Enjoy Basketball presents: What next? An updated look at each playoff series
The Heat, Lakers and Knicks could close out their first-round series tonight, but what’s in store for the rest of the league?
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Hey, everyone! If you haven’t noticed, there’s been a lot of basketball going on recently. We’re not really sure how you wouldn’t have noticed, but no judgment. Live your life! We’re here to walk you through how each playoff series has gotten to where it is, and what they might look like from here on out. Let’s get to it!
Warriors (2) vs. Kings (2)
Isiah Thomas says he expects the Kings-Warriors series to go the full 7 games.
Who must we speak to about extending this series to a best-of-11 instead of best-of-seven? Because we simply can’t get enough. Everything fans have dreamed of for this series has become reality — the stars are delivering (Steph Curry and De’Aaron Fox are both averaging 31.5 ppg) and the games have been thrilling — three out of the four games have been within one point during the fourth quarter.
As always seems to be the case in the postseason, role players have been the extra push necessary to get wins. Would Sacramento still have prevailed in Game 1 without Malik Monk’s 32 points? How close would Game 3 have been if Kevon Looney didn’t grind his way to 20 rebounds and a career-high tying 9 assists?
If you’re a fan of popular tropes, then you’d say this series hasn’t technically started yet; a road team has yet to win a game. Stealing one game on the road could be what ultimately determines who moves on. But we don’t even want to think of this series being over.
Knicks (3) vs. Cavaliers (1)
Looking ahead to Game 5 of the Knicks-Cavaliers series, where should New York focus in order to move on?
Your friend who loved the “hard-nose defense” of the 1990s NBA is probably having the time of their life watching this Knicks vs. Cavaliers series. A team has scored over 100 points three total times, bodies are flying all over the place, and every possession feels like the most important moment of the game — until the next possession.
Mitchell Robinson’s stats don’t jump off the page (6.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game) but his impact absolutely cannot be overstated. He’s held his own against Cleveland’s massive interior presences of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and his rim protection (eight blocks in the last three games) has been vital in a series where every basket matters.
Donovan Mitchell has solidified himself as one of the most clutch postseason performers over the course of his career. Cleveland will need a good dose of “Playoff Spida” magic if they want to crawl their way back into this series.
Celtics (3) vs. Hawks (2)
Players and coaches from the Hawks and Celtics talk after Atlanta's surprising Game 5 comeback.
Down the stretch of the regular season, Atlanta’s calling card was a high-flying offense. And down the stretch of Game 5, that offense was fully unlocked. With Trae Young (38 points, 13 assists, clutch baskets) running the show, Atlanta showed what they’re capable of when all parts are working in unison. As a team, they shot 19-for-41 from deep — that’s 46%. While it may sound like a big request, coach Quin Snyder’s team will likely need to keep putting up gaudy numbers like that if they want to continuously keep pace with an elite Boston unit.
On possessions when Boston gets a touch in the paint, they’re shooting 76.6%, along with averaging over a point per paint touch — the only team in the postseason with that distinction. Stopping a team that possesses so many guys who feel comfortable with the ball in their hands isn’t easy, and Boston has looked extremely comfortable on the offensive end. Joe Mazzulla’s team can get to any spot on the floor they desire right now.
Which trend will continue in Game 5? Can Atlanta’s offense keep the momentum flowing at home and extend this series, or will Boston’s efficiency (61.8% TS) send the C’s to a second-round showdown with Embiid & Company?
Heat (3) vs. Bucks (1)
Jimmy Butler ties a career-high 56 points to lead the Heat to a comeback win over the Bucks to take a 3-1 series lead.
Game 4 of Bucks vs. Heat flew in to try and capture the “best game of Round 1” title like a WWE elbow drop off the top rope. What appeared to be the Brook Lopez Game for the first three quarters very quickly evolved (or devolved, if you ask a Bucks fan) into THE Jimmy Butler Game.
Before the play-in tournament, we said that Miami always has a chance for greatness as long as Jimmy Butler can still take over a series. Quick shoutout to Jimmy for making us look really smart by scoring 56.
Miami had the fourth-worst 3PT% in the NBA during the regular season. But they’ve been uncharacteristically blistering from deep in the first four games on this series, hitting almost 48% of their longball attempts (60/126). Pair that shooting with Jimmy Butler’s propensity for outrageous playoff performances, and suddenly Miami looks like a tough out for any opponent.
This series is tough to call; Giannis Antetokounmpo returned last night and posted a triple-double. Betting against the Greek Freak doesn’t seem like a logical decision– but neither does betting against Jimmy Butler. If Miami can keep shooting the way they have been, the Bucks will need some heroic performances if they hope to avoid a first-round upset.
Lakers (3) vs. Grizzlies (1)
LeBron James comes up clutch in the 4th quarter and OT to power a Game 4 win and a 3-1 series lead on Memphis.
How do you follow up a defensive performance like the one Los Angeles put forth on Saturday night, a game in which they lead 35-9 after the first quarter? Well, this is the playoffs after all, so you first have to assume that the next game won’t be nearly as comfortable (it wasn’t.) But after winning Game 3 with relative ease, LA showed they can win tight too; an OT victory that included clutch plays from multiple sources has the Lakers on the brink of a second-round appearance.
How does Memphis get back into this series? Causing some havoc on defense will help. The Grizzlies were near the top of the league in forcing turnovers, generating steals, and protecting the rim during the regular season– and though DPOY Jaren Jackson Jr posted five blocks on his own in Game 4, the team as a whole hasn’t been quite as disruptive as they’re capable of being.
