The Miami Heat clinched the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 112-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. Miami will face the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the first round on Sunday.
The Eastern Conference playoffs are now officially decided. Introducing matchups and pairings for the postseason, which begins Saturday.
Eastern Conference Playoffs Photos
1st place Boston Celtics vs. 8th place Miami Heat
4th place Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5th place Orlando Magic
2nd place New York Knicks vs. 7th place Philadelphia 76ers
3rd place Milwaukee Bucks vs. 6th place Indiana Pacers
The winners of the 1/8 matchup and 4/5 matchup will meet in the semi-finals. The other semi-final is 2/7 vs. 3/6.
1st place Boston Celtics vs. 8th place Miami Heat
It will be a difficult matchup for the Heat, as superstar Jimmy Butler is out for several weeks with a sprained MCL. But to Miami's credit, they are a tough team that has found a way to experience playoff success with their backs against the wall.
The Heat had an exceptional performance on Friday, with Tyler Herro recording a near triple-double (24 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists). But it will take big contributions from him, Bam Adebayo and others to beat a 64-win Celtics team that is the clear favorite to win the NBA title.
4th place Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5th place Orlando Magic
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been plagued by injuries throughout the season, but they are finally healthy for the playoffs. This is bad news for the Orlando Magic. The Orlando Magic are already enjoying a great season, winning 13 games since last year.
On paper, this looks like a first-round win for the Cavs, but don't count this Magic team out just yet. This team has a strong defense (ranked second), and Paolo Banchero is turning into a bona fide superstar. This isn't a red carpet for the Cavs heading into the semifinals.
2nd place New York Knicks vs. 7th place Philadelphia 76ers
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson averaged 37.8 points per game over his last 10 games. Simply put, he's on fire and has a good chance of leading the Knicks to the playoffs, largely due to his accomplishments, no matter who the team is playing.
Philadelphia will be a tough battle. This is not a true No. 7 seed, and the team's record has been dented by Joel Embiid being sidelined for more than two months with a torn meniscus. He's now back and playing a lot of minutes with a healthy 76ers and could be a classic matchup here.
3rd place Milwaukee Bucks vs. 6th place Indiana Pacers
The Milwaukee Bucks entered this year expecting to win a championship, but after a disappointing year with 49 wins (and 17 wins and 19 losses), those hopes appear to be far from being realized.Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo You may miss it He's been out with a calf injury this entire playoff series, putting Milwaukee in even more danger.
On the other hand, the Pacers' offense (2nd in rating) and pace (2nd in the NBA) could cause serious problems. What's more, Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton has crushed the Bucks (27.0 PPG, 11.APG per game) in five games, so it's certainly possible that the hot streak will continue here.
