The 2024 NBA Playoff matchups are set, and after a grueling 82-game season and a couple of play-in tournament games, the fun finally starts now. There are a lot of questions with each series matchup and the debate on who will eventually come out on the top in June is heating up like wildfire.
Here in TPS, we will be predicting the entire 2023-2024 NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals Winner in June.
Which NBA team will hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the 2023-2024 playoffs?
East Quarterfinals – (1)Boston Celtics vs (8)Miami Heat
This series should garner enough intrigue because both teams are somewhat embroiled in a petty rivalry dating back to last year’s playoffs when the Heat upset the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, this time around, the Heat are minus Jimmy Butler who is out for at least a couple of weeks due to an MCL strain. Without Butler’s services, the Heat will be hard-pressed to make a dent against the Celtics’ revamped exterior.
Miami will definitely put up a fight, but in the end, the mighty Celtics will be too much for them in a seven-game series.
Prediction: Celtics over Heat, 4-1
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East Quarterfinals – (4)Cleveland Cavaliers vs (5)Orlando Magic
While the clash between the Cavs and the Magic in the first round of the NBA playoffs won’t get much fanfare compared to other star-studded series, we can certainly expect that it will be entertaining from top to bottom.
Both teams are almost evenly matched in terms of lineups, playstyle, and regular-season records. It all boils down to who’s hungrier: Donovan Mitchel or Paolo Banchero. Mitchell has been one of the league’s most disappointing stars when it comes to playoff achievement, while Banchero is out to prove that this young Orlando squad is a real threat in the East.
This will be a hard-fought series, and whoever emerges the winner will be rewarded with a clash against the Celtics.
Prediction: Magic over Cavaliers, 4-3
East Quarterfinals – (2) New York Knicks vs (7) Philadelphia 76ers
Jalen Brunson vs. Joel Embiid—David vs. Goliath. This seven-game series is an impending bloodbath on the court for both teams, and it won’t be pretty. Brunson has been one of the best players in the East this season, while Embiid is still working his way back into game shape after a lengthy bout of an MCL injury.
Who will prevail? That’s a question up for debate, as the Knicks’ thin frontline rotation will be inevitably feasted on by Joel Embiid, the 2022-2023 regular season MVP. The Sixers can also throw different kinds of coverage for Brunson, making his life difficult on the court.
Without Julius Randle helping out Brunson in the scoring load, it’s hard to fathom that New York can outlast a healthy Sixers team in a playoff series.
Prediction: 76ers over Knicks, 4-3
East Quarterfinals – (3)Milwaukee Bucks vs (6)Indiana Pacers
It’s important to note that the Pacers comfortably won their season series against the Bucks, 4-1. Will that matter in their first-round playoff series? Absolutely. The Pacers are one of the few teams in the league that matches up well against Giannis and the Bucks.
Word has it that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is slated to miss the early part of the series and the run-and-gun Pacers will definitely pounce on that opportunity to steal a game or two in Milwaukee’s homecourt.
The Bucks can make a stand even without Antetokounmpo, but they need Damian Lillard’s Herculean effort to keep the Pacers at bay. Indiana is not afraid of Milwaukee, though, and they played them incredibly well during the regular season.
Prediction: Pacers over Bucks, 4-2
West Quarterfinals – (1)Oklahoma City Thunder vs (8)New Orleans Pelicans
Literally no one expected this young Thunder squad to be this good, this quick. OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the game’s brightest young star. OKC is the youngest team to ever capture the number one seed in the playoffs, regardless of conference. The roster’s average age is a mind-boggling 23.4 years old.
The Pelicans fought their way through the play-in tournament to secure the eighth spot in the West. Their massive problem now is that they will be without Zion Williamson for the entire duration of their first-round series against the Thunder. It’s a shame that Williamson will miss his first NBA playoff experience, but injuries are part of the game, as they say.
This won’t be a walk in the park for OKC as they will be tested, but the Pelicans’ shortcomings will undeniably bite them in the latter part of this series.
Prediction: Thunder over Pelicans, 4-2
West Quarterfinals – (4)Los Angeles Clippers vs (5)Dallas Mavericks
The Clips won their season series, 2-1, but that all happened before the Mavs revamped their roster at the February trade deadline, acquiring PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford in the process. This will be the third time these two teams will face in the NBA playoffs in the last four years.
The big question is Kawhi Leonard’s current state. He may not be able to suit up in this series, as reports from known NBA analysts stated that the swelling of his knee has not come down. If he does play, will his presence hurt the team more because he is not 100% on the court?
Meanwhile, the Mavs are playing the best basketball since their 2011 title run and a big part of it is due to the level of comfortability of their star duo, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. To be frank, nobody on the Clippers roster can stop Luka in a seven-game series.
Prediction: Mavericks over Clippers, 4-1
Also read: Dallas Mavericks Will Start the NBA Playoffs Against the Clippers for the Third Time in Five Years
West Quarterfinals – (2)Denver Nuggets vs (7)Los Angeles Lakers
Many people forget that even though the Lakers were swept by the Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the final scores were extremely close. It’s quite true that the Lakers matchup better against Nuggets center Nikola Jokic compared to other teams in the league.
They can definitely slow down Jokic a bit at the post, but they will inevitably have a hard time stopping other Nuggets players from cutting to the basket or getting at their spots on the three-point line.
The Lakers will admirably put up a fight and make this an interesting series, but an upset is certainly not in the cards for them.
Prediction: Nuggets over Lakers, 4-2
West Quarterfinals – (3)Minnesota Timberwolves vs (6)Phoenix Suns
The Suns posted a perfect 3-0 against the Wolves in regular season play. With Kevin Durant playing at the four spot, he caused matchup problems for Minnesota due to his speed and scoring prowess.
But the best player in this series is probably Wolves star Anthony Edwards. He is hungry to prove that their season was not a fluke and they are going to be a fixture in the West for years to come.
This time around, even though the Suns have the advantage in their season series matchup, the Wolves will show up as a different animal in the NBA playoffs and close the door for KD and the gang right from the get-go.
Prediction: Timberwolves over Suns, 4-2
East Semifinals – (1)Boston Celtics – (5)Orlando Magic
This is going to be a nightmare series for the Magic. They are a young team that will be humbled by the Celtics in the second round of the NBA playoffs. Celtics veteran Al Horford will make life difficult for Magic star Paolo Banchero on both ends of the floor.
For the rest of the Magic team? They need to play close to 100% in order to score some upsets and drag the series further.
If Orlando just plays subpar to their capabilities, the Celtics will blow them right off the gate and end this round quickly for a much-deserved rest heading into the Eastern Conference Finals.
Prediction: Celtics over Magic, 4-1
East Semifinals – (6)Indiana Pacers vs (7)Philadelphia 76ers
With both teams fresh from their first-round upsets against higher-seeded teams, it all comes down to who wants it more in the semifinals. Clearly, the Sixers do have the best player coming into this series with Joel Embiid in tow.
The Pacers need all the help they can get to stop Embiid, and they are quite thin in the frontcourt. Expect some Indiana bench players to be thrown at the Sixers’ big man throughout their NBA playoff series to slow him down a bit.
While we focus on Embiid, the matchup between Tyrese Maxey and Tyrese Haliburton will be a feisty one. Both floor generals are out to prove that they are the best point guards in their conference.
But for Indiana, this will be the series where Ben Mathurin will be missed the most, as he’s out due to an injury. The Sixers’ hunger and experience will triumph in this one, paving the way for Embiid to reach the ECF for the first time in his career.
Prediction: Sixers over Pacers, 4-2
West Semifinals – (1)Oklahoma City Thunder vs (5)Dallas Mavericks
This series will be headlined by the battle of two young studs who were drafted in 2018: Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder’s inexperience will be a huge factor in their matchup against the Mavs as it will either be their asset or their downfall as a team.
But make no mistake: No one on the entire OKC roster is capable of stopping Luka Doncic in a seven-game series. The only one who’s going to stop the Slovenian superstar is himself. Plus, Kyrie Irving is as hungry as ever to win another title, and he’s out on a mission to prove all his naysayers wrong.
OKC will put up a great effort in this matchup, but we certainly could not see them get past a loaded Mavericks team with Luka and Kyrie at the helm.
Prediction: Mavericks over Thunder, 4-2
West Semifinals – (2)Denver Nuggets vs (3)Minnesota Timberwolves
This is going to be an interesting series. Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic will certainly have his hands full with Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert guarding his every move at the post. It all comes down to the Nuggets’ role players if they can stop Wolves star Anthony Edwards in a seven-game series.
If their regular-season matchup provides any indication as to who’s going to come up on top, it could go either way. While the Nuggets won 2-1 against the Wolves in the season, all games were relatively close and competitive.
But as we all know now, Jokic will inevitably elevate his game to newer heights and figure out how to outsmart the Wolves’ intimidating frontcourt. Their experience as the defending champs will push them to victory in this hard-fought semifinal matchup.
Prediction: Nuggets over Timberwolves, 4-3
Eastern Conference Finals – (1)Boston Celtics vs (7)Philadelphia 76ers
This would be the Eastern Conference Finals matchup everybody anticipated at the beginning of the year. The Sixers will make the insurmountable climb from the seventh spot for a chance to play the Celtics. Now, that’s a good story to write. Will it be a romp for Boston, or will Embiid and the Sixers pose a challenge?
If the Sixers superstar is 100% healthy heading into this series, then it will not be an easy breeze for the Celtics to get into the NBA Finals. They will be tested, and we can expect a closer scoreboard at the end of each game.
Celtics star Jaylen Brown will have a difficult series as he will be pestered by the plethora of Sixers guards and forwards on their roster. The X-factor for Boston will be Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday. If both Tatum and Holiday play exceptionally well, then the Celtics will have the upper hand in dismantling the Sixers.
If they succumb to the pressure, the series will drag on. However, Boston’s talent level will just be enough to push them to win the East and an NBA Finals berth in June.
Prediction: Celtics over Sixers, 4-2
Western Conference Finals – (1)Denver Nuggets vs (5)Dallas Mavericks
Jokic vs. Doncic, Irving vs. Murray—this is a dream scenario for every basketball fanatic around the world, especially in Europe. Best friends off the court but competitors on it. This is an NBA playoffs matchup made from heaven, and we thank the basketball gods for the pleasure of witnessing it.
Now, let’s get back to business. Who will win a seven-game series between the Nuggets and the Mavs? Both teams are led by tier-one superstars and are equally deep in terms of bench production. This could go either way. Nobody in the Mavs can stop Jokic, and nobody in the Nuggets can stop Luka. Expect both of them to get their usual numbers, plus more, in this series.
The biggest X-factor in this series will be the Mavs Kyrie Irving. The Nuggets had a hard time slowing him down in the regular season, and that will continue in their NBA playoffs matchup.
The Mavs were the hottest team in the West after the February trade deadline, and they are healthy right now from top to bottom. We have to take into consideration that no regular season MVP has won a title in the same year since the Warriors’ Stephen Curry did it in the 2014-2015 season, given that Jokic will win his third this season.
This will be a bit of a stretch, but Luka Doncic and the Mavs will represent the West in June after a grueling seven-game series against Jokic and the Nuggets.
Prediction: Mavericks over Nuggets, 4-3
NBA Finals – (1)Boston Celtics vs (5)Dallas Mavericks
Surprised? Don’t be, as this NBA Finals matchup is one for the ages. Although Boston won their regular-season series with the Mavs, 2-0, the story doesn’t paint the full picture when it comes to both teams. If we rewind from 2021 right until now, the Mavs and the Celtics are 4-4 in their head-to-head season matchup.
Of course, the Celtics look pretty loaded right now with Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in tow, but the same can also be said for the Mavericks. Former Celtic Kyrie Irving will be mercilessly booed in TD Garden, but he desperately wants to get back at Boston fans, and this will be his chance to do so.
Former Mavs Kristaps Porzingis definitely wants to rub it in the Mavs organization that they were wrong when they chose to trade him away after a couple of underwhelming seasons as a member of the organization.
How will Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown respond to pressure? Who’s going to stop Luka Doncic? One of them will have a terrible series, and that’s a guarantee. On the other marquee matchup of the Finals, Jrue Holiday will definitely get his hands full defending Kyrie.
Porzingis will be tested by both Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. But both Dallas bigs will be dragged into the three-point line whenever Porzingis steps out, negating their effectiveness inside the paint. Perhaps Mavs backup big man Maxi Kleber can limit the Latvian star’s effectiveness?
At the end of the day, it all comes down to who’s going to be the best player of the series. Will it be Jayson Tatum or Luka Doncic? Tatum has the tendency to succumb to pressure while Doncic embraces it with arms wide open.
The ending of this year’s NBA playoffs will be similar to how the Mavericks defied all expectations when Dirk Nowitzki silenced all critics in their 2011 title run.
Kudos Mavs, you are the 2024 NBA Champions!
Prediction: Mavericks over Celtics, 4-2
