Western Conference
#1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs #8 New Orleans Pelicans
(OKC wins 4-0)
Short and sweet. With no Zion Williamson, the Pelicans honestly stood no chance. Although initially, I believed this would go five or six games(with a healthy Zion), I cannot say I am surprised by this sweep. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to lead not only his own coming-out party but the arrival of this new iteration of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Jaylen Williams is also making his mark, as he has been considered a top two or three contributors to this team. Sam Presti has once again built something special; from top to bottom, this team is promising. We’ll see how far they take it this year.
#4 Los Angeles Clippers vs #5 Dallas Mavericks
(DAL wins 4-2)
Act iii. The Clippers and Mavs have slowly brewed into one of the spiciest playoff rivalries of the post-COVID era. Starting back in 2020 during the first round of the playoffs with the Clippers beating the Mavs in six games, then again in round one during the 2021 playoffs in a hard-fought seven-game series, this series has maintained the plot. Although Kawhi Leonard has been out all but one game this series, which the Clippers lost, James Harden and Paul George have been doing their best to pick up the slack while the six-time all-star, two-time champion, and two-time finals MVP sits out nursing a right knee injury. For the Mavs, the backcourt duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are finally clicking and paying dividends. Luka is learning to trust his teammates and defend with the same care as offense. Kyrie has molded himself into the exact complementary player Luka needs and is striving to be, especially in the fourth quarter or whenever Luka is on the bench.
#3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs #6 Phoenix Suns
(MIN wins 4-0)
Ant-Man. Is there anything else to say? The 22-year-old, two-time all-star has taken the basketball world by storm, and this series was the official invite to all who’ve missed the “Anthony Edwards” party. He’s officially on the map, and signs show he’ll be here for a while. Changing the entire mindset and fortune of the franchise, Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves to a sweep over his G.O.A.T and idol, Kevin Durant, and the Suns to advance to the second round of the playoffs. This series win marks the first for the franchise since 2004, two decades ago. Their franchise player, Anthony Edwards, was only two years old then. The Suns have another disappointing season, and Durant falls short again, not having much to show post-Golden State-era. This Off-season will be a tight one for Phoenix.
#2 Denver Nuggets vs #7 Los Angeles Lakers
(DEN wins 4-1)
This series did not disappoint, as it was a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals. If you ask me, this series had the most variations of outcomes. Each game could have gone either way, with the Lakers leading at halftime in every single game. For 165 minutes of the series, the Lakers led yet still lost, with Denver only having the lead for 59 minutes. They say, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, and that proved true here.