Fans will enjoy many series of the first round with class rivals, while you can find exciting stories from the play-in tournament to the first seeds. Let’s take a look at the upcoming playoff games, starting from the Eastern Region: (4) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (5) Toronto Raptors With the Boston Celtics beating the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night, they are claiming the No. 2 spot in the conference, which means the Raptors will face the 76ers’s opponents for the third time in the post-season. The last time these two teams met in the playoffs, former Raptor Kawhi Leonard scored an impressive midfield shot in Game 7 to send Toronto to the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals. The Raptors start the season with a hot streak that started with a five-win streak in the west in early March. They have won 14 of the 18 games since then, the best league record during this season. The Raptors hold a 3-1 record against the 76ers this season, winning their most recent game on April 7 in a 119-114 victory. Although the Raptors are entering the playoffs at a high pace and have won their last two meetings against their opponent in the first round, some NBA experts do not give the team a chance to win the series. Philadelphia defender Matisse Thybulle, who was ruled out of Toronto on Thursday, will also miss the Scotiabank Arena 3 and 4, the Sixers Doc Rivers coach told reporters on Sunday after being vaccinated. . The Raptors roster is fully vaccinated, which means that every player will be able to play games in Philadelphia. The top seven will start in Philadelphia on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. (3) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (6) Chicago Bulls The second game of the first round of the conference includes the NBA champions Bucks and the Bulls. Milwaukee swept the season, winning all three games against Chicago in the regular season. The Bulls stumble in the postseason, having lost four of their last five and six of their last 10. Two-time MVP Giannis Antitokoumbo averaged 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists in the Bucks 2020-2021 season. The top seven will start in Milwaukee on Sunday. (2) Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets / Cleveland Cavaliers The Celtics were one of the hottest teams in the league in the second half of the season. After their victory against the Grizzlies, the team has a record of 26-6 in relation to its last 32 games. They are waiting for the winner of the first play-in match of the Eastern Region between the Cavaliers and the Nets. The top seven will start in Boston on Sunday. (1) Miami Heat vs. TBD The Heat are the team of the East with the greatest uncertainty around their opponent in the first round. They play the winner of the third play-in game of the conference, which could be one of the four participating teams. Miami set the fourth best home record of the league (29-12) and will try to use its home advantage throughout the playoffs. The series of top seven will start in Miami on Sunday. And now we move on to the Western Conference: (4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Utah Jazz The best-of-seven series will start in Dallas on Saturday at 13:00 ET. (3) Golden State Warriors vs. (6) Denver Nuggets The top seven will start at Golden State on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. (2) Memphis Grizzlies vs. Minnesota Timberwolves / Los Angeles Clippers The top seven will start in Memphis on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. (1) Phoenix Suns vs. TBD The series of top seven will start in Phoenix on Sunday. Although the overall picture of the playoffs has been determined, not all of the first round matches can be determined without the completion of the league play-in tournament. See how competition will accumulate in the East: (8) Cleveland Cavaliers at (7) Brooklyn Nets – Monday at 7 p.m. ET. (10) Charlotte Hornets at (9) Atlanta Hawks – Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. And in the West: (8) Los Angeles Clippers at (7) Minnesota Timberwolves – Monday at 9:30 ET. (10) San Antonio Spurs at (9) New Orleans Pelicans – Tuesday at 9:30 ET. -Files from the Associated Press
