The 2016 NBA Playoffs bracket is set
The 82-game schedule has come to close. All the seeds are set, and it’s now time for the NBA’s postseason.
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Look below for a brief guide to every first-round series, including records, seeds, and some brief notes on where each squad stands.
No. 1 Golden State Warriors (73-9) vs. No. 8 Houston Rockets (41-41)
The Warriors enter the postseason as favorites to repeat as champions. Because, you know, they won 73 games this season. No matter the matchup, Golden State will be the top draw in every round of this postseason. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and the rest of the bunch make for appointment viewing.
The Rockets were the biggest disappointment in the NBA this season even after salvaging a playoff berth in the final week. James Harden remains one of the best scorers in the sport, but inconsistency of effort and defense make it difficult to put much faith in Houston moving forward. They have the potential to break out — the only problem is that we’ve been waiting for them to do so all season.
• Game 1 @GS: 3:30 p.m. ET, Saturday (ABC)
• Game 2 @GS: 10:30 p.m. ET, Monday (TNT)
• Game 3 @HOU: 9:30 p.m. ET, April 21 (TNT)
• Game 4 @HOU: 3:30 p.m. ET, April 24 (ABC)
• Game 5 @GS: TBD, April 27 (TBD)*
• Game 6 @HOU: TBD, April 29 (TBD)*
• Game 7 @GS: TBD, May 1 (TBD)*
No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers (53-29) vs. No. 5 Portland Trail Blazers (44-38)
The Clippers have had an up-and-down that began with title aspirations but which never saw them challenge the Warriors or Spurs for conference supremacy. Injuries and controversies kept star power forward Blake Griffin more than 40 games from late December until early April, and his level of play will be one of the more interesting subplots of the first round. What’s not in question is the ability of Chris Paul — he carried the Clips through Griffin’s absence and will battle it out with Westbrook for the All-NBA guard spot next to Curry.
The Blazers are the conference’s most unlikely playoff participant after entering this season with four new starters and an apparent rebuilding plan in place. Yet star point guard Damian Lillard and Coach of the Year candidate Terry Stotts led the Blazers to relevance rather quickly as other playoff hopefuls sputtered. If any West team is going to pull off a first-round upset, it’s probably Portland.
No. 3 Oklahoma City Thunder (55-27) vs. No. 6 Dallas Mavericks (42-40)
Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook give the Thunder the most potent scoring duo in the NBA with both capable of dominating a series from its opening tip to its final buzzer. The questions for OKC concern everyone else. Can the role players step up and contribute enough to make this team a viable threat to Golden State and San Antonio? Will the issues with fourth-quarter execution that dogged the Thunder in several high-profile games arise again? And will Billy Donovan make enough of the right moves in his first playoff series?
It was a very successful season for the Mavericks, especially given how bad things looked when DeAndre Jordan reneged on his agreement to join the team in July. Dirk Nowitzki, Rick Carlisle, and friends are back in the postseason for the 15th time in 16 seasons, a run bested only by the Spurs at present. Dallas has been grinding out possessions lately, so expect them to try to slow the tempo against the prolific Thunder.
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs (67-15) vs. No. 7 Memphis Grizzlies (42-40)
The Spurs enter the postseason as the winningest No. 2 seed in league history, an elite squad that would be title favorite in most every other year. They finished the season with an elite point differential (plus-10.6), boast plenty of experience on the court and on the bench, and can depend on a likely All-NBA First Team selection in Kawhi Leonard. A Western Conference Final meeting with Golden State would be seen by many as a de facto NBA Finals.
A boatload of injuries turned the Grizzlies into the team everyone wanted to see in the first round — they enter the playoffs having employed a record 28 players and on a run of 14 losses in 18 games. With both Marc Gasol and Mike Conley out, the Memphis offense has been led by Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, and Matt Barnes — an odd set of creators for any team, let alone a playoff participant. Memphis will still put in plenty of effort, but they probably don’t have the firepower to advance.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers (57-25) vs. No. 8 Detroit Pistons (44-38)
The Cavaliers managed to nab the top seed that alluded them last season despite a trying campaign that included a coaching change, several social media controversies, and questions regarding their optimization of a loaded roster. They enter the playoffs as the clear favorite in the East if only because of LeBron James. Yet there’s a sense that status depends less on the team’s strengths than the competition in the conference.
Detroit returns to the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons, a notable achievement in Stan Van Gundy’s second year as head coach. They have plenty of young talent, including All-Star center Andre Drummond and ball-dominant point guard Reggie Jackson.
No. 4 Atlanta Hawks (48-34) vs. No. 5 Boston Celtics (48-34)
The Hawks never threatened to match last season’s 60-win finish, but they enter the playoffs with a seasoned and capable roster led by Al Horford and Paul Millsap. Atlanta took the season series 3-1 over Boston and will look to win a playoff series in consecutive seasons for the first time in five years.
The Celtics improved upon last season’s unexpected playoff berth with another campaign of high-energy play. Head coach Brad Stevens gets most of the plaudits, but this roster has plenty of talent. Pint-sized scorer Isaiah Thomas was a deserving All-Star, and ostensible role players like Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley make big impacts most every night.
No. 3 Miami Heat (48-34) vs. No. 6 Charlotte Hornets (48-34)
The very experienced Heat have looked like one of the top challengers to the Cavs all season and will enter the playoffs with high expectations after winning a four-way tiebreaker to win this seed on the season’s final day. Chris Bosh remains out with a recurrence of the blood clot issues that have plagued him the last seasons, but Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic, and shot-blocking center Hassan Whiteside ensure that Miami has plenty of options.
The league’s biggest surprise reformed its offense to a three-focused attack and saw Kemba Walker improve dramatically as a shooter to make it work. Head coach Steve Clifford should garner plenty of Coach of the Year votes for turning this team into a top-10 squad in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
No. 2 Toronto Raptors (56-26) vs. No. 7 Indiana Pacers (45-37)
The Raptors won 50 games for the first time in franchise history thanks to star turns from Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, contributions everywhere else, and a vastly improved defense. They will expect to win the team’s franchise first playoff series since 2001 at the very least.
The Pacers are back in the postseason after a one-year absence. Not coincidentally, that dip coincided with a broken leg to Paul George, who returned to stardom quickly with authority this year. Indiana relies on smallball more than in past seasons, although the rotation still has plenty of size.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
