Photo by Kylie O Sullivan / Unsplash
By Charles Collier
On Saturday April 19, 2025 round 1 of the NBA Playoffs will begin. The matchups are as follows:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Cleveland vs. (8) TBD (winner of the play-in game between Miami and Atlanta)
(2) Boston vs. (7) Orlando
(3) New York vs. (6) Detroit
(4) Indiana vs. (5) Milwaukee
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(1) Oklahoma City vs. (8) TBD (winner of play-in game between Dallas and Memphis)
(2) Houston vs. (8) Golden State
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota
(4) Denver vs. (5) LA Clippers
On April 18, 2025, at 6 pm, Miami and Atlanta will meet in the Eastern Conference play-in game. The Heat is led by former Whitnall High School star and Greenfield native Tyler Hero. Three-time NBA All-Star, Bam Adebayo, must play well if the Heat upset Atlanta. The Hawks need point guard, Trae Young, to play at his best to win. Young has averaged 21.3 points, 9.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in 23 games against the Heat in his career. The Hawks will be without the services of Milwaukee native and up and coming star Jalen Johnson. He is out for the season with a shoulder injury. This game should be close and exciting. I’m picking Miami in an upset. The Hawks are 1-point favorites to win.
Dallas will match up against Memphis in the Western Conference play-in game. Memphis needs key contributions from point guard extraordinaire Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. to beat Dallas. Ja Morant is questionable to play in this game after suffering an ankle injury against the Warriors. Jaren Jackson Jr. must defend Anthony Davis well to boost his team’s chances of winning. Davis is the heart and soul of the Dallas Mavericks, and he must have a huge game for them to advance and face Oklahoma City in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Mavericks will win; the Grizzles are 6-point favorites to win.
The Bucks face the up-and-coming Indiana Pacers in round 1 of the NBA playoffs on April 19, 2025. The Bucks received great news. Damian Lillard has been medically cleared of deep vein thrombosis and is expected to be available in the series. Sports experts haven’t given the Bucks a snowball’s chance in hell to win this series. I vehemently disagree! Look for Milwaukee to pull off the upset. The Milwaukee Bucks have more playoff experience than the Indiana Pacers and possess the two best players on the court, Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis is a legitimate MVP candidate this year and has put up eye-popping stats. Giannis averaged 30.4 points, shot 60% from the field, grabbed 11.9 rebounds, and handed out 6.5 assists per game. Wisconsin native, Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers supporting cast will be no match for the Bucks. I opine; that the Bucks will win the series in 7 games.
The NBA playoffs will be exciting this year. I predict SGA and the Oklahoma City Thunder will win this year’s NBA Championship over the Boston Celtics.