The NBA postseason is well and truly underway, with the Conference semi-finals passing the halfway mark. Now, four of the seven games in the series have been played.
The last eight teams left playing in the postseason are all looking to book their place in the Conference finals. One team – the Phoenix Suns – have already confirmed their place in the Western Conference Finals, whilst the remaining matchups are yet to be decided.
The other three series are all tied at two apiece. So, between now and next weekend, basketball fans from all over should expect some very exciting NBA action. Who will join the Suns and compete for the Conference Championships?
Western Conference
As we’ve already mentioned, the Phoenix Suns are the first team to progress through to the Conference finals place. The Suns did it in style with a convincing whitewash in the series, defeating the Denver Nuggets 4-0.
In the first game of the series, the Suns won 122-105, getting an early win under their belts. Then, in game 2, it was the Nuggets who failed to score 100+ points, with the Suns coming away with a 123-98 victory. Game 3 ended as a 116-102 win for the Suns, all of which were comfortable wins.
Last weekend, in what was the last game of the semi-final, the Nuggets edged a little closer to their opponents, but were no match for Phoenix. In the end, a 125-118 win was enough to secure that Western Conference final place, sending a warning out to the remaining teams as the first franchise to progress.
LA Clippers vs. Utah Jazz
It’s a completely different story for the other Western Conference semi-final, as the Clippers and Jazz battle it out, currently tied 2-2 in the series. Utah Jazz, who finished top of the west in the regular season, edged a win in game 1 of the series, with a 112-109 win.
The Jazz then extended their lead to 2-0 in the series, after a 117-111 victory in game 2. However, the Clippers knew they had to respond swiftly, and did just that in the latest two games. A convincing 132-106 win for the Clippers in game 3, followed by last night’s result of a 118-104 win now sees the series tied.
Utah will definitely want to set the record straight in the next game, but fans will definitely keep a close eye on this one in the next games in the series. A win here will see either the Clippers or the Jazz meet the Suns in the Western Conference final.
Eastern Conference
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets
In the east, it’s currently all tied up in both of the Conference semi-final matchups. The Bucks, much like the Utah Jazz, have come from 2-0 down in the series to tie it to 2-2, with four games complete. The Nets, on the other hand, will want to bounce back in the remaining games.
Game 1 saw the Nets take a strong 115-107 win to start the series positively. Then, a 125-86 convincing victory for Brooklyn was a big win in many people’s eyes from around the NBA.
However, the Bucks have since put on two impressive performances to ensure two wins, including a nail-biting 86-83 win in game 3 of the series. Now, the remaining games between today and Saturday will make a very entertaining series between the two.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers led the Eastern Conference at the end of the regular season, but now find themselves level 2-2 with the Atlanta Hawks in the other Eastern Conference semi-final. An upset victory for the Hawks in game 1 was surprising to many.
The 76ers managed to turn the series around quickly, however, winning back-to-back games 118-102 and 127-111 respectively. However, a close encounter in the latest matchup saw the Hawks edge a win – leading by just three points to win 106-103.
Philadelphia still has two home games to try and book a place in the Eastern Conference finals. Meanwhile, the Hawks will look to try and gain some momentum from their win in the latest game of the series. Whoever progresses will of course play either the Bucks or the Nets – we just don’t know who yet.
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