NBA Playoffs: First spherical tips-off with 4 blockbuster clashes | CNN

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After 82 common season video games every, and a play-in recreation for the Atlanta Hawks, all of it comes all the way down to this.

The NBA playoffs start this weekend, with 16 groups vying for the title, and 4 mouthwatering first-round matchups will tip-off on Saturday.

These two groups performed one another simply final week when the Nets succumbed to a 134-105 defeat in opposition to the 76ers, though Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges was the one starter to play for both crew on that event so it will likely be a complete totally different line-up on Saturday.

However Philadelphia will nonetheless start its first-round sequence because the overwhelming favorites after ending the common season 54-28, its finest report for greater than 20 years.

It can additionally welcome again stars James Harden and Joel Embiid, on this season’s MVP shortlist, after they have been rested for the tip of the common season.

Embiid’s type has been electrical in direction of the tip of the season, averaging an NBA-best 33.3 factors per recreation over the past 18 video games, a charge solely matched by Shaquille O’Neal in 1999-2000.

The Nets, in the meantime, have a 14-18 report since February, a month during which additionally they traded Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks and Kevin Durant to the Suns in February.

Regardless of utterly redesigning their roster, they rallied on the final second, profitable six of their final eight video games to clinch the No.6 spot and make the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.

The Nets shall be decided to banish the ghosts of final season’s first spherical sweep within the playoffs however will face an uphill battle.

Tip-off is at 1p ET.

Contemporary from a shock victory in opposition to the Miami Warmth within the play-in event, the Atlanta Hawks will face the defending Jap Convention champions, the formidable Boston Celtics.

The Celtics are a whole crew, rating second in each offensive and defensive effectivity within the common season, simply the third crew in 27 seasons to achieve the highest three on each ends of the ground. The 2014-2015 and 2016-17 Warriors are the one different groups to realize this, and each received the NBA championship.

With Jaylen Brown returning to the Celtics after a finger laceration alongside star ahead Jayson Tatum, the Celtics shall be favored to win the sequence however there are cracks within the crew – they rank ninth in offense since December – and the younger Hawks present a troublesome impediment.

“They’re a troublesome crew,” Brown mentioned, based on NBA.com. “I feel they’ve plenty of athleticism that may trouble us. We have now to return out and deal with our enterprise and be actually detailed. They acquired plenty of vitality. They’re hungry. They’re younger. I’ve been in that place, being an underdog, being a younger crew on this league, and trying to make a reputation for your self. So we’ve got to be able to go.”

Atlanta’s offense has been notably potent in direction of the again finish of the season – since Quin Snyder turned head coach on February 6, his crew have had the fourth handiest offense within the NBA, marshalled by Trae Younger who leads the league in whole assists.

The sport begins at 3:30p ET.

The Knicks will head to Cleveland on Saturday for Sport 1 of one of many first spherical’s most fascinating matchups.

At its heart is Donovan Mitchell who Cleveland acquired in a blockbuster commerce this summer time after he had beforehand been linked to the Knicks, his hometown crew, till “they quickly walked away” from commerce talks, based on ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

However the Knicks have been dealt a blow to their hopes of proving that was the best determination as they is likely to be with out star ahead and main scorer Julius Randle who suffered a sprained ankle in opposition to Miami Warmth on March 29.

Already this season, Randle has change into the primary participant to common 25 factors per recreation for the Knicks since Carmelo Anthony in 2013- 2014 however his crew mentioned on Friday that the two-time All Star is “questionable” for Sport 1 at Cleveland.

Randle’s health shall be central to New York’s possibilities in opposition to the Cavs, who’re one among solely three groups, alongside the Celtics and 76ers, to have a top-10 offense and protection this season.

Led by Mitchell, whose postseason 28.3 profession factors per recreation rivals the NBA’s largest names ever, the Cavs have an in any other case inexperienced crew with Darius Garland and Evan Mobley making their postseason debuts, whereas Jarret Allen and Caris LeVert have each solely reached the first-round of the playoffs.

Tip-off is at 6p ET.

Sacramento will play its first ever postseason recreation for 17 years on Saturday, snapping the league’s longest ever playoff drought.

With Mike Brown – the previous affiliate head coach of the Golden State Warriors – on the helm this season, the Kings have redefined themselves as one of many NBA’s most fun offenses, averaging an astonishing 120.7 factors per recreation, presently the very best report within the league.

Domantas Sabonis’ playmaking and De’Aaron Fox’s velocity has proved to be a very deadly mixture for the Kings, and shall be central to any hopes of defeating Golden State.

However Brown and his aspect will face a troublesome check in opposition to his former crew, the defending champions who boast the league’s second-highest scoring offense.

On the Warriors’ final outing, they have been on glowing type, setting a brand new NBA report with 55 factors within the opening quarter as they dismantled the Portland Path Blazers.

The Splash Bros – Klay Thompson and Steph Curry – led that effort, with Thompson sinking 5 three-pointers within the first 5 minutes of the sport, and their playoff nous is unparalleled following 4 title wins.

“I don’t see a crew who can beat us in a seven-game sequence once we’re wholesome,” Thompson mentioned final week based on ESPN, regardless of the crew’s combined fortunes this season.

Tip-off is at 8:30p ET.