I have less love for the East than I do the West, mainly because of the 9th and 10th seeds, which are both under .500. But I can’t talk about the West without talking about the East. So here we go.
Wednesday’s games:
Miami Heat vs Philadelphia 76ers (8 seed vs 7 seed)
You know, if Embiid can just be efficient and not turn the ball over, Philly is going to be tough to beat. His mid-Post game is the best in the league. When that jumpshot is going, he’s damn near unstoppable.
And of course Tyrese Maxey has elevated his game this season too. he’s taken considerable jumps in production every season after his rookie campaign. And this year has been no different with him going from 20 pts a game to 25 pts a game. he even had a 50 pt game this season.
With Embiid at the center and Maxey wreaking havoc as his side kick, the 76er role players should be comfortable in their roles and able to produce.
But I mean it’s the Miami Heat. We remember their run to the NBA finals last year which started from a play-in spot. Bam may be able to give Embiid a little bit of trouble on defense but can he score consistently on offense? And has Jimmy Bulter finally fell off or is he just waiting to turn into his playoff self again? Maybe Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson will be big contributors in this one. Who knows.
I started out thinking this one will be a Heat loss. The more i think about it and type, I’m thinking somehow, someway that magic that Miami possessed last year will come back again and they will pull this one out tomorrow. Heat by 2!
Atlanta Hawks vs Chicago Bulls (10th seed vs 9th seed)
I hope this is a good one. Trae Young has the ability to do exciting things. Demar Derozen is a mid-range master. I hope it’s a close game. I got the Hawks winning by 7 or more points. That’s all I got for this matchup.
And that will do it for this one. Over and out. Enjoy.