Category: Sports News

The NBA Playoffs are upon us, which means it’s time to diagnose the Detroit Pistons as they look to make a run to the NBA Finals. The crew at DBB looked at the first-round matchup, the difference makers and the likelihood of that championship run.

1. The Pistons will kick off the playoffs against the Orlando Magic on Sunday. What is your read on the series + who wins and in how many games?

Sean Corp: The Orlando Magic seem like a team at its breaking point, and the Detroit Pistons defense loves to break teams. They are also one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA, and hot 3-point shooting is how a lot of teams stick around. Feels like a physical, short series. Pistons in 5. 

Laz Jackson: Pistons in six. It should be Pistons in five, but there will be at least one game thats a smidge TOO rock fight-y and the Magic win at home, plus the “normal” playoff loss. 

Brady Fredericksen: Orlando is the biggest disappointment in the NBA, yet they’re still fighting. Franz looks lost, and Paolo (sans the Charlotte game) has been more bad than god. The Magic are a poor man’s Pistons, and I can’t see them beating Detroit at its own game. Pistons win this in 5 games.

Justin Lambregtse: The Magic are a mess, but they at least have playoff experience and have played the Pistons well the last couple years. I think the Pistons beat them in 6 games.

Wes Davenport: The Magic are solid and will present some challenges for Detroit. However, in playoff basketball, defense and star power win the day. It’s nearly impossible to argue the Pistons are lacking for either compared to Orlando. Pistons in 5.

Robbie Bettelon: Pistons in 5. I’m ready for Round 2 already. 

Brennan Sims: Orlando, one of the teams the Pistons have smoke with. Detroit would have handled Charlotte, and the’ll handle the Magic. 

Max Sturm: I see the Pistons handling Orlando. The Magic are essentially a poor man’s version of Detroit. They’re finally healthy after being banged up all year, and at their best they are long, skilled, and can shut the water off on defense. Pistons in 6. 

Austen Flores: Orlando is finally healthy, but Detroit is well-equipped to neutralize what they do best. The regular season games were close, but Orlando’s offensive inconsistency — too much drive-and-kick and stagnant possessions — shows up. Expect tight games, but Detroit pulls them out. Pistons in five.

2. Who are the 1-2 most important players for the Pistons to make a legitimate run?

Sean Corp: The boring answer is Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. They power the offense, and help define the defense. The swing answer might be Ausar Thompson. The ability to maximize his defense (be keeping him on the floor) and limit foul trouble is key. 

Laz Jackson: Ausar. Can he neutralize Desmond Bane / Donovan Mitchell entirely and make offenses less efficient? What poor soul will he backcut to death in the half court? Even in a slowed down playoff environment, can he generate deflections, blocks, steals that turn into the easy offense the Pistons feast on? I think so. Caris LeVert. Quietly, VERY quietly, he has been less disruptive to good offense. He WILL get minutes, but can they be productive ones? Will we have a Caris LeVert Game, one that steals the Pistons a series? It’s on the table. 

Brady Fredericksen: Daniss Jenkins and Jalen Duren stand out. Jenkins found a second wind, and if he can create, score and play under control in his minutes, the Pistons will be in good shape. Duren has leveled up. Now, it’s time to prove that the shot creation and defense is real against locked-in defenses. I think he’s ready.

Justin Lambregtse: Duren and Jenkins. I have faith in Cade’s ability to play in the playoffs and Ausar’s defense is going to be important, but getting offensive contributions from both Duren and Jenkins to help out Cade/hold down the fort when he is out is going to be very important for a long playoff run.

Wes Davenport: Cade is the soft ball. But I’ll go the rest of that core four group as well — Duren (for his scoring ability), Ausar and Stew (for their defensive ability). Famous last words, I know, but I’m not all that worried about the floor spacing.

Robbie Bettelon: Duren and Ausar. If they can still coexist in playoff basketball, the East is in trouble. 

Brennan Sims: Cade Cunningham’s jump shot could swing a series either way. Duncan Robinson has to remain an elite shooter — channel that 2023 Finals run energy. 

Max Sturm: Jenkins comes to mind here. It’s easy to forget that Dennis Shroder was essentially the team’s second best player against the Knicks during last year’s playoffs. Jenkins has the ability to play a similar role this spring. Ausar Thompson is the other. Can he stay on the floor offensively during crunch time? Can he stay out of foul trouble? Can he make his free throws consistently? If those answers are yes, then the Pistons will have a tremendous advantage on the defensive end at all times.

Austen Flores: Jenkins and Robinson, with Tobias Harris just missing the cut. Jenkins has been a revelation and now steps into a major playoff role after not playing in last year’s Knicks series — he’ll need to match the impact Dennis Schröder had. Robinson’s playoff experience is valuable despite his ups and downs, and Detroit’s success often hinges on his shooting. JB Bickerstaff should prioritize getting him clean looks early.

3. How far do you see the Pistons’ run going? What is their ceiling and what is going to make or break them in their chase for the Finals?

Sean Corp: The Pistons keep surprising against the best competition. I only NEED a first round series win. I am confident they can get to the Conference Finals. And from there, they dictate their own fate, and the date of their off-season priorities as they look to be NBA Finals winners (soon).

Laz Jackson: The Detroit Pistons ceiling is an NBA Finals appearance, full stop. What makes or breaks them will be health (in both directions) and turnovers. 

Brady Fredericksen: I’ve got the Pistons falling in the ECF. I think they can beat the Knicks there, but I have concerns about how they match up against the Celtics with Jayson Tatum back. The offense has been a lot better, but a cold spell late in a big game in Boston could be the end of the line.

Justin Lambregtse: I’d love to say they make the Finals, but I don’t think that’s in the cards this year. I look at the OKC Thunder who were a 2nd round team a couple years ago before breaking through and going all the way and winning. The Pistons are still young and not playoff tested a ton, so I could see them going down in the 2nd round after a hard-fought series. It does depend on their 2nd round matchup, though.

Wes Davenport: I see this team as a lock for the conference semis. Anything beyond that is gravy to me. That said, I would predict they make the ECF. They’ll go as far as Cade and Duren will take them offensively.

Robbie Bettelon: I don’t fear any team outside of Boston. So, if they meet the Celtics in the ECF, I’d take Boston. 

Brennan Sims: They could make the Finals. Hard to see them beating OKC, San Antonio, or Denver. Who steps up after the All-Stars offensively + how does the offense fare in general?

Max Sturm: Their ceiling is the Finals, though I don’t see them beating either of the West favorites. A fully healthy Boston will likely be the favorite to come out of the East, and the Cavs pose a sneaky tough potential matchup in round two. Can someone be a consistent secondary scorer? Jenkins, Caris Levert, Kevin Huerter all have shown flashes of being that guy. Beyond that, health is a major factor, as maintaining their defense. 

Austen Flores: The ECF. The second round could take a toll, especially against a tough Cavs team that matches up well with Detroit and added another dimension with Harden. That goes at least six. A potential Boston matchup is intriguing — they’d have a chip on their shoulder — but with Tatum back, it may be a step too far.

Most likely top seed to lose early in the East?

Sean Corp: Cleveland Cavaliers

Laz Jackson: New York Knicks

Brady Fredericksen: New York Knicks

Robbie Bettelon: New York Knicks

Brennan Sims: New York Knicks

Max Sturm: New York Knicks

Austen Flores: New York Knicks

Most likely underdog to win a series in the East?

Sean Corp: Atlanta Hawks

Laz Jackson: Atlanta Hawks

Brady Fredericksen: Atlanta Hawks

Robbie Bettelon: Toronto Raptors

Brennan Sims: Toronto Raptors

Max Sturm: Philadelphia 76ers

Austen Flores: Atlanta Hawks

Who wins the East

Sean Corp: Boston Celtics

Laz Jackson: Detroit Pistons

Brady Fredericksen: Boston Celtics

Robbie Bettelon: Boston Celtics

Brennan Sims: Boston Celtics

Max Sturm: Detroit Pistons

Austen Flores: Boston Celtics

Most likely top seed to lose early in the West?

Sean Corp: Los Angeles Lakers

Laz Jackson: San Antonio Spurs

Brady Fredericksen: Denver Nuggets

Robbie Bettelon: Denver Nuggets

Brennan Sims: Denver Nuggets

Max Sturm: Los Angeles Lakers

Austen Flores: Los Angeles Lakers

Most likely underdog to win a series in the West?

Sean Corp: Minnesota Timberwolves

Laz Jackson: Houston Rockets

Brady Fredericksen: Minnesota Timberwolves

Robbie Bettelon: Minnesota Timberwolves

Brennan Sims: Minnesota Timberwolves

Max Sturm: Minnesota Timberwolves

Austen Flores: Houston Rockets

Who wins the West?

Sean Corp: San Antonio Spurs

Laz Jackson: Oklahoma City Thunder

Brady Fredericksen: Oklahoma City Thunder

Robbie Bettelon: San Antonio Spurs

Brennan Sims: Oklahoma City Thunder

Max Sturm: Oklahoma City Thunder

Austen Flores: Oklahoma City Thunder

Who wins the NBA title?

Sean Corp: Boston Celtics

Laz Jackson: Oklahoma City Thunder

Brady Fredericksen: Oklahoma City Thunder

Robbie Bettelon: San Antonio Spurs

Brennan Sims: Oklahoma City Thunder

Max Sturm: Oklahoma City Thunder

Austen Flores: Oklahoma City Thunder

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As always, let us know what you think in the comments!

Ever since the Spurs punched their ticket into the postseason, the city has been hosting a bevy of events. From pop -up shops last week through today’s HemisFair pep rally, there are ongoing activations to feed your Spurs fanaticism.

Per a Spurs press release:

Game 1 Pep Rally at Hemisfair
Tower Park, 801 Cesar Chavez Boulevard
The Spurs will host a pep rally to tip off the first round at the Red McCombs Community Court at Hemisfair, presented by H-E-B and Ledger. Starting at 10 a.m. Sunday before Game 1, the pep rally will include free Taco Palenque coffee and tacos for the first 200 fans, free car flags presented by H-E-B, music and more.

Official Watch Parties
The Rock at La Cantera, 1 Spurs Way
The Spurs will host official watch parties, presented by Michelob ULTRA, at The Rock at La Cantera for all away games, free and open to the public. The parties will feature appearances from Coyote and Hype Squad, photobooths, and Spurs Playoff giveaways including T-shirts designed by artists from all Spurs markets – San Antonio, Austin, Mexico and France, and car flags presented by H-E-B. All home Playoff games will also be streamed at The Rock.

Pop-Up Fan Shop
333 W. Commerce Street
The Spurs will open a pop-up shop downtown for the duration of the Playoffs selling team gear and Playoff merchandise. The grand opening will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 14 at 5 p.m. with a DJ, music, trivia, photo ops and free Taco Palenque for the first 200 customers. The shop will be open at CENTRO San Antonio’s “La Zona” property daily from 12 to 8 p.m. and will have interactive photo ops and fan experiences exclusive to the store.

Exclusive In-Arena T-Shirts
Frost Bank Center
Fans at all first-round home games will receive a free T-shirt on their seat, featuring a unique design for each game. They will highlight San Antonio and Spurs culture, with several designed by local artists. Game 1’s T-shirt is presented by Ledger and designed by local artist Shek Vega and Game 2’s T-shirt is presented by H-E-B. Fans are encouraged to wear the T-shirt to be part of the collective arena experience.

Partner Giveaways
San Antonio
Partners will be showing their support for the team with a range of fan giveaways throughout the Playoffs. Every day during Playoffs, Take 5 will offer a 25% discount on an oil change for any customer wearing Spurs merch. Ledger will give away free fanbangos at all home games.

City Takeover
San Antonio, Austin and Paris
The Spurs will brand the city Spurs Fiesta colors by painting the team logo and playoff tags across town. Logos will appear from The Rock to the Impact Center to partner business locations to the streets of Paris. Fans are encouraged to enter to win a free team playoff flag and pick up free car flags at the first pep rally and watch parties at The Rock, while supplies last, to join in repping Spurs spirit at their homes and businesses. Spurs murals will also be on display at the San Antonio pop-up retail store location and Wanderlust Wine Co. in Austin.

Spurs Spot It Challenge
San Antonio & Austin
Beginning Friday, April 17, fans who visit five locations in San Antonio or Austin with the official Spurs Playoff logo painted onsite will earn 10 points as part of the recently launched “Spurs Rewards” program. Fans must download the Official Spurs App presented by Frost and sign up for Spurs Rewards to participate. See Spurs.com/Playoffs for a list of locations.

There are additional activations being added, so be sure to check here and follow the Spurs on social media. There will be free coffee and Taco Palenque is kicking in free breakfast tacos after Spurs playoff win.

So many ways to celebrate as the Silver & Black’s Race for Seis.

Go Spurs Go.

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The NBA has not seen a reigning champion take its title defense as far as the conference finals, let alone hoist a second consecutive Larry O’Brien trophy, since the Golden State Warriors were cut off at the ankle and calf by the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 Finals. That’s seven straight seasons in which parity has ruled supreme, for better or for worse, and dynastic runs seem fated to be a thing of the past.

Not if one team in America’s heartland has anything to say about it. The Oklahoma City Thunder embark on these 2026 playoffs in search of historic greatness, trends be damned. And less than two weeks before the first game of the postseason tips off, you’d be hard pressed to find substantive evidence to believe their goal won’t be achieved.

Related: NBA playoff predictions 2026: the winner, key players and dark horses

Oklahoma City will be the No 1 seed in the bloodbath that is the NBA’s Western Conference for the third consecutive year this season. The last time a team has accomplished this particular feat, three straight years atop their conference? That aforementioned Warriors outfit (in 2017). And it’s rarefied air in NBA history in general: the only other teams to hold down the top spot that long, respectively, are the creme de la creme: the Celtics and Lakers’ top rosters in their storied histories, and the Jordan Bulls. Every team with this accomplishment finished with the ultimate accomplishment: an NBA championship.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, MVP frontrunner for the second consecutive year, also exists in rarefied air at the moment. He has the potential to receive both league MVP and NBA Finals MVP honors in consecutive years. If he does, he’d be the first to do it since LeBron James in 2012 and 2013. A big part of Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP case – and why he’s heavily favored to win the award again this season – comes down to his hyperreliable efficiency, something of which even James himself has taken note. Of the Thunder star on the most recent episode of his Mind the Game podcast, James said: “That’s one of the things I love about Shai – for him to play on the perimeter as much as he does, in the midrange as much as he does, and still be as super efficient as he is? It’s Jordan-esque, for sure.”

But there’s a reason, of course, that no team has successfully mounted a title defense since the 2017-18 Warriors. It’s really difficult to do, and increasingly so as the league has become more and more talented, and as the ability to weather the war of attrition nature of the playoffs has become paramount. The mental and physical toll of an 82-game regular-season grind certainly doesn’t get any easier to muddle through after a championship, and the only Thunder with experience in that particular arena, veteran guard Alex Caruso, knows that all too well. I ask him what advice he had, if any, for his younger compatriots this summer, heading into a title defense.

“Really just trying to stay present. Each year is a different team in the league,” he says. “I tried to tell them just stay present, enjoy the moment with the team we have now, because it’s not guaranteed that you get to try and play for a championship or play on a great team every single year.”

What about the natural lag in urgency that seems almost inevitable once you’ve submitted the mountaintop?

“You fight human nature a little bit through the regular season,” he tells me. “But once the postseason starts, it’s kind of do-or-die, and that mentality, that feeling, is pretty easy to chase again.”

It’s worth noting that another notch in the “Oklahoma City will repeat” column is that, by all accounts, the young bucks on the team didn’t even really need much cajoling when it came to maintaining their focus throughout a long, arduous season. I ask head coach Mark Daigneault about the unique challenge that a championship defense presents, and how he’s steered his troop through it.

Related: Great Barrier Thief: Dyson Daniels emerges as key to unlocking Atlanta Hawks' NBA playoff hopes

“This team, to be honest with you – it is a long season and it is a grind, but this is a team that truly enjoys being around one another,” he says. “The minute they get together on the bus, it seems that their energy goes up. When they’re together in practice or shoot-around, their energy goes up. Even in games, they gain energy by being around each other, and they’ve kind of always been like that. So, that’s been a quality that’s existed independently of context.”

Daigneault also emphasizes that he encourages players not to even consider the season a “defense”, per se. “We’ve tried to look at it as a new season, that started from scratch,” he tells me in Los Angeles. “Last year was great, no one’s taken that away from us, but it’s also over. And we’ve tried to look at this season as a new blank canvas that we’ve had to paint on, or whatever you will. So, they’ve done a great job of that, and we’ve been able to play pretty consistent basketball throughout the season as a result.”

The Thunder aren’t repeat champions yet – that’s why you play the games, as they say. But between their level heads, stellar leadership, youth, athleticism and skill, they are as primed as any team in recent NBA history to get the job done.

The Lakers limped painfully into the playoffs Saturday night only to delightfully discover a miracle salve.

An opponent as mangled as they were.

Yes, the Lakers are beginning this tournament seriously hampered by the indefinite absences of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.

But — surprise, surprise — the Houston Rockets showed up with a bad leg of their own, a recently suffered knee contusion that sidelined leading scorer Kevin Durant for at least the first game of this first-round series.

The result? Check out the wide-mouthed scream unleashed by the Lakers' Luke Kennard midway through the fourth quarter.

The Lakers: Loud and surprising and inspiring.

Read more:Shorthanded Lakers knock off Durant-less Rockets in playoff opener

The Rockets: None of the above.

No Durant meant no Laker problem, a potentially tough battle never appearing in doubt, the Lakers earning a 107-98 victory at Crypto.com Arena that represented the triumph of connection over confusion.

The Lakers were connected, apparently having had time to adjust to the loss of their two leading scorers, LeBron James acting as a brilliant playmaker for scorching hot shooters like Kennard, who hit all five of his treys in scoring a career playoff-high 27 points.

The Rockets were confused, Durant being a late scratch and their attack being lost without him, Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson combining for 38 shots and a bunch of misses.

At one end, the Lakers were perfectly executing, the 41-year-old James becoming the oldest player to have 13 assists in a playoff game, Deandre Ayton missing only two of 10 shots inside, so much nifty passing, so many open looks.

On the other end, the Rockets were a complete mess, dissolving in two whining technical fouls in the third quarter that sealed their fate.

The Lakers might be missing Doncic and Reaves but, man, the Rockets really, really, really missed Durant.

The Lakers were good enough to win despite being outrebounded 21-3 on the offensive glass. They were good enough to survive despite committing 20 turnovers.

They were so efficient despite their obvious deficiencies, one has to wonder … could this one game blend into several games? Say, as many as three more wins in this best-of-seven series?

Could the Lakers actually steal this first round?

At first glance, this result could mean nothing, just one fortunate win by an injured team against another injured team, the Lakers underdogs again in Game 2 if Durant returns as expected.

However, this result could also mean everything, the Lakers gaining the confidence they need to defeat the Rockets even with Durant, this being a game that could create the kind of rich belief that could result in a deeper spring run.

Think about it. This game could be a springboard to a series win that would lead to a Western Conference semifinal series in two weeks. By that time, even though the odds are against it, let’s say Doncic and Reaves attempt to play and, even though the likely opponent would be the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder, who knows what happens?

It won’t happen. It can’t happen. It was recently written in this space that it should never happen, that the Lakers shouldn’t risk further injury by rushing back Doncic or Reaves, that they should forget about this season and focus on next October.

Then again … who knew Kevin Durant would bang his knee? And who knew the NBA would stretch out this first-round series long enough to give Doncic and Reaves more healing time?

Enough, enough. Let’s put a pause on all this speculation and just enjoy what Saturday’s playoff opener wrought.

For the first time since the two injuries, the Lakers were fun again. For the first time since they went 15-2 in one stretch this spring, they seemed actually really good again.

After they blew a distraction-filled, first-round series against Minnesota last season, coach JJ Redick has long preached to them about ignoring the noise and creating a singular playoff mentality. That mentality was in full effect Saturday as they played as if they were at full strength, and the Rockets were at full strength, and they were just the better team.

“You can’t worry about who is in or out of the lineup,” said Redick. “Its our game plan, our standards, it’s how we play, we’ve built toward that.”

And thus bulldozed the hapless Houstoners.

“Our guys … met the moment,” he said.

So did Redick, who deserves credit for reacting to the late news of Durant’s absence, as he and his esteemed coaching staff drew up effective adjustments on the fly.

“There’s a lot that you have to do with Kevin,” Redick acknowledged. “You scrap that and move on to all the other stuff.”

Meanwhile, the Lakers showed some seriously good stuff early, coming out firing in the first quarter, scoring on their first three shots, eight of their first nine, and eventually 16 of their first 20.

James was everywhere, moving the ball, setting up his teammates, recording an amazing eight assists in the first quarter, his best single assist quarter among his 294 playoff games. All that, and during the quarter he flew into the baseline seats striving for a loose ball.

“He displayed great vision throughout,” Redick said of James, who scored 19 points in 38 minutes and was a team-high plus 11. “We talked all week about being connected offensively. He led us there.”

The tone had been set … and continued to be set after James made a flying pin-against-the-backboard block of Thompson in the second quarter … and then he really got loud after Houston took advantage of all those Lakers turnovers to take a brief lead early in the third.

James barked at Rui Hachimura, who screamed back, ‘What?'”

Play better, that’s what. And that’s exactly what they did, Hachimura hitting a three, Kennard hitting a three, James scoring twice on back-in layups and then making a great steal at midcourt. The ferocity of the Lakers answer rattled Houston such that the Rockets were hit with two technical fouls on unbridled anger from Jae’Sean Tate and coach Ime Udoka. Then they absorbed further insult on a soaring blocked shot by Jake LaRavia.

By the fourth quarter, this game was over, leaving it to Kennard to send the crowd howling into the night by supplying three fourth-quarter treys on three attempts and making a Game 1 MVP out of Rob Pelinka.

The Lakers embattled basketball boss smartly acquired renowned shooter Kennard from the Atlanta Hawks in early February for Gabe Vincent and a second-round draft pick and … are you kidding me? Kennard was making half of his three-point attempts at the time of the trade. How did Pelinka acquire him so relatively cheap?

“I liked that he was aggressive,” said Redick of Kennard’s Saturday showcase. “There’s a snowball effect to that.”

Before this series, the Lakers had a snowball in hell’s chance of winning it.

Now? Bundle up.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

At a certain point, you have to stop circling possibilities and just make a call. Nobody enjoys that part, because it means putting something on record and living with it for the next two months.

The Celtics enter the playoffs as one of the most difficult teams in the league to pin down. They’ve shown enough to believe in a deep run, but also come with questions that leave the door open for doubt. So we asked the CelticsBlog staff to do the thing everyone eventually has to do this time of year: make a prediction and stick with it.

What is your Celtics playoff prediction?

Jeff Clark: C’s over Philly in 4, C’s over the Knicks in 5, C’s over Pistons in 6, C’s over Thunder in 7.

Bill Sy: Ultimately, I think the Celtics lose to the Spurs in six and there’s no shame in that. It’ll be a resounding endorsement of everything that Mazzulla and Stevens have built and the franchise will reload in July.

Rich Jensen: I hate predictions even more than I hate hot takes. I will, therefore, go the safe route. The Celtics are going to win another championship. I don’t think that we’ve seen all that this team is capable of. This is quite different from 2024, where the C’s showed the whole league what they were during the regular season. 

Here, the Celtics have evolved before our very eyes into a team that is peaking at the right time. They are the great unknowns heading into the playoffs. None of the other contenders have played the Celtics at full strength, they are deep and multifaceted, and they present challenges to defenses at every position on the court.

Now if the C’s don’t win, that’s fine with me because this team is still very much a work in progress, and I think there’s every reason to expect that they’ll be even better next year.

Ian Inangelo: My playoff prediction is that the Celtics have the talent to make it all the way to the finals and have a chance to beat any team out of the west once they get there. I’ll say Celtics beat the Thunder in 7.

Mark Aboyoun: Boston gets to the Finals. I’m not sure whether they’ll win it or not, and I don’t want to jinx the team, but I feel they have enough to get back. If Tatum can stay healthy and Brown continues to play at an MVP level, they’re a hard team to beat, especially at TD Garden.

Nirav Barman: This is incredibly tough, again because of my superstitious self. I see the Celtics in the Finals this year. I leave it up to fate from there.

Mike Dynon: In 2024, we expected the ultimate high, and the Celtics delivered. Dominant regular season, never threatened in the playoffs, cue the duck boats. This year’s team was the opposite because we expected little – but Celtics culture proved all the doubters wrong. No doubt, it will be very difficult to reach the pinnacle again. 

Despite their amazing season, the reality check was a 1-3 record versus both the East’s first and third seeds (Pistons and Knicks) and a combined 1-5 against the West’s top three (Thunder, Spurs and Nuggets). However, most of that was without Jayson Tatum. And after seeing the Celtics trample all expectations over the past 82 games, this is no time to be rational. The only possible prediction is: Banner 19.

Ryan Paice: I think the Celtics either lose to the Knicks or make a run to the Finals. The Knicks have been a thorn in the team’s side since last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals. I think the C’s have more than enough firepower to take NY down, but it will be a battle. New York has the wings to slow down the Jays and performs well in clutch time, something Boston has struggled with at times in the Jays era. If Boston can overcome that challenge, they’ll ride the high right through the Pistons and to the Finals.

Gio Rivera: The Celtics reach the NBA Finals and meet the Spurs (not OKC). Officiating won’t be nearly the nuisance it was for JB back in January, and by then, Garza will have delivered several key moments/performances up to that point to earn a player’s tunnel reception reminiscent of KP’s in Game 1 against Dallas two years ago.

Grant Burfeind: I’m going Celtics…losing in seven to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a full-on Brothers Grimm ending. OKC looks like the next machine, and as much as I trust this version of Boston, I’m not totally convinced Jayson Tatum has had enough runway to get all the way back to peak form after everything he’s been through.

And if they do win it all, you’re welcome, Celtics Nation, for the anti-hex I’m casting with this prediction.