NBA Playoff Bracket, Teams, Predictions, Format, and More

The NBA Playoffs are finally here! Contenders like the Milwaukee Bucks and play-in teams like the Toronto Raptors will head into this competition determined to shock the world and run through their conference on their path to championship glory.

The Play-In Tournament will get kicked off on Tuesday Night, with the winner of the 7-8 seed games advancing to the postseason as the No. 7 seed and the loser entering a win-or-go-home with the survivor of the 9-10 game. Beyond that, it’s classic best-of-7 chaos that we have come to love.

In a year where there have been very few dominant teams poised to run away with the title, anything could happen. Will upsets by teams like the Raptors reign supreme, or will the favorites blitz through their schedule relatively unchallenged?

NBA Playoff Bracket, Teams, Predictions

Play-In

• No. 7 Miami Heat vs. No. 8 Atlanta Hawks
• No. 9 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 10 Chicago Bulls
• No. 7 Miami Heat vs. No. 9 Toronto Raptors

The Heat can play some ugly basketball at times, making them a perfect contender to fall victim to a Trae Young scoring barrage in the first play-in game and come up with enough timely stops to beat an inconsistent Raptors team in the next.

• No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves
• No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans vs. No. 10 Oklahoma City Thunder
• No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans

The Timberwolves won’t be able to beat LeBron James and the Lakers without the suspended Rudy Gobert, but they might have enough talent around them to beat a banged-up Pelicans team and advance to the next round of the postseason unscathed.

First Round (Best of 7)

• No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 8 Miami Heat
• No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Atlanta Hawks
• No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 6 Brooklyn Nets
• No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 New York Knicks

The Bucks and Celtics should be able to pound the play-in winners into submission, while the 76ers will likely advance despite the possibility that the Nets will make this a very tough, close series. Cleveland and New York is expected to be a war, but the depth the Cavs have might seal the deal for them.

• No. 1 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves
• No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
• No. 3 Sacramento Kings vs. No. 6 Golden State Warriors
• No. 4 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers

Nikola Jokic and Ja Morant are good enough by themselves to take over and win this series without a ton of consternation. The Kings might shoot their way past the Warriors, while the Clippers lack the health needed to topple Phoenix.

Second Round (Best of 7)

• No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers
• No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers
• No. 1 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 4 Phoenix Suns
• No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 3 Sacramento Kings

The Joel Embiid machine might be too tough to stop at this point in time, though the same could be said of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jokic might run into a Kevin Durant-led buzzsaw in Phoenix, while the Kings have enough pixie dust left over for an upset.

Conference Finals (Best of 7)

• No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers
• No. 4 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 3 Sacramento Kings

We’re getting Suns-Bucks Part 2 here, as the combination of an All-Time star player and solid depth around them is enough to push them to the championship forefront.

NBA Playoff Bracket: NBA Finals

NBA Finals (Best of 7)

• No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 4 Phoenix Suns

Giannis vs. KD is a great battle of wills, but KD and Devin Booker will get the edge here.