Preface
In the first round of the NBA playoffs, each group of matchups has completed two games. At present, except for the two sets of matchups, the remaining six groups are all 2-0 situations. For the teams that are behind by a big score, they are naturally eager to play a beautiful turnaround battle at home to avoid the embarrassment of being swept out.
So what is the situation and promotion prospects of the entire first round so far, let's pay attention to it!
Celtics vs Heat: Sweep revenge without suspense
In the Eastern Conference Finals last year, the Green Army fell at the feet of the Heat. Now, after a season, the two teams meet again in the playoffs, and this time the situation of the two teams is very different. The Green Army has the league's No. 1 record this season, and the strength of the squad has improved even more than last year. The Heat stumbled into the playoffs, and star Butler couldn't make it to the entire first-round game due to injury.
Without a star and the performance of other players is not outstanding, such a Heat naturally cannot continue to reproduce the previous Black Eight Miracle. Although they successfully rewrote the big score to 1-1, they can't expect the Heat to explode on the offensive end every game.
Once they can advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Green Army will face the winner between the Cavaliers and the Magic. There is also a gap in strength between the two teams and the Green Army, and it can be said that the Green Army has basically confirmed a place in the East Finals.
Knights vs Magic: Recruits still need to be honed
The fact that the Magic were able to get out of the bottom of the league and successfully enter the playoff stage in just a few years is already a huge success. However, against the more experienced Cavaliers in the playoffs, the recruit still has a lot to improve in terms of player performance and overall play.
The Cavaliers managed to win two home games, and with Mitchell on the outside and Allen on the inside, the Magic really couldn't find a way to win. There is also not much suspense in this round of the series, as long as the Cavaliers play normally, they can basically defeat the opponent 4-0 or 4-1 to achieve promotion.
Bucks vs Pacers: The letters are back, it's over
In the first two games, Lillard was the Bucks' top performer. Both games in a row cut 35+ data. However, in the face of the Pacers, who have a strong impact on the front, the penalty area without Brother Alphabet is really vulnerable. The score is now 1-1, and the next two away games will be crucial for the Bucks, who need to nibble on at least one win.
If nothing else, Brother Alphabet will return to the field at G3. At that time, the gap between the two sides can be reflected, after all, the role that Brother Alphabet can bring to the Bucks is difficult for anyone to replace. As long as he can return to the court, then there is basically no suspense for the Bucks to win this series.
76ers vs Knicks: The Emperor doesn't want a round
In the G2 game, due to the referee's many missed judgments at critical moments, and the most fatal timeout, the most fatal time when Nas was not seen, the 76ers finally fell behind 0-2 at present. For Embiid, who has always been eager to prove himself on the playoff stage, he has once again been pushed to the brink.
In the face of the Knicks, Embiid's advantage is still very obvious, and the Knicks' interior line is completely unable to form an effective counterpoint with him. The next thing the emperor needs to do is to find a way to help the team hold the two home games and chase the big score to 2-2.
Nuggets vs Lakers: The losing streak continues
Although the Lakers have done their best, and the Zhan Mei combination is even more tired and out of breath, they still seem powerless against the defending champion Nuggets. G2 was the Lakers' best chance to win, but Jokic's full-blown outburst in the second half and Murray's last-minute two-point stunner made all the Lakers' efforts go to waste.
The Lakers have lost nine straight games against the Nuggets, which makes them already have a Nugget phobia in terms of psychology. Even if he returns to his home court, Jokic will still be a mountain that the Lakers simply cannot overcome. What's more, Russell can't be expected to explode every game. Relying solely on the power of James and thick eyebrows, the Lakers simply can't stand up to the Nuggets' offense.
The trend of this group of duels may be the same as last year's Western Finals, and the sweep is the only ending.
Suns vs Timberwolves: The Big Three is useless either
Despite gathering the Big Three, the Suns didn't play as well as they wanted, stumbling all the way to the playoffs. In the first round, they met the Timberwolves, who had improved in an all-round way, and although the Suns' defense against Edwards was very successful, the twin-tower combination of Towns and Gobert still abused the Suns unspeakably.
In both games, the Suns lost badly. The team's disadvantage in terms of lineup obviously can't help them to win. And in this round of the series, the overall performance of the Big Three is not excellent, and the offensive efficiency is not high. Coupled with the lack of Allen, who is the most accurate three-point player, the Suns may encounter another round of ending.
Clippers vs Mavericks: The biggest suspenseful matchup
Looking at the first round of the entire playoffs, the biggest suspense to advance to the matchup is undoubtedly the battle between the Clippers and the Mavericks. The two teams have met three times in the playoffs, with the Clippers winning the previous two times. At present, the score of the two sides is 1-1, and the second game of the two teams has staged a defensive battle that has not been seen for a long time.
The Big Four PK Eastern European combination, the winner or loser of this group of duels, is still on several star players. G1 Harden broke out in an all-round way to help the Clippers win a hearty victory, and G2 Doncic and Irving both made efforts to successfully lead the team to chase back the big score. So in this round of the series, both teams have the possibility of qualifying, and in the end it depends on which team has more stability in star players.
Thunder vs Pelicans: Youth Army Showdown
This set of matchups is a collision of youth storms, and the Thunder successfully achieved a counterattack this season and won the first place in the West. The Pelicans made it out of the play-in tournament and advanced to the playoffs again. Even without the core Zion, the Pelicans are very resilient in their game. In the first matchup, they almost overthrew the Thunder.
The promotion of these two teams is also full of huge suspense, after all, everyone is young, and it is normal for the performance of the game to have ups and downs. Therefore, the key to the final victory or defeat is to see which team has a more stable overall performance.