NBA PLAYOFFS FIRST ROUND FRENZY
By: Jerry Humphrey III
The time has finally come and after one of the shortest seasons we’ve seen due to the late start in December, the NBA playoffs are finally upon us. Basketball fans everywhere can finally see the
best teams battle it out till there’s one team left holding the Larry Obrien trophy in July.
Prior to the playoffs starting the NBA conducted a play-in tournament between the 7-10th seeds
in the Eastern and Western conferences. The play-in idea was first introduced last season during the NBA Bubble to determine the final playoff spots.
This year’s play-in was chaotic and filled with all types of drama. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors to lock in the 7th seed and the Memphis Grizzlies defeated
the Warriors to lock in the 8th seed. In the East, the Boston Celtics defeated the Washington Wizards to lock in the 7th seed and Washington Wizard defeated the Indiana Pacers to get the
final 8th seed.
Western Conference First Round Matchups
- Utah Jazz vs Memphis Grizzlies
- Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers
- Los Angeles Clippers vs Dallas Mavericks
- Portland Trail Blazers vs Denver Nuggets
Eastern Conference First Round Matchups
- Philidelphia 76ers vs Washington Wizards
- Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics
- Miami Heat vs Milwaukee Bucks
- New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks
In the Lakers pursuit of winning a back-to-back championship and hanging up banner 18 up in the legendary Staples Center arena, the road will not be easy. With the world opening back up
from Covid-19 protocols fans are now allowed to spectate game like usual. Having the raucous energy back in the stands will play a big role in this year’s playoffs. The playoffs have arrived
and we’re definitely in for a treat these next two months.
