The NBA playoffs will begin after the regular season and the play-in tournament. In this regard, the NBA regular season ends on April 10th, while the play-in tournament kicks off two days later on April 12th and ends on April 15th. After that, the playoffs will start on April 16th. All eight games of the first round will be played either on April 16th or 17th. Thereafter, the NBA Finals will begin on June 2nd.
Of the 30 teams in the league, only 20 will qualify for the play-in tournament or the playoffs. Four teams will be eliminated in the Play-in tournament. On the other hand, 16 teams out of the 30 leagues teams will make it to the NBA playoffs. Each of the two conferences will produce eight teams, meaning there will be eight first-round matchups. Additionally, there will be no first-round byes or wildcard teams.
The NBA Playoff Format
Seeds 7 to 10 will participate in the play-in tournament for each conference. Additionally, Seeds 7 and 8 will play one match, and the winner will advance to the playoffs. On the other hand, the loser will face off with the match-winner between Seeds 9 and 10.
The winner of the encounter will clinch the remaining playoff spot. The NBA playoffs have four rounds. Moreover, every matchup in the rounds is a best four out of seven series (HHAAHAH).
2022 NBA Playoff Predictions
The 2021-22 season is underway, and the Milwaukee Bucks look set to clinch the championship, despite their loss to Denver Nuggets. So, will your favorite team make it to the playoffs?
Eastern Conference
At the moment, every team atop the Eastern Conference, apart from the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, is struggling. For example, the Bulls have won only four of 10, including a 43-point home loss to the Golden State Warriors.
The Nets are feeling the absence of Kevin Durant, who is on the sidelines for the long haul with a sprained MCL. They have recorded 4-6 in their last ten matches. On the other hand, Milwaukee, the defending champions, have lost six of their previous 11 games.
What does this imply? The Eastern Conference will be up in the air from now on. A lot depends on Kevin Durant’s situation. One major event Durant is surely set to miss is the NBA All-Star weekend. Although he was chosen as the Eastern Conference captain against the 18th time pick LeBron James, who got a lot of praise on this article. If Durant returns to full fitness, then that could be a game-changer. Teams that have a chance of making the playoffs include:
- Chicago Bulls
- Miami Heat
- Brooklyn Nets
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Charlotte Hornets
- Boston Celtics
Western Conference
Like the Eastern Conference, the Western Conference’s top contenders have struggled. For example, in their last ten games, the Warriors are 6-4, with Draymond Green sidelined. They hope that he will return to fitness to help the rest of the team perform better.
On the other hand, Golden State could have turned things around after defeating Utah and Dallas recently. The Jazz have lost eight of 10 after a promising start to the season. Salt Lake is hoping Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell can lead them to championship contention.
Teams with the best odds of making the playoffs are:
- Phoenix Suns
- Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Utah Jazz
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Los Angeles Lakers
Finally, NBA pundits predict that the Phoenix Suns will meet the Miami Heat in the 2022 NBA Finals. What are your predictions? Which team do you think will emerge the winner?
