The 2019/20 NBA regular season is finally over, which means that the NBA playoffs are finally here.
With the eight seeding games done and dusted for all of the 22 participating teams, the league has essentially weeded out the playoff contenders and pretenders.
The Lakers and the Bucks are on top of their respective conferences as expected while the other perennial playoff teams secured their places as well.
The Phoenix Suns are one of the best stories in the bubble as they were the only undefeated team. But unfortunately, their efforts weren’t enough to be included in the play-in.
Instead, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Portland Trail Blazers will have to fight for the final playoff spot with the latter having a twice-to-beat advantage.
Before we get into the games, SBOBET is here to bring you our continuous coverage of the Association along with the other relevant NBA 2020 updates.
Thunder, Clippers welcoming back reinforcements
Having a capable bench is a huge trend nowadays and they are essential as ever as we head into the playoffs.
So when the news broke that Dennis Schroder and Montrezl Harrell are returning for the Thunder and the Clippers, naturally, their teams are more than excited to have them back in the fold.
Dennis Schroder left the bubble earlier this month to be with his wife for the birth of their second child. He made his way back a week later and scored 17 points in 25 minutes during a loss against the Clippers.
The German international is an integral part to Billy Donovan’s lineup. Schroder has formed a unique partnership with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chris Paul to which they have been torching their opponents.
Prior to the season, OKC weren’t favoured by our NBA 2020 odds to make the postseason at all. In fact, ESPN gave them only 0.2% chance of making it. But fast forward to today, they are set to face the Houston Rockets as the fourth seed.
As for the Clippers, Montrezl Harrell is expected to compete as soon as Game 1 against the Mavericks.
Harrell, who did not play in any of the team’s eight seeding games, returned to Orlando last Sunday and served his compulsory quarantine.
The energetic forward left the bubble last July to tend to a family matter. It was confirmed that he had to attend to his grandmother’s funeral.
With him back, the Clippers frontcourt depth will improve massively and that will be needed against a tall Mavericks team.
The Bulls are in search for a new coach
After a tumultuous run with the team, Jim Boylen was relieved of his coaching duties last night.
Boylen was named as their head coach last December 2018 and he was 39-84without a playoff appearance.
His 32-per cent winning percentage is the second lowest to Tim Floyd (21-per cent) in Bulls history, according to ESPN.
The veteran coach was on the hot seat almost for the whole season and it didn’t help when he didn’t get along well with some of the team’s key players.
Player such as Zach LaVine and Daniel Gafford had their disagreements with him and the losses kept piling up in addition to their injuries sustained throughout this year’s campaign.
The Bulls overhauled their front office earlier this year by getting Arturas Karnisovas as their VP of Basketball Operations, and he is expected to conduct a comprehensive search for a new head coach.
Darvin Ham, Wes Unseld Jr., Adrian Griffin, and Kenny Atkinson are said to be the leading candidates.
Ja Morant and Damian Lillard go head-to-head
The first-ever play-in is expected not to disappoint as the Grizzlies and Blazers face off tomorrow.
The Blazers, who finished strong with a victory against the Nets, have earned the eight seed while the Grizzlies are ninth.
This means that Portland would have to win only once to move on while Memphis would need to win two in a row. The winner will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.
Portland are coming in with a ton of confidence buoyed by the play of their star point guard in Damian Lillard. The Weber State product has been sizzling for the Blazers, which includes a career night of 61 points against the Mavericks.
Lillard owns the record for the highest point total in three games in Blazers history – scoring 154 points while knocking down 5.1 three-pointers per game.
They will face a young Grizzlies team who will lean on Ja Morant, who has been spectacular too in the bubble.
The Rookie of the Year-elect recently notched a triple-double in their final seeding game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Especially with Jaren Jackson Jr. out due to a torn meniscus, Morant will have to carry the Grizzlies’ offense in order to give themselves a chance.
Ja Morant versus Damian Lillard will surely be an explosive matchup, and I can’t wait to see it all unfold starting tomorrow.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE BASKETBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
