For NBA fans, there is no better time on the NBA calendar than the start of the postseason.
With the final two playoff spots determined with Friday night’s play-in games, the chase for the NBA championship officially begins with four playoff games on Saturday.
And the play-in games provided a perfect appetizer. The game that decided the No. 8 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks had the feel of a Game 7. And the L.A. Clippers-New Orleans Pelicans matchup that decided the No. 8 seed in the West had it all, with the Pelicans finally taking control late in the fourth quarter.
This season’s playoffs have a ton of compelling angles. Can the Phoenix Suns win their first NBA title? Will the Milwaukee Bucks repeat? Can Stephen Curry return and deliver the Golden State Warriors their fourth title in eight seasons? Can the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves spring a surprise against the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies?