NBA Playoff Picture 2023: Latest updates Monday, 1st May
The NBA playoff picture for the second round has been completed. With the Golden State Warriors' Game 7 victory over the Sacramento Kings, every second-round matchup has been finalized.
The Warriors needed Steph Curry to score 50 points to avoid elimination, which showed how tough the Kings were. In the Western Conference semifinals, the Dubs will play against the LA Lakers as we get another matchup between Curry and LeBron James.
In the East, the Miami Heat took homecourt advantage from the New York Knicks. They had a pyrrhic victory in Game 1. While the Heat took a 1-0 series lead, they lost Jimmy Butler to an ankle injury.
Two second-round games in the NBA playoffs have already been played
The Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets both have a 1-0 lead in the second round. The Heat defeated the Knicks, while the Nuggets took care of business against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.
In fact, the Nuggets-Suns series will continue on Monday. The two teams will play Game 1 in the Mile High City at 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Denver was unstoppable in the series opener, but we'll see what Kevin Durant and his squad have prepared for the upcoming matchup.
The Suns were 17-24 on the road during the regular season, while the Nuggets were 34-7 at home.
The second matchup on Monday night will be between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. This is another exciting series, but the Celtics will have a huge advantage since Joel Embiid is not healthy and may miss Game 1.
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There have been many injuries so far in the 2023 NBA playoffs, but Boston has managed to stay healthy. Many stars, from Giannis Antetokounmpo and Embiid to Tyler Herro and Julius Randle, have missed significant games, which gives the Celtics an edge.
The Celtics were 3-1 against the 76ers in the regular season. However, each game was decided by single digits and was very competitive. Game 1 of the Celtics-76ers series begins at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
The Warriors and the Lakers will play their first game of the series on Tuesday at 10 p.m. Eastern Time. Considering the history between Steph Curry and LeBron James, this will be another interesting matchup.
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Interestingly, the Warriors-Lakers series is the only series that has a game every other day. Considering that both teams have played at least six games so far in the postseason, they'll likely be exhausted after the first two or three games of the series.