J-Speaks: Preview 2022 NBA Playoffs

After a seven-month grind of surviving injuries, COVID-19 protocols, and the nutrition of one of the most competitive seasons in recent memory, we are now on the precipice of the most wonderful time of the NBA season, the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The best players competing at the highest level on the biggest stage to win the Larry O’Brien trophy. In the Eastern the reigning champions from the “Deer District” begin their quest for their second straight title, while the team they took down for that title hopes their best season in terms of wins in franchise history will be their guiding light towards their first title in their history. The boys New York’s other borough; from the “City of Brotherly Love;” and South Beach hope are three teams that stand in the reigning champions path towards their dreams of repeating. In the West, the squads from the opposite end of the Golden Gate Bridge in California; from the Colorado Rockies; from Beale Street; and Salt Lake City, UT hope this is their year to be the last team standing. That is what we will dive into in the 2022 J-Speaks 2022 NBA Playoff Preview.

Eastern Conference

(1) Miami Heat versus (8) Atlanta Hawks
            (52-30)                           (43-39)

Season-Series won by Heat 3-1
Playoff History: ATL def. MIA 1994 East First-Round 3-2
                            ATL def. MIA 2009 East First-Round 4-3

In this meeting of Southeast Division rivals, one team will be looking to recapture the Magic they had in the postseason in 2020 that got them within two wins of their fourth NBA title in franchise history. The other will be recapture the mojo that had them within two games of reaching last season’s Finals.

Two years ago, the Miami Heat in the restart in Orlando, FL made it to the 2020 Finals and put up a magnificent fight against the Lakes before falling in six games. Last spring, the Heat’s playoff run was a short one as they were swept by the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, who they took down in the 2020 East Semis in five games.

Despite have to deal with injuries and COVID-19 protocols, the Heat put together another great season that had them reach the No. 1 Seed in the East for the fourth time in franchise history.

The core pieces that got the Heat to The Finals two season back were good as ever in regular season when they did play in All-Stars Jimmy Butler (21.4 ppgt, 5.9 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1.6 spg, 48.0 FG%) and Bam Adebayo (19.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 55.7 FG%). Leading candidate for Kia Sixth Man of the Year Tyler Herro (20.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 44.7 FG%, 39.9 3-Pt.%) and fellow sharp-shooter Duncan Robinson (10.9 ppg, 37.2 3-Pt.%).

The Heat also added championship experience back in offseason to their roster in Kyle Lowry (13.4 ppg, 7.5 apg, 4.5 rpg, 37.7 3-Pt.%), P.J. Tucker (7.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 48.4 FG%, 41.5 3-Pt.%), and Markieff Morris (7.6 ppg, 47.4 FG%).  

With the injuries and aforementioned health and safety protocols that head coach Erik Spoelstra’s team sustained during the regular season, which opened up opportunity for the rest of the roster to step up.

The minutes earned by Max Strus (10.6 ppg, 44.1 FG%, 41.0 3-Pt.%), Caleb Martin (9.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 50.7 FG%, 41.3 3-Pt.%), Gabe Vincent (8.7 ppg, 36.8 3-Pt.%), and Dewayne Dedmon (6.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 56.6 FG%, 40.4 3-Pt.%).

When the Heat have been at their best this season, they have defended at a prominent level, especially at the three-point line where opponents only connected on 33.9 percent of their triple tries. That is the result of their ability to be able to switch off ball screens and get out to opposing shooters, while having one of the best rim protectors in the paint in Adebayo. 

"Everybody has to be ready and on moment's notice," Coach Spoelstra said. "Thankfully, everybody has gotten opportunities to really contribute and feel comfortable about their role and they know where they can bring value."    

The Heat were also one of the top three-point shooting team in the league at 37.9 percent because of prolific shooting ability of Herro, Strus, Vincent, Lowry, and Martin.

While the East’s top seed went 3-1 against their First-Round opponent during the regular-season in the Atlanta Hawks, the boys from the ATL bring one of the most prolific scorers and playmakers in the league that had them at the doorstep of The Finals a season ago.

Despite a disappointing regular-season after losing in the East Finals in six games to the aforementioned champion Bucks, the head coach Nate McMillan's team is back in the Playoffs because of their All-Star floor general Trae Young (28.4 ppg-4^th, NBA, 9.7 apg-3^rd NBA, 46.0 FG%, 38.2 3-Pt.%), who posted career-highs across the board.

Young led the NBA in total points (2,155) and total assists (737), joined Hall of Famer Nate “Tiny” Archibald (1972-73) as the only two players in NBA history to lead the NBA in total points and assists for a single season.

As he did in the 2021 postseason where he took on the two most hostile crowds in the NBA in New York and Philadelphia fans, Young was at his best in the 2022 East Play-In Tournament.

He had 14 of his 24 points in the third quarter along with 11 assists in the Hawks 132-103 win on Wednesday night versus the Charlotte Hornets on ESPN, overcoming eight-point first half on 3/13 shooting.

Young took it to another level in the Hawks come from behind 107-101 two nights later at the Cleveland Cavaliers, clinching the No. 8 Seed. Young had 32 of his 38 points in the second half with nine assists on 13/25 shooting, including 4/11 on his threes. 

To put into perspective how good was Young was in the second half at the Hawks, he scored or assisted on 43 of the Hawks 56 second half points.

"I didn't see any panic in his play," Coach McMillan said of Young's performance at Cavaliers. "Playing in big moments like this, he doesn't shy away from it. He looks forward to playing in games like this and being on this stage."

Young will surely have the undivided attention of the Heat defense, especially of Lowry, who will make it his business to try to stay in front of Young.

When the Heat try to take away as many of Young’s scoring chances, it will be up to him to continue to put his teammates in position to make shots like they showed in the two Play-In games as they did in the regular-season where they averaged a league-best seven players averaging 10 points or more.

That cast of Hawks scoring threats consists of Bogdan Bogdanovic (15.1 ppg, 36.8 3-Pt.%), DeAndre Hunter (13.4 ppg, 37.9 3-Pt.%), Kevin Huerter (12.1 ppg, 45.4 FG%, 38.9 3-Pt.%) and Danilo Gallinari (11.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 38.1 3-Pt.%).

The Hawks chances of pulling the upset against the Heat did not get any easier as they will be out starting center Clint Capela (11.1 ppg, 11.9 rpg-4^th NBA, 61.3 FG%) who hyperextended his knee in the Hawks’ win at the Cavaliers after rookie Evan Mobley rolled into his left knee after he was hard fouled by Capela.

That leaves second-year big Onyeka Okongwu and 32-year-old Gorgui Gieng, who averaged 8.4 minutes on the season to take on Heat’s Adebayo in the paint.

The Hawks have been without fellow starter John Collins (16.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 52.6 FG%, 36.4 3-Pt.%), who been out since Mar. 11 with a knee/finger injury and veteran reserve Lou Williams due to a back injury.

The Hawks might the best player on the floor of this upcoming series against the Heat. But the three-time NBA champions will have the more talented team that has too many sharp-shooters; a commitment to the defensive end; and the hunger to win a title after coming up short two springs back.

Prediction: Heat in five games.  

(4) Philadelphia 76ers versus (5) Toronto Raptors
                   (51-31)                                 (48-34)

Season-Series won by Raptors 3-1
Playoff History: PHI def. TOR 2001 East Semifinals 4-3
                            TOR def. PHI 2019 East Semifinals 4-2

Season-Series 76ers versus Raptors By Numbers
 PHI                   TOR
106.3   PPG       109.0
45%    FG%     43.6%
40.2% 3-Pt.%   38.3%
39.5     RPG       46.8
24.8     APG       21.8

The Philadelphia 76ers flamed out in the 2021 playoffs falling in seven games to the eventual East runner-up in the Atlanta Hawks in East Semifinals. They entered the 2021-22 season with no takers for one-half of their All-Star duo, which led to the worry they were wasting a stellar season by the main half of their All-Star duo. At the Feb. 10 trade deadline, the Sixers not only found a taker for their disgruntled star guard they managed to acquire a former league MVP.

As they begin their quest for their first title in nearly four decades though, there are a lot of questions that still remain about their title chances, especially against their First-Round opponent that had their number this regular season.

The 76ers enter their fifth consecutive playoff appearance under the microscope in a big way.  

All-Star center Joel Embiid (30.6 ppg-Led NBA, 11.7 rpg-5^th NBA, 49.9 FG%) put together the finest season of his eight-year NBA career and is a leading candidate for league MVP. His season is how the Philadelphia 76ers overcame the distraction of Ben Simmons and managed to stay afloat in the East. But there were still questions on whether they had enough to compete for a title.

At the Feb. 10 trade deadline, the 76ers hoped they answered that question by acquiring from the Brooklyn Nets 2018 Kia MVP James Harden (22.0 ppg, 10.3 apg-2^nd NBA, 7.7 rpg w/Nets & 76ers) along with veteran forward Paul Millsap in exchange for Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, a 2022 and a 2027 First-Round picks.

Things got off swimmingly for 76ers following the trade going 5-0 with Harden in the lineup. Many were comparing the pairing of Embiid and Harden to the dynamic duo of Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant.

While the 76ers went 14-7 with Harden, who averaged 21.0 points, 10.5 assists, and 7.1 rebounds in the lineup and 19-9 overall since the trade, they were growing pains for sure with the fact that their roster depth took a hit. They went just 7-6 against teams that made the Playoffs or the Play-In Tournament with Harden in the lineup mainly because Harden has had his struggles in terms of scoring from the field, where he shot in total just 41.0 percent and just 33 percent from three-point range during the regular season.

That also included a combined 8/24 shooting in two losses to the 76ers First-Round opponent in the Toronto Raptors-more on them coming up.

Along with having to deal with their opponent and the problems that they bring to this playoff tilt, the 76ers have their own individual and personal playoff demons to deal with.

Three seasons back in the 2019 East Semis, the Raptors broke the 76ers hearts when eventual 2019 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard took a fallaway baseline jumper and bounced on the rim about 10 times before it dropped at the final buzzer and sent the 76ers home for that season. It was such a crushing blow that Embiid was seen heading back to the locker room in tears.  

Embiid knows that the hopes and dreams of 76ers holding the Larry O’Brien trophy rest on his shoulders and he has to display his dominance starting against Raptors.

“Obviously, the goal is to win a championship. But we got to reach an even higher level,” Embiid said. “I feel like we haven’t played to our best basketball yet.”

Then there is the playoff failures of head coach Glenn “Doc” Rivers, who the last three times his team led a series 3-1 one they lost, with the latest one happening in his final season as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers when they lost in the West Semis to the eventual West runner-up Denver Nuggets in seven games. That led to him and the organization parting ways and him landing with the 76ers a season ago.

“This is going to be tough sledding for everybody,” Coach Rivers said of the upcoming NBA Playoffs. “Now we all see it. The East is stack. Who do you want to play? None of them.”

Then there is Harden, who has gone in his time with the Houston Rockets and the Nets is a dismal 1-7 in his last eight elimination games, shooting just 30 percent from the floor.

There is no question that the 76ers need Embiid and Harden to be at the top of their respective games if they hope to get past this opening-round series and to hopefully The Finals.

They will also need the supporting cast of Tyrese Maxey (17.5 ppg, 48.5 FG%, 42.7 3-Pt.%), Tobias Harris (17.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.5 apg, 48.2 FG%, 36.7 3-Pt.%), Georges Niang (9.2 ppg, 40.3 3-Pt.%), Forkan Korkmaz (7.6 ppg), Danny Green (5.9 ppg, 38.0 3-Pt.%), and Mattise Thybulle to play their roles as close to perfection if the 76ers can get passed the opening-round and beyond.

To put how important the 76ers’ role players will be in this series against the Raptors, the 76ers were outscored 61-36 in the 21 minutes Embiid was on the sidelines. In the 2019 East Semis against the Raptors, they were outscored by 109 points in the 99 minutes that Embiid was on the bench.

That is the minus part of the Harden deal is that they had to give up their understudy to Harden and their best perimeter shooter in Curry. While DeAndre Jordan, who the 76ers claimed off waivers in March can provide minutes for them on the court, he does bring that consistency on the glass that Drummond brought.

“It’s not a given that you’ll always be on a good team. You have to take opportunities like this and run with it,” Maxey said.

The 76ers opponent though in the Raptors enters this First-Round tilt very confident they can pull off the upset.

After two seasons of basically playing home games because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic and a 14-17 start to this season, the Raptors got things back on track going 34-17 since the close of 2021, which included a 7-2 mark against the Top 4 squads in the East (Heat, Bucks, Celtics, and 76ers), including taking down their First-Round opponent twice in that span (93-88 at 76ers Mar. 20 and 119-114 versus 76ers Apr. 7).

Leading the way for the Raptors is Pascal Siakam (22.8 ppg-Led team, 8.5 rpg, 5.3 apg, 49.4 FG%) and Fred VanVleet (20.3 ppg, 6.7 apg, 1.7 spg, 37.7 3-Pt.%), the two remaining mainstays from their 2019 title team.

Siakam, who has had his issues at times both in terms of his play and focus on the hardwood put it all together this season and VanVleet has transitioned well into being the leader of this group in place of longtime lead guard Kyle Lowry, now with the Miami Heat.

The Raptors also have a solid ensemble cast alongside VanVleet and Siakam in top candidate for Kia Rookie of the Year in Scottie Barnes (15.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 49.2 FG%), OG Anunoby (17.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 spg, 36.3 3-Pt.%), Gary Trent, Jr. (18.3 ppg, 38.3 3-Pt.%), Chris Boucher (9.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 46.4 FG%).

“I’ve always been a winner. I’ve really don’t look for individual stats. I really just try to do those key things on the floor to really just help our team win,” Barnes said to ESPN’s Malika Andrews on the Apr. edition of “NBA Today” on why he should be Kia Rookie of the Year.

Head Coach Nick Nurse’s squad plays with an aggressive attitude on both ends of the floor and because of that attitude have put the clamps down on many opposing team’s effectively running their offense.

While they may be a small team in terms of average height and weight, the Raptors have seven of their nine players in their man playing rotation that are 6-foot-7 or taller with really lengthy wingspans.

That has allowed Coach Nurse to employ lineups that at times do not have either of their true guards Trent, Jr. or VanVleet on the court. There are times they have started Siakam at center and run the offense through him at the top of the key where finds a way to score by taking the person guarding him off the dribble to score or to make a player for his teammate.

In the four games against the Sixers, the Raptors committed five fewer turnovers (47-42) and grabbed 29 more offensive rebounds (57-28) than the Sixers.

In the four-game season series, the Raptors outrebounded the 76ers by an average of 46.8-39.5, including 14.3-7.0 on the offensive glass. That resulted in the Raptors attempted 54  more field goals than the Sixers (367-313).

The Raptors when they faced the 76ers during the regular season never had their full compliment of players because of injury or health and safety protocols. VanVleet and Anunoby each missed three of the four meetings and Siakam and Barnes each missed one game in the season series. The Raptors however went 2-1 against 76ers without VanVleet and outscored the 76ers by 11 points with Siakam or Boucher as their biggest person on the hardwood.

Siakam should really have his way in this series in Games 3 and 4 because the Sixers’ Thybulle because he is unvaccinated will not be able to play at the Raptors, which will play a crucial role in how this series swings depending on what happens in Games 1 and 2 at 76ers.  

Checking Embiid and Harden is a tall task for any team. But the Raptors feel with their size, length, and their ability to switch on all screens away from the ball and on the ball.

In the Raptors most recent win versus the 76ers in the early aforementioned early part of April, they forced 17 turnovers that led to 25 points. They also outscored the 76ers in that contest 46-32 in the paint despite the visiting Sixers going 19/36 from three-point range.  

The key for the Raptors more than anything is keeping Embiid and Harden off the foul line where they respectably averaged 11.8 and 8.3 attempts on the foul line during the regular-season.

In their four-game season series, the 76ers outscored the Raptors in points combined on threes and made free throws 436-425.

“I know it’s going to take every single guy we put on the floor in a team defensive capacity to defend this team,” Coach Nurse said of defending the 76ers.

He added about defending Embiid, “We played him as hard as we probably could play him the last time and he still got 30 points. That’s what it is when your guarding a guy like that. And we’ve just got to make it a hard 30.”

About Harden, Coach Nurse called him “one of the greatest scorers in the game,” who plays well out of the pick-and-roll, and whose developed a good chemistry with Embiid.

The key Coach Nurse said of defending Harden as well as Embiid is that his team has to make both All-Stars “work” for their points.

While the Raptors have maybe the ensemble in this series, the 76ers have the better player(s) in Joel Embiid and James Harden. The 76ers also have the most to lose if they falter in this series. The Raptors have had a great season making the playoffs for the eighth time in the last nine seasons and will give the 76ers a battle.

“It’s going to be so good for our team to see us play,” Coach Nurse said about the nation seeing his squad play this postseason. “No matter what happens, we’re going to learn a lot about who we are and what we’ve done and where we’re going. I suspect this is a good brand of playoff basketball that we’re playing in the regular season. And we’ll find out. But I suspect it is.”

Prediction: 76ers in six games.

(2) Boston Celtics versus (7) Brooklyn Nets
            (51-31)                               (44-38)

Season-Series won by Celtics 3-1
Playoff History: NJN def. BOS 2002 East Finals 4-2
                            NJN def. BOS 2003 East Semifinals 4-0
                            BKN def. BOS 2021 East First-Round 4-1

It is not that all surprising that the squad from New York’s other borough is squaring off in the postseason again with the boys from “Beantown” in the postseason. The stunner is that the roles are reversed to where it is the boys from “Beantown” who have the higher seed and that the squads from New York’s other borough that needed to go through the Play-In Tournament just to qualify for the Playoffs.

The Celtics struggled out of the gate under new head coach Ime Udoka with an 17-19 mark entering the new year and were 20-21 (No. 10 East, six games behind the then No. 2 Seeded Brooklyn Nets) and 25-25 after 50 games following a 108-92 loss at the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 28. 

Good health, the understanding of roles, and a serious commitment to the defensive end is why the Celtics finished this regular-season 26-6 (best in NBA), including 12-4 their final 16 games of regular season. In those finals 16 games, the Celtics held those 16 opponents to an averaged of 106.1 points, holding five of those opponents under 100 points. 

The Celtics finished 2021-22 regular season ranking No. 1 in points allowed at 104.5, opponent’s field goal percentage at 43.3 percent and three-point percentage (33.9 percent); No. 2 in blocks shots per game (5.8); and No. 7 in rebound differential at +2.3. 

"I think nine years of being an assistant, and making the playoffs every year, and playing in a few championships in high-pressure situations has prepared me for this," Coach Udoka, who was an assistant coach with Spurs, 76ers and Nets, making the playoffs every year said of his team having six days off in preparation for Game 1 versus Nets. "I think the team is ready as well." 

One of biggest questions throughout for the Celtics was could All-Star Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who play major roles in getting the Celtics to the Conference Finals in the East three-times in four years prior last season. It had gotten to the point that many in NBA circles felt one of the two needed to be dealt to get more effective players into the fold.

Tatum (26.9 ppg-7^th NBA, 8.0 rpg, 4.4 apg 45.3 FG%, 35.3-Pt.%) and Brown (23.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 3.5 apg, 47.3 FG%, 35.8 3-Pt.%) proved they can co-exist at the two best players on the Celtics, with Tatum taking the lead role as the top dog offensively and Brown being the 1-A right behind him.

“For me, anytime you have two elite high-level players, you just have to figure how to make it work,” Coach Udoka said to Andrews on the Mar. 4 edition of ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Tatum and Brown. “They had different roles in the past. You’ve had where it’s Kemba [Walker], Kyrie [Irving], Gordon Hayward, [Terry] Rozier, Isaiah Thomas. You go down the list, they’ve had a lot of other veterans with them. Now, it’s all on their shoulders to some extent. You’ve put in certain pieces around them. But the bulk of the minutes, bulk of the plays and everything will be run for these guys. And so, it was different for them to be in that position. They one thing I said was everybody talk about breaking them up would love to have any of these two in a heartbeat.”  

Better health as well as better continuity on both ends made the Celtics role players better like Defensive Player of the Year candidate Marcus Smart (12.1 ppg, 5.9 apg, 1.7 spg), starting center Robert Williams (10.0 ppg, 9.6 rebounds, 2.2 bpg-2^nd NBA, 73.6 FG%), Al Horford (10.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 46.7 FG%), and in-season acquisitions in middle of February in Derrick White (13.2 ppg, 4.9 apg w/Spurs & Celtics) and Daniel Theis (8.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, w/Rockets & Celtics).

“Once we got healthy, we were able to get the chemistry going between guys because now guys on the floor were able to play with one another,” Smart said to ESPN’s Malika Andrews on the Celtics 26-6 finish to the season on the Apr. 4 edition of “NBA Today.” “Who can see where guys were going to get their shots from and where guys need to be at certain times of the game. So, being healthy helped that a lot.”

The main thing that Tatum and Brown got better at is being able to make plays for their teammates through better reads when they are doubled or not. They also took better pride in their individual defense, which in terms made the Celtics better on that end of the floor as a whole.

“It’s been amazing. It’s been great. It’s been fun watching those guys grow,” Smart said to Andrews on the growth of Tatum and Brown on both ends of the floor. “Just their emphasis on, you know, their desire to get better like each and every day. They talk about it and they go out there on the court and they’re trying the things they talk about getting better. They’re working on bouncing out of double teams. Finding their reads when they got that slight window to make a move for themselves and to find others.” 

The Celtics opponent in the Brooklyn Nets has been dealing with adversity for this entire season. They did not have perennial All-Star Kyrie Irving (27.4 ppg, 5.8 apg, 46.9 FG%, 41.8 3-Pt.%) to start this season because of his refusal to comply with NYC vaccine mandate, which led him to being away from the team the first 45 games of this season.

Kevin Durant (29.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 6.4 apg, 51.8 FG%, 38.3 3-Pt.%) missed 27 games on the season, including a 21-game stretch after an MCL sprain in his left knee. The Nets, who were 23-9 to start the season, were 5-16 in the games Durant missed because of his knee injury and 8-19 overall without Durant in the lineup. They went 14-15 with Irving first returned as a part-time player playing in just road games and then returned to full-time status when the NYC vaccine mandate was lifted in late March by New York Mayor Eric Adams (D).

Last season, the Nets were a big three with Durant, Irving, and James Harden, who came over in a trade from the Rockets. Harden never played up to his capabilities for the entire season with the Nets before he was dealt to the 76ers at the Feb. 10 trade deadline along with Paul Millsap for three-time All-Star Ben Simmons, Seth Curry (15.0 ppg, 48.7 FG%, 42.2 3-Pt.%), Andre Drummond (7.9 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 57.0 FG%), who averaged 11.8 points, 10.3 rpg, 61.0 FG% in 24 games with Nets, and 2022 and 2027 First-Round picks.

Head coach Steve Nash’s squad really did not get things together until towards the end of the regular-season when they really needed to be at their best just to earn home court in the Play-In Tournament winning their final four games of the regular-season and going 6-4 their final 10 games of the regular season.   

The Nets punched their playoff ticket by taking down the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Play-In Game 115-108 to earn the No. 7 Seed in East led by the 34 points and 12 assists on 12/15 shooting from Irving and a stellar all-around game from Durant with 25 points, 11 assists, five boards two steals, and three blocks. Drummond chipped in with 16 points and eight rebounds, while his backup Nic Claxton had 13 points, nine rebounds, and five block shots.

The Nets enter this series against the Celtics as a dangerous squad because of they will have to two most potent scorers on the floor in Durant and Irving, who also understand what this time of the year is being former champions, with Durant owning two titles to his credit with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. Irving while with the Cavaliers hit the shot in the 2016 Finals to earn the Cavaliers their lone NBA title in franchise history.

“For us, we can come up with every excuse in the book in the world of what happened this season. So many different that transpired, ups-and-downs and we’re finally here and able to perform with one another for the first time in a high tense environment such as the playoffs,” Irving said in his pregame presser before the Nets win versus Cavaliers on Tuesday night. “It’s a great challenge and I’m looking forward to it and I know our guys are too.”

For the Nets, as important as it will be for them to get consistent performances from Durant and Irving, which they will barring injury, it comes down to if they can consistently defend the Celtics and if they can get contributions from the previously mentioned Curry, Drummond, Claxton (8.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 67.4 FG%), Patty Mills (11.4 ppg, 40.0 3-Pt.%), Bruce Brown (9.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 50.6 FG%, 40.4 3-Pt.%), and Goran Dragic, who just came back from being in health and safety protocols.

In the last nine games, Durant has averaged 41.3 minutes per game. Even with how great that he is and has talked about wanting to be on the floor at all times, him playing 40-plus minutes and not wearing down, especially that he has to also guard Jayson Tatum is asking for a lot. But Durant is up for the challenge, just as he has said he has been up for whatever has been thrown at him this season and in his brief time with the Nets.

“I figure my best way to lead is by example. I want to inspire my teammates how I approach the game. How I play. How much I care about it and hopefully it rubs off on them,” Durant said about his way of leading his teammates on YES Network’s recent episode of “The Bridge.” 

“To see what we went through this year was a shock t a lot of people on the outside. But when you come inside our locker room, we conduct business just the same no matter what. Guys are professionals, veteran guys in that locker room been doing it for a long time. So, no matter what’s thrown at us, we know how to operate.”

Then there’s the defensive side of the ball for the Nets which has always been their question mark all season.

While they ranked 20^th on the season defensively, they were ranked No. 12 their final 17 games of the regular season going 12-5 in those games. They were able to get away playing defense for half the game against the Cavaliers. That will not due against a Celtics’ team that will not cut the mustard, especially when it comes to checking Tatum and Brown.

This is where the absence of Simmons, who has yet to make his Nets debut because of a back issue that required an epidural. He would have been assigned to either Tatum or Brown. Without Simmons, the Nets as a collective will have to take it up a couple of notches at that end of the court if they want to make a major title run this postseason.

“I truly believe the spirit of the game is all about us working as one from the coaches to the trainers to the front office to the players,” Durant said. “We all have to be on the same page if we ant to compete and be successful in this league.”

One area that will display the kind of togetherness either the Nets or Celtics have this series is how they performed at clutch time (score within five points the final five minutes.”

The Celtics produced an East-best 18 wins by 20 points or more (tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for the most in NBA) in the regular-season. Three of those wins came in the first three meetings against the Nets (123-104 in Boston Nov. 24, 2021; 126-91 Feb. 8 at the Nets on TNT; and 129-106 at the Nets Feb. 26 TNT). 

Only the Indiana Pacers mark of 11-34 at clutch time was worse than the 13-22 mark by the Celtics this past regular season.

Tatum shot just 2/25 on threes in the clutch (the worst mark amongst 74 players that attempted at least 15 threes at clutch time), while Smart was an abysmal 5/17 (29 percent) from two-point range at clutch time.

The Celtics in the 26 years of clutch data has been tracked in the NBA, they had the third biggest differential between their percentage of wins in non-clutch games (.809; 38-9 record) and their winning percentage in clutch games (13-22 mark; .371).

While the Nets were 22-20 in clutch games this season, the Celtics won the only head-to-head meeting where the game was within five points the last five minutes, which the Celtics pulled out 126-120 versus the Nets Mar. 6 on ABC.

The Nets will have the best players on the hardwood in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and there will be times they will dazzle offensively with no stopping them. The Nets have shown the ability to win on any opposing team’s home court, displayed by their wins at Milwaukee Bucks, 76ers and top seeded Miami Heat post All-Star break.

In the playoffs though, the teams that advance each round understand that being able to consistently get stops, especially in the last five minutes of game is vital. That is what the Celtics have displayed since the start of the new year. Head coach Ime Udoka has demanded it and the stars players in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have followed suit as has the rest of the team. That mindfulness on that end of the floor is what will get the Celtics passed the Nets for the first time the playoff history between these two squads.

Prediction: Celtics in seven games.

(3) Milwaukee Bucks versus (6) Chicago Bulls
            (51-31)                                    (46-36)

Season-Series won by Bucks 4-0
Playoff History: MIL def. CHI 1974 West Finals 4-0
                            MIL def. CHI 1985 East First-Round 3-1
                            CHI def. MIL 1990 East First-Round 3-1
                            CHI def MIL  2015 East First-Round 4-2

Six seasons back, it was the boys from the “Windy City” that were the top dogs in this I-94 rivalry where the fans would turn out at the opposing home team’s arena. This series has had a complete 180 turn with the boys from the “Deer District” are the superior squad now, not to mention a defending champion, whose had the number of their cross-state rivals, who have struggled to close out the regular season, and look primed for more misery this playoff series.

The Chicago Bulls have been one of the NBA’s surprises in the early part of the season, making their first playoff appearance since 2017 has turned very sour.

Injuries to Lonzo Ball (knee), second-year player Patrick Williams (wrist), plus Zach LaVine (knee) and Alex Caruso (wrist) at various time in the regular-season really sabotage the Bulls early season success.

They were in Top 3 in the East with a 39-21 before a 7-15 conclusion took them from the top to the No. 6 spot in the East, exposing their flaws that were covered up by their strong start from their lack of size in the front court; a weak bench; and ranking at the bottom of the league in rebounding at No. 28 overall.

When the Bulls were rolling, they were making their hey at the offensive end. While they finished right around the middle of the NBA pack averaging 111.6 points (13^th) and assists per game (23.9), the Bulls were No. 3 in field goal percentage (48.0 percent); and No. 4 in three-point percentage (36.9 percent).  

The Bulls offensively were led by offseason acquisition in All-Star DeMar DeRozan (27.9 ppg-5^th NBA, 5.2 rpg, 4.9 apg, 50.4 FG%), who proved that in an NBA that puts emphasis on three-pointers and getting to the basket, he showed that you can be just as prolific at the offensive end by scoring from the mid-range while also consistently getting to the foul line.

DeRozan was exceptional scoring wise against the Bucks averaging 31.1 points in the four-game season series, but his accuracy from the field went from 50.4 percent to 47.9 and his shot attempts went up from 20.2 to 24.3 field goal attempts.

If the Bulls have any plans on being competitive against the Bucks, they will need Zach LaVine (24.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 4.5 apg, 47.6 FG%, 38.9 3-Pt.%), who will see his first playoff action in his career, and Nikola Vucevic (17.6 ppg, 11.0 rpg-8^th NBA, 47.3 FG%) to bring it on both ends, especially without Lonzo Ball, who will miss out on his first playoff appearance due to knee surgery. The Bulls went 24-23 without Ball in lineup on season. 

Ball absence means the likes of Coby White, the aforementioned Williams (9.0 ppg, 52.9 FG%), rookie Ayo Dosumnu (8.8 ppg, 52.0 FG%, 37.6 3-Pt.%), Alex Caruso (7.4 ppg) and Javonte Green (7.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 54.2 FG%, 35.6 3-Pt.%) have to make serious contributions on both ends. 

"We have to maintain a high level of competitive fight," Coach Donovan said of how he wants his team's approach against the defending champion Bucks. "They're champions for a reason. They're battle-tested. They've been through this, and I mean we will have to play very, very good basketball on both ends of the floor." 

The Milwaukee Bucks back in 2015 against the Bulls were in their infancy of becoming the team that they are now and their leader now a two-time league MVP and Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo was making his postseason debut against the Bulls.

Antetokounmpo (29.9 ppg-2^nd NBA, 11.6 rpg-6^th NBA, 5.8 apg, 55.3 FG%) averaged 11.5 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 blocks in that series defeat ever since then he has been a consistent 20/10 (points/rebounds) performer in the postseason and in the Bucks run to their second title in franchise history in 2021 played to a level that even had some of the greats in NBA circle amazed by his averages of 30.2 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.

“You don’t get to your full potential when you worry about the wrong things, you know,” Antetokounmpo said when it comes to his feelings about individual accolades like winning scoring titles and a third possible Kia MVP. “And really, I’m obsessed with basketball. I really want to be the best that I can be and, you know, I’ve shown it time-and-time I’m about that.”

“I’m not about scoring championships; I could care less. I’m not about MVP, I can care less. I just want to be the best player I can be and wherever that takes me, I’m okay with that.”

“So, if I keep worrying about if I can win the scoring champ and what I’ve done in past and who I’m—no it takes me away from the goals AI really want to accomplish.”  

While the Bucks have not played to the standard they did in the past three seasons, they still positioned themselves at the end of the season to be at the top of the Eastern Conference, which is where they finished.

Injuries, health, and safety protocols, and with the personnel being different this season, head coach Mike Budenholzer’s squad used this season to make sure they were healthy and prime to defend their title this spring.

When Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton (20.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.4 apg, 37.3 3-Pt.%), and Jrue Holiday 18.3 ppg, 6.8 apg, 4.5 rpg, 1.6 spg, 50.1 FG%, 41.1 3-Pt.%) were on the floor together, the Bucks were 38-11, including 22-3 mark since February (13-20 when 1 or 2 or all of three were out).

The Bucks were also 15-6 post All-Star break despite ranking No. 18 in opponent’s field goal percentage and No. 28 in opponent’s three-point percentage since late February.

Having Brook Lopez back from back surgery that cost 68 games following the season opener should sure up the paint specifically for the Bucks, which will allow Antetokounmpo to make his presence felt at every angle of the floor defensively.

The Bucks defense though relies on Holiday, who is one of the best on-ball, off-ball defenders in the league who can check multiple positions. 

"More is on the line," Holiday said about the Bucks pursuit of their second straight title. "Some teams probably feel like they have to prove themselves. Other teams are tyring to protect what they have. It's just, the intensity is expanded, and I don't know, people want to win. We're competitive so everything is a different level." 

The Bucks though are good on both ends of the floor because of the supporting cast and not that the likes of Bobby Portis (14.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 46.6 FG%, 35.8 3-Pt.%), Pat Connaughton (9.9 ppg, 45.8 FG%, 39.5 3-Pt.%) Grayson Allen (11.1 ppg, 44.8 FG%, 40.9 3-Pt.%), George Hill, and Wesley Matthews are healthy, that gives the Bucks opponent’s even more to worry about.  

Simply put the Bucks were dominant against the Bulls in four-game season series outscoring them 116.3 to 101.5; outshooting them 50.1 percent to 43.1 percent; and outrebounding them to the tune of 50.8 to 41.0.

The two things that could prolong this series if the Bucks are not careful is their propensity to take way too many threes and letting bad blood between the teams get in the way of the task at hand.

The Bucks were the only team this season ranked in the Top 8 in both three-point percentage (36.6 percent: 6^th NBA) and in percentage of their shots that came from three-point range (43.0 percent-6^th NBA). Only the Dallas Mavericks to a greater percentage of their shots from outside the painted area.

During their four-game season series, the Bucks dominated the Bulls in the paint to the tune of 231-153 (a 19.5 point per game difference) in the restricted area or at the foul line.

Then there is the so-called extracurriculars between the two teams that stems from Antetokounmpo tackling then Bulls player Mike Dunleavy, Jr. into the stands in the 120-66 Game 6 clinching win in 2015, which sent “The Greek freak” to the showers early in the loss. In a game earlier this season at Fiserv Forum, Allen broke the wrist of Caruso thanks to a mid-air Flagrant 2 foul that cost the Bulls guard 22 games and the Bulls were never same without him on the floor.

The Bulls in the regular season went 2-21 against the Top 4 teams in both the Eastern and Western Conference. They have had a great season and have made themselves relevant again in NBA after a handful of disappointing seasons. Asking them to take down the Bucks, especially when they have not all season is a tall order.

Prediction: Bucks in four games.

Western Conference

(1) Phoenix Suns versus (8) New Orleans Pelicans
            (64-18)                                            (36-46)

Season-Series won by Suns 3-1
Playoff History: First postseason meeting

While this No. 1 versus No. 8 tilt in the West Playoffs might feel like a mismatch on paper and the top seeded boys from the “Valley of the Sun” appear to have all the makings of this being a sweep, their opponent’s from “The Big Easy” are eager to show what they did in the Play-In Tournament that they are not just happy to be in the postseason for the first time in nearly a handful of seasons.

Last year, the Phoenix Suns had a dream season making it to The Finals for the first time since 1993. They led 2021 Finals over the Bucks 2-0, before losing the final four games of the series and saw their championship dreams end in six games.

Past teams that fell in The Finals the next season have had their struggles putting it all together for another run at the title the next season. The Suns used that failure as fuel to help them to register a franchise-record 64 wins this past regular-season.

One stat shows the kind of concentration the Suns had during 2021-22, they were a perfect 47-0 when leading after three quarters, joined the 2017-18 LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2019-20 LeBron James, Anthony Davis led Los Angeles Lakers as the three teams the last 68 seasons to go undefeated when leading after three quarters. The Suns win total when leading after three quarters, where quarter stats began being tracked since 1954, is the most among the three squads. 

The Suns though want what the Lakers earned two seasons back in the restart in Orlando, FL, a title.  

The Suns also led the NBA in games leading by double-digits (54-5). They had the top mark after trailing by double-digits (17-18); and the best mark in clutch games (33-9), which was also the fourth best mark in the 26 seasons where clutch data is available.

Head Coach and the National Basketball Coach Association’s Coach of the Year Monty Williams’ team continuance of what took place in the 2020 restart in Orlando, where they went a perfect 8-0 and just barely missed that postseason is because of “The Point God” Chris Paul (14.7 ppg, 10.8 apg-Led NBA, 1.9 spg-2^nd NBA, 49.3 FG%), who continues to defy Father Time and his backcourt mate fellow All-Star Devin Booker (26.8 ppg-8^th NBA, 5.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, 52.2 FG%, 45.2 3-Pt.%), who without question should be a top candidate for Kia MVP.

"Man, I think we gotta take it one day at a time," Paul told reporters earlier in the week about the team's quest for their first tile in franchise history. "We talk about it took us a whole year to get back to this point so now I think the question is, 'What we going to do with this opportunity." 

The Suns also have another blossoming star in center Deandre Ayton (17.2 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 63.4 FG%), who will get paid this offseason, especially if he has another excellent postseason run. Kia Defensive Player of the Year candidate Mikal Bridges (14.2 ppg, 53.4 FG%, 36.9 3-Pt.%).

The Suns also have a plethora of key role players who like their aforementioned main four stars do whatever it takes to win without the recognition in Jae Crowder (9.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg), Cameron Johnson (12.5 ppg, 46.0 FG%, 42.5 3-Pt.%), and Paul’s understudy Cameron Payne (10.8 ppg, 4.9 apg).

One major reason the Suns felt they wore down against the Bucks in 2021 Finals was their lack of depth, especially in the pivot beyond Ayton.

That is why this offseason, the front office led by General Manager James Jones went out and brought in JaVale McGee (9.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 62.9 FG%) and Landry Shamet (8.3 ppg, 36.8 3-Pt.%), and in-season signed Bismack Biyombo (5.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 59.3 FG%), and acquired at the trade deadline Torrey Craig (6.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg 45.0 FG% 27 games w/Suns) and Aaron Holiday (6.8 ppg, 3.4 apg, 44.4 3-Pt.% 22 games w/Suns) at Feb. 10 trade deadline respectably from Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards. 

With the new additions coupled with the core already in place, the Suns enter this postseason ready to prove to the remaining nonbelievers that what they did last year and to this point this season is the real deal. 

"A lot of people call us a fluke and we heard the same noise last year," Ayton said. "And all it does is amp us up." 

Bridges echoed those same sentiments saying to Arizona Sports, "We're built for this moment. We love to play, we love to hoop and we want to win." 

"I get the pressure part obviously because everybody expects us to win but we expect to win too, so we got high expectations for us." 

The Suns opening-round opponent, the New Orleans Pelicans reached the Playoffs for the first time since 2018 in the most unthinkable of fashions.

Their star player in All-Star Zion Williamson had surgery on his foot that kept him out this entire season. They got off to a 1-12 and were 3-16 after their first 19 games of this season.

It is not the best of situations for a first-year head coach in Willie Green to be in. But the Pelicans did not have just any head coach. They had a leader that was on the best coaching staffs in the league like the Warriors and Green was on the Suns staff last season that made it to The Finals. 

As important as Green’s steady hand was in guiding this young Pelicans squad, they their key players step up like All-Star Brandon Ingram (22.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.6 apg, 46.1 FG%), who has improved as a go-to scorer, leader, and better defender. Jonas Valanciunas (17.8 ppg, 11.4 rpg-7^th NBA, 54.4 FG%), who was acquired in the offseason from the Grizzlies in exchange for Steven Adams had a career season and provided versatility and an inside presence on both ends.

The biggest reason for the Pelicans resurgence where they went 33-30 their final 63 games of the regular-season was the acquisition of CJ McCollum on Feb. 8 from the Portland Trail Blazers (22.1ppg, 5.1 apg, 46.0 FG%, 38.8 3-Pt.% w/Trail Blazers & Pelicans), who gave them veteran leadership, outside shooting, and poise under pressure.

To put the impact into clearer context that McCollum had on the Pelicans, they were 22-32 prior to his arrival. They were 14-14 to finish the regular season.

What has also been on display during the Pelicans resurgence is the growth of their younger players that will be big parts of their future in rookies Herbert Jones (9.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.7 spg, 47.6 FG%), who has shown he is going to be an All-Defensive team candidate for years to come. Fellow rookie Trey Murphy III, who has shown the potential to be a three-D guy when he earns minutes. Jaxson Hayes (9.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 61.6 FG%), who has understood that playing with energy, running the floor, rebounding and being disruptive on defense will get you consistent minutes. Jose Alvarado, who went from an unknown to just signing a standard NBA contract a couple of weeks back. Then there’s Valanciunas’ understudy Willie Hernangomez (9.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 52.0 FG%), who has shown as an occasional starter or off the bench that registering a double-double is something that should not surprise people.

The Pelicans got halfway to punching their postseason ticket by winning their Play-In tilt 113-103 versus the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night on ESPN, led by McCollum who scored 27 of his 32 points in the first half, finishing 12/23 from the field, including 3/5 from three-point range with seven assists and six rebounds. Ingram had 27 points, five boards and five assists on 11/19 shooting, while Valanciunas had 22 points and 14 rebounds. Jones had 12 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks.

They earned their first postseason ticket with a come from behind win 105-101 Friday night on TNT once again displaying the kind of grit that got them out of their aforementioned 1-12 hole to start this season.

After leading by 16 points at one time in the opening half, the Pelicans fell behind by as many as 13 points, getting outscored 38-18 in the third quarter to go from leading 56-46 at the half to leading 84-74 after three quarters. They outscored the Clippers 31-17 in the final period coming back from a 13-point deficit grabbing the lead for good with 4:30 left in the fourth period behind a 10-0 that put them up 101-94.

Ingram led the way with 30 points, six boards and six assists on 14/21 shooting. McCollum had 19 points and Larry Nance, Jr., who came over in the trade from the Trail Blazers with McCollum had his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 16 rebounds off the bench. Murphy III also chipped in off the bench with 14 points and five boards on 4/6 from three-point range. 

"Our guys are great," Coach Green said of his players. "That's how you withstand tough times, with character. We have extremely high-character individuals in our organization. It's been a joy to go after it with them." 

The Pelicans though have a tall task in trying to take down the Suns. But they did win one of the four meetings. In that 117-102 win at the Suns on Feb. 25, the Pelicans took control of things outscoring the Suns 42-31 in the third quarter. McCollum led the way with 32 points and six rebounds on 11/18 from the field and 8/11 from the foul line. Ingram had 28 points, five rebounds and seven assists on 10/11 from the charity stripe and Valanciunas had 18 points and 17 rebounds. 

For Ingram, the 24-year-old who came to the Pelicans two off-seasons back as part of the Anthony Davis trade will be making his postseason. 

"I've never had a winning record. I've never been to the postseason so to get a chance to showcase my talent on the biggest stage is beautiful," Ingram to the "Inside the NBA" on TNT crew of Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal after the win versus Pelicans on Friday night.  

Foer Green, the other advantage he had going into this series against the Suns is his insight into Coach Williams’ schemes and tendencies on certain plays having been on his staff the previous two seasons. Also, he also coached against Paul when he was Coach Kerr’s staff during the Warriors’ 2018 West Final and 2019 West Semis tilts against the Rockets.

The Pelicans deserve all the respect in the world for what they were able to do to make it back to the playoffs without their star player in Zion Williamson. With the roster they have and bringing him back into the fold next season should get Pelicans fans geeked up for what the future holds if Williamson can come back healthy.

Even with all the intel head coach Willie Green may have on his former employer and their lead guard Chris Paul, the Suns are just too superior and have the eye of the tiger to make it back to The Finals and win it all. The Pelicans will not go quietly but their prospects of pulling off an upset are very small.

Prediction: Suns in four games.

(4) Dallas Mavericks versus (5) Utah Jazz
            (52-30)                               (49-33)

Season-Series tied 2-2
Playoff History: DAL def. UTA 1986 West First-Round 3-1
                            DAL def. UTA 2001 West First-Round 3-2

There are times in a period for a team where they are at a crossroads in terms of whether or not there are positioned to compete for a championship. If they have the right mix of players that can go the distance and become that last team standing. This First-Round tilt between the boys from Salt Lake City, UT, and the boys from “Big D.” represents such a series at least in the case for the lower seed.

For the Dallas Mavericks, they produced their first 50-plus since the 2014-15 NBA campaign and earned their 15^th 50-plus win season in franchise history. Their 20-7 finish to the regular season put them in position to be as high as the No. 3 Seed if the Warriors had fallen at the New Orleans Pelicans last Sunday evening, which they did not.

The Mavericks were entering this postseason with a lot of momentum, until their All-Star Luka Doncic injured his left calf in the early part of the second half in their 130-120 victory in their regular-season finale versus the San Antonio Spurs (34-48).

The Mavericks said on Tuesday that Doncic, 23 that an MRI confirmed the diagnosis of their All-Star.

“He’s in great spirits today,” Mavericks head coach and Hall of Famer Jason Kidd said after Tuesday’s practice. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. I think we’ll prepare with him and we’ll also prepare without him.”

If Doncic is out for any period of time, the Mavericks lose the third leading scorer in NBA (28.4 ppg), not to mention their leading rebounder (9.1) and assists man (8.7-5^th NBA), who shot 45.7 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from three-point range.

The two-time All-Star was the only player on the season averaging at least 28 points, eight assists and eight boards per game. Since the turn of the calendar to 2022, Doncic was averaging 31.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 9.2 assists at home entering the team’s aforementioned season-finale versus Spurs.

Without Doncic that puts the spotlight on the likes of Jalen Brunson (16.3 ppg, 4.8 apg, 50.2 FG%, 37.3 3-Pt.%), Spencer Dinwiddie (13.7 ppg, 5.2 apg w/Wizards & Mavericks), Dorian Finney-Smith (11.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 47.1 FG%, 39.5 3-Pt.%), whose averaged 14 points since February, Dwight Powell (8.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 67.1 FG%), Reggie Bullock (8.6 ppg, 36.0 3-Pt.%) and Maxi Kleber (7.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg) to step up collectively.

Highest Percentage Of Team’s Points Scored Or Assisted On This Season
Trae Young (ATL): 41.4 percent
Luka Doncic (DAL): 36.4 percent
Nikola Jokic (DEN): 36.4 percent
DeMar DeRozan (CHI): 33.5 percent

“We’ve been in this situation 17 times,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, whose squad went 8-9 during the regular season without Doncic. “There isn’t any excuse. He [Doncic] is not playing. So, we have to go out there and execute the game plan and be ourselves.”

“We don’t have anyone who can be Luka. And we truly believe in that locker room if everyone plays their role, that can put us in a position to hopefully win.”  

One player who has benefited from Doncic’s ability to draw the defense is Dinwiddie, whose acquisition from the Wizards at the Feb. 10 trade deadline along with Davis Bertans for Kristaps Porzingis rejuvenated the Mavericks, especially his ability to make shots at clutch time. Just as the Celtics and the Nets, who had their hearts broken by a three-pointer off his hands off a pass from Doncic off a double team.

The one saving grace for the Coach Kidd’s team entering this series without Doncic is that they have played consistent defense this season.

The Mavericks ranked second in the league in points allowed (104.7) and No. 4 in opponent’s three-point percentage.

For the Jazz, who are seriously favored to win this series without Doncic enter the playoffs with a 4-7 mark their final 11 games of the regular season, which included blown leads of 25 points in a 121-115 loss Mar. 29 at the Clippers and 21 points in a 111-107 loss at Golden State Warriors Apr. 2.

The Jazz entered the new year with a 26-9 mark on the heels of a 6 and 8-game winning streaks. They went 23-24 in 2022. Compiled a 17-23 mark in clutch games.  

Despite their rough finish, the head coach Quin Snyder’s squad for the sixth straight season made the playoffs behind their dynamic All-Star duo of Donovan Mitchell (25.9 ppg-9^th NBA, 5.3 apg, 1.5 spg, 44.8 FG%, 35.5 3-Pt.%) and three-time Kia Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert (15.6 ppg, 14.7 rpg-Led NBA, 2.1 bpg 71.3 FG%), who quietly had the best season of his eight-year career.

The supporting cast from a season ago is still intact with Bojan Bogdanovic (18.1 ppg, 45.5 FG%, 38.7 3-Pt.%), Jordan Clarkson (16.0 ppg), Mike Conley (13.7 ppg, 5.3 apg, 40.8 3-Pt.%), and Royce O’Neale (7.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 45.7 FG%, 38.9 3-Pt.%), with the exception of Joe Ingles, who was dealt in February. They also have new additions in Hassan Whiteside (8.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 65.2 FG%), Rudy Gay (8.1 ppg, 34.5 3-Pt.%), Danuel House, Jr. (6.8 ppg, 41.5 3-Pt.%), and Juancho Hernangomez.

The Jazz the continuity of their core players mixed in with their new additions feel they can  get them over the hump this postseason after a pair of painful postseason exits in 2020 First-Round versus the Denver Nuggets in seven games after leading 3-1 and in the West Semis versus the Los Angeles Clippers losing Game 5 and 6 without Kawhi Leonard.

Jazz Playoff Results Since 2017
2017 Lost West Semifinals
2018 Lost West Semifinals
2019 Lost First-Round
2020 Lost First-Round
2021 Lost West Semifinals
2022 ???

“When you’re looking at pressure, we’re not worried about what we can do. I think for us we’re worrying about ourselves and how we can be the best team possible Games 1, Game 2 and all the way throughout the series,” Mitchell, who has registered four 40-plus games in the playoffs over the last two seasons said about his squad’s approach to this postseason.

Adding about playing the Mavericks without Doncic, “I think as a group we’re locked in on what we’ve been doing, and that’s being prepared to play whether he’s out there or not.”

One way the Jazz can get over the hump in the playoffs and advance pass the opening-round against the Mavericks and hopefully to the Conference Finals is to count on more than just their ability to make threes without a Plan B to score inside or make mid-range jumpers.

“We’ve been through a lot of adversity this year and last year was kind of a different year when we kind of cruised into the season and we were and everything was going great and then we faced adversity during the playoffs and it was kind of hard for us to overcome that,” Gobert said to ESPN’s Malika Andrews on “NBA Today” on Apr. 7.

“And this year, it was a tough year for us. Obviously still a great year. We possibly could win—end up the season with 50 wins, which is pretty good. But more adversity, more injuries, We had COVID, I was out for COVID for a week. Injuries, a lot of different lineups. We lost Joe (Ingles) during the season. He was a big part of what were doing.”

“We feel like we can only go up and we’re really excited to obviously being in the Playoffs for sixth straight year and now our goal is to win a championship. We know  we’ve got the talent. Now it’s all about going out there and be consistent and just believe. Just believe in ourselves because we do have the weapons that we need to accomplish that.”

Then there is the relationship between Mitchell and Gobert, which has been under the microscope, especially after Mar. 11, 2020 when the league was shut down and Gobert was patient zero for the virus.

Then there is the body language that is displayed by Mitchell when Gobert fumbles a pass when he has a chance to score at the basket or from Gobert when he does not get touches when he is open down low specifically.

The ongoing status of whether if Mitchell or Gobert, who have been teammates since 2017 get along was such a topic in Coach Snyder’s postgame pressers that he pleaded in one of his pressers for outsiders to stop the questioning about if the two get along or not.

In addressing how things are between the two, Gobert said to Andrews about Mitchell saying that while there is plenty of noise about the two there are a lot of teams in bigger media markets that would love to have either he or Mitchell on their team. That everything that happens with the Jazz on the court will always be under the microscope and people will look for “anything” to try to drive a wedge between them.

“After what we’ve been through over the last three years and the COVID situation and everything, we’re both aware of that and we both know that it’s something that’s not going to stop and we got to mute that noise,” Gobert said to Andrews. “And we both have the same goal is to win a championship here and we got to embrace the moment.”

With Luka Doncic on the mend, this is Jazz best chance to get passed the First-Round start what they hope is the start of big playoff run that at least gets them to the West Finals for the first time since 2007 or even to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1998.

If the Jazz fail again in the postseason, there will be major changes to the roster, especially with future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade and Danny Ainge a part of the Jazz's front office.

Ainge and Wade know what it takes to be a champion and they will have the ear of the Ryan Smith about what they feel needs to happen with the roster if Jazz do not get it done this postseason.

Prediction: Jazz in five games.

 (2) Memphis Grizzlies versus (7) Minnesota Timberwolves
                 (56-26)                                          (46-36)

Season-Series tied 2-2
Playoff History: First Playoff Meeting

Young superstar talent. Contrasting offensive styles. Competitive role players that will not back down to anyone. Talented teams that represent the future of “The Association.” Two teams that will be short on postseason experience but not short on brashness, athleticism, and ambition That is what will be featured in the No. 2 versus No. 7 First-Round tilt between the 2.0 version of “Grit N’ Grind” boys from Memphis, TN versus the boys from the “Twin Cities.”

For the second time in the last 18 years the Minnesota Timberwolves made the playoffs thanks to their 1094-104 win in their Play-In game versus the Los Angeles Clippers where we saw two of their big three pickup their headlining teammate.

Three-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns had a game to forget on Tuesday night with 11 points and five rebounds on 3/11 shooting as he battled foul trouble the entire game, committing his sixth foul with 7:34 left in the fourth quarter.           

Without the three-time All-Star on the floor, the Timberwolves were carried by second-year sensation Anthony Edwards who had 30 points on 10/21 shooting, including 5/11 from three-point range and All-Star D’Angelo Russell, who scored 28 of his 29 points the final three quarters with six assists, five boards on 10/18 from the field, including 3/5 from three-point range.

Russell’s three-pointer as part of a 16-2 run put the Timberwolves up 97-95 late in the fourth quarter as the Timberwolves overcame a 93-83 deficit with 8:54 left in the final period.

As great as Russell and Edwards were, the Timberwolves do not defeat the Clippers without the play of their most significant offseason acquisition in Patrick Beverly.

While he only had seven points on 2/8 shooting, the former Clipper had 11 rebounds and his energy particularly on the defensive end was magnificent.

Beverly put every bit of his 59 games of playoff experience on the table at the Target Center against the Clippers with his hustle and tricks that irritated and broke the concentration of his former teammates and inspired his current squad.

After passing a big test in their maturation into becoming a more consistent team, head coach Chris Finch’s squad now turns their attention to a Grizzlies squad that simply put took the Western Conference and the NBA by storm this regular season.

What gives the Timberwolves a significant chance in this series is their potent offensive capabilities.

They led the NBA in scoring average at 115.9 points and three-pointers made per game (14.8) and attempted (41.3).

During the regular-season, the Timberwolves made 1,211 triples and have attempted 30-plus threes in a franchise record 101 straight games. They scored 110-plus points 56 times this season, which includes 31 games scoring 120-plus points.

In a game against at the Nuggets back in the regular-season, Edwards made a career-high and single-game franchise record 10 triples, which was topped a few games later when Malik Beasley in a game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder hit a new single-game franchise record 11 threes.  

The Timberwolves offensive attack is led by their aforementioned trio of Towns (24.6 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 3.6 apg, 52.9 3-Pt.%), Edwards (21.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 35.7 3-Pt.%), and Russell (18.1 ppg, 7.1 apg).

As impressive as Edwards and Russell were in the Play-In victory versus the Clippers, they will need Towns to play way better than he did in the Play-In.

It took Towns until the 7:05 mark of the third quarter before he made his first field goal. Towns faced a plethora of different defensive coverages by the Clippers where they covered him first with Nicolas Batum taking away his ability to shoot from the perimeter before getting doubled by Ivica Zubac when he posted up. That led to Towns scoring just two points, going 0/7 from the field in the opening half with four fouls.

While Russell led the Timberwolves in scoring at 31.0 against the Grizzlies in their season-series, Towns has to have a major impact on the offensive end, particularly inside against one of the best defensive frontcourts in the league in the Grizzlies.

The other reason that the trio of Towns, Russell and Edwards have to all be at their best is because outside of Malik Beasley (12.1 ppg, 37.7 3-Pt.%), Jaylen Nowell (8.5 ppg, 47.5 FG%, 39.4 3-Pt.%) and maybe Naz Reid (8.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 49.0 FG%), they really do not have anyone else that can consistently strike a match offensively.

The aforementioned Beverly (9.2 ppg, 4.6 apg) can hit occasional jumpers, but he will be out there to be a disrupter and irritant. Jarred Vanderbilt (6.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 58.7 FG%) will be busy grabbing rebounds and providing some kind of rim protection.

The Timberwolves by the numbers have also shown the ability this season that they can create havoc defensively ranking No. 3 in steals (8.8) and block shots (5.6).  

The Timberwolves First-Round opponent the Memphis Grizzlies took another step in becoming a forced to be reckoned with in the NBA.

Two seasons, they missed the playoffs in the 2020 restart falling to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Play-In game for the No. 8 and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Last season, they won both their Play-In chances versus the Spurs and at the Warriors to earn their first postseason berth since 2017.

After winning the opener of their First-Round tilt versus the Jazz, the Grizzlies inexperience showed as they lost the final four games of the series and were sent home 4-1.

This past regular-season, head coach Taylor Jenkins’ team shocked the NBA world registering a franchise-record tying 56 wins in capturing their first Southwest Division title in their history. They went 19-3 their last 22 games at home. Were just one of three teams (Suns and Warriors) to win over 30 games on their home floor.

They were led by the NBA’s newest sensation and leader of 2.0 version of “Grit N’ Grind” Ja Morant (27.4 ppg, 6.7 apg, 5.7 rpg, 49.3 FG%) who fearlessness and leadership had him in the MVP conversation for much of this season. But he missed 25 games because of knee injury and virus protocols.

Most teams that lose their star player would struggle just to remain above .500. But the Grizzlies showed they were more than just a one-man show.

Their 20-5 mark without Morant is because of they have an exceptional supporting cast in Kia Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Jaren Jackson, Jr. (16.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.3 bpg-Led NBA). Kia Most Improved Player candidate in Desmond Bane (18.2 ppg, 46.1 FG%, 43.6 3-Pt.%).

The supporting cast also includes in the heart-and-soul of the Grizzlies Dillon Brooks (18.4 ppg); Morant’s understudy in Tyus Jones (8.7 ppg, 4.4 apg, 45.1 FG%, 39.0 3-Pt.%); rookie Zhaire Williams (8.1 ppg, 45.0 FG%), De’Anthony Melton (10.8 ppg, , 4.5 rpg, 37.4 3-Pt.%) and Kyle Anderson (7.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 44.6 FG%).

Unlike their First-Round opponent in the Timberwolves, whose offensive attack was a steady diet of making three-pointers, the Grizzlies offensive attack is based off their ability to turn defensive plays into fastbreak points as well as scoring on second chances offensively and down low.

The Grizzlies led the NBA in points in the paint (57.6); fastbreak points (17.7) and second chance points (18.7), while ranking fourth in points off their opponent’s turnovers at 18.3.

Their ability to score consistently in the paint is led by Morant, who led the NBA despite his small frame in paint points per game at 16.6.

To put that 16.6 scoring average in the paint by Morant into context, Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal (eight times), the Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (three times) and Pelicans’ Zion Williams (20.3 last season) topped that mark in the last 26 years of this statistic.

The one weakness in the Grizzlies’ offensive attack is their perimeter shooting where they are ranked 17^th in three-point percentage (35.3 percent); No. 28 in shots taken from three-point range (34.6 percent) 26^th in field goal percentage from the mid-range (37.6 percent).

Regularly in the playoffs, the opposing team zeros in on their opponent’s strengths and puts a major emphasis on taking those away. So, in the case of the Grizzlies, they will have to keeps the Timberwolves honest by making their shares of jumpers especially from three.

Along with that, they will have to make it their business to take care of the basketball because the Timberwolves have forced 10-plus turnovers in a franchise record 77 straight games.

They will also have to prove they can win on the road having dropped both tilts at the Timberwolves during the regular season (138-95 Nov. 20, 2021 and 116-108 Jan. 13).  

The Grizzlies will also have to keep their emotions under control, especially when Beverly tries to take them out of their game, especially Morant who will see plenty of Mr. Beverly from the opening tip to the end of the game picking him up full court to being in his ear every chance he gets.

The Grizzlies though have Brooks, Bane, and Adams that are not afraid to mix things up when the moment calls for it and they will be barking right back at Beverly if they need to do so.

More often than not in the NBA Playoffs, it is the team that can play with the most poise, focus and play their brand of ball that comes out on the winning end. The Grizzlies despite their youth have been battle tested as opposed to the Timberwolves who have shown they can be immature and not focused from time to time this season. The Grizzlies have a deeper roster and most importantly, they have home court.

Prediction: Grizzlies in seven games.

(3) Golden State Warriors versus (6) Denver Nuggets
                 (53-29)                                         (48-34)

Season-Series won by Nuggets 3-1
Playoff History: GS def. DEN 2013 West First-Round 4-2

Nearly a decade ago, the now four-time NBA champions from the Bay Area met the boys from the “Colorado Rockies” in the playoffs, making their postseason return after a five-year absence. They won that series 4-2 and it would be the start of their ascension into becoming champions three times in the next four seasons. They meet up with the boys from Colorado again after a two-year postseason absence with their same core three. But their chances of advancing hinge of an unproven supporting cast and their ability to slow down the reigning Kia MVP.

The Golden State Warriors return to the Playoffs after a two-year absence just as hungry and determined to win it all like they did in 2015, 2017, and 2018.

While their “Core 3” of two-time Kia MVP Stephen Curry (25.5 ppg, 6.3 apg, 5.2 rpg, 38.0 3-Pt.%), Klay Thompson (20.4 ppg, 38.5 3-Pt.%), and Draymond Green (7.5 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 7.0 apg, 52.5 FG%) will bring their collective continuity built during those past three  championship seasons to the hardwood this postseason, they have only played a grand total of 11 minutes (three games) on the floor during the regular season because of overlapping injuries. Curry specifically is questionable for the start of this series because of a left foot sprain sustained Mar. 16 versus the Celtics (110-88 loss) that shelved him the final 12 games of the regular-season, which saw the Warriors go 6-6 without him.

“It's really up in the air as far as Steph’s participation the rest of the week,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said about his perennial All-Star’s status for the start of this postseason. “But I imagine it will go right down to the wire as far as Game 1 is concerned whether we know his availability or not.

Curry was cleared to do individual work on the court this past week. But Coach Kerr did not offer much on how much progress Curry made during those workouts.

However, Curry, who has career postseason averages of 26.5 points and 6.3 assists on 45.0 percent from the floor and 40.1 percent from three-point range at the close of this week was upgraded to probable, which means he has a good chance of playing. But he will be on a minute’s restriction.

The Warriors will have the other half of the “Splash Brothers combination on the floor in Thompson, who missed the last two seasons because of a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles and he is beyond excited to begin what hopefully is another run towards winning another Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“A great cap to a regular season. A lot of ups and downs for myself this season. But I stuck with it and I will continue to do that some great momentum going into the Playoffs. I can’t wait,” Thompson, who averaged 36 points the last three games of the regular season said. “I’m so excited for the Playoffs. Having to watch the last two years was painful. So, to be back and be a part of it, I get geeked thinking about it.”

The Warriors will also have Green in the fold, but he too has had to knock off some rust as he was recovering from disc issue in his lower back that shelved him for a sizable portion post All-Star break.

Having him back gives the Warriors not just their heart-and-soul but their defensive quarterback, who will be spending this opening-round series checking the reigning Kia MVP, more on that shortly.

“He’s just one of the very best players in the league and one of the best centers to play the game. It’s incredible watching his skill set,” Coach Kerr said of Jokic. “It’s like an old school center, you know. They play off the low block a lot more than most teams.”

“He’s brilliant to watch. Just the way he dissects defenses. Every team in the Playoffs there’s a head of the snake that you have to deal with. It’s different every series depending on personnel. And for Denver it’s clearly Jokic.”   

When the Warriors won their three titles, the mantra was “Strength In Numbers,” referencing their supporting cast that consisted of the likes of Shaun Livingston, ZaZa Pachulia, David West, Andre Iguodala, and Kevon Looney (6.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 57.1 FG%) to name a few.

While they still have Iguodala, who does have some age on him now and Looney, the Warriors supporting cast for this postseason run consists of a talented but unproven group of Jordan Poole (18.5 ppg, 44.8 FG%, 36.4 3-Pt.%), first-time All-Star Andrew Wiggins (17.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 46.6 FG%, 39.3 3-Pt.%), Otto Porter, Jr. (8.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 46.4 FG%, 37.0 3-Pt.%), Gary Payton II (7.1 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 61.6 FG%, 35.8 3-Pt.%), and rookie Jonathan Kuminga (9.3 ppg, 51.3 FG%).

On top of that, the supporting cast was not able to build any cohesion with Curry, Thompson, and Green due to the injuries.

So, while the “Core 3” along with Iguodala have muscle memory of having gone through the postseason together, they will have to build that cohesion on the fly with the rest of the roster at the start of this postseason.

Having to be flexible is nothing new for the Denver Nuggets, who have been without their second-best player Jamal Murray (torn ACL) all season, getting injury ironically enough around this time last season at the Warriors and Michael Porter, Jr. (back surgery), who has been out since Nov. 6, 2021.

Simply put, they are back in the playoffs for a third consecutive season because of the consistent play of the reigning Kia MVP Nikola Jokic (27.1 ppg-6^th NBA, 13.8 rpg-2^nd NBA, 7.9 apg-8^th NBA, 58.3 FG%), who had career-highs across the board this regular-season.  

This season in particular saw the growth of Jokic as a scorer and rebounder. But where the top candidate for his second straight MVP is at his best is finding open people.

He has especially been brilliant in his postseason career with averages of 25.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6.4 assists on 51.2 percent from the field. 

That will be especially key in this series because there is without question that Jokic, who averaged 28.0 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists on 51.9 percent shooting against the Warriors in the regular season will see a second defender and third defender on him as well as having one-on-one coverage from Warriors’ Green and Looney.

The Nuggets chances of advancing in this series will depend on his teammates in Aaron Gordon (15.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 52.0 FG%), Will Barton (14.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.9 apg, 36.5 3-Pt.%), Monte Morris (12.6 ppg, 48.4 FG%, 39.5 3-Pt.%), Jeff Green (10.3 ppg, 52.4 FG%), rookie Na’Shon “Bones” Hyland (10.1 ppg, 36.6 3-Pt.%), Bryn Forbes (8.8 ppg, 41.4 3-Pt.% w/Spurs & Nuggets), JaMychal Green, and Austin Rivers making shots.

Head coach Michael Malone’s team’s chances of advancing also depends on how much rest he can get Jokic during games in this series.

The Nuggets were a completely different team without their All-Star big man. That puts even more of a premium on the effectiveness of in-season pickup DeMarcus Cousins (8.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 45.6 FG% w/Nuggets). His effectiveness will determine how effective Jokic will be late in games, especially because the Warriors you can bet will throw everything, including the kitchen sink at him defensively.

The one thing that the Nuggets have in their hip pocket is out of their three wins in the four-game season series against the Warriors, they won both their meetings at the Chase Center (89-86 on Dec. 28, 2021 and 117-116 Feb. 16).

When the Warriors, who will play the first NBA Playoff game in San Francisco, CA since 1964 were taking down opponents left and right during their five straight appearances in The Finals (2014-2019), they had good health, especially from their dynamic “Big Three” and a supporting cast that they had cohesion with. This postseason will have it share of challenges for them, especially with a young supporting cast and that Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala do not have the same muscle memory and continuity with this particular cast.

The Warriors also are facing an opponent in the Nuggets, who demonstrated the last two postseason that even when you think you have them down, they will not back down. Just look at their unexpected run to the Conference Finals when they overcame a 3-1 series deficit the first two round to take down the Jazz and Clippers respectably in the 2020 Playoffs.

The difference in this series is that the Warriors will have their three All-Stars as opposed to the Nuggets lone star in Nikola Jokic as well as more roster depth.

Prediction: Warriors in six games.   

Information, statistics, and quotations courtesy of 3/4/2022 3 p.m. “NBA Today,” ESPN With Malika Andrews, Matt Barnes, Chiney Ogwumike, Zach Lowe, and Kendra Andrews; 3/14/2022 10 p.m. “Bucks versus Jazz” ESPN, presented by State Farm with Ryan Ruocco and Doris Burke; 4/4/2022 3 p.m. “NBA Today” ESPN, presented by Credit Karma with Malika Andrews, Chiney Ogwumike, Ramona Shelburne, and Richard Jefferson; 4/7/2022 3 p.m. “NBA Today” ESPN, With Malika Andrews, Chiney Ogwumike, Matt Barnes, Vince Carter, and Brian Windhorst; 4/10/2022 8:30 p.m. “Chicago Bulls versus Minnesota Timberwolves” Bally Sports North with Dave Benz, Jim Petersen, and Lea B. Olsen; 4/11/2022 www.nba.com story “Series Preview: Sixers Raptors Seem Primed For a Lengthy Series,” and “Series Preview: Celtics Away Potentially Powerful Underdog As Nets Emerge From Play-In,” By John Schuhmann; “Series Preview: Bucks Look To Make Bulls’ Return To Playoffs A Short One,” By Steve Aschburner; 4/12/2022 www.nba.com story, “Mavs Put No Timetable On Luka Doncic’s Return From Calf Injury,” By Schuyler Dixon of The Associated Press; 4/12/2022 www.nba.com story “Series Preview: Grizzlies-Wolves Won’t Be Short of Rising Stars To Watch,” By Michael C. Wright; 4/13/2022 www.nba.com story, “Series Preview: Warriors’ Hopes Of Advancing Rest On Slowing Down Nikola Jokic,” By Mark Medina; 4/16/2022 www.nba.com story, “Series Preview: League-Best Suns Begin Playoff Journey Versus Pelicans,” By Mark Medina; 4/16/2022 www.nba.com story, “Series Preview: Stingy Heat Look To Stifle Hawks’ Firepower,” By Steve Aschburner; 4/16/2022 12 p.m. NBATV’s “Playoff Central Live,” presented by Toyota with Chris Miles, Steve Smith, and Tony Delk, with reports from Matt Winer, and Jared Greenberg; https://www.landofbasketball.com/head_to_head_gl/celtics_vs_nets_log_pl.htm; https://www.landofbasketball.com/head_to_head_gl/bucks_vs_bulls_log_pl.htm; https://www.landofbasketball.com/head_to_head_gl/mavericks_vs_jazz_log_pl.htm; https://www.landofbasketball.com/head_to_head_gl/hawks_vs_heat_game_log_pl.htm; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Denver_Nuggets_seasons; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Memphis_Grizzlies_seasons; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Toronto_Raptors_seasons; https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameid/401360721; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/stats_/id/3992/james-harden; and https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/bkn/seasontype/2.