Dallas could get a game or two, but ultimately, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will take charge of one of the NBA's most talented rosters. New York doesn't have an answer for this level of star power. 2021 NBA Playoffs: Sixers-Wizards Preview And Prediction. 0 of 3. Unstoppable force, meet immovable object. The Nets' 22nd-ranked defense will be repeatedly run over. It's also easier to match L.A.'s stoppers with Utah's top scorers than the other way around. "I don't know if this year is gonna be different. No. And yet, we won't know the final postseason seedings until the new play-in tournament concludes on Friday—one day before the playoffs … 47-25. 0 of 3. Author: SI Staff Updated: May 22, 2021 Original: May 22, 2021. They'll also pick up offensive contributions from sharpshooter Joe Harris, six-time All-Star Blake Griffin and versatile big man Jeff Green, who just had a career shooting year from the field (49.2 percent) and from distance (41.2). Will the 2021 NBA playoffs be in a bubble? The Nets scored at an astronomic rate of 119.6 points per 100 possessions. The Hawks seem like the sensible pick. 6 Miami Heat. The Clippers have far more shooters, making them less likely to encounter the half-court turbulence that often awaits the Lakers when they can't attack in transition. A fun matchup for the second round will be Thibodeau's defensive mind against Philly's combination of size and skill. Despite what the cliche might lead you to believe, though, defense doesn't win biggest in the modern game. That's the thing with the three-star model. He'll again be the difference here, as Washington has no hope for even containing him. Holiday can check Irving, Middleton can guard Harden and Antetokounmpo can deal with Durant. Back then, the Blazers had no answers for James and Davis, who both averaged more than 27 points on 57-plus percent shooting in the series. Bake in one huge game for Ja Morant, but otherwise, Utah will come out of this series relatively comfortably. The Lakers, who had this season's No. 2 Phoenix Suns vs. No. It's the oldest proverbial clash in sports, and one that almost always makes great theater. The Phoenix Suns won … Portland Trail Blazers: … West. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis and the ignitable Mavericks will make a good first-round test for a Clippers club yet to answer many questions from last year's colossal collapse. Some might worry Brooklyn didn't have time to create much chemistry, but those concerns aren't shared within the locker room. The Knicks are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2013, while the Hawks last appeared in 2016. Plus the Nets can always screen their way to more favorable matchups. NBA Playoffs 2021: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat series preview. Jeff Chiu/Associated Press. When these teams tangled in last year's playoffs, the eighth-seeded Blazers had people liking their upset chances against the top-seeded Lakers. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, It’s Time for Bradley Beal to Get His Due. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA. A lot of the hype was bubble-based, as Portland had sprinted through the seeding games and won the play-in game, while L.A. sleepwalked through the seeding round. The Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers face off in a Western Conference first-round NBA playoff series starting on Sunday. By Zach Harper May 16, 2021 58 . Luckily, we have one at our disposal. 7 Boston Celtics. Some of our experts think so. The Clippers can make a reasonable argument as the Association's best shooting team. That guarantees a team a first-round playoff spot without having to deal with the play-in. Additionally, the Blazers are listed as +5000 to win the NBA Championship while the Nuggets are at +3600.. Denver is slightly favored in this series as the home team, with the right to host 4 of the 7 games in the series, but one could look at this series as a virtual toss-up. But each faces a daunting path to the championship podium. 5 Atlanta Hawks. Antetokounmpo admitted history might repeat itself. 2 Brooklyn Nets vs. No. If James expanded to a five-player list, George would probably make the cut too. 2021 NBA Playoffs First-Round Predictions. 1 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. NBA Playoff Picture 2021: Updated Bracket, Standings and Seed Predictions. This is The Game Day’s 2021 NBA Playoffs Guide & Previews, for our basketball playoff odds, predictions, and tips. 1 Utah Jazz vs. No. Odds from DraftKings.Get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus at DraftKings today or check out more offers and promo codes for the best online sportsbooks.. 6 Portland Trail Blazers. 8 Washington Wizards, No. Even better, they can squeeze some of those high-intensity defensive minutes out of Morris and Nicolas Batum, keeping their stars fresh to wreak havoc on offense. 4 LA Clippers vs. No. The Heat remain a thorn-in-the-side matchup for the Bucks, but Jrue Holiday will become the difference-maker in this series like they hoped he would. • 2021 NBA Playoffs First-Round Predictions • It’s Time for Bradley Beal to Get His Due • The Superfans Are Ready • Atlanta Is Falling Hard for the Hawks. Los Angeles Lakers: 97.6% 5. Moneyline: Denver (-120), Portland (+100). OK, so it's really just a series of educated guesses forged from a season's worth of statistics and film, but that's enough to break down everything with a round-by-round prediction of the championship race. This could be a great series, but our crystal ball has the Nets wrapping it up without needing to go the distance. Julius Randle could shine like in the regular season, when he averaged 37.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game against Atlanta. Eugene Chung recently said that a team told him he was "not the right minority" while interviewing for a coaching job this offseason. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. The Knicks will fight—Thibs' teams always do—but Philly went 35-7 with an plus-15.5 net rating when Embiid and Simmons played together. Jeff Zillgitt, Mark Medina, Matt Eppers, Duane Rankin, Marla Ridenour, J. Denver Nuggets: 87.6% 6. Milwaukee will be back with a vengeance this time around, but as we saw last year, Miami isn't going to go down without a fight. Bryan Toporek. He did during the regular season, averaging 31.4 points and 11.3 rebounds across three contests. The Heat upset the Bucks in a shocking five-game fashion last postseason, using the series to gain momentum and eventually make a run to the NBA Finals. Karim Noorani. Only a crystal ball knows which teams are built for playoff basketball. "When you're in that environment ... you really have to check your ego and figure out when you need to use it. 5 Dallas Mavericks, More NBA Playoff Coverage:• It’s Time for Bradley Beal to Get His Due• The Superfans Are Ready• Atlanta Is Falling Hard for the Hawks. The Philadelphia 76ers have a date with the Washington Wizards in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. They finished second in true shooting percentage (59.9) and fifth in field-goal percentage (48.2) despite attempting the third-fewest shots in the restricted area (22.7). The Jazz will keep it close, but the Clippers advance. Check back throughout the 2021 NBA postseason for our top betting picks on NBA playoff game days.. Also, don’t forget out 2021 NBA Mock Draft Predictions:. 8 Washington Wizards. 4 New York Knicks vs. No. The first night of the 2021 NBA play-in tournament will get started on Tuesday, May 18th with an Eastern Conference doubleheader on TNT. Nets over Celtics in 5. No. 24% 15% The 16 participants in the 2021 NBA playoffs are all 16 wins away from a title. One year later, Portland remains without viable solutions. 76ers over Wizards in 6. 1 seed in the East by defeating the Orlando Magic 122-97. Heat over Bucks in 7. … 6 seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Teams will host playoff games at their respective home arenas just as they did throughout the 2020-21 regular season. Start with Chef Curry and King James locking horns in the play-in tournament and finish with the Battle of L.A. crowning a (conference) champion. 8 seed with a blowout win over the … Despite a 52-20 record, Utah is tied for the fourth best odds at +700 to win it all. We still have a few series that need to be decided, but we already know the matchups for the 3-6 seeds in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards will get a game when Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal go off, but otherwise the Sixers won't really sweat. Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Once the postseason spotlight shines on these clubs, though, it could reveal fatal flaws. The Grizzlies lived to fight another day by knocking off Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in overtime 117-112 on Friday at Chase Center and now get to face a Jazz team that won 14 more regular-season games, including all three of their head-to-head matchups. The faster the Knicks are forced to counterpunch, the sooner it will be obvious RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley aren't quite ready to solve postseason puzzles against an elite defense. In the other, Harden and Irving edged Leonard and George 65-63, while Brooklyn's scoring depth (three other double-digit scorers to L.A.'s one) made the difference. The Los Angeles Lakers and … 2021 NBA Playoffs betting preview: Predictions for every series. >99% 1720. Prediction: Utah in five. No. These two teams are pretty familiar … The Jazz can score, but Donovan Mitchell and insert-second-scorer-here won't match the firepower of Leonard and George. Get Gobert out of the paint, and you've gone a long way toward minimizing Utah's greatest strength. 5 bold predictions for 2021 NBA playoffs With the 2021 NBA playoffs just about to tip off, here are five bold predictions for some major storylines that will unfold throughout the postseason. The Sixers can give Randle all kinds of defensive looks, including Embiid, Tobias Harris and Simmons. The 50-year old has seen his odds move dramatically after winning the 2021 PGA Championship. Want to turn the Western Conference playoffs into an absolute cash cow? The Boston Celtics captured the No. +5.3. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. No. The NBA playoffs are finally here, and they arrive with what appears to be a wide open race in the Western Conference. Not when Harris, Green, Griffin and Landry Shamet are helping spin the scoreboard too. With the NBA playoffs set to start today, our experts make their first-round predictions. 5 Atlanta Hawks, No. The Concacaf Nations League final four kicks off an important, stakes-filled stretch for the U.S. that leads into and through 2022 World Cup qualifying. The ratings would be through the roof, and the basketball would be even better. Sixteen teams will compete for the 2021 NBA championship after the play-in tournament in the quest to win the title and oddsmakers have wasted no time posting NBA playoffs series prices. When it works, it's a seemingly insurmountable advantage. There have been three sweeps in each of the past three NBA postseasons. Leonard, George and Marcus Morris Sr. are all lethal from long range and comfortable pulling up from mid-range, so Gobert can't hang back to meet them at the rim. NBA Playoff Picture 2021: Bracket, Early Odds and Predictions. No. 4 New York Knicks vs. No. You might have to take a step back in order for the team to be good. When Miami then shows more attention to Milwaukee's support players, Giannis will go off as the Bucks exorcise their playoff demons. The 2021 NBA playoffs are about to tip off on Saturday, and there are several series underdogs in the first round whose odds are worth taking a flier on. Check out these picks and predictions … Embiid will admittedly run wild. Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press. Welcome to the Show! Reversing that trend would mean stopping the skid against what Celtics head coach Brad Stevens called "probably the most talented team that's been assembled since I've been in the NBA," per NESN's Sean T. McGuire. In three regular-season meetings—all Philly wins—Joel Embiid averaged 30 points on 60.4 percent shooting. Jayson Tatum will average 30-plus points for the series, and Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier will combine for another 40 per night. That final point might seem obvious, since Brooklyn has three stars to L.A.'s two, but the Nets were only full-strength for one matchup. … The Bucks match up reasonably well with the Nets on paper. No. 2 Brooklyn Nets vs. No. In that outing, Durant, Harden and Irving combined for 90 points on 64.7 percent shooting, while Leonard and George totaled 59 on 47.9 percent. 7 Los Angeles Lakers, No. Head coach Tom Thibodeau can scheme the ball out of Trae Young's hands, and Madison Square Garden will be absolutely rocking when New York squeaks out a Game 7 win. The Suns have no answer for James or Davis. They have more depth and a higher-powered offense, which matters a lot in the modern NBA. Unlike last year, when the entire postseason was played at Disney World in Orlando, the 2021 playoffs won’t be held in a bubble. All Rights Reserved. Harris could go on a bucket binge at any moment. The 2020-21 NBA regular season is down to its final two weeks. The Clippers, along with every other two-starred squad, couldn't survive with one. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. LA Clippers: 99.5% 4. While Brooklyn's Big Three barely broke a sweat together (202 minutes across eight games), those glimpses were telling. After defeating the Golden State Warriors in the play-in game, the Memphis Grizzlies take on the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The Suns must have infuriated the basketball gods at some point because a first-round date with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the defending champion Lakers is downright cruel. Are the Lakers the most dangerous seventh seed in NBA history? No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with a win over the Washington Wizards, who took advantage of their second chance and secured the No. Which team will win? 5 Dallas Mavericks. May 17, 2021 First-round series preview: Nuggets vs. Blazers NBA playoff preview picks: Is Nets over Jazz a safe bet? The Post’s NBA experts give their playoff picks from the first round to the finals: Marc Berman. (2) Phoenix vs. (7) Los Angeles Lakers. With the NBA playoffs set to start today, our experts make their first-round predictions. This is essentially unheard of in the NBA, since we have to go back to 1976 for the last playoffs without a sweep. 8 Memphis Grizzlies, No. The Bucks were the NBA's best regular-season team in each of the past two years, but they have failed to translate that to major postseason success. Nearly five years have passed since James named Leonard as the player who defends him best. But each faces a daunting path to the championship podium. The Clippers do present matchup issues for the Nets, having the ability to throw size, length and strength at each one of their stars. 1 defense, have the size and strength to wear out Lillard and McCollum, and between Davis, Andre Drummond, Montrezl Harrell and Marc Gasol, they can come at Nurkic in waves. After six “play-in” games, the 16–team bracket for the 2021 NBA playoffs is set. Sleepers. That third star also offers protection against injury. It’s the best time of the year to be a basketball fan. The Blazers then made those prognosticators seem prescient by winning Game 1 despite a masterful 23-point, 17-rebound, 16-assist triple-double by James. If any offense is up to that task, it probably isn't the Sixers' 13th-ranked group. As The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel put it: "Brooklyn has become Golden State East. 2021 NBA Playoffs Bold Predictions There will be no sweeps in the entire playoffs. Even if the Nets stars simply take turns running offense, that might be impossible to stop, as Durant, Irving and Harden all ranked in the 87th percentile or higher on isolation plays. Naturally, the top team in the running for the 2021 NBA Championship is the reigning champion Los Angeles Lakers. The first round of the NBA postseason is upon us. 7 Los Angeles Lakers. But no matter the opposing defense, Brooklyn can basically bank on getting 75-plus points from its talented trio. Dončić and the Mavericks beat the Clippers in Game 1, but L.A.’s defense didn’t lack the effort. © 2021 ABG-SI LLC. But there's something about these Knicks that make you want to believe. But how on earth can New York's 22nd-ranked offense deal with Philly's second-ranked defense? 7 Boston Celtics, No. 2021 NBA Playoffs: Celtics vs. Nets odds, line, picks, Game 1 predictions from model on 99-66 roll SportsLine's Projection Model simulated Nets vs. Celtics 10,000 times "I think our experiences with Team USA definitely helped," Durant told ESPN's Rachel Nichols. Look for the Knicks to throw everything available in Embiid's direction while sparing just enough to make Ben Simmons' life miserable in the half court. The Nets are obviously best at full-strength, but they wouldn't be doomed by losing one-third of their three-headed monster. 2 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 1667. 1 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. … "It might be the same. But you can't pick against L.A.'s stars this early. SI Gambling analyst Roy Larking breaks down the odds for the AFC East division champion, as well as each team's win total projections. Western Conference top-six odds Out West, these seven teams have at least a 40% chance to finish in the top six, per BPI: 1. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. The team everyone loves to hate, but mostly unbeatable.". What is the 2021 NBA playoff schedule? This looks like a coin flip, but the Clippers' superior shooting will be what settles this series. 2021 NBA Playoffs: Blazers vs. Nuggets odds, line, picks, Game 2 predictions from model on 99-66 roll SportsLine's projection model simulated Nuggets vs. Blazers 10,000 times 2021 NBA playoff picture: Standings, Play-In Tournament start, remaining games, predictions, where will Lakers finish? The Charlotte Hornets will travel to play the Indiana Pacers, followed by the Washington Wizards heading on the road for the Boston Celtics. He also won't want to leave Serge Ibaka, a career 35.9 percent three-point shooter, unattended away from the basket. . The 16-team field for the 2021 NBA playoffs is almost set. 6 Portland Trail Blazers, No. If Simmons can get downhill, he might find free paths to the basket. Clippers 24-14. 3 seeded Milwaukee Bucks will host the No. They might pick up a victory or two if Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton time their hot nights just right, and they could win the whole thing if James and Davis aren't physically right. After 72 games, the NBA regular season … The 2021 NBA Playoffs are set to get underway on Saturday, May 22 after the play-in tournament. With 72 games in the book for every team, we have large enough sample sizes to distinguish every team’s strengths and weaknesses. I'm not gonna lie to you," Antetokounmpo told reporters. But solo stoppers can only do so much against isolation artists like these. The No. Utah Jazz: 100% 2. This is an early (and easy) favorite for the most compelling matchup of the second round. Utah has the NBA's premier paint protector in Rudy Gobert, but L.A. is built to pull opposing bigs away from the basket. They instead buttered their bread with league-leading shooting rates from three (41.1) and the foul line (83.9). They'll probably need James to check Leonard or George, and then they'll hope a combination of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Wesley Matthews and Kyle Kuzma can handle the other. As WWE welcomes crowds back, a Kofi Kingston title pursuit would bring much-needed life to “Raw.”. Hey Atlanta Falcons! All stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted. Tack on Phoenix's lack of big-game experience—this will be the playoff debut for the young nucleus—and there are too much factors working against it. Finishing in the top six now carries more importance in each conference. Offense rules this league. Even if George and Leonard get to 60-plus, the supporting cast can't cover the distance. The 2020-21 NBA regular season is a wrap. At the top of the standings, the Philadelphia 76ers clinched the No. First round. The Nuggets will hide Jamal Murray's absence (torn ACL) as well as they can, but that's a lot to ask against a Portland team with the second-best offense and a middle-of-the-pack defense in May. 6 Miami Heat, No. The Jazz have been playing without their leading scorer Donovan Mitchell, so they will need him to return at some point in the playoffs to have a real shot. The Clippers had two cracks at the Nets during the regular season. Who knows.". Nikola Jokic and Michael Porter Jr. will put up huge numbers, but the Blazers will squeeze even more out of Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Norman Powell and a resurgent Jusuf Nurkic. The Utah Jazz have the best record in the entire NBA, but we can still consider them a sleeper based on where the oddsmakers have them listed. The Heat will go all out to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo, but that will leave them vulnerable to big games from Holiday and Khris Middleton. Phoenix Suns: 99.7% 3. The Lakers don't have that luxury. 2021 NBA Playoffs. But none of it will matter, as Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Brooklyn's top-ranked offense will make quick work of this Jaylen Brown-less Boston team. While there's more to stopping the Lakers than slowing down James, that's where a series victory starts for the Clips. But that was apparently enough to awaken L.A., which went on to win the next four games by at least eight points (and two by 20-plus). Breaking down what’s to come for the 14 teams that missed the playoffs. That's a tough ask, tougher than the Clippers utilizing Morris, Ibaka and Ivica Zubac to help contain Davis. The 16 participants in the 2021 NBA playoffs are all 16 wins away from a title. For now, it seems like a half-dozen or more title hopefuls could realistically get this done. No. And I think we all understand that.". 2021 NBA Playoffs: Grizzlies vs. Warriors odds, picks, play-in tournament predictions from model on 99-66 roll SportsLine's Projection Model simulated Warriors vs. Grizzlies 10,000 times If you're listening, SI Fantasy analyst Michael Fabiano has a short list of ideal trade destinations for Julio Jones. By. 2021 NBA … But Brooklyn formed its roster around the idea that no opposing attack will outscore its collection of point-producers four times in seven games. Both times they fell short, and in each contest, their stars were outscored by their counterparts. That could give an advantage to the Clippers' stars, but if they just break even with their counterparts, their supporting cast could be the difference. Yes, the defending champion Los …
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