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Well, there you have it. The 2OOO season has ground to a halt. It was a memorable one and will be the topic of next week's article. As for now it's all about the playoffs and the battle for the NBA championship. Sixteen teams have won the right of post-season play and don't expect any team to give up without a fight. Top seeds beware: the five game structure of the first round is dangerous and allows underdogs a ray of hope. That being said, I thought I would offer my opinion on who will survive the first round of the 2000 playoffs. Keep in mind that these predictions are based solely on opinion and hearsay and often lack any foundation in logic. I reserve the right to change my mind at any time and not to look like a complete idiot if they don't come true. Here goes...
(1)Indiana vs (8)Milwaukee - Pacers in four. Indiana's experience and size will be too much for the Bucks to handle. I can see them stealing one game, but that's about it. (2)Miami vs (7)Detroit - Heat in four. Even though Miami doesn't fare well in the playoffs, Detroit doesn't have the inside presence to match up with Miami. The Pistons would have to play three perfect games and since they rely so much on the outside shot, I don't think it will happen. (3)New York vs (6)Toronto - Knicks in five. Toronto may have won the season series, but this is the playoffs and the Knicks are fire tested. New York is built for the post-season where their slow it down style and dump downs to Patrick Ewing will win close games. This series will be tight. (4)Charlotte vs (5)Philly - Sixers in five. I had trouble with this one so I went with my gut. With the addition of Kukoc, I think Philly could go all the way. Of course a lot depends on Iverson and how healthy he can get by game time. This will be another close series with the home court Hornets coming up a little short. Western Conference (1)Los Angeles vs (8)Sacramento - Lakers in four. The league's best team will be tested this series, but only mildly. However,the Kings offer a better challenge than the Sonics would have. Sacramento has Divac to try and handle Shaq and the explosive fast break for quick points. Lakers will slow it down a bit and beat the Kings in the half court. Go To Page: 1 2
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