The top seeds in the two conferences are vastly different teams in terms of playoff experience. The Boston Celtics have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in five of the last seven seasons, but the Oklahoma City Thunder haven't made the playoffs since the 2019-20 season and haven't won a playoff series since 2016. Not yet.
Both teams will be in action for the start of the second series on Tuesday. The Celtics hosted the Cleveland Cavaliers and just won Game 7 against Orlando. The Thunder will host the Dallas Mavericks and the formidable duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. After easily winning the first round of the series, how will the top seeds fare against a stronger opponent?
Here's a look at Tuesday's NBA playoff games, along with staff picks, odds, and previews.
All odds are from BetMGM. Find great ticket deals on StubHub.
4th place Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 1st place Boston Celtics
How to watch: 7pm ET on TNT
Series odds: Celtics -1400, Cavs +800
In Cleveland's seven-game winning streak over Orlando, the home team won every game. Boston is 14-14 at home in its last 28 playoff games. With Boston hosting Cleveland, is this a situation of forces that can be moved and objects that can be stopped?
Perhaps that's squeezing too much content out of the story about Boston's postseason woes at home. The Celtics dominated the lowly Heat four times out of five in the first round, and Miami needed an insane shooting performance to win the game in Boston. Boston, on the other hand, still needs to prove that this team is different than it has been in years past.
Kristaps Porzisis could miss the entire series with a calf injury, leaving Boston without a key asset. That's comparable to Cleveland's Jarrett Allen, who missed the final three games of the first round. Allen is expected to return sooner, and Cleveland will need him. Allen averaged a double-double during the regular season, scoring 17 points and grabbing 13.8 rebounds per game in the first four games with Orlando.
Even with Porzisis out, Boston is a double-digit favorite to win Game 1 and a heavy favorite in the series. Of his four series this round, Boston is by far the biggest favorite.
During the regular season, Boston won two of the three meetings, with the home team winning all games. All three games were decided by single digits.
Cavs vs. Celtics expert picks
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5th place Dallas Mavericks vs. 1st place Oklahoma City Thunder
How to watch: TNT 9:30pm ET
Series odds: Thunder -120, Mavs +100
For both teams, this series will be the first test of what their current key players can do in the postseason. This is obviously a first for this young Thunder group, but it's also a first of sorts for Dallas as well.
The Mavericks have two superstars in Doncic and Irving, and while neither of them are making their first playoff appearance at this point, this will be the first time for both of them. He looked pretty good against the LA Clippers, but Kawhi Leonard's injury put a question mark on the significance of that series.
The Thunder looked good in the first round as well. They defeated the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans.
However, Dallas and Oklahoma City both played teams lacking stars. Hopefully that doesn't happen in this series and we get to see what the ceiling is for both teams.
Can OKC's young core take down two of the most talented players in the league? All five players who averaged double-digit points in the first round are under the age of 25.
Can Luka and Kyrie reach the conference finals in Dallas? The duo scored 52.6 percent of the Mavericks' points in the first round.
Doncic and Irving each missed two of those games, but the Thunder won the regular season series 3-1. Dallas won by 35 points in the only game in which both teams played.
OKC enters as the favorite to win Game 1 and the slim favorite to win the series. A series lasting seven games is only +195, so expect a long series.
Experts pick Thunder Mavs
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(Kyrie Irving Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
