Who Is In The Nba Playoff?

The NBA playoffs are underway and there are plenty of great matchups to watch. But who is in the playoffs? Here’s a look at the teams that made it to the postseason.

The teams

The Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks have the best records in the NBA, and they’re on pace to have the best records in the Eastern Conference. The Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets have the best records in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league’s Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, an arena shared with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League. The franchise began with the 1947 purchase of a disbanded team, the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). The new team began playing in Minneapolis, calling themselves the Minneapolis Lakers. Initially a member of the NBL, the Lakers won the 1948 NBL championship before joining the rival BAA as it renamed itself to the NBA.

Milwaukee Bucks

As the top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Bucks swept the Detroit Pistons in the first round and will face the winner of the Boston Celtics-Indiana Pacers series in the conference semifinals.

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They were established in 1995 as part of the NBA’s expansion into Canada, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies. The Raptors play their home games at the Scotiabank Arena, which they share with the Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are an American professional basketball team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of the league’s original eight teams, the team play their home games at TD Garden, which they share with the National Hockey League (NHL)’s Boston Bruins. The Celtics are one of the most successful teams in NBA history; they have won a record 17 NBA championships, which accounts for 24% of all championships in NBA history and are by far the most successful franchise by number of championships won. They have played in 13 NBA Finals, winning nine of them.

The players

The NBA playoffs are an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of the NBA’s regular season to determine the league’s champion. This year’s playoffs will feature 16 teams, 8 from each conference, who will compete in a best-of-seven series.

LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James (/ləˈbrɒn/; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history. Discussions ranking him as the greatest basketball player of all time have often ensued, with frequent comparisons to Michael Jordan. James played high school basketball at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his home city of Akron, Ohio, where he was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar. A prep-to-pro, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 as the first overall draft pick. Named the 2003–04 NBA Rookie of the Year, he soon established himself as one of the league’s premier players; winning the NBA Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) in 2009 and 2010. His successes on the court have led to numerous endorsements off it, making him one of the world’s highest-paid athletes.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the Bucks’ leading scorer and rebounder, and was named an NBA All-Star and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard (born June 29, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played two seasons of college basketball for the San Diego State Aztecs, and was named a consensus second-team All-American as a sophomore. He was selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, but was traded to the San Antonio Spurs on draft night.

In his seven seasons with the Spurs, Leonard became a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, was selected to three NBA All-Star teams, and was named NBA Finals MVP during their 2014 championship run. He was traded to Toronto in 2018. In his first season with the Raptors, he helped them win their first NBA championship in franchise history, and was again named Finals MVP.

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Riverside County, California, Leonard played recreational basketball as a child. He attended King High School before transferring to Martin Luther King High School his junior year. He played varsity basketball for both schools, and led King to its first California Interscholastic Federation state championship in over 50 years. As a senior in 2009–10, he was regarded as one of the best high school players in America; he won numerous awards including being named a McDonald’s All-American.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Andrew Irving (/ˈkaɪri/; born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named NBA Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. A five-time NBA All-Star, he won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Irving grew up in West Orange, New Jersey and played college basketball for Duke University before being selected by Cleveland. He has also played for the United States national team, winning gold medals at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The match-ups

The first round of the NBA playoffs is always an exciting time as the best teams in the league face off against each other. This year is no different as we have some great match-ups.

Lakers vs. Bucks

This is the second straight year that the Bucks and Lakers will face off in the playoffs. In 2019, the Lakers won in six games. The two teams have never met in the Finals.

The Lakers had the best record in the Western Conference during the regular season and are coming off a lost to the Clippers in which they blew a 3-1 series lead. The Bucks had the best record in the NBA during the regular season.

The Lakers are led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Bucks are led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is the reigning league MVP.

Raptors vs. Celtics

The Toronto Raptors are in the playoffs again and they are matched up against the Boston Celtics. The Raptors have been great this season, but the Celtics are always tough in the playoffs. Who will win this matchup?

The predictions

Lakers in 6

The Lakers are in the playoffs and they are predicted to beat the Clippers in 6 games.

Bucks in 5

The Milwaukee Bucks will close out their first-round playoff series against the Detroit Pistons in five games, according to predictions from ESPN’s panel of experts.

The Bucks have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, which shifts to Detroit for Game 3 on Friday night.

ESPN’s panel is made up of 10 NBA experts, including former players and coaches, and Insiders. They are asked to predict how each first-round series will play out.

Here are the predictions for the Bucks vs. Pistons series:

• Bucks in 5 (8 votes): Goldwire, Hill, Jackie MacMullan, Marks, Olney, Pippen, Shelburne

• Bucks in 6 (2 votes): Anderson

No one is predicting that the Pistons will win the series.

Raptors in 7

The Toronto Raptors are in for a battle in the first round of the NBA playoffs. They will be up against the Brooklyn Nets, a team that is full of strength and experience. The Raptors are the favorites to win the series, but it is going to be a close one.

Celtics in 6

If the Celtics can stay healthy, they should have no problem dispatching the young, up-and-coming Sixers in six games. The Sixers have a lot of talent, but they are still a few years away from being true contenders.

The Celtics will then likely face the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. The Bucks are the best team in the East, and they will be a tough matchup for anyone. However, the Celtics have already beaten the Bucks twice this season, and they have the experience and talent to take them down in a seven-game series.

Boston will then probably take on the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Raptors are another very talented team, but they lack postseason experience. The Celtics should be able to take advantage of that and win in six games.

Finally, the Celtics will likely face off against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The Warriors are obviously a tremendous team, but the Celtics have all of the pieces to beat them. They have two All-Stars in Kyrie Irving and Al Horford, as well as a number of other very good players. The Warriors will be favored, but don’t be surprised if the Celtics win it all in seven games.