The NBA Playoffs are in full swing right now. Sunday marks the second day of the playoffs, with four first games with tons of star power, injury question marks and even a sense of déjà vu. The Celtics and Heat faced off in a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, with the Heat continuing their incredible run all the way to the Finals. Probably not so much this time. And if we look back at the first rounds of the 2020 and 2021 postseasons, there are two close games between the Clippers and Mavs.
Big names such as Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Zion Williamson are missing all four games this week. But so far, those injuries have simply been fuel for the rest of the squad.
Odds, previews and expert picks for each Sunday's Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs, listed by tip-off time.
All odds are from BetMGM. Find great ticket deals on StubHub.
1st place Boston Celtics vs. 8th place Miami Heat
How to watch: Airs at 1pm ET on ABC.
Series odds: Celtics -3000, Heat +1300
Well, if you're a Heat fan, the odds aren't very good. Oddsmakers are predicting the Heat to play the Celtics, as they are likely to win the NBA title this year.
Miami displayed a smart defensive attack against the Chicago Bulls in Friday night's play-in win without Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier. Manager Erik Spoelstra replaced DeMar DeRozan with Bam Adebayo, which appeared to throw the Bulls off balance, but Tyler Herro fueled the offense with 24 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. The Heat won 112-91.
But needless to say, beating the 64-win Celtics is one thing, beating a 39-win Chicago team is a different ball game. Boston is looking to finally win with the dynamite duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and they finished the regular season with seven more wins than any other team in the league.
The Heat have eliminated Boston in two of the past four playoffs, and in those games they used Butler in “Playoff Jimmy” mode. Without him, it's hard to imagine this series lasting more than four or five games for Boston to earn a ticket to the next round.
Celtics vs. Heat expert picks
How to watch: Broadcast at 3:30pm ET on ABC
Series odds: Clippers +140, Mavs -165
This looks familiar. This will be the third time in the last five playoffs that the Clips and Mavs will meet in the first round, making it one of the most anticipated first round matchups. The odds reflect the fact that it should be a good competition.
We say it should. The Clippers won their postseason matchups in 2020 and 2021, but while some of the same players remain, these are two very different teams. The Clips are 2-1 against the Mavs this year, but haven't played against them since Dec. 20. And all of those games were played with Kawhi Leonard on the floor. Leonard is questionable for Game 1 as he is dealing with knee inflammation.
Dallas, on the other hand, has stars on the court, with The Athletic's Tim Cato calling it “the most talented roster of the Luka Doncic era.” The Mavs won 23 of the final 30 games of the regular season. (He did not play as a starter in the final two games.) In addition to an offense led by Kyrie Irving, the team brings the physicality that Doncic's teams of the past lacked, pounding down offensive rebounds and leading the league's defense since March. is showing. Ten.
Clippers vs. Mavericks Expert Pick
How to watch: 7pm ET on TNT
Series odds: Bucks +100, Pacers -120
The Bucks face two significant challenges in this game: injuries and pace. Giannis Antetokounmpo has reportedly been sidelined since the beginning of this series, and Damian Lillard is expected to return from rest after suffering a left adductor strain in the final game of the regular season. They will face All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and a Pacers team that is one of the fastest teams in the NBA.
Here's what Damian Lillard had to say about not going live until today and what was bothering him: https://t.co/NMo58PC2ay pic.twitter.com/Fi1ubZqjYZ
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 19, 2024
During the regular season, the Pacers led the league in scoring with 12.3 points per game, the second-fastest pace. As The Athletic's Eric Name pointed out, the Pacers picked up even more speed against the Bucks, scoring 128.8 points per game in five games this year, winning four of them.
“We've been working at that pace,” Bucks guard Malik Beasley said. “They're the No. 1 team scoring in the first eight seconds, we know that. Most of their points come in transition and in the paint, so we've reiterated this many times this week. , there are still a few days left.”
The Pacers' challenge will be protecting Lillard, who is an elite scorer, especially from deep, despite his recent injury. In the five games without Antetokounmpo, Lillard averaged 29.9 points and 7.6 assists per game. He didn't play that well in the four games he played against the Pacers, but this is the playoffs and Lillard has a lot of experience. The Pacers shouldn't sleep on Dame.
Bucks vs. Pacers Expert Pick
How to watch: TNT 9:30pm ET
Series odds: OKC -700, New Orleans +450
Zion Williamson's team finally appeared to be picking up speed in the first playoff game between the Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers. He looked like an unstoppable force with 40 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Then, the all-too-familiar brakes applied. Injured in the final minutes, Williamson will be out for at least a few weeks.
Still, in Friday night's home game against the Sacramento Kings, the Pelicans showed up and showed they can get a big win without their big man. The team won the game 105-98 thanks to great contributions from the non-star role players. The team's depth has been a driving force behind this year's playoff run, and it was on display again Friday as Naji Marshall, Jose Alvarado and Larry Nance Jr. combined for 34 points off the bench. The starting pitchers also played well, with Brandon Ingram scoring 24 points and Jonah Valanciunas scoring 19 points.
But now they face a 57-win OKC team that has a strong starting lineup of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Williams and Chet Holmgren. They are 2-1 against the Pels this year, holding New Orleans to 103.4 points per 100 possessions.
Thunder vs. Pelicans expert pick
More NBA Playoffs coverage
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2024 NBA playoff predictions: Celtics vs. Nuggets championship, early West upset, etc.
(Photo of Jayson Tatum: Erin Clark/Boston Globe via Getty Images)
