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With the regular season over, it’s time to do business in the Orlando bubble.
The Portland Trail Blazers rounded out the NBA play-off roster with their play-in victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
Now Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks, LeBron-James-led Los Angeles Lakers, and Kawhi Leonard’s Los Angeles Clippers are among the teams vying for supremacy at Walt Disney World Resort.
With the playoffs set to start on Monday, we’re using STATS data to preview the first round series.
Eastern Conference
Milwaukee Bucks (1) vs. Orlando Magic (8)
In preparation for their first NBA championship since 1971, the Bucks embark on the opening series in a fight for form.
The Bucks, who went 52-8 in their first 60 games, recorded a 4-9 win-loss ratio in their last 13 games – becoming the first team in NBA history to have more losses in from their last 13 regular season games they did in the entire season before that.
Inside the bubble but in familiar surroundings, the Magics are fortunate enough to face a playoff drought, even if the odds are stacked against them.
Not since 2010, the Magic haven’t won a playoff series. Orlando swept the Charlotte Bobcats and Atlanta Hawks en route to the Conference Finals, before losing to the Boston Celtics. The Magic have since suffered first-round outings at the hands of the Hawks (2011), Indiana Pacers (2012) and Toronto Raptors (2019).
Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Brooklyn Nets (7)
Defending champions the Raptors have form on their side in the pursuit of back-to-back championships.
Toronto has gone 27-5 in its last 32 games, by far the best NBA record in that span – ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder (21-10), Los Angeles Clippers (20-10), Bucks (20- 11) and Celtics (21-13).
Nets star Spencer Dinwiddie has been one of the most captivating players this season, making seven NBA starts in the last minute of the fourth quarter or in overtime.
Dinwiddie’s seven-for-13s are better than the Denver Nuggets ‘Nikola Jokic (five), Donovan Mitchell and Nuggets’ Jamal Murray (both four).
Boston Celtics (3) v Philadelphia 76ers (6)
The Celtics renew hostilities with rivals the 76ers, having won the last four series between the two teams – Philadelphia has not won a series against Boston in the playoffs since 1982.
Philadelphia’s hopes will rest on Joel Embiid in the absence of injured compatriot Ben Simmons, who is the only player in NBA history to average 8.0 rebounds and over 8.0 assists per game for his career.
The 76ers are 35-22 (0.614%) with Simmons on the squad, while they are just 7-8 (0.467%) without the Aussie star on the pitch. Philadelphia is also allowing more opposition points per game in his absence – 113.6 to 107.2.
Indiana Pacers (4) vs. Miami Heat (5)
All eyes will be on Indiana’s TJ Warren, who has averaged 31.0 points per game with an effective 0.664 field goal percentage this month after the restart.
Since 1985-86, players with over 30.0 points and an effective field goal percentage of 0.650 over in one month (minimum five games played) are Charles Barkley (1990), Stephen Curry (2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019). , Antetokounmpo (2017 and 2019) and Karl Anthony-Towns (2019).
Along with heat pair Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson, Miami is the first NBA team to have two undrafted players averaging over 13.0 points per game in the same season – at least 70% of team games. disputed – since the Philadelphia Warriors in 1956-57 (Joe Graboski and Neil Johnston).
Western Conference
Los Angeles Lakers (1) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (8)
Making their first playoff appearance since 2013, the Lakers – who have a 74.6% chance of winning this series using Stats Perform’s advanced simulation tool – are one of the favorites to go all the way thanks to to James and Anthony Davis.
James and Davis combined well in Los Angeles, where the former provided 184 assists for the All-Star rookie this season – the most one-player in 2019-20, ahead of Damian Lillard in Hassan Whiteside (132). Three-time champion and four-time MVP, James is also the second-oldest player to average 10 or more assists in a season in NBA history, with Steve Nash averaging over 10.0 assists. in each of its last three campaigns.
This will be the second playoff meeting between James and Carmelo Anthony. James and the Heat knocked out Anthony and the New York Knicks in the first round in 2012. Both averaged 27.8 points in the series. James was the first overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, while Anthony was the third pick. Their clashes date back to high school, when LeBron was at St. Vincent St. Mary’s and Carmelo at Oak Hill Academy.
Portland man of choice Lillard leads the NBA in scoring inside the bubble at 37.6 per game, including the play-in game. The Trail Blazers star is averaging 46.3 points in his last four games after a career-high 61 against the Dallas Mavericks earlier this month. He contributed Portland averaging 126.0 points per game, a league-high, at Walt Disney World Resort, while the Lakers managed just 106.4 points per game – the second-worst behind the Wizards. from Washington.
What about most points per game for team-mates? Lillard and CJ McCollum (52.2) are second behind James Harden and Russell Westbrook (61.5) but ahead of James and Davis (51.4), third.
Los Angeles Clippers (2) vs. Dallas Mavericks (7)
Can Leonard claim back-to-back NBA titles after leading the Raptors to their first champion last season? Well, it all starts against the Mavericks.
Leonard – the MVP of the 2019 Finals – has averaged 27.1 points per game this season, a career-high, while averaging 30.5 in last year’s playoffs . The four-time All-Star has also averaged 31.0 points per game in three games against the Mavericks this season, with the Clippers sweeping the series this season.
Led by Luka Doncic, the Mavericks have the second best offensive rating of all time – 113.7 – behind last year’s Golden State Warriors (113.9). The Clippers are 111.1, tied with the Trail Blazers for second place this season.
Doncic is averaging 30.0 points, 10.1 assists and 9.7 rebounds in the bubble. The reigning rookie of the year also has three triple-doubles, including a 20-rebound triple-double.
Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Utah Jazz (6)
A jazz team touting Joe Ingles and Mitchell are the top three-pointers at 38.0%, although Utah has scored 2-5 in their last seven regular-season games – allowing more than 110 points per match.
Rudy Gobert is also a shy 250 career double-doubles as the Jazz look to avenge their season sweep at the hands of the Nuggets, although each game was decided by six points or less.
The Nuggets reached the conference semifinals last season, ending a five-year playoff drought. Jovic will be the key for Denver, averaging 7.0 assists per game for a second straight season – the most of any crosses in the NBA.
Houston Rockets (4) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (5)
It will be a reunion as Harden, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul face off against their former teams.
The Rockets have reached at least the second round of the playoffs in three straight seasons and their hopes will depend on the team’s five starts – their starters are averaging 89.1 points per game, the most in the league.
The former Thunder Harden star also just finished his third straight season averaging 30 or more points per game (34.3 in 2019-20). He is the franchise’s all-time leader in playoff assists (510) and second in points (2,061) behind Hakeem Olajuwon (3,727).
Westbrook, who arrived from the Thunder in a successful trade early in the season, is Oklahoma City’s all-time second in the playoffs (2,489), behind Kevin Durant’s 2,620, third in rebounds (686), first in assists. decisive (778)) and first in interceptions (184).
The Thunder, with former Rockets guard Paul, haven’t progressed beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2016 after taking a 3-1 lead over the Warriors in the conference final.
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