Finally. After weeks of anticipation, the NBA Playoffs are set and the picture is clear as the postseason is here. Check out all the matchups as the schedule will soon be released. We start with the Western Conference as it was just recently settled minutes ago.
The Los Angeles Lakers were able to master the Houston Rockets taking the Houston Rockets to overtime and shutting them down late in the game. They win the seventh seed while the Rockets fall to the eighth. Here's how the standings finished Thursday morning.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. San Antonio Spurs
3. Denver Nuggets
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Memphis Grizzlies
6. Golden State Warriors
7. Los Angeles Lakers
8. Houston Rockets
So this means, he playoff picture in the Western Conference looks as follows:
1 OKC Thunder vs. 8 Rockets
2 Spurs vs. 7 Lakers
3. Nuggets vs. Warriors
4. Clippers vs. Grizzlies
This sets up great matchups as Harden gets to face his former teammates in the Thunder. The Lakers face the Spurs who have fallen apart with injuries. The Warriors face the Nuggets as it's the best perimeter shooter in the game versus the best fastbreak team in the NBA. Finally, the Clippers and Grizzlies played amazing basketball in the 2012 playoffs and they have a rematch.
Over in the East, before the Lakers and Rockets even took the floor, the Eastern Conference playoff picture and bracket was set. Here it is as the Eastern Conference also possesses amazing battles.
1 Miami Heat vs. 8 Milwaukee Bucks
2 New York Knicks vs. 7 Boston Celtics
3 Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks
4 Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls
The beauty of these matchups, the Knicks and Celtics are long time rivals. The Nets and the Bulls might end up in an upset as Chicago took three of four from the Nets during the regular season.
Check out Sports World Report as we will bring you schedules, predictions, analysis, live streams and blogs of the NBA Playoffs.
