After nearly 4 months of competition, the NBA regular season officially came to an end, the dust of the top ten in the East and West was settled, and the complete playoffs were released, of which the Clippers and the Nets were two dark horses or spoilers.
First look at the top 10 in the East: Heat, Green Army, Bucks, 76ers, Raptors, Bulls, Nets, Cavaliers, Hawks and Hornets.
The first-round matches that have been decided in the East are: Bucks (3) vs Bulls (6), 76ers (4) vs Raptors (5).
The remaining two rounds of the showdown will be determined by the outcome of the playoffs, namely heat (1) VS (the winner between the Hawk Hornets and the nets cavaliers, the ultimate winner), and the Green Army VS (the winner between the nets and the cavaliers).
The two play-offs are the Nets (7) vs Cavaliers (8) and the Hawks (9) vs Hornets (10), with the Nets and Hawks dominating the home field in the first round of play-offs, with the winner of the Nets and Cavaliers advancing directly, and the loser competing with the winner of the Hawks and Hornets for another spot and home advantage in the playoffs.
In terms of the strength and status of the first ten teams, the Heat and Bucks are undoubtedly the big winners of the regular season, and while ensuring the team's ranking advantage, they have picked a very good first-round opponent.
The Bulls, one of the biggest dark horses of the season and one of the biggest pseudo-strong teams of the season, have barely won against the strong teams and the pressure on the defending champion Bucks in the first round is very small.
The Heat, who are at the top of the list, are most likely to face the Cavaliers, followed by the Hawks and Hornets, and are less likely to face the Nets, whether it is facing the Cavaliers, Eagles, or Hornets, the Heat have an absolute advantage.
The Green Army, who won the game, rose to second place, which led to the team's first round of high probability of facing the Nets, of course, the team is not afraid of the Nets, Tatum said after the game that he was glad that the team did not have to play the play-offs.
Uduka also satirized the Nets, ridiculing that the Nets may not be able to appear in the playoffs, whether against the Nets or the Cavaliers, the team is ready, Horford also gave a similar statement.
For the Nets, the team doesn't have much room to maneuver and must win as much as possible against the Cavaliers, because the playoffs are a sure-win game and full of uncertainty, although playing against the Heat is indeed a better first-round option than the Green Army.
The final set of duels was between the 76ers and the Raptors, with the 76ers losing in the top four battle late in the season.
The team won the final game and tried to compete for the third place, the Bucks and Green Army were both division champions, and the 76ers could only finish fourth.
The 76ers seem to avoid the possibility of playing against the Nets, but the team may not be dominant against the Raptors, this season's Raptors are extremely defensive and athletic, if Harden can not adjust to the state, the 76ers are likely to fall into a bitter battle.
In contrast, in the West, the top half is obviously not so much intrigue, the Warriors, Lone Rangers, jazz all won in the last round, so the ranking did not change.
Top 10 in the West: Suns, Grizzlies, Warriors, Mavericks, Jazz, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Clippers, Pelicans and Spurs.
So the Warriors decided to play against the Nuggets in the first round, the Lone Rangers determined to play against the Jazz, the Grizzlies played the winner between the Clippers and Timberwolves, and the Suns played the final eighth place (the winner of the Pelicans and Spurs, and the winner between the losers of the Clippers and Timberwolves).
Looking at the two sets of determined duels first, the Warriors playing the Nuggets is obviously not a quality choice, because the team itself has a disadvantage on the inside, and Jokic is the best interior player in the game.
Fortunately, Murray and Porter Jr. can't play, and the Warriors may face some difficulties, but the overall pressure is not large.
Originally the lone ranger's choice was the best, the Jazz were very chaotic inside, the performance in the second half was not good, but Doncic also suffered from injuries in the last game, strained his calf, and it was not clear whether it would affect the playoffs.
As for the remaining two sets of duels, the Suns and Grizzlies are both top team basketballs, and no matter which team they face, they have an absolute advantage.
Of course, for the Grizzlies, it is better not to run into the Clippers, after all, the Clippers George and Powell have returned, if Leonard can also return, then the team is obviously at a disadvantage in experience and star level.
Of course, the Timberwolves can not be underestimated, but even if the Timberwolves become dark horses this season, the Clippers led by Tyronelu in the playoffs are obviously a greater threat, making the Clippers and Nets the most noteworthy teams in the playoffs and first rounds.