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If the 2024-25 NBA playoffs started today

January 20, 2025 Ed Andaya 205 views

THE 2024-25 NBA season is now on its halfway mark.

And while there are still plenty of games left in every team’s calendar in the next two months, it’s never too early to take a look at the playoff picture.

The top two teams in each conference — the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder — are clearly the big favorites come playoff time.

But the rest of the teams, like crowd favorites Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, are still in the thick of the fight for playoff positions.

Here’s what the playoffs would look like if the regular season ended today.

Eastern Conference

No. 1. Cleveland Cavaliers (34-6) vs No. 8 Detroit Pistons (21-20)

Despite an embarrassing 114-134 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the highly-anticipated battle between the league-leading NBA rivals last Thursday, Cleveland remains as the team to beat in the suddenly-competitive

Easterrn Conference.

And why not?

The Cavs are 34-6 — the best record in basketball. They are also a league-best 20-2 at home.

The starting five of Donovan Mitchell (22.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.4 apg), Darius Garland (21.0 ppg, 6.8 apg), Evan Mobley ( 18.6 ppg,8.8 rpg), Jarrett Allen (14.1 ppg, 10.1 rpg), and Caris Levert (11.1ppg, 3.8 apg) is also among the best of the best.

Detroit is doing well at No. 8 with a 21-20 record, with former No.1 pick Cade Cunnigham now fully embracing his role as the team”s franchise player.

Cunninghamis doing it all with 24,4 points 9.4 assists 6.5 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks for the Pistons, who were mired in a 28-game losing streak just a year ago.

Providing ample support are Tobias Harris (13.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.5 apg) and Jaden Ivey (17.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg).

Still, the Cavs will have too much firepower come playoff time.

Advantage: Cavs

No. 2 Boston Celtics (28-12) vs. No. 7 Atlanta Hawks (21-19)

Despite starting their title defense at 21-5, the Celtics are now 7-7 over the last month — and one C.J. McCollum near-buzzer-beater away from being 6-8, on the franchise’s first three-game losing streak since the 2022

The Celtics have also lost four of their last seven games at the TD Garden where they lost just four regular-season home games.

But expect the Celtics to play like the Celtics when it matters.

Expect Jayson Tatum (27.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists,1.2 steals) and Jaylen Brown ( 23.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.7 apg) to carry the fight for the third-running Celtics.

With Trae Young, the Hawks are always in good hands.

Young is averaging team-highs of 23.1 points, and 11.9 assists in 37 games.

But even Atlanta fans will admit the Hawks need to do a lot more to stand a chance against the Celtics, similar to what Dyson Daniels did when he scored a career-high 28 points and Onyeka Okongwu when hetipped in a missed shot with 6.1 seconds left in Atlanta’s come-from-behind 117-116 win over Boston last Nov. 12.
Advantage: Celtics.

No. 3 New York Knicks (27-15) vs. No.6 Indiana Pacers (23-19)

The Knicks-Pacers quarterfinal series could be one of the most interesting matchups in the first round of the playoffs.

Both teams have the star players to keep the series truly fun to watch — Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges for New York and Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin.

The two teams split their two regular season games, with one more coming Feb. 11.

The Knicks drew first blood, 123-98 but the Pacers struck back, 132-121.

Last year, the Pacers set an NBA playoff record by shooting 67.1 percent from the field for a Game 7 victory in their Eastern Conference semifinals showdown.

But the Knicks have improved a lot with Brunson’s rise and Town’s entry.

Advantage: Knicks.

No. 4 Milwaukee Bucks (22-17) vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic (23-19)

Led by two-time MVP Gianni Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Mlwaukee is a lot different team since winning the NBA Cup over thr Oklahoma City Thunder.

Antetokounmpo is playing like the Antetokounmpo of old.

The 6-10 “Greek Freak” is averaging 31 points, 11.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 33 games this season.

Lilard is just as deadly with averages of 25.0 ppg, 7.2 apg and 4.4 rpg.

For the Magic, a lot will depend on the performances of ,Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.

The Bucks also hold a 3-0 record over the Magic, winning114-109, 109-106 and 122-93.

Advantage: Bucks.

Western Conference

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (34-7) vs. No. 8 Minnessota Timberwolves (21-19).

Like Cleveland in the East, Oklahoma City is playing its best basketball in recent memory.

And a big part of that impressive 34-7 record has been Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is enjoying the best year of his career so far.

The 26-year-old Canadian is averaging a league-best 31.6 points a game plus 6.0 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 2.0 steals.

His supporting cast of Jalen Williams (20.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 5.2 apg), Chet Holmgren (16.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.6 bpg) and Isaiah Hartenstein (11.1 ppg, 12.21 rpg, 4.1 apg) make the Thunder an even more dangerous team capable of winning it all.

At 21-19, Minnesota is hanging on to No. 8 spot, barely ahead of Pacific Division teams Sacramento, Phoenix and Golden State.

Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and Naz Reid know beating the Thunder in a seven-game series will be easier said than done.

Advantage: Thunder

No. 2 Houston Rockets (27-13) vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks (23-19).

Houston is making a lot of heads turn with a 27-13 record, but Jalen Green, (21.5 ppg), Alperen Sengün (19.3 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 5.1 apg) and Fred VanVleet (15.0 ppg, 6.1 apg, 1.9 spg) have certainly earned a lot of respect with their efforts and hard work on the playing court.

Dallas is struggling in seventh place at 23-19 with Luka Doncic (28.1ppg, 8.3 rpg, 7.8 apg, 2.0 apg) playing in only 22 of the team’s first 42 assignments due to multiple injuries.

The other half for Dallas’ superstar duo, Kyrie Irving, played in only 31 games and averaged 23.9 points.

Once Doncic and Itving join can Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and Daniel Gafford onthe floor, the Mavericks can easily turn around even against the Rockets.

Advantage: Rockets.

No. 3 Memphis Grizzlies (26-15) vs. No. 6 Los Angeles Lakers (21-17)

Mempis is arguably one of the better teams with a complete and healthy lineup led by Ja Morant (21.4 ppg, 7.5 apg), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (22.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and Desmond Bane (17.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg).

Despite missing the playoffs with a 27-54 record last year, the Grizzlies now have the best scoring offense in the NBA with 123 points per game and the fifth-best offensive rating at 117.1.

The Lakers, however, are a totally different team in the playoffs, especially with LeBron James and Anthony Davis in the line-up.

James (23.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 7.5 apg) and Davis (25.8 ppg, 11.9 rpg) remain as two of the league’s elite players who could make a difference when push comes to shove.

Add Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and rookie Dalton Knecht and the Lakers could easily handle the Grizzlies, whom they have beaten in two of three regular season games (128-123 and 116-110).

As the No. 7 seed, the Lakers have also eliminated the No. 2 Grizzlies, 4-2, during the 2022-22 season.

Advantage: Lakers

No. 4 Denver Nuggets (24-16) vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers (23-17)

The absences of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic (30.6 ppg, 13.2 rpg, 9.9 apg) has obviously affected Denver’s performance during the regular season, but “The Joker” is expected to return in full force come playoff time.

WIth Jokic, Jamal Marray, Michael Porter, Aaron Gordon and Russell Westbrook all healthy, Denver will clearly be the team to beat in the playoffs, especially on homecourt.

The Clippers have done well despite the continued absence of superstar Kawhi Leonard, who has played in only four games so far.

Norman Powell, the team’s leading scorer with 23 7.ppg, and James Harden, second with 21.8 ppg,, will have work cut out for them if the Clippers hope to remain competitive.

Advantage: Nuggets

NOTES — Condolences to the family of our good friend and ace photographer Tony “Lu-King Good” Lu, who passed away last Friday, Jan. 17 after a lingering illness.

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