With the NBA returning, it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming 2020 NBA playoffs. This playoffs is already going to become one for the history books, due to the unique circumstances. This playoffs also has potential to be one to remember, thanks to the amount of talent and competitiveness in this postseason. There are many rivalries between teams and players that will be ignited in the playoffs. This playoffs can be so unpredictable and anything can happen. There are many potential matchups that can occur in the postseason that will make fans excited to tune back to basketball. We have selected 10 potential playoff matchups that all fans want to see in this year’s playoffs.
Houston Rockets V.S Los Angeles Clippers
These two teams don’t have a historic rivalry like lots of the teams on this list, but the Rockets and Clippers matchup has been one of the most competitive of the regular season. These teams have faced up against each other 4 times this season. The season series is tied 2-2. These games have provided some of the most competitive matchups of the season. One of the best games of the season was the Rockets against the Clippers on November 23rd, 2019. This was a back and forth game that had one of the most exciting fourth quarters of the season, with clutch shot after clutch shot. The most memorable moment from this game is James Harden’s and-one 3 pointer with 1:57 left in the fourth. There is lots of history between players on each team. There is beef between Rockets player Russell Westbrook and Clippers player Patrick Beverley. Their hatred for each other has dated back to the 2013 playoffs when Beverley caused Westbrook to tear his meniscus during the first round of the playoffs. There are also many former teammates that will be facing up against each other, the most notable being Paul George and Russell Westbrook. The pair were teammates for two seasons in OKC. Unfortunately they weren’t able to get past the first round as a duo. They were both traded during the 2019 offseason but old friends have turned to enemies. Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell would be facing up against their former team the Houston Rockets. They were involved in the Chris Paul trade which sent him from Los Angeles to Houston. There are also some family affairs within the Rockets and Clippers series. Rockets player Austin Rivers is the son of Clippers coach Doc Rivers. There was a memorable moment from the season when Austin Rivers got his dad ejected during the Rockets against Clippers game on November 13th, 2019. This matchup would be heavily anticipated and be one of the most competitive playoff series.
Miami Heat V.S Indiana Pacers
The Heat and Pacers rivalry is one that recently spawned during the 2019-2020 season. The heated tensions between Heat player Jimmy Butler and Pacers player T.J Warren started on January 8th, 2020. In the third quarter, the Heat were up 79-56 with 6:29 left in the third. Jimmy was driving to the basket for a layup when Warren hooked his arm from behind. The two then got up close and personal and had to be separated. The next play, Jimmy was being guarded by Warren. Jimmy elbowed him in the stomach leading to him being ejected out of the game. After the foul was called, T.J started taunting Jimmy by making clapping gestures towards him. Warren continued with the gesturing by giving Butler the middle finger. While Butler was leaving the arena, Butler began to taunt Warren by blowing kisses to him. The drama didn’t stop there. After the game in a post-game interview, Butler threw shade to T.J Warren. He stated that Warren was soft and that he couldn’t guard him. We were supposed to see the two rematch on March 20th, but the game got cancelled due to the NBA postponing their season. Now if we see these two teams rematch, then we will see a rematch of Jimmy Butler V.S T.J Warren. Both these teams are also great defensively, so it will be a gritty and competitive matchup. The Heat and Pacers also have some of the best young passing big men in the game with Domantas Sabonis and Bam Adebayo. The Pacers aren’t recognized enough in the NBA media, so going up against a more popular team may help the Pacers get more media attention.
New Orleans Pelicans V.S Los Angeles Lakers
The New Orleans Pelicans aren’t in a playoff spot yet, but with the NBA’s return plan, they have the opportunity to take the eight seed in the Western Conference. Most NBA fans want to see a Lakers V.S Pelicans playoff series in the first round. There are also reports that the league wants to see this potential playoff series. They desire a Lebron V.S Zion first round matchup and their dream is to have a playoff moment similar to Michael Jordan V.S the Celtics in the 1986 playoffs. Lebron James is widely considered to be the best player in the league and he brings in lots of revenue for the NBA. Zion Williamson is only 20 years old, but he’s already one of the most hyped players in the league. Coming out of high school, Zion Williamson was the most hyped player to come out of high school since Lebron James. He was even drawing comparisons to Lebron James. Seeing them face each other in the first round would be a legendary matchup. Putting these two players against each other would also bring the NBA lots of viewers. It would likely be the most tuned into first round playoff matchup. There are more ties between the Pelicans and Lakers that would make this series heavily anticipated. The Lakers and Pelicans were involved in a blockbuster trade last summer that brought Anthony Davis to Los Angeles. Anthony Davis was drafted by the Pelicans franchise and played with them for 7 seasons. He was easily the best player for the Pelicans over his career with them. However, the Pelicans failed to build a successful team around Davis, which resulted in a lack of playoff success. Last season there was lots of tension between Davis and the Pelicans franchise, which resulted in him forcing his way out of New Orleans. There is still bad blood between Davis and his former team and he will be extra motivated to eliminate them in the playoffs. In return for trading Davis, the Pelicans acquired Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram. The Pelicans have built debatably the best young core in the NBA, with a good portion of their young core being former Lakers players. Ingram, Lonzo and Hart have all improved since their time on the Lakers and they will be seeking revenge against their former team. This matchup would be one of the most elite teams facing one of the most elite teams of the future. Although it is almost guaranteed the Lakers would win this series, there would be lots of entertainment value and could potentially become one of the best first round series in NBA history.
Milwaukee Bucks V.S Toronto Raptors
The Bucks and Raptors are currently the two best teams in the Eastern Conference record wise. Both of these teams have been dominating the NBA this season. The Bucks had the best record in the league last season and still found a way to improve. Giannis has been the best player in the league this season and is the heavy favourite to win the MVP award. The Raptors are the defending champions and at times look even better than they did last season. Despite losing their Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, they have still found a way to be an elite basketball team. Lots of this can be credited to Pascal Siakam. He won Most Improved Player last season and took an even bigger leap this season. He made his first all-star appearance this season and has improved his scoring from 16.9 to 23.6 points per game. Other players stepping up for the team such as Norman Powell, Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby has helped heal the wound of losing Kawhi Leonard. These teams also have some recent history facing off against each other. The Bucks faced off against the Raptors in the 2019 playoffs. The Raptors beat the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals in 6 games. It was a very close and competitive series. The Bucks lost, despite being the favourites in the series. If the Bucks and Raptors rematch, the Bucks will be hungry for revenge. Both of these teams are anticipating a deep playoff run and it’s very likely one of these teams will make the finals. These teams have also had some great duels during the 2019-2020 regular season. They have faced each other twice during the regular season and the Bucks are 2-0 in the season series. Both of these games were within 11 points and the Raptors even held Giannis to only 16 points during the second game of the season series. This playoff series could also play a huge factor in Giannis and his free agency decision. There has been multiple rumours that the Raptors having a strong chance of signing Giannis in the 2021 NBA offseason. If the Raptors beat the Bucks in the playoffs this season, it can be their opportunity to prove to Giannis that he should join the Raptors.
Los Angeles Clippers V.S Dallas Mavericks
This playoff series has the potential to be the most competitive first round matchup in the 2020 NBA playoffs. The Clippers are one of the favourites to win the NBA championship. They are led by two of the league’s best defenders Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. On the other side of this matchup you have the Dallas Mavericks led by Luka Doncic. The Mavericks have a historic offence. Luka has led the Mavericks to the best offensive rating in NBA history. Due to the Mavericks elite scoring capabilities and being led by a top 10 player in the league, some are claiming the Mavericks as a dark horse team to make the NBA finals. This playoff series would be a huge test for Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic. In only his second season, Luka has put up all-time great statistics. He is averaging 28.7 points per game and 8.7 assists per game. Among the whole league, he ranks 6th in points per game and 4th in assists per game. He is one of 4 players this season to rank top 10 in points per game and assists per game. Luka is already a household name in the basketball community, but this will be our first chance to see Luka in playoff action. There have been many greats such as Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan who have had memorable playoff performances in their rookie year. If Luka can defeat the Clippers in a 7 game series and put up historic statistics, then he can join some elite company. The Clippers have lots of great individual defenders, so it will be interesting to see how they handle the offensive juggernaut of Luka Doncic. This series will be a test for both teams. The Clippers defence will be tested against a historic offence. If the Clippers can swiftly take care of the Mavericks and find a way to slow down Luka Doncic, then that can make them be seen as championship favourites even more.
Philadelphia 76ers V.S Boston Celtics
This is one of the most historical rivalries in NBA history. The rivalry between the 76ers and Celtics dates back to the 1960’s. Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain had the biggest rivalry during the 60’s era of basketball. They matched up against each other many times in the playoffs. In Wilt’s first playoff run as a member of the 76ers, he was facing Bill Russell and the Celtics. The Celtics beat the 76ers in 7 games with the final score of game 7 being 110-109 for the Celtics. Bill Russell and the Celtics went on to win the championship that season. The following season, the 76ers lost to the Celtics again in the playoffs, this time in only 5 games. After defeating the 76ers yet again, the Celtics went on to win another NBA championship. The next season the 76ers got their revenge. This time they beat the Celtics in 5 games and Wilt Chamberlain went on to win his first career NBA championship. The next season the 76ers and Celtics met each other in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. This time the Celtics beat the 76ers in 7 games. In game 7 the Celtics beat Philadelphia 100-96. After defeating the 76ers in a competitive series, they went on to win yet another NBA championship. This rivalry between Philly and Boston was resumed in the 1980’s. In Larry Birds rookie season, he was matched up against Julius Erving and the 76ers in the conference finals. Philadelphia went on to win the series in 5 games and lost in the NBA finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. The following season, the 76ers and Celtics met in the conference finals again. This time the Celtics beat the 76ers in 7 games. This was a very competitive evenly matched series and the Celtics won by one point in game 7. After defeating the 76ers, the Celtics went on to win the NBA finals. The following season, the two teams met again in the conference finals. Julius Erving and the 76ers defeated the Celtics in 7 games. After defeating the Celtics, the 76ers went on to the NBA finals where they eventually lost to the Lakers. This rivalry is one of the most historic in the NBA and could be revitalized this playoffs. Jayson Tatum and Ben Simmons are two of the best young players in the league and are the future faces of the NBA. Joel Embiid is one of the biggest interior threats in the NBA. The Celtics lack an interior presence to slow down Embiid but they have shown they can matchup against him, due to great coaching by Brad Stevens. Both of these teams are built very differently. The Celtics have a small lineup with emphasis on spacing and great team defence. The 76ers roster has lots of length and great individual defenders but they lack spacing. It will be interesting to see how these how these two different teams matchup against each other and how they adjust to each other. It will for sure be must watch basketball.
OKC Thunder V.S Houston Rockets
One of the biggest trades that happened last offseason was a trade between the OKC Thunder and the Houston Rockets. This trade sent Russell Westbrook to team up with his former teammate James Harden. This trade also sent Chris Paul to the OKC Thunder, immediately making him the leader of the team and face of their franchise. After trading away Westbrook, the Thunder didn’t have very high expectations going into the season. However, they have surprised the majority of NBA fans and the Thunder sit comfortably in a playoff spot. Lots of this success can be attributed to Chris Paul. He has been the leader of the team on and off the court this season. He also has been one of the clutchest players this season. Chris Paul has a great impact on the court that doesn’t appear in the box scores. He almost always makes the right play and is good at involving his teammates and keeping them happy. Paul also has significantly elevated his teammate’s production, as well as elevating the ceiling of the team. For the Houston Rockets, James Harden and Russell Westbrook have formed one of the most dominant duos in the NBA. Individually, Westbrook has reshape his game this season and has gone under the radar. He is shooting a career high 47.4% from the field and is having one of the best scoring seasons of his career. He has also been reducing his 3 point attempts and is embracing his strengths more than ever. Russell Westbrook is one of the deadliest players when attacking the basket so this made the Rockets comfortable with trading Clint Capela at the trade deadline. Westbrook now has more space to attack the basket and has become an even deadlier threat in transition due to the extreme amount of spacing. Both Westbrook and Chris Paul have proved to be good fits for their team and have exceeded the expectations set on them before the season. A first round matchup of these point guards going head to head would be entertaining basketball. Chris Paul will seek revenge against his former team and he will work towards winning his first NBA championship. Meanwhile, Westbrook will also be chasing his first ring and he will be playing against his former team that he was loyal to for 11 seasons. James Harden will also be playing his former team the OKC Thunder. Harden was drafted to the Thunder 3rd overall in the 2009 NBA draft. With his short amount of time on the Thunder, he made the NBA finals and won the 6th man of the year award. After he won 6th man of the year and made the finals, he was traded in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. Once he was traded to the Rockets, he broke out and became a superstar. Just like Westbrook, he will also be looking for revenge against his former team. This revenge storyline would be one of the most compelling storylines in the first round. These teams are also very evenly matched and have an identical record during the regular season.
Los Angeles Clippers V.S Los Angeles Lakers
This matchup is what most fans anticipate to be the Western Conference Finals. The battle of L.A has been one of the best rivalries this season. There is lots of anticipation when these two teams face each other. Both of these teams made blockbuster acquisitions last offseason. The Clippers acquired both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the 2019 NBA offseason. Meanwhile, the Lakers acquired superstar Anthony Davis in the biggest blockbuster trade of the offseason. Both L.A teams have finals aspirations and would more than likely have to face each other on their route to the finals. These teams have gone head to head in some of the most memorable games throughout the season. In the first game of the season, the Clippers beat the Lakers with a score of 112-102. In this game Kawhi Leonard dropped 30 points and the Clippers came out with the win, even with the absence of Paul George. The next matchup these two teams had was on Christmas Day. This game had 8.8 million viewers and is the 2nd most viewed Christmas Day game of all time. This game was very close but ultimately, the Clippers won 111-106. Their next matchup would be on March 8th, 2020. In this game the Lakers won with a score of 112-103. Lebron James scored 28 points this game and had 9 assists. Anthony Davis scored 30 points in this game, helping the Lakers come out with the win. The Kawhi Leonard V.S Lebron James rivalry has been one of the most competitive rivalries. Both these players are not only chasing the championship, but also chasing the title of best player in the entire league. It is also the battle of L.A and both these teams are competing for the status of best team in Los Angeles. This would be the first time these teams met in a playoff series and it would be an intensely competitive 7 game series.
Miami Heat V.S Philadelphia 76ers
Both these teams have not met the expectations that were set on them before the season. For the 76ers, they were expected to be the clear cut second best team in the East behind the Milwaukee Bucks. They were expected to be the Bucks biggest competition and potentially make the NBA finals. This season however, the 76ers have not lived up to these expectations yet. With the NBA returning we could see the 76ers turn things around and reach the expectations given to them before the season. However, what we’ve seen from the regular season is not too promising. They have struggled to stay healthy and find a rhythm. They are currently ranked as the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 39-26. Meanwhile, the Miami Heat have had a very different regular season. They have exceeded their expectations that they were given prior to the season starting. Lots of this can be attributed to Jimmy Butler’s great leadership, along with the emergence of Bam Adebayo. The Heat currently have a record of 41-24 and are the 4th seeded team in the east. Both these teams are great defensively and it would be a very gritty and defensive oriented series. The 76ers and Heat have also both struggled on the road this season. The 76ers have a record of 10-24 on the road and a record of 29-2 at home this season. The Heat have a record of 14-19 on the road and a record of 27-5 at home this season. It will be fascinating to see how both these teams do without home court advantage. The main story line in this series is Jimmy Butler facing his former team. There is still some bad blood between Jimmy and the 76ers. There was lots of behind the scenes drama last season when Butler was a member of the 76ers. Jimmy questioned his teammate’s motives and work ethic. Most people speculate that he is referring to former teammate Ben Simmons. Now, this series could be an opportunity for these two to settle their drama on the court in a 7 game series.
Milwaukee Bucks V.S Los Angeles Lakers
The NBA finals will be the most anticipated part of the playoffs, regardless of which teams are playing. Despite that, this would be the most anticipated finals possibility. Prior to the season, this was most people’s finals predictions. The Bucks and Lakers have been the top seeds for their conferences this season. The Bucks were on a roll before the season was postponed. They were winning at a historic pace and currently have a record of 53-12. This incredibly skilled team has been led by MVP front runner Giannis Antetokounmpo. The reigning MVP has somehow found a way to improve this season. Giannis is getting more comfortable from 3 point range. He raised his 3 point attempts from 2.8 to 4.8 a game and he raised his 3 point percentage from 26% to 31%. Giannis also raised his scoring production. He went from averaging 27.7 points last season to averaging 29.6 points this season. He is putting up these impressive scoring numbers in only 30 minutes per game. The Bucks have been so dominant that Giannis rests for most of the 4th quarter. He has averaged only 7.5 minutes in the 4th quarter this season. This ranks him 118th in minutes played in the fourth quarter this season. He is also a top candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award. The Bucks are looking to finish their historic season with a championship. Anything short of a finals appearance would be a disappointment. The same applies to the Lakers. Anything short of a finals appearance would be a disappointment for the Lakers. They went all in by trading for Anthony Davis in the offseason. Lebron will be chasing his first ring as a Laker and will look to add a fourth championship to his resume. This finals series would be filled with the biggest names in basketball. Giannis and Lebron are the two leaders of the MVP race. Anthony Davis and Giannis are also the two front runners for the Defensive Player of the Year award. Lebron and Giannis would be battling head to head, not just for the championship, but for the title as best player in the league. Giannis is chasing his first ever NBA championship while Lebron is chasing the status of greatest player of all time. This series would be filled with lots of back and forth action and intense moments. It would have the potential to go down as the greatest NBA finals of all time.
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