Like in every other sports season the playoffs are the most exciting part of the season. This year’s NBA playoffs have been nothing short of a cinema. The league is in a rare position, in the middle of two generations, where the young teams and veteran dynasties are competing against each other. For some teams this might be their last chance to win it all, and for others it is their first of many appearances to come.
The East
The main conception in the media this season is that the Eastern conference has been a walk in the park for the good teams compared to the warzone of a Western Conference. However, that statement does not do justice to the first round of the playoffs. Although there were many blowouts, sweeps (when one team beats another team 4-0), and gentleman sweeps (when a team beats another team 4-1), it was still a pleasant surprise.
Last year the Pistons were one of the worst teams in the history of the NBA and only won 14 games. This year a switch flipped. Led by star Cade Cunningham they found their way into the playoffs completely avoiding the Play-In Tournament. The young Pistons team is feisty, resembling the “Bad Boy” Pistons of the 90’s that every team was afraid to play because of their hot-headedness and physicality. 2025 has gotten into many scuffles on the court but still has been able to compete. In the first round of this year’s playoffs, they were matched up with the 3-seed knicks who were a force to be reckoned with. With a strong backcourt in Jalen Brunson and frontcourt in Karl Anthony-Towns they did not really stand a chance but were still able to force a game 6.
In another matchup, The Eastern Conference favorites, the Boston Celtics, did not disappoint. They sent the Magic home in a gentleman’s sweep. However, the Magic did show lots of good signs, and they will be contenders in a few years. For the magic this was an eye-opener and a learning experience of what it takes to be the best.
champions home in 5 games as well, meaning they had eliminated them two years in a row. That meant that the bucks had been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the third year in a row. This is exciting because this means that there will probably be some movement in the organization and two-time Bucks MVP could possibly find a new home.
The first-seed versus eighth-seed matchup was the only series that looked completely unfair. The Heat lost their star Jimmy Butler in a trade that sent them to the Warriors following a statement where he said he felt no joy in playing for the organization. It came as no surprise that they got swept. However, the Heat do have a good trio in All-Stars Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, and Bam Adebayo. Hingham High School Freshman Kwaku Oppong shared, “I think this year was a disappointment for the Heat, but I think this trade will work out in the long run. This trio will run the NBA in a few years and will be unstoppable.” Kwaku brings up a good point that sometimes trades will make a bigger impact in the future than in the present. In fact, most teams make trades for this reason.
The West
The West without a doubt is the better conference. This is immediately apparent in looking at the standings because the Suns super team did not even make the play-in. This is where the clash of the veterans and the new guys is the most apparent.
Arguably the most anticipated match-up of this year’s playoffs, The Timberwolves and the Lakers. The Lakers were able to get Luka Doncic this year in exchange for Anthony Davis in one of the biggest trades in NBA history. A lot of people thought this would immediately win the Lakers a championship because they had Lebron and Doncic both top five in the league right now. It was obvious Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards thought otherwise, hee dazzled the world by gentleman sweeping the Lakers. This matchup is increasingly more symbolic because Lebron is the face of the league right now, after all he is arguably the best of all time, while people believe Anthony Edwards will be the new face of the league. Therefore, this series was sort of the passing of the torch from Lebron to Anthony. Like the Heat trade, many think the Lakers trade was made for the future of the organization not for the present. In fact the media is saying that the Lakers would have done better if they had not traded Anthony Davis. Still this loss stings for Lakers fans and Lebron Fans. Hingham High School Freshman Sebastian Stefani admits, “I really thought they were going to win the championship and definitely not lose in the first round. It is sad seeing one of LeBron’s last opportunities burnt to the ground.” Still this chaotic series is one of many in the conference.
What was not a heartbreak for many was the Thunder and Grizzlies matchup. Highly controversial player Shai-Gilgeous Alexander swept Ja Morant and the Grizzlies. This has made the Grizzlies a laughingstock because Ja Morant once said, “We’re fine in the West” meaning he was not worried about anyone beating them. This first round win helps cement Shai’s historic season and further demonstrates why he should win the MVP.
On the other hand, the Rockets and Warriors series was not a blowout at all like the Thunder and Grizzlies. The young Rockets team forced a game 7 against the Warriors team that has won 4 championships in the past 10 years. This series has been nothing short of a physical battle. Game two made headlines because of the dirty plays that were made. Players were punching, shoving, and pushing each other. This always seems to happen to the warriors in the first round. Some people are fans of this fighting saying that the NBA is too soft and this is what fans want, while others argue that this sport should not involve as much confrontation. The warriors play the Rockets Sunday night at home and there is no doubt the entire world will be watching.
Last but definitely not least, the Nuggets and Clippers matchup. This has been the most surprising match-up so far. The Nuggets are led by 3-time MVP Nikola Jokic who seems to not care about the game at times but still puts on a masterclass. The Clippers on the other hand have been under-whelming. They have James Harden who is an egotistical star who is no longer in his prime but still drops big games and Kawhi Leonard who would probably be the best in the league if he was not so injury prone. This has been surprising because no one thought that the Clippers would stand a chance but some way they have forced a game seven. Kawhi and Harden have been playing in sync the last couple games. They will be tested once again tonight as they fight to advance.
The second round kicks off tomorrow in the east with the Pacers playing the Cavaliers followed by the Knicks and Celtics the day after. The West is still chaotic as the Clippers and Nuggets play tomorrow for the chance to play the Thunder and the Rockets and Warriors fight to play the Timberwolves. This season has been one of the better ones compared to the last couple years and it is interesting to see the veterans and the new guys compete against each other. Many have said the NBA has fallen off compared to other sports leagues but I think this game-shaking playoffs will bring it back into the spotlight.
