Jun 7, 20213 min read

NBA: Conference semifinals preview, predictions

#1 Philadelphia 76ers (49-23, 4-2) vs. #5 Atlanta Hawks (41-31, 5-1): Trae Young led the Hawks to a 128-124 win in Game 1 after leading by 20 points at halftime. He finished with 35 points and 10 assists, the first such performance in franchise history. Joel Embiid was dominant in his return from injury, scoring 39 points and nine rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to offset Atlanta’s 20 3-pointers made. If the Hawks are able to score more from beyond the arc than Philadelphia can inside the paint like they did on Sunday afternoon (60-58), then this series could be flipped on it's head. Atlanta's chance to advance will also depend on if John Collins can outplay Tobias Harris consistently but that remains to be seen. Game 2 is set for Tuesday night.

Staff Picks:

Blake Stoll: Hawks (7)

Charles Post: 76ers (6)

Chinedum Wejinya: 76ers (7)

Danny Murphy: 76ers (7)

Max Heningburg: Hawks (7)

Series MVP:

1. Joel Embiid (76ers)

2. Trae Young (Hawks)

3. Ben Simmons (76ers)

4. Bogdan Bogdanović (Hawks)

5. Seth Curry (76ers)

#2 Brooklyn Nets (48-24, 5-1) vs. #3 Milwaukee Bucks (46-26, 4-1): Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving combined for 54 points and 15 rebounds in a 115-107 win over Milwaukee on Saturday. The bad news? James Harden left after just 43 seconds of play due to tightness in his right hamstring. According to CBS Sports, Harden will miss Game 2 on Tuesday. Expect the Bucks offense to look a lot better at some point after hitting just 20% from 3-point range in Game 1. Khris Middleton couldn’t find a rhythm, finishing with 13 points on 26.1% shooting. This series is going to come down to who can defend the 3-point line and limit turnovers. Brooklyn was better on both fronts in the opener but we’ll see how the Bucks respond as 1.5-point underdogs in Game 2.

Staff Picks:

Blake Stoll: Nets (5)

Charles Post: Nets (7)

Chinedum Wejinya: Nets (6)

Danny Murphy: Bucks (7)

Max Heningburg: Nets (5)

Series MVP:

1. Kevin Durant (Nets)

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)

3. Kyrie Irving (Nets)

4. Jrue Holiday (Bucks)

5. Khris Middleton (Bucks)*

*Depending on Harden's availability.

#1 Utah Jazz (52-20, 4-1) vs. #4 Los Angeles Clippers (47-25, 4-3): Kawhi Leonard averaged 32.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game on 61/43/90 shooting splits in the first round against Dallas. He was absolutely unstoppable after the Clippers fell down 3-2, combining for 73 points in two consecutive elimination games. The Jazz will have their hands full with Leonard and Paul George but Utah allows the second-lowest opponent shooting percentage (44.9%), as well as finishing possessions with the second-highest rebound rate (37.5). We'll see if Tyronn Lue reinserts Ivica Zubac into the starting lineup to combat Rudy Gobert after playing small with Nicolas Batum. This series will likely come down to which role guys are more consistent.

Staff Picks:

Blake Stoll: Jazz (4)

Charles Post: Jazz (6)

Chinedum Wejinya: Jazz (7)

Danny Murphy: Jazz (6)

Max Heningburg: Clippers (6)

Series MVP:

1. Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)

2. Kawhi Leonard (Clippers)

3. Bojan Bogdanović (Jazz)

4. Rudy Gobert (Jazz)

5. Paul George (Clippers)

#2 Phoenix Suns (51-21, 4-2) vs. #3 Denver Nuggets (47-25, 4-2): Nikola Jokić's potential MVP campaign continues after Denver dispatched the Trail Blazers 126-115 in Game 6 despite trailing by 14 in the second half. Jokić had 36 points and eight rebounds in the win. DeAndre Ayton will have a large task trying to contain the Nuggets big man but he more than held his own defending Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol. Phoenix has an elite defensive frontcourt to match their dynamic backcourt, as Chris Paul will keep looking to run the offense through Devin Booker after a 47-point explosion in Game 6. We expect this series to go 6+ games and the winner must take advantage of free throw shooting and turn post touches into points in the paint.

Staff Picks:

Blake Stoll: Suns (7)

Charles Post: Suns (7)

Chinedum Wejinya: Suns (7)

Danny Murphy: Suns (6)

Max Heningburg: Suns (5)

Series MVP:

1. Devin Booker (Suns)

2. Nikola Jokić (Nuggets)

3. Michael Porter (Nuggets)

4. DeAndre Ayton (Suns)

5. Chris Paul (Suns)