The NBA Playoffs are finally upon us, and after weeks of tightly contested fights for seeding in both conferences, we finally know who is playing who. The Western Conference playoff race was one of the most exciting in recent memory as five teams finished within two games of each other, and a rare elimination game for the final spot between the Timberwolves and the Nuggets lived up to the hype as the game went into overtime and came down to clutch free throws in the final seconds. Today, I am going to be using my wide range of basketball expertise to predict the winners and number of games of each playoff matchup in the first round.

Western Conference

1. Houston Rockets versus Minnesota Timberwolves - Result: Houston wins 4-1

The current stacked state of the Western Conference is shown in full display by this matchup as, despite being a #8 seed, the Timberwolves have a fantastic team with two all-stars in Jimmy Butler and Karl Anthony-Towns and a perennial all-star in Andrew Wiggins.

Despite its star-studded roster, Houston’s 3-point heavy offense will be too much for the Wolves to handle as the team has struggled defensively throughout the season. However, the talent on Minnesota’s roster is too great for them to get swept, so I can see them winning a game through some big-time performances, such as the 31 point performance by Butler in the final game of the season.

2. Golden State Warriors versus San Antonio Spurs - Result: Warriors win 4-0

Despite their recent struggles in the absence of star point guard Steph Curry to an MCL sprain, the Warriors are still one of the top two teams in the NBA and should easily be able to handle a San Antonio squad which is still missing Kawhi Leonard. The playoffs are a whole new kind of basketball and even without Curry who will most likely miss the entire first round, the trio of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green along with an awesome bench should easily sweep this overachieving Spurs team, even with the brilliance of Coach Pop.

3. Portland Trail Blazers versus New Orleans Pelicans - Result: Pelicans win 4-3

I and many other NBA fans did not expect this Portland team to even make the playoffs in a tough Western Conference, let alone the #3 seed. However, Anthony Davis has been on a tear since the All-Star Break and when he is hot like I fully expect him to be throughout the playoffs, there is very little opposing defenses can do to stop him. I expect some great performances from Davis and the Blazers’ Damian Lillard, but I believe Davis’ offensive versatility and defensive presence will be too much for Portland to handle.

4. Oklahoma City Thunder versus Utah Jazz - Result: Thunder wins 4-2

Much like the Blazers, the Jazz is a team that overcame a lot of adversity after losing some key pieces in the offseason including star forward Gordon Hayward, led by rookie Donovan Mitchell and defensive monster Rudy Gobert.

On the other hand, the Thunder, a team that was expected to compete with the Rockets and Warriors for the top seeds after acquiring two-star players in Paul George and Carmelo Anthony in the offseason, was only guaranteed a playoff spot in the final days of the season. Nonetheless, I expect George and Anthony to shake off the slumps which have affected them throughout the season, and for Westbrook the play like the physical anomaly that he is, allowing them to eliminate the Jazz fairly easily in six games.

Eastern Conference

1. Toronto Raptors versus Washington Wizards - Result: Raptors win 4-1

Although Kyle Lowry and Demar DeRozan of the Raptors have had some awful playoff performances in the past couple of years, I expect that to change this year as the team has an awesome bench which should take a lot of the load of the two-star players. The Wizards are a good team with great young players like John Wall, Bradley Beal, and Otto Porter Jr., but the team seems to have a lot of chemistry issues and I cannot see them stealing more than one game in this matchup.

2. Boston Celtics versus Milwaukee Bucks - Result: Celtics win 4-3

This is a Boston team which is not as strong as its #2 seeding indicates. Star player Kyrie Irving and backup center Daniel Theis are out for the entire playoffs, and Marcus Smart is not expected to make a return until the very end of the first round at the earliest.

Despite these injuries, Brad Stevens is a coaching genius and he was able to maintain the #2 seed throughout the season through his great defensive schemes and fluid offensive sets. Giannis Antetokounmpo will certainly be on a mission to show the world that he will soon be the one of the best, if not the best basketball player on the on the planet through some high-scoring games, but I still believe that the Celtics’ defensive will lead them to win in seven games.

3. Philadelphia 76ers versus Miami Heat - Result: 76ers win 4-2

Despite losing superstar center Joel Embiid to an orbital fracture on March 28, the Sixers finished the season on 15-game win streak led by transcendent rookie Ben Simmons. I expect some vintage performances from Dwyane Wade and a motivated Hassan Whiteside to be a huge presence in the paint for Miami, but this 76ers team clicks so well together than I cannot see them losing to a team like the Heat without any true star-level players, especially once Embiid returns.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers versus Indiana Pacers - Result: Cavaliers win 4-0

Every year the fall of Lebron James as the greatest basketball player in the world is anticipated, and every year he reminds all his haters why he is not done holding this position anytime soon. Indiana has some great young talent like Victor Oladipo and Myles Turner, but this series will not be anything except valuable experience for its young core as I see the King easily dismantling Indiana in a sweep.