The conclusion of the NBA season is fast approaching, and the playoff landscape is taking shape week by week. Much of the attention is on top contenders like Oklahoma City, Boston, Cleveland, and Denver. While higher-seeded teams are generally favored to succeed in the postseason, surprises are always possible. Lower-seeded teams can gain momentum heading into the playoffs and create upsets along the way.
Jalen Brunson and the Knicks hold the third seed as of now. Not much attention is given to New York because of the juggernauts that sit ahead of them in the standings. Madison Square Garden’s environment will help them in a long series. Jalen Brunson is a proven playoff performer alongside Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks would’ve booked their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals last year if not for injuries.
The Indiana Pacers were the surprise team in the playoffs last year, although they were defeated in a short five games by the Celtics. The Pacers put up a tough fight, and many of those Eastern Conference Finals games were extremely close. Tyrese Haliburton is a great player, Pascal Siakam is solid and brings a playoff resume to the team. The Pacers are seeded low, but teams should not overlook them.
Everybody seems to sleep on Milwaukee too often. Giannis’ MVP caliber campaign is being overshadowed by SGA and Jokic. This team looks different without long-term Buck Kris Middleton in Washington. The new addition, Kyle Kuzma, can help relieve some of the scoring load off of their All-NBA superstar. Much of the focus is on Giannis and his stellar stats, but when playoff time comes, Giannis might not be who Milwaukee wants taking clutch shots. Damian Lillard should have the ball in those late-game situations.
The Eastern Conference is highly overlooked due to the Western Conference’s depth of competitive teams, however the East has Boston and Cleveland, two juggernauts. The East has proven playoff performers such as the Bucks, Celtics, and Knicks, and they also have young and upcoming teams like the Cavs, Pistons, and Pacers. The East contains Dark Horses that were listed in this article that could surprise many come playoff time
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