The moment all fans were waiting for is finally here. Just four teams are still in contention for the NBA championship as we head to the Conference Finals. Heat, Warriors, Celtics, and Mavericks will fight to the death for another ring.
Both finalists from last year are already out of contention. But all franchises still in the race have already won at least one title. Now, they'll look to honor their history by putting an end to their championship drought.
But, who'll prevail? Who'll win? In how many games? Who'll have the best performance in the Conference Finals? Let's break these matchups down to try and answer these major questions about the NBA playoffs.
NBA Playoffs 2022: 3 Predictions For The Conference Finals
Heat And Celtics Will Go The Distance
The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics feature strong, hardnosed, pesky, defensive-minded teams. This has the making of a seven-game series with both teams taking at least one game on the road from the other.
These sides will go back and forth with multiple lead changes, bruises, technical fouls, and trash-talking. We can expect at least one overtime game and most games to be decided by one score or two.
Luka Doncic Will Have A 50-Point Game
He hasn't been around for that much, but Luka Doncic has already shown that he'll go berserker in the playoffs. He's got the highest points-per-game average in NBA playoffs history and still manages to score at an efficient clip.
The Warriors know they can't double Luka or he'll always kick it out to an open teammate, so they may want to limit his supporting cast rather than focusing entirely on him. So, we expect him to have a 50-point explosion to lead the Mavs to a heroic win.
Warriors, Heat Will Advance
While anything can happen at this stage, we just don't see the Warriors losing. They have too much playoff experience and a chip on their shoulder. They want to prove that the dynasty is alive and well and will take no chances against a dangerous Mavericks team.
The Heat, on the other hand, have proven to be mentally stronger than the Celtics over the past couple of years. Boston tends to fall short at this stage, so we give Erik Spoelstra's side a slight edge and our vote to make the NBA Finals again.
