The 2022 NBA Playoff Season is Officially Here!

With the tipoff between the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks taking place in the American Airlines Center (Dallas) on April 16, the 2022 NBA Playoffs have officially started.

The NBA Playoffs feature the top 8 seeds in each conference (western and eastern),   competing in the first round, semifinals, conference finals, and at last in the NBA finals. In each series, the two teams matched up will have to compete in a maximum of seven games and a minimum of four games, and whoever walks away with four wins advances to the next series.

Before the playoffs, there was an additional Play-In Tournament, where the 9th and 10th seed of each conference matchup, with the winner of the game matching up next with the loser of the 7th and 8th seed matchup, to compete for the 8^th seed in the playoffs. The winner of the 7th and 8th seed game is guaranteed a playoff spot at the 7th seed, which will play the 2nd seed. This Play-In Tournament was established in the 2019-2020 season and is aimed to generate additional viewership.

For the Play-In tournament results in the eastern conference, the Brooklyn Nets (8th) beat the Cleveland Cavaliers (7th) and will play the Boston Celtics (2nd) for the first round in the playoffs. The Atlanta Hawks (10th, beat the 9th seed Charlotte Hornets) then beat the Cavaliers. The Hawks will play the Miami Heat (1st) in the first round of the playoffs.

In the western conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves (7th) beat the Los Angeles Clippers (8th) and will match up against the Memphis Grizzlies (2nd) for the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers then lost to the New Orleans Pelicans (9th, beat the 10th seed San Antonio Spurs). The Pelicans will match up against the Phoenix Suns (1st) for the first round.

Currently, most betters in major NBA sportsbooks think that the Phoenix Suns, which lost in the NBA Finals last season, have the greatest odds to win the NBA Championship title for this season. The Suns ended the regular season with a 64-18 record, leading the entire NBA league in wins.

“The eastern conference is really competitive, it would be hard to call who will advance to the semifinals,” said freshman Ross V. “But I think the Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami heat will advance. I know the Nets are down two games, but I believe Kyrie and KD (Kevin Durant) can make something happen.”

“For the western conference, I think the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, and Golden State Warriors will advance to the semifinals,” said freshman Abe Q. “For the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz matchup, it is pretty even, but I will go with Jazz, since Luka Doncic (from the Mavericks) is injured.”

Some of the past playoff series was known to be unpredictable and full of surprises, where unprecedented dark horses emerge and championship favorites choke, where a 3-0 lead in a series could change so drastically within a short period of time, and most importantly, where miracles could be made every day.

Nevertheless, only time has the answer.