BASKETBALL action heats up as the NBA playoffs go deeper and deeper.
I have been following the league over You Tube, watching those 12 minute highlights of past games, something that enables people to spend less time on the boob tube but getting the same results, and I am happy the PBA has also followed suit in this area.
So who will make it in the end?
Despite losing to the Los Angeles Clippers in Game 5, I believe the Golden State Warriors will successfully defend its NBA crown against any team from the East even if basketball fans say the Eastern teams are the hungrier teams.
In the East semis, the Boston Celtics collide with the Milwaukee Bucks and I think, the Celtics will prevail here.
As long as Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Gordon Hayward can play together as one, the Bucks cannot win against them.
Milwaukee, however, should be the hungrier team, having won its only championship in the early ‘70s behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nee Lew Alcindor.
Boston has been contending for the title regularly since the trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen led them to the championship in 2008 against the Los Angeles Lakers, which in turn has been shocked this year by its failure to make it to the playoffs despite acquiring LeBron James in a move now being questioned by basketball fanatics.
In the other matchup in the East, its the .Philadelphia 76ers facing the Toronto Raptors.
This is going to be a tough series but I will go with the 76ers whose All-Star trio of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler (plus Tobias Harris and JJ Redick) is very much capable of bringing the team to the next level.
If you ask Toronto fans, however, this is supposed to be their big year after their “disappearing acts” in the past years in the early stages of the playoffs. But sorry, history will repeat itself I believe despite the talent and ability of Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol and Kawhi Leonard.
In the West, the Houston Rockets have wrapped up their series against the Utah Jazz and, once again, MVP favorite James Harden and Chris Paul were superb and unstoppable.
But sorry guys, I believe the Warriors are still the more superior team led by Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
DeMarcus Cousins suffered an injury but Andrew Bogut was there to fill in his spot. Of course, there are these very dependable relievers like Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.
The dark horse of the playoffs is the Portland Trail Blazers who eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder, disappointing Russell Westbrook and Paul George’s fans once again.
The Blazers lost the services of center Jusuf Nurkic to injury but Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum were awesome in the playoffs so far.
Portland faces either Denver Nuggets or San Antonio Spurs. Regardless, I think Portland’s momentum will carry them through but will fall short of making the NBA Finals.
All of these are my opinion only but I would like to see a Warriors-Celtics finale.
But going beyond the finals, fans are already anticipating a busy free agency market this year.
Will Durant, Thompson and Cousins stay with the Warriors? Will Kawhi and Kyrie sign with another team?
A lot of answers will depend on the results of this year’s playoffs but whatever happens, expect major changes happening especially with the Lakers.
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