If you haven’t been following the NBA Playoffs, let’s get you caught up really quick!
Eastern Conference
#1 Detroit Pistons vs #8 Orlando Magic: If you thought that Detroit was too young to be this good throughout the regular season then find themselves down 3-1, you were right, like me. Until a fateful game 6 in Orlando when the Magic blew a 28 point lead and scored a total 19 points in the 2nd half to eventually allow the Pistons a breath of life heading back to Detroit. One of the biggest meltdowns you’ll see from a team with All Time Play-In Experience.
#2 Boston Celtics vs #7 Philadelphia 76ers: Major props to this Boston team who was without superstar Jayson Tatum for most of the regular season after suffering a leg injury in the 2nd round of the playoffs last season vs New York Knicks. Fear not as the 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown is still here to keep the ship right, and it was, until he was not enough to get past the veteran heavy Philadelphia squad lead by Joel Embiid, Paul George, Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey. Okay, Maxey is not really a veteran but might as well be after all this time.
#3 New York Knicks vs #6 Atlanta Hawks: Don’t ask me how these New York Knicks ended up being down 2 games to 1 to a historical Play-In team. Maybe I lost track that Atlanta has made an Eastern Conference Finals as many times as the Knicks since 2020. Who was on this Atlanta team? It sure wasn’t Trae Young because he’s been gone. Everyone who picked New York to finally make the NBA Finals would come this close to ripping up their winning ticket. Since game 4 of the first round, Jalen Brunson and the Knicks have been on a tear and haven’t lost a game since. I still wouldn’t be surprised if they were still looking over their should for that Indiana squad.
#4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #5 Toronto Raptors: I’m still waiting for the Cleveland Jazz to make a believer out of me. No disrespect to Donovan Mitchell’s talents as a superstar hooper in the NBA but for two years in a row we’re re-watching the remake of a fairly young team taking the regular season by storm only to sputter out in the middle of an anticipated playoff run. These were the years of the Utah Jazz in the hands of Donovan Mitchell. He can give you 45 points any time you want, but what is it going to take for the teams to take him seriously? Going seven games with the Toronto Raptors? Not likely.
Crowd Noise Weekly 