celtics getting swept if they have him fully fit for the series.
#2 The Washington Wizards will take the Philadelphia 76ers to seven games
At the beginning of the campaign, very few people would have bet on the Wizards reaching the playoffs. But after a solid outing in the regular season and the Play-In tournament, they are all set to take on the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The 76ers' record and strength of the roster point towards a sweep. But this Washington Wizards side has two in-form players in Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal amongst their ranks, which could make things tricky for the no. 1 seed in the East.
Beal and Westbrook have been among the best performers of the season. There is a chance that the Wizards will take the 76ers to seven games purely on the basis of the talent of their two stars.
#1 James Harden will be the best player for the Brooklyn Nets against the Boston Celtics
Kevin Durant is inarguably the best player on the Brooklyn Nets. However, there is a likelihood that James Harden will play the starring role for Steve Nash's team against the Celtics.
Before he went down with injury, Harden was getting MVP shouts. The former OKC Thunder player has taken over point guard duties in Brooklyn since joining the team. It wouldn't be surprising if Harden averages close to a triple-double in the Eastern Conference playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
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Guess the Lakers players!
