WOW! It was a very emotional season for 30 NBA teams. Some teams experience joy and happiness as the final seconds pass during the regular season, while others are heartbroken and left out in the cold. The New Orleans Pelicans defeated the San Antonio Spurs at home to secure their first playoff place in four years. The reigning champions didn’t give up without a fight with the Pels as they had a playoff advantage at home against rivals in the division. The last day of the NBA season usually consists of teams turning around and giving in to others to prepare for the playoffs or for a higher percentage of winning the lottery, but this season had the highest stakes and drama that I have seen this season. end. The Oklahoma City Thunder are sitting outside, looking at the playoff brackets, in ninth place in the Western Conference.The Thunder needed help from the Spurs and an easy win against the injured Minnesota Timberwolves to cement their 8th spot against the Golden State Warriors. Needless to say, the Western Conference was chock-full of critically acclaimed dramas until the very end, and this was just a taste of the first act.
The #1 Golden State Warriors will face the #8 Pelikan New Orleans.
The Golden State Warriors finished No. 1 in the NBA in 2015 and sit atop the most powerful and one-sided conference in recent memory. The Warriors, led by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson (Splash Brothers), lead the league in points scored per game and assists. A three-point run over the course of the Warriors’ game is enough to blow away any NBA team, and they are clear favourites going into this year’s playoffs. Did I forget to mention that the Warriors are number one in opposing field goal percentage? Good luck to New Orleans!
The #2 Houston Rockets vs. the #7 Dallas Mavericks
There was not much trouble in Houston during the 2015 NBA season. James Harden has led the Rockets to the second seed in the Western Conference. Dwight Howard and the Rockets’ big boys seem to be coming back to life just in time for the post-season run. The Rockets are at home 30-11 and hope to play on Houston’s home field against the rival Dallas Mavericks. Dallas is 1-3 against Houston this year, but they have never lost more than 12 to local rivals. The Mavericks have enough firepower to even their season record with James Harden and co.
Los Angeles Clippers (3rd) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (6th).
The Clippers have been the better team in Los Angeles for a while now. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan regularly put on pompous shows for all fans who admire gang whoops and slam dunks. The Clippers take on the formidable Grizzlies of Memphis. Hard work and a defensive mindset have earned the Grizzlies a reputation for being the most ruthless and toughest in the NBA. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph are close to the playoffs. The Griz have never run through an opponent, and this is the 5th year in a row that they have qualified for the playoffs. The Clippers-Grizzlies game has fallen apart before, and it would be a great playoff series.
#5 San Antonio Spurs vs. #4 Portland Trailblazers
The Portland Trailblazers may be the only high-ranking players in the NBA playoffs to have a chance against them. The Blazers have two of the top 12 goal scorers in the NBA in Damien Lillard and LeMarcus Aldridge. The Blazers have also had a great year and have a phenomenal home crowd to back them up, but they will face the reigning NBA champions, the San Antonio Spurs. Coach Greg Popovich and his Spurs have won five NBA championships while making the playoffs for 18 consecutive seasons. Tim Duncan is one of the greatest power forwards of all time, and the Blazers will face this game with a major injury to their winger. This match is a classic match between young players and old players, and it won’t disappoint to watch the stars shine.
In short, the Wild and Wild West conference should take the NBA rankings to a new high that has never been reached before. Each team has worked hard and played 82 games to reach this point, and it’s a new season for the remaining teams. These eight teams have a legitimate chance to make basketball history, and there is no clear winner between them. Now it’s time to sit back and watch the madness in all its glory.