By: BHS Sports Staff
May 18, 2023
The NBA Playoffs have been in full swing for the past month, and there have been some crazy upsets and hard fought series. So the question remains: Which two teams will advance to The Finals?
WESTERN CONFERENCE
7 Los Angeles Lakers vs. 6 Golden State Warriors:
The Lakers came into this series on fire. Anthony Davis led the team with 30 points and 23 rebounds, giving them the lead in the series with a game one victory, 117-112. However, the defending champions were not going out without a fight. Game two was at home for the Warriors, so they were ready to play. Klay Thompson had 30 points to force the series to be tied 1-1 with the final score of 127-100. The Lakers did not let the defending champs take this series, however, so they proceeded to win two games in a row with both scores being 127-97 and 104-101. The reason for this was Lebron James and Anthony Davis. AD had 23 rebounds combined through the two games, and Lebron led the team in scoring in both games. The Warriors managed to win Game 5 with a score of 121-106, but the Lakers had the home court advantage in Game 6, so they ultimately ended up winning with a score of 122-101 to close out the series 4-2. Better luck next time, Defending World Champs.
1 Denver Nuggets vs. 4 Phoenix Suns:
In the end, the Suns fell 4-2 in the series, dropping Game 6 to the Nuggets, 125-100. This series was reminiscent of their shocking elimination at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 of the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals. In both situations, Phoenix trailed by 30 points at halftime of a win-or-go-home game at home. Star guard Devin Booker scored 11 points and 12 points, respectively, in those losses. The top seeded Nuggets truly did not face much adversity in this series. And, it is always nice to see Kevin Durant lose.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
8 Miami Heat vs. 5 New York Knicks:
This series was a surprising one. The Knicks were coming off a good season and a first round win over our beloved Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Heat had all of the momentum, knocking out the 1-seed Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round. In game one, the Heat set the tone for the series and took the win. The Knicks, in game 2, responded by evening the series with three players dropping 24+ points. In game 3, the Heat completely took over, showing their dominance in a home blowout win, 105-86. In game 4, the Heat kept their “Pedal to the Metal” mindset. Miami’s bench played a huge part in this win, and the Heat had half of their players drop 10+ in the victory. In an elimination game for the Knicks in game 5, the Heat was looking to close out the series, but Jalen Brunson and the Knicks had other plans and took game five at home. In game 6, the Heat had everything they needed to win this game and sent the Knicks home with a score of 96-92. The Miami atmosphere and Heat were too hot to handle.
3 Philadelphia 76ers vs. 2 Boston Celtics:
This series was highly anticipated with two loaded teams with great talent. Despite not having Joel Embiid in Game 1, James Harden stepped up with 45 points as the 76ers got the win to take a 1-0 series lead. The Celtics took that performance personally and absolutely dominated in Game 2, led by Jaylen Brown’s 25 point performance, to even up the series at 1-1. The Celtics kept their momentum going in Game 3 with a 114-102 win to take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 was arguably the most entertaining game in this series with the lead going back-and-forth. But in overtime, James Harden hit the go-ahead three to even up the series. Back in Boston, the 76ers kept their momentum going to take a 3-2 series lead, one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals. But, the Celtics were not ready to go home yet as their defense held Philly to just 86 points in Game 6, sending this series to a decisive Game 7. The Celtics absolutely dominated Game 7, 112-88. Jayson Tatum scored 51 points and set a new Game 7 playoff record. The Celtics are back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second year in a row.
The Los Angeles Lakers against the Denver Nuggets and the Miami Heat versus the Boston Celtics should make for some entertaining basketball.
{Editor’s Note: Both the Nuggets and Heat are already up 1-0 in their respective series.)
Now, the moment all of you have been waiting for: Sports Staff Picks!
*Youssef: Lakers / Celtics
*Jacob: Lakers / Celtics
*Ayman: Lakers / Heat
*Anthony: Nuggets / Heat
*Mr. Holko: Nuggets / Heat
Who do you think will make the NBA Finals this year? Leave your predictions down in the Comment section below.
That is a wrap for our NBA coverage. The Finals are right around the corner, so stay tuned.
In Brooklyn sports, the varsity baseball team defeated Bard Early College in the OHSAA sectional semifinals by a score of 16-0. However, their season came to an end last night with an 11-0 loss against Apple Creek Waynedale (the defending Division III State Champions).
It was definitely not the season that the program envisioned, but the team stuck together, earned some wins, and improved throughout the campaign.
Good luck to the track team as their district tournament begins today.
Go Canes!
{For up-to-date events and schedules, visit Brooklyn Hurricanes Athletics.}
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 