The NBA season is nearing a close on Wednesday and the playoffs will finally begin on Saturday as 16 teams get the chance to fight for the championship in 2013, with the Miami Heat looking to defend their title from last season, which they won over the Oklahoma City Thunder in a battle between LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
The matchups in the playoffs could change depending on what happens on the final night on Wednesday, but some of the teams are already locked into their spots, including the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers, who had their game cancelled after the Boston Marathon explosion and will not be made up. According to ESPN.com, it will be the first time that teams will not have the same amount of games played when the season ends.
The tragedy shook the sports world, especially teams in Boston, including the Red Sox, who played on Monday morning, as well as the Bruins, who had their game against the Senators postponed. The attack put security at all sports events on alert and the first game at the TD Garden for the Celtics will be the first home playoff game against the Knicks in game 3.
The Miami Heat will play the Bucks in what should be an easy series for LeBron James, as the team won three out of four games against Milwaukee during the season, including two of the last three. The Heat shouldn't have much trouble getting back to the conference finals again and the biggest threat is likely the Pacers and the Knicks, who could potentially matchup in the second round.
The Western conference is still not fully set, as the Lakers and the Rockets play on Wednesday and that game could decide the eighth seed. The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the first seed and matched up with the Lakers as of Tuesday and the Thunder has won three of four games in the matchup this season. If the Rockets stay in second, they will play against the San Antonio Spurs in the first round, which saw the Spurs win three of four games during the season.
The Knicks are ready to make a significant playoff run this year after having their best season in two decades, winning the division and 50 games for the first time in years. The team will have a tough matchup against the Celtics to start, but they may get some injured players back just in time for the playoffs. Rasheed Wallace is expected to be back after missing four months and the team also may have Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin in the fold, which will be a huge advantage going down the stretch.
New York will likely face off against Miami and the best advantage they will have over the top five scoring and defending team is rebounding, where the Heat ranks 30th in the league. The Knicks will need to be at their best to make it through and could be a tough challenge against the Heat if they can make it to the finals.