Sports & Clubs

Spring Sports

NBA Playoffs

The NBA playoffs are back! This season’s playoffs have been filled with extraordinary showings, underdog comebacks, lost betting money, and continued debates of whether Lebron is the GOAT that has now been raging for literally over a generation. Let’s start the discussion with a quick lamentation for all those fans who had to watch their favorite team defy expectations and lose. These teams include, but are not limited to, The Memphis Grizzlies, The Milwaukee Bucks, and the Sacramento Kings. The New York Knicks’ amazing play across the playoffs has been one the biggest surprises of the whole season. The Knicks beat expectations and rallied all the way to the semi-finals of the East, barely losing a close series to Miami. Miami’s Jimmy Butler has currently acted as a sort of grime reaper for the East, and is consistently playing good to amazing basketball every game. The reigning MVP of the NBA, Joel Embiid, also managed to surprise many, by inconsistent plays and choking against the Celtics. Speaking of the Celtics, it is undeniable that the Celtics currently have some of the most depth in a team in the NBA right now. Tatum, Smart, Brown, White, and Horford play brilliantly with each other and are equally strong players. Switching to the West, it's important to bring up the elephant in the room, Lebron James and the Lakers. The Lakers have been unstoppable as of now, decimating the Grizzlies and the Warriors. Lebron and Davis have shown in their series against the Grizzlies and the Warriors that they can play basketball at the highest level, but they have been inconsistent at times. Contrasting his two legendary teammates, the young Austin Reeves has been a constant in this star studded Laker squad and has stolen the show. Lebron, Davis, and Reeves have been a dream team, but they will soon face the best western team in the regular season.The Denver Nuggets may have been less in the public eye than the much more popular Lakers, but they are the undisputed favorites to win the whole thing. The squad of Murray, Pope, Porter, Gordon, and of course Jokic have many doubting the Laker’s abilities. The Nuggets ran through the Timberwolves in a 4-1 series, and clutched a close series against Kevin Durant’s Suns. Jokic is a phenom, and “the joker” is reigning supreme across the league. In my humble opinion, the game to watch is the Nuggets vs Lakers series. The NBA playoffs always manage to surprise, and I hope many of you reading this plan to lose equally as much money watching as I am. 

By: Donovan Dougherty