NBA Playoff Bracket 2018: Round-by-Round Predictions

You can now breathe.

The end of the NBA’s 2017-18 regular season featured one twist after another as myriad squads battled for playoff positioning in both conferences. We saw a de facto play-in game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets that wasn’t necessarily just for the No. 8 seed because of the jam-packed nature of the standings. We witnessed the Philadelphia 76ers winning roughly 43 games in a row to steal away the East’s No. 3 spot.nfl jersey

So on and so forth.

But now the playoff field is set. After weeks of breathless speculation, we know all of the first-round matchups.

Let’s see what’s going to happen next—not just in the opening round, but in every one that would follow authentic nfl jerseys . From the Houston Rockets’ defense of the West’s No. 1 seed against the dangerous Timberwolves to the conclusion of the NBA Finals, we’ve peered into the crystal ball and figured it all out.

1. Toronto Raptors vs. 8. Washington Wizards

Though the Toronto Raptors cooled off at the end of the regular season, that’s understandable. cheap nfl jerseys china They had been operating in sole possession of the No. 1 seed for quite some time, and complacency was bound to set in for an outfit so universally focused on doing away with the unfortunate reputation it’s earned over the last few postseasons.

Why focus on meaningless regular-season contests when the playoffs are all that matters? wholesale nfl jerseys

Toronto has struggled to gain momentum during prior opening rounds, but that won’t be the case in 2018. This team is built for the playoffs, as it no longer relies as heavily on isolation proclivities. Instead, the Raptors share the ball and make the most of a wealth of secondary talents. While Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan remain the leading contributors, they haven’t had the luxury of operating alongside a wide range of talented running mates quite like this. nfl jerseys wholesale

Benches typically aren’t as effective in the playoffs. The Washington Wizards, for example, will lean heavily on their starting five and attempt to minimize the minutes of any secondary contributors not named Tomas Satoransky or Kelly Oubre Jr. But reserves still matter, and Toronto’s have been the best in the league (8.3 net rating).

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