This year’s NBA playoffs officially kicked off Saturday, April 16. The teams going head to head include the top eight teams from both the western and eastern conference that hold the best winning record over the course of the 2015-’16 season. The teams compete in the first round, conference semi-finals, conference finals, and finals, all with a common goal- to win a championship.
The top team from this year’s NBA playoffs is none other than the defending champions, the Golden-State Warriors. After winning their first ring in 40 years last year, the Warriors are still proudly on top. With the help from their Most Valuable Player (MVP), Stephen Curry, and coach Steve Kerr, they managed to finish the season with a 73-9 record- the best in NBA history.
In the first round, the Warriors are currently facing the top eighth team of the western conference- the Houston Rockets. Led by shooting guard, James Harden, the Rockets earned a spot in the playoffs after winning their last game, to finish with a 41-41 record. They also finished fourth in the southwest conference, compared to being a top spot in the southwest conference the previous year.
Based on reports from various sports broadcasters and critics, the Warriors have a 97 percent change to defeat the Houston Rockets, and advance to the conference semi-finals- where they will face the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers series.
“When you have a team that is as together as ours is and cares about each other like ours does, you tend to pick up the fight a little bit. Our guys sense that we need to come together,” Coach Steve Kerr said.
The top winning team of the Eastern Conference is the Cleveland Cavaliers. After losing to the Warriors in the NBA finals last year, they are back and better than ever. During the 2015-2016 regular season, they finished 57-25, their best record in five years. With the help of their captain and four time MVP Lebron James, the Cavaliers also have the number one spot in the central division.
This past Sunday,the Cavaliers swept their opponents, the Detroit Pistons, 4-0 in the first round in the playoffs. This was the first playoff appearance for many of the Pistons players, for the Pistons haven’t competed in the NBA playoffs since 2009.
“We said this would be a great experience for our guys. It has been, as has really the last five or six weeks of the season fighting to get in. We’ve played a lot of pressure basketball games. I do think we have to get better” Head Coach of the Detroit Pistons, Stan Van Gundy, said.
Now the Cavaliers will advance to the conference semi-finals and face the winner of the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics matchup.
With the NBA having such a historic and exhilarating regular season, there is no doubt that the playoffs will bring that and more, and a championship for a well deserving team to top it all off.
