2. Eastern Conference playoff picture
Even though the Eastern Conference playoff race didn’t come down to the final night like the West did, the race was every bit as interesting. Heading into the final night of the season, the seeds had yet to be set. However, now that we know the matchups, there’s bound to be some classics this season.
Toronto Raptors (1) vs. Washington Wizards (8): Toronto has been magnificent all season and has been one of the biggest surprises. However, given their history of playoff tomfoolery, anything can happen. Especially considering Washington gets John Wall back for the postseason. The Raptors will likely make easy work of the Wizards, but I could see the Wizards making things interesting at times.
Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Indiana Pacers (5): Heading into a season where LeBron James had arguably his best team on paper, nobody could’ve seen this coming. Alas, here we are, living in a world where the Cavs are a fourth seed in the East. Even though Victor Oladipo has been lights out this season, it’s hard to defeat Zero Dark Thirty King James in the playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Miami Heat (6): Simply put, this series is going to be tough on Miami. As a matter of fact, the Sixers are the NBA’s hottest team at the moment, despite Joel Embiid missing the team’s last few games. Oh yeah, he’s likely to return and he’s got beef with Hassan Whiteside. Let the games begin.
Boston Celtics (2) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (7): This matchup would’ve been an NBA fans dream come true preseason. However, in light of the Kyrie Irving injury and Bucks drop-off, this is actually one of the more underwhelming matchups in the first round. All in all, this is likely to be a breeze for Boston.