NBA Predictions: Expert picks for Warriors vs. Mavericks and Heat vs. Celtics in conference finals

After Sunday’s Game 7, the NBA conference finals matchup is set.In the West it will be third warrior against number 4 Dallas Mavericks. In the east, it is the first Miami Heat with No. 2 boston celtics.

Boston-Miami will start Tuesday. Golden State Warriors – Dallas will start Wednesday.

We’ve been saying all season that it’s going to be a wild playoff game, and it’s true. I haven’t had this title in a long time. It really feels like any of these four teams could end up in the Finals, but of course, we all have our own opinions on who will make it to the Finals.

With that in mind, here are our staff picks for both games, including how many games we’ve seen in each series and an explanation of our picks. This will be very fun.

Eastern Conference Finals: Heat vs. Celtics

Reiter’s pick: Celtics 6. Miami is a very good basketball team. But the Celtics were great — maybe their best game since late January.They have the second best defense in the NBA, Defensive Player of the Year, Superstar Jayson Tatum, extraordinary depth, tremendous momentum, and seems to be the answer to every question that has come up this season. Below 0.500 at the end of January? no problem.The first-round series with the so-called strong Brooklyn Nets? Sweep them.Trailing 3-2 in series against defending champs Milwaukee Bucks? As Ime Udoka puts it: When the inevitable comeback unfolds in dominant fashion, it gets even sweeter. And now, a very talented Miami Heat team has its own excellent defense, Jimmy Butler, with the experience of Erik Spoelstra leading the way? No problem, do it again. Like every other challenge it faces, this Celtics team is simply too good.

Quinn’s pick: Celtics 6. I can’t imagine Miami scoring 79 points in Game 3 of the series. 76ers Unexpected. This is a team that has struggled to score for long periods of time under Philly’s poor defense… should we trust them to score against Boston? The Celtics have historically dominated the defensive end since January. They’ve just toppled two of the best players in the world.if Kyle Lowry Healthy, the series just got more interesting. For now, I expect Miami to take advantage of its massive resting advantage to take Game 1 at home, but the series will lean toward Boston, a team that seems poised for a loss to the Heat in the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals revenge.

Ward Henninger’s pick: Celtics 6. If we thought the Boston-Milwaukee series was a bloodbath, what would the series look like? With two elite defenses, conventional logic would dictate that the stronger offense would prevail, and that would be the Celtics – thanks Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown And cosplayers who have proven they can step up when it matters.Having said that, it’s impossible to ignore what Jimmy Butler has done this postseason, and Tyler Herro Probably due to breakout. At the end of the day, I just think the Heat will struggle to score in all series, so Boston will make it to the NBA Finals.

Maloney’s pick: Celtics 6. The Heat are a very tough defensive team in their own right, but we just saw how the Celtics shut down a Bucks team that lacked shot creators.Miami faces similar issues, especially with Kyle Lowry still battling a hamstring injury and no one is better Giannis Antetokounmpo. This will be a serious scrap, but in the end the Celtics will have too much talent on both sides of the ball.

Wimbish’s pick: Celtics 7. While the West may see some high-scoring events, I expect the series to be the other way around as both teams employ stifling defenses that will disappoint their opponents. But I’m more of a believer in Boston’s ability to score on the rebound than the Heat, whose offense against the 76ers was stagnant in the last series. The unknown variables of Kyle Lowry’s hamstring injury also raise questions for the Heat, who don’t have a ton of shot creators to contend with Boston.

Botkin’s choice: Celtics 6. These two teams mirror each other in many ways. Superior switch defense. A two-way big man who can maintain his own on the perimeter. Superstars for Jayson Tatum and Jimmy Butler. depth. discipline. The spirit of driving and playing football. Once again, Miami was a lot better than they thought, at least in mainstream conversations, but the Celtics ended up going too far on both ends.

Herbert’s Choice: Celtics 6. Can the Heat score on this incredible defense? As good and adaptable as they have been this season, I’m worried about these individual matchups, I suspect they just don’t have enough firepower. They’re going to try and screw things up, but, especially considering Miami doesn’t have a healthy Kyle Lowry, I have to stick with Boston, the team I picked has won everything in the playoffs.

Kaskey-Blomain’s options: Celtics 6. This series promises to be a tough defensive battle as both teams play stubborn lock-up defenses. Still, the Celtics have more firepower offense and are Jayson Tatum’s best player in the entire series. After slowing down the duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the first round and knocking out defending champion and arguably the best player in the world Giannis Antetokounmpo in the second, Kyrie The Celtics should have no problem slowing down Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Co.

Western Conference Finals: Warriors vs. Mavericks

Reiter’s Pick: Warriors in 5. heroic deeds Luka Doncic In leading the Dallas Mavericks beyond phoenix suns It cannot be overstated. But the Golden State Warriors will prove to be an entirely different challenger — one that, unlike Phoenix, won’t cave in the face of a strong D and a stunning superstar. The Warriors’ past experience — winning titles and losing them — will help them outpace Lucca. The Warriors have the best defense in the NBA. They have the best shooter in NBA history.They have more depth than the Durant era, headlines but not limited to appearances Jordan Poole. They have Clay and Dre again. And they’re not going to waste another title like Phoenix.

Quinn’s Pick: Warriors of 7. I think we’re slightly overestimating the Mavericks right now based on a few factors that are unlikely to sustain. Phoenix’s offense was so reliant on two creators to generate it that a seemingly injured player completely neutralized them. Golden State’s more egalitarian system would be less fragile. The Warriors can punish Dallas athletically in a way the Suns can’t.Several Mavericks shot well over their heads in the playoffs, if Maxi Kleber Continue to make him 48 percent from 3-point range? Give him more power and start planning the march.I just think Golden State’s comfortable transition on defense will force Dallas to look for alternatives on offense, as incredible as Luka Doncic is, I think it’s worth noting that the same core has beaten LeBron James Three times to the finals. They are no strangers to this matchup. Doncic will make it to the Finals someday, but it’s still time for the Golden State Warriors.

Ward-Henninger’s Picks: 7 Warriors. The Warriors have shown plenty of flaws this postseason, but they have the resilience and championship spirit to return to the Finals for the first time since 2019.Luka Doncic has no answer, but Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green They could at least try to make his life difficult. The Warriors also have personnel to match the Mavs in five outs, one of their greatest weapons. It’s going to be close, but I trust Draymond, Stephen and Klay more than Luka’s accomplices. Give me Golden State.

Maloney’s Pick: Warriors of 7. This should be an intriguing matchup, as both teams like to be small and make a living from the 3-pointer. After Luka Doncic and the Mavs beat the Suns in Game 7, it’s going to be tough to go up against them, but I’d lean slightly toward the Warriors because of their collective talent, championship experience, and home-court advantage.

Wimbish’s pick: Mavericks 7. If you don’t believe these two teams are pretty much mirrors of each other, here are some numbers to consider. The Warriors and Mavericks both had a defensive rating of 110.5 in the playoffs, while Dallas’ 114.5 offensive rating was just 0.2 ahead of Golden State. These two teams play well against each other because they can both go to small-ball lineups to force opponents to their knees and rely heavily on 3-pointers to go down. While the Warriors are the favorites to win this series and win the championship based on their championship history, Golden State doesn’t look like the world-class, scary ball we saw in 2016 team.they are prone to sloppy basketball, and Stephen Curry Not hitting those crazy 3-pointers we’re used to seeing from him. Meanwhile, the Mavericks played their best basketball going into this series, and it’s hard to bet right now with Luka Doncic, who looks like the best player left in the playoffs.

Botkin’s Pick: Warriors in 7. Golden State rested for loss to Phoenix.Luka Doncic is an admitted lunatic, but Mikal Bridge Not going after Stephen Curry all over the court is a big deal because Dallas is playing smaller, which should allow Golden State to fight back with their strongest lineup without worry. Combined with the fact that the Warriors will now have home-court advantage, that makes Game 7 of the series the difference that should be a game worth watching.

Herbert’s pick: Mavericks 7. I picked the Warriors to win the championship in the preseason, and at the end of the regular season I picked them for the Finals. Why choose their final opponent now? Because I have more questions about Golden State going into this series than I have with Dallas.injured to Gary Payton IIOtto Porter and Andre Iguodala Having disrupted the Warriors’ rotation, some of the lineups they used against Memphis weren’t viable against the Mavericks. It was like a toss up for me, but I think the team seems to be improving every game.

Kaskey-Blomain’s Picks: Warriors of 7. The Warriors have the experience advantage in this series, which could ultimately prove to be the deciding factor as the two teams are evenly matched on paper. The biggest concern facing the Golden State Warriors is how they will slow down Luka Doncic, who has dominated this postseason. The Warriors don’t have a defensive player that they can feel to match Doncic, especially with Gary Payton II still out, so this has to be a planned thing. Also, being small is an advantage for Dallas in these playoffs, but it won’t be against Golden State, which also has a very effective small-ball lineup.