After a long and grueling season, the NBA Playoffs are finally here. The Los Angeles Lakers are still the team to beat in the West with several worthy contenders below them, but the powers have been shifted and distributed in the East. With Kevin Garnett being sidelined, the Boston Celtics have been deducted to just a really good team. Usually that’s okay, but this year the Orlando Magic are also a really good team and the Cleveland Cavaliers are a great team. Lebron James and the Cavs and a record-setting season (by Cleveland standards) and have taken claim to home court advantage throughout the Playoffs. The Cavs were 39-2 at home this season (one loss was with all the starters sitting to rest for the Playoffs), so you have to believe that the Eastern Conference is Cleveland’s to lose. As for the Western Conference, the Lakers are at the top of the pack but it really is anyone’s to win. You can throw out “intimidation” in the West, no team is afraid of playing the other. Here’s a quick rundown of all the first round matchups in each conference with some predictions:

Eastern Conference

#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #8 Detroit Pistons – How fast the Pistons have fallen and how quickly the Cavs surrounded LeBron with some talent after he made hints of wanting to leave Cleveland. After firing their head coach to move in a different direction, the Pistons have only gotten worse. Cavs win series 4-1.

#2 Boston Celtics vs. #7 Chicago Bulls – The Bulls made a late push after some great deals at the trade deadline, but even without Garnett, the Celtics will start their Title defense with a major statement. Celtics win series 4-0.

#3 Orlando Magic vs. #6 Philadelphia 76ers - The Eastern Conference hasn’t been stacked so deep in a long time, the Magic are the best #3 seed they’ve had in a long time. The 76ers simply don’t have the firepower to keep up with “Superman” and Co.  Magic win series 4-1.

#4 Atlanta Hawks vs. #5 Miami Heat – This will be the most tightly fought battle in the East, Dwayne Wade vs. the Hawks. Wade will carry over his superb season into the Playoffs. If the Hawks proved anything last year in the Playoffs, it’s that they are a resilient squad. Heat win series 4-3.

Western Conference

#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Utah Jazz – The Jazz are prehaps the most pesky #8 seed that we’ve seen in years, but they stink on the road and don’t have home court advantage. Lakers win series 4-2.

#2 Denver Nuggets vs. #7 New Orleans Hornets –  Who’s afraid of the big bad Nuggets??? The answer to that is simple-nobody. Chris Paul and the Hornets will make Denver work for every shot and try to quicken the game. Hornets win 4-2

#3 San Antonio Spurs vs. #6 Dallas Mavericks -  The Spurs are battered and bruise, the Mavericks are on a roll, amd Mark Cuban is still a freak. All that chalks up to be one entertaining series. Spurs win series 4-3.

#4 Portland Trailblazers vs. #5 Houston Rockets – Of all the teams in the West, Portland is the one that looks most likely to take down the Lakers in the Playoffs, but the Rockets are no pushover. Sad to say  that they are better without Tracy McGrady, they won’t have to deal with his curse of never winning a Playoff series this year. Blazers win series 4-2.

Tags: NBA

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