NBA -Playoff -forecasts -El Estoque

Ad: What is all going? Welcome back to another episode of EE-SPN. My name is Arjun Dhruv and I am here with my co-moderator, Manas Kotttakota. Now that the first round of the NBA playoffs is over, we will look at the second round and drive the matchups forward and at the same time give our predictions for later rounds in the series. So let's start in the Western Conference, with thunder playing the nuggets in the semi -finals of the Western Conference. Manas, take it away.

MK: I think the series will surprise most people, although thunder in the regular season was really dominant. The Nuggets and the Clippers both expected them to give the thunder a good fight. So I would not be surprised if the nuggets would bring it to six or seven games, but at the end of the day I think the thunder is simply too dominant and win in six.

Ad: Yes, I think the thunder showed her dominance with their blowout victories over the grizzlies, but they also look as if they had a little struggle, and I think if Morant hadn't been hurt, they would have dropped a few games on the grizzlies. That's why I actually have the nuggets that surprise the thunder and I gained them in seven just because they played in game seven in the last series really well, and the clipper are a really good team that I would also have selected to defeat the thunder. So I have the nuggets for the final of the Western Conference.

MK: Yes, that's true because we all knew how much worse than the thunder was, but in the last two games it was still quite close. If thunder plays like this, the nuggets will definitely be a much bigger challenge.

Ad: Let's go to the second matchup in the west, with the Timberwolves being exposed to the seven seeds against warriors. So, manas, for this series, who did you win and how many games?

MK: I have the Warriors who win in seven games. I think this will be another hard-fought series for the Warriors, the Timberwolves are definitely better than the Rockets, but I like the specific player game matchup for the Warriors better than for the Nuggets.

Ad: In this case, I will actually not have to agree. I think the Timberwolves will shock the warriors. I think the Warriors played a good series against the Rockets, but there was no reason to go to seven games. You should have hit her against the inexperienced Rockets team much earlier. And although they didn't have Jimmy Butler, they will have no problems with the Bigs on the Timberwolves like Naz Reid or Rudy Gobert because they don't have many people who will protect them.

MK: That is definitely true. Because Rudy Gobert had the last time not a big one, he dropped his career game like 27 and 24, so the Warriors definitely have to make sure not to perform again. But I just have the feeling that the experience of the warriors will definitely come into play and will help him play better.

Ad: Okay, when we go east, we have the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Indiana Pacers. So what do you think?

MK: I think the Pacers are definitely a good team. You have many offensive firepower. I just don't know what you can do as soon as Darius Garland comes back. I have the feeling that the Cavaliers will win, but this will definitely be a challenging series. The Pacers may not look so good on paper, but they definitely get a lot of possessions, and they score really well how players like Andrew Nembhard play in the playoffs very well, so that they definitely cannot count them. The cavaliers are just a better team.

Ad: Yes, I actually think that the Pacers are one of the most underestimated teams in the playoffs this year. Last year they reached the final of the Eastern Conference, which many people do not really remember. But the Pacers are just a really good team, and they showed that they belong here because they also hit Giannis in five games and have already stolen one against the Cavs, even though Garland was out. If you share the series in Cleveland and then go back and both win in Indiana, this is a 3-1 lead for you. I think you have a really good chance to win this series and I think it will be seven and it is a throw for who will win.

MK: Yes, I would have to agree. And for the other Matchup in the east we have the Knicks and the Celtics. What do you think about it?

Ad: I don't think the Knicks are ready to fight a title. To fight for a title, you have to beat teams like the Celtics. So I just don't see that the kinks really win the series. And I think the Celtics take it in five games and I would not surprise myself if they took it in four.

MK: Yes, the Celtics are definitely a much better team. The Knicks fought with the pistons. Technically speaking, it should have been 3-3 with this one call at the end. So we don't even know if the [Knicks] Really deserved to be here. So that will really be a challenge for the Knicks. And the Knicks 0-4 are against the Celtics throughout the season, and the Celtics are now completely healthy, so I really don't like the chances when I'm a kink fan.

Ad: So let's talk about the conference finale. What are the teams you have in every conference final?

MK: Well, based on predictions, in the West I see the thunder and the warriors, and on the right I see the Cavs and the Celtics, which will be a really good series.

Ad: Yes, I think I see the nuggets of the timber wolves in the west and then also the Cavs and the Celtics in the east. So who did you win the entire final?

MK: Assuming that the Celtics will win in the east, I think that thunder will lead a better fight based on your matchup because your defense is probably a little stronger than the warriors. Even the Warriors have been really good since Jimmy Butler. I just don't like that you have to play so many long series. I don't know how their older players will be able to perform as if they had a seven game series. I expect this to be a seven game series, and if you violate the nuggets, it will probably be a really long series. So yes, I only assume that the thunder and the Celtics will be the matchup.

Ad: I think the warriors have too much experienced experience to achieve the final of the Western conference. So I think if you do it or if you are able to come over the Timberwolves, you will win the whole thing. But if the timber wolves like me have predicted, the nuggets could come from the West or thunder depending on how this series runs. But in the east I think that the Cavs and Celtics basically guarantee the final of the Eastern Conference. I still have the Celtics, who only win because of their experience with the final of the last year and their overall depth of the team.

MK: I would not agree to what you just said about the Timberwolves and Nuggets. I have the feeling that if they go together, the thunder will definitely be ahead because they are better from last season and defeated the nuggets last season, so I don't really see how they can lose.

Ad: okay, that's all for today's episode. Thank you for listening. We'll see you the next time.