The playoffs have finally arrived in both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Hockey League (NHL). In the NBA, the play-in results were as entertaining as they could get. On Tuesday, April 14, the ninth-seeded Hornets faced the tenth-seeded Heat. Down by six with about two minutes to go, the Hornets came back to force overtime before winning in a thriller with LaMelo Ball driving to the hoop and scoring a layup with 4.7 seconds left. The Heat had the ball blocked by Miles Bridges, securing the win 127-126. In the later game that day, the Trail Blazers also came back late to beat the Suns 114-110 to secure the seven seed.
The next day, the 76ers beat the Magic 109-97, and the Warriors beat the Clippers 126-121. The final results on April 17 showed both the Magic and Suns deserved playoff spots, as they won by double-digit margins to get in as eight-seeds. The playoffs finally began on April 18. The first was between the Raptors and Cavaliers. The Cavaliers were the clear favorite, and they did not disappoint in the first game. The Cavaliers ended up winning 126-113 with Donovan Mitchell scoring 32 points alongside James Harden, who had 22.
The next game was arguably predicted to be one of the best series of the playoffs, with the Minnesota Timberwolves traveling to Denver to face the Nuggets. Denver won game one thanks to them getting to the free throw line 33 times compared to the Timberwolves 19. Jamal Murray got to the line 16 times, where he made every shot. He and Jokic combined to have a total of 55 points; those two are one of the scariest duos in the league. Later, the Knicks and Lakers held home court and won their game ones. The next day, the Celtics, Thunder, and Spurs took care of business by double-digit deficits; the one-seeded Pistons struggled shooting from the field at only 40.3%, and fell to the Magic 112-101 in a surprising eight-one upset.
The clear favorite to win the championship this season is the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are trying to win back-to-back NBA championships for the first time since the Warriors did in 2017 and 2018. The Thunder hold the second-best defense and lead the league in holding teams to a 43.7% field goal percentage. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a star who can consistently put up thirty-plus points per night, while Chet Holmgren is a good cushion. The Spurs, who finished second in the Western Conference, are led by Victor Wembanyama, who averages twenty-five points per game and is known to be one of the best rebounders. De’Aaron Fox can be a sneaky player who can also help the Spurs.
In the Eastern Conference, despite having the best record and being the number one seed, the Pistons have the fourth-best odds to make it to the finals. Detroit ranks third in the league in field goal defense and leads the league in three-point defense. However, questions remain on whether the team is too young to make a deep run. Detroit also lacks depth behind Duncan Robinson and Kevin Huerter. Boston is the favorite to win the East, with Jayson Tatum back and an experienced team. Boston holds the best defense in the league and has also shown consistency by making the playoffs twelve years in a row.
In the NHL playoffs, the first game of the day on April 18 started when the Hurricanes beat the Senators 2-0 in Carolina. The Wild beat the Stars on the road 6-1, the Flyers edged out the Penguins 3-2, the Avalanche beat the Kings 2-1, the Canadiens upset the Lightning 4-3 in overtime, and the Sabres beat the Bruins at home 4-3.
According to MoneyPuck, the Hurricanes have the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup at 14.9%, followed by the Avalanche and Golden Knights. The Avalanche are the top seed in the West and are averaging 3.63 goals in the league, which ranks first, as well as goalie Scott Wedgewood, who has only given up 2.40 goals per game. On the offensive side, Nathan MacKinnon has 127 points this year, which ranks third. The Stars’ goalie, Casey DeSmith, only gives up 2.43 goals per game, and Jason Robertson has 96 points on the season.
The Golden Knights finished the season 7-0-3 and have a consistent power play. Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone all finished with over 70 points on the season. The Oilers could be a scary threat, as Connor McDavid leads the league with 138 points, 90 assists, and 41 power-play assists. The Oilers have a 30.6% power play, which ranks first in the league. The Ducks are making their first playoff appearance since the 2017-18 season, but goaltending, lack of experience, and depth remain problems. The Kings are hoping Artemi Panarin and Adrian Kempe can step up, as the team lacks clear star power. In the Eastern Conference, the Sabres, Lightning, and Canadiens also have a good chance of making a run. The Flyers could be a dark horse if they continue playing at a high level.
Whatever the results show in both leagues, it has been an exciting year to see new teams develop and the history that has been made.
