By Darnell Sallins
The NBA Conference Finals are set after a thrilling conference semifinal of the NBA Playoffs. In the Eastern Conference Finals is the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. In the Western Conference Finals is the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks.
East Finals: Boston Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers
In the East Finals, the Top-seed, Boston Celtics should be able to defeat the Indiana Pacers relatively easy in this one. The Pacers are a fun, exciting, young team to watch, but the Celtics have been knocking on the door for that 18th championship for years now. This is the Celtics best opportunity to capture that NBA-record 18th title with the most talented team left in the playoffs.
However, the problem with the Celtics, is that they seem to come into games without a care in the world. This postseason only has two of those incidents, as they were their 1st and 2nd round series in 5 games instead of 4 games. The one game they lost in both series were Game 2s at home inside TD Garden in blowout fashion.
That display without a care in the world mentality, could what make this East Finals with the Pacers a long one. With the Pacers, they are one most explosive offense in the NBA, leading this postseason with 114.2 PPG. The Pacers are shooting 50.7% from the field and 38.1% from deep. The Pacers problem is that they relied heavily on their offensive explosive because they are terrible on defense statistically. The Pacers allow 110.8 PPG this postseason. Allowing teams to shoot 46.8% from the field and 40.1% from deep. While the Celtics is on the top defensive teams remaining in the postseason allowing 96.7 PPG.
Even though the Pacers are a fun team to watch, the Celtics can end the Eastern Conference Finals in 5 games if they want to and that's the question of the East Finals. How quickly do the Celtics want to advance to the NBA Finals? Especially, if Jayson Tatum wants to be the face of the National Basketball Association
West Finals: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Maverick
In the West Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves, coming off a thrilling 7-game series with the Denver Nuggets thus eliminating the defending champions. On the other side is the Dallas Mavericks who knocked off the Top-seed in the West, Oklahoma City Thunder. This series has the potential to go the full 7-game distance.
The Minnesota Timberwolves stunned the world by beating the champs in the Mile High City in Game 7 of the West Semis. Anthony Edwards is a superstar and looking to become the face of the NBA and to the masses, is well on his way. One of the top defensive teams in the postseason only allowing 99.6 PPG with teams shooting 45.7 from the field and 35.7 from deep. The Timberwolves held the champion Nuggets under 100 points 4 times out of the 7 games played and the Wolves won all 4 games including 3 games in Denver.
Now, the Dallas Mavericks are back in the West Finals for the 2nd time in 3 years, but this go-around feels different. The Mavs eliminated Top-seed Thunder in 6 games and the role players played a key role. Luka Doncic doing Luka Magic things on bad knees. Kyrie Irving has been p and down performance wise but has been the leader of the team. PJ Washington has come into his own this postseason. Washington has become the 3rd scorer for the Mavs averaging 14.3 PPG on 45.3% shooting from the field and 40.7 from deep. Washington topped 20 points in 3 of the 6 games against the Thunder and proved to the be different for the Mavs.
This Western Conference Finals can go either way. The one of the top defenses in the NBA against the dynamic duo of Luka and Kyrie. There 2 guys fighting to be the face of NBA in Edwards and Doncic and thus looking to these men to do battle. Edwards come out and said he is looking forward to defending Kyrie Irving though and that is another matchup to watch. This series has all the makings to the distance with Game 7 being in the Twin City of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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