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Knicks-Pacers, Wolves-Thunder predictions: Who will be the last team?

Knicks-Pacers, Wolves-Thunder predictions: Who will be the last team?

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Parity has prevailed.

The NBA is guaranteed to have another champion for the seventh season in a row, and we have not seen a back-to-back champion in 2017-18 since the Golden State Warriors. Three of the four teams remaining in the playoffs – the Indiana Pacers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves – have never won a title (at least in their current locations). The fourth – the New York Knicks – has not won since Richard Nixon was president.

Only a few expected this conference finale match -ups, but that makes them no less important. Who will advance to the NBA final? And who will increase the Larry O'brien Trophy in June? Members of The athlete NBA employees share their predictions:

East Finals: Knicks in 7
Westfinals: Donner in 6
NBA final: Donner in 6
Finale MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Analysis: After seeing how difficult the faulty, injured Denver nuggets pushed the thunder, I am not ready to exclude one of the four teams out here. Ultimately, thunder was the best team all year round. You have the best remaining player and the best defense. I am not sure which is more susceptible. The Timberwolves have enough parts to slow Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but are generally not explosive enough to score them efficiently.

The final of the Eastern Conference feels like a throw for me. Give me the team that plays at home in Madison Square Garden in game 7. I assume that we will see Mikal Bridges on Tyrese Haliburton and OG Anunoby on the old team -mate Pascal Siakam. Both games should be fun. But the thunder is better than both. I think a healthy Knicks team has the best shot to beat her from the remaining three teams, but I can't get there. – Eric Koreen

East Finals: Knicks in 7
Westfinals: Donner in 5
NBA final: Donner in 6
Finale MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Analysis: The Knicks have the talent and the body to throw Tyrese Haliburton. I do not trust that the secondary players of the Pacers make enough shots about a series with seven games if New York can consistently defend at a good to accessing level. As for the WCF, the thunder is finally overwhelmed and will continue. They defend too well and can score with the best of them. Minnesota has a team, but low lows and can sometimes play a basketball. I think the thunder processes them comfortably.

OKC was the most complete team throughout the season. The best team finds a way to win the title. – James L. Edwards III.

East Finals: Knicks in 7
Westfinals: Donner in 6
NBA final: Donner in 5
Finale MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Analysis: If the Pacers could carry out their crime against the Milwaukee Bucks (Giannis Antetokounmpo) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (Evan Mobley), Haliburton repeatedly departs on Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony cities and find Siakam. But on the other hand, the Knicks receive considerable relief for their offensive and their rebound in contrast to their series with the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. Home Court advantage, healthier constellations and favorable terms of office enable New York to survive the Pacers this time.

The Timberwolves have several defenders that they can throw on Gilgeous-Aalexander, in addition to Rudy Gobert, who is waiting on the edge, while they will have several games from overwhelming 3-point shooting under the direction of Anthony Edwards. But Oklahoma City will use Timberwolves' sales much better than the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. Jalen Williams will be a swing factor in this series. The NBA final would be better if the Pacers were in it, but since this would not be the case, the thunder should be well equipped to cope with a relatively stationary and flat Knicks team. – law murray

East Finals: Pacers in 6
Westfinals: Wolves in 6
NBA final: Wolves in 6
Finale MVP: Anthony Edwards

Analysis: I expected Oklahoma City to win everything all the season. But I saw enough weaknesses in thunder to rethink it with great hesitation. On the one hand, Denver was the difficult series they had to learn to learn how to win at this level. On the other hand, the will of the Nuggets were more hindered than their talent. Minnesota has more talent and maybe so much will, including the size, sportiness and experience to drive OKC ahead. The ant and SGA is due to the clutch. I choose Ant, who is rested and familiar with this phase. He just had it better from game 6. The wolves do not want to deal with Oklahoma in play in game 7.

From the east the Pacers are written back to Knick's hype. Not from me! The disrespect will surely motivate them. Admittedly, I want wolves. The storylines are everywhere. But Indiana exerts so much pressure offensive and at the same time maintains a strong defense. No, the Pacers have no great answers for Brunson, a Clutch phenomenon, for which Cleveland and Milwaukee have hardly prepared them in the first two rounds. But if someone can meet Brunson in the series of games, put Haliburton on the short list. Myles gymnast plays well enough to counteract the damage that the cities can do. In addition, the tiredness levels of the Knicks will become a problem against the up-tempo-pacer. The depth of Indiana will be determined. But like Minnesota, make it better in six games. A game 7 at MSG for a trip to the final? When it comes to this, Spike Lee writes this script. – Marcus Thompson II.

East Finals: Pacers in 6
Westfinals: Donner in 6
NBA final: Donner in 5
Finale MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Analysis: Oklahoma City has to be a difficult favorite to win the title after surviving Denver. The wolves go well with them in most species and are rested, but ultimately their incapacity to revenue is probably fatal against this handy, insatiable defense. I expect Indiana-New York to get very close, but the Pacers have a slight advantage in deep and schematic versatility, and I trust Rick Carlisle more than Tom Thibodeau in the X-ray chess game.

This leaves OKC-Indiana, which is not exactly the dream game of TV and possibly a fairly fast series. With its size and several defenders, New York would get together a little better to throw Gilgeous-Alexander. – John Hollinger

East Finals: Knicks in 7
Westfinals: Donner in 5
NBA final: Donner in 6
Finale MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Analysis: To survive a seven-game slug festival against a proven champion was the best that could have happened for this young Thunder squad. They were able to dig deeply and find the role players who were ready to step into the moment. And above all, Gilgeous-Alexander carried out as a superstar should be when his team's back was on the wall. Minnesota is hellish, but the defensive pressure that thunder brings for every possession will be too much for a Timberwolves crime, which can sometimes be unpredictable.

On the other hand, I see Knicks-Pacers an extremely tight series. It is crucial for the Knicks to keep their main posts healthy in a physical back and forth series. The Pacers will try to discontinue them with their depths, especially Brunson. But in the greatest moments in this series, I expect Brunson to shine over everyone else. And after I have dug deeply to get through Indy, I don't think that the kinks will still be a lot left to throw OKC. I consider the thunder as a difficult favorite that goes away as a champions. – Will Guillory wants

East Finals: Knicks in 7
Westfinals: Donner in 6
NBA final: Donner in 5
Finale MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Analysis: The game 7 against the best player and a team with championship tribe tree as an important mental hurdle that the thunder had cleared. The inequality of the points from the sales in this game was striking, and Oklahoma City held a 39:7: 7 lead in front of Denver. I choose the thunder to beat the timber wolves because they are so good at protecting the ball and turning other teams. I think the Timberwolves will have difficulties in this series to score in court.

The Knicks-Pacers-Matchup is more difficult to predict from east. I am tried to choose the Pacers. I love the way they run on the offensive and hardness of their guards, Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith. But this series feels close enough that I go with the team, which has an advantage of home. Give me the thunder and the kinks in the final, where I predict historically dominating Oklahoma City. – Christian Clark

East Finals: Knicks in 7
Westfinals: Donner in 7
NBA final: Donner in 7
Finale MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Analysis: It feels very strange to predict seven game surfaces for each of the last three series, but parity in these special playoffs and this new NBA world makes it much more difficult to acquire handicap winners. I bet on the Brunson Magic in Knicks-Pacers, with just enough of cities and the “others” to (hardly) do the work. But Indiana's depth and speed will be a big problem for Knick's defense that is still coming and is going.

From west, I am with Marcus when it comes to the weaknesses of the thunder in this series against Denver. I just don't think it costs it in the end, even though it will make it more interesting on the way. The wolves are deeper, younger and more dynamic as a whole than the nuggets. I am very excited to see whether Julius Randle can remain on the same, impressive level against the Thunder Bigs (and Alex Caruso), who only gave Nikola Jokić such seizures. This OKC defense is simply incredible when it clicks.

If it is Knicks-Thunder on this NBA final phase, this is the Matchup with print-burial pipes that favors New York. From Thibodeau to Down, the massive edge of the Knicks on the playoff experience will end it to the end of the (game 7). But I have just laid out the victory of OKC against Denver, the ears of the ears are still ringing and were able to play this kind of one-sided scene again. – Sam Amick

East Finals: Pacers in 6
Westfinals: Donner in 7
NBA final: Donner in 7
Finale MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Analysis: In the last two seasons I appreciated the ruthlessness of the Pacers offensive execution. They fly from one action to the next and incorporate so much activity into every possession that they make it incredibly difficult to cover. The Knicks had to deal with some injuries last season, but the Pacers came in the Madison Square Garden for a game 7 and scored 130 points at 67.1 percent to win their place in the conference final. The Knicks are better and healthier this season, but the Pacers won't be afraid of the moment.

On the other hand, it looks like another heavyweight fight for thunder, since the Timberwolves have only lost six times since March 1st. Oklahoma City is still relatively young for a championship candidate, but the thunder showed her Mettle against the nuggets and managed to slow down Jokić enough to get out. Okc's defense was the best in the league in the regular season with a big lead, and the same was true in the off -season. If the thunder can do offensive enough, you can continue to progress and ultimately win a championship. – Eric Gehm

(Topto by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: William Purnell / Getty Images)

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