Who’s Still in the NBA Playoffs?

The NBA playoffs are in full swing and there are only a few teams left fighting for the championship. Who’s still in the running?

The teams

The NBA playoffs are down to four teams: the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets, the Boston Celtics, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. These are the teams that have fought their way through the regular season and the first two rounds of the playoffs. Who will be the last team standing?

The 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 in the Pacific Division. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, an arena shared with the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women’s National Basketball Association. The Lakers are one of the most valuable franchises in the NBA and have been a part of the league since its inception in 1946.

The Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and play at the Fiserv Forum. Former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl was the long-time owner of the team, but on April 16, 2014, a group led by billionaire hedge fund managers Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry agreed to purchase a majority interest in the team from Kohl, a sale which was approved by the NBA on May 15. The sale returned the Bucks to local ownership for the first time since Kohl acquired majority control in 1985.

On April 30, 2019, Mike Budenholzer was hired as head coach of the Bucks, replacing former interim head coach Joe Prunty. Under Budenholzer’s leadership in his first season, the Bucks won 60 games for just the sixth time in franchise history and earned their first playoff berth since 2015. In addition, Giannis Antetokounmpo was named MVP, becoming just the third Buck to ever win that honor after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. The following season resulted in more success for Milwaukee as they won a franchise record 63 games. They also advanced to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2001 where they ultimately lost to eventual NBA champions Toronto Raptors in six games despite leading 2–0 and 3–2 in the series.

The 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 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. Since their inaugural season, the Raptors have finished last in their division only three times (in 1996–97, 1997–98, and 1998–99), and have qualified for the playoffs eleven times. As of 2019, they have won five division championships and one conference championship.

The 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 played their home games at Boston Garden until 1993. The Celtics then moved to the new TD Garden, which they currently occupy.

The Celtics have a storied history, winning a record 17 NBA Championships, with their most recent title coming in 2008. Their legendaries include Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, and Larry Bird. The franchise has also produced many other Hall of Fame players who contributed to their success throughout the years including Kevin McHale, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo. Today, the Celtics are coached by Brad Stevens and led by All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving.

The players

As the NBA enters the home stretch of the playoffs, the field has been whittled down to just a few teams. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, and Boston Celtics are all still in the running for the NBA title. But who are the players that have been carrying their teams throughout the playoffs?

LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James Sr. (/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 basketball players in NBA history. James has won four NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, four NBA Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals. He has also been selected to 17 NBA All-Star teams, 18 All-NBA teams, and 12 NBA All-Defensive teams.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo, nicknamed the Greek Freak, is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m) tall and plays as a small forward and point guard. Born in Athens, Greece to Nigerian parents, Antetokounmpo began playing basketball professionally in Greece at age 18 for Filathlitikos B.C. in the Greek second-tier level Greek A2 League.[3] In 2013, he was drafted 15th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft.

In 2017, he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player and led the Bucks to their first playoff appearance since 2001. He is a two-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team in 2019. He is also a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming just the third player in history to win both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Anthony Leonard (/kəˈwaɪ/; born June 29, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers 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 Spurs on draft night.

During his seven seasons with the Spurs, Leonard became one of the best defensive players in the NBA and was named to three NBA All-Defensive Teams. He was also a two-time All-Star during his time with San Antonio. In 2016–17, he became one of only three players to win Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season. He was subsequently traded to Toronto in 2018 where he spent one season before signing with Los Angeles in 2019.

In Leonard’s first season with the Clippers, he led them to their first ever playoff appearance since 2006[2] and helped them attain their first ever playoff series victory against his former team, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies in six games during the 2020 NBA First Round.[3][4]

Jayson Tatum

Jayson Christopher Tatum (born March 3, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft by the Celtics. He plays the small forward and power forward positions. Born and raised in Saint Louis, Tatum attended Chaminade College Preparatory School before playing one season of college basketball for Duke University.

In his rookie season, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie team. Tatum has also been selected to represent Team USA at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

The matchups

The first round of the NBA playoffs is complete and we are now down to the final 8 teams. In the West, the Golden State Warriors will take on the Houston Rockets and in the East, the Toronto Raptors will face off against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Lakers vs. Bucks

In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers are facing off against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers are the defending champions, and they have superstar LeBron James leading the way. The Bucks have one of the best players in the league in Giannis Antetokounmpo, and they are looking to dethrone the Lakers. This should be a great series.

Raptors vs. Celtics

The Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors are set to face off in the second round of the NBA playoffs. The Raptors have been on a roll lately, winning 14 of their last 16 games. The Celtics, on the other hand, have struggled as of late, losing four of their last six games.

This matchup is sure to be a close one. The Raptors are led by All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry, who is averaging 22.8 points and 7.5 assists per game. The Celtics are led by All-Star small forward Jayson Tatum, who is averaging 23.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Both teams are evenly matched and it should be a great series. Be sure to tune in!

The predictions

It’s down to the wire and the NBA Playoffs are in full swing. Who’s still in it and who’s out? The Warriors are out and the Raptors are in. The predictions are in and the experts are weighing in.

Lakers vs. Bucks

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. The Lakers are coming in as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, while the Bucks are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. This is a matchup of two of the best teams in the NBA, and it should be a very competitive series.

The Lakers are led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, who are two of the best players in the league. James is a four-time NBA MVP, and he is looking to win his fourth championship with the Lakers. Davis is one of the best defenders in the league, and he will be key for the Lakers in this series.

The Bucks are led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is the reigning NBA MVP. Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the world, and he will be a tough matchup for the Lakers. The Bucks also have a very good supporting cast, which includes Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe.

This is going to be a great series, and it should be a lot of fun to watch.

Raptors vs. Celtics

Raptors: The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association, as a member of the league’s Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. The team was founded in 1995 as part of the NBA’s expansion into Canada.

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.