The Eastern Conference is as Close as Ever

The NBA playoffs are underway, and while the Western Conference hasn’t been the closest, the Eastern Conference has 3 Game 7s approaching. With the closest playoffs since 2014, the even competition has led to tense series across the board.

Jalen Brunson led the NY Knicks to a 4-2 series win over the Atlanta  Hawks, the only series in the East to not go to 7 games.

These playoffs have been by far some of the most interesting in recent years, despite the Western Conference not having a series go to 7. The OKC Thunder swept the Phoenix Suns, and the San Antonio Spurs handled the Portland Trailblazers in a comfortable 5 games. Both the Lakers and their original city of Minnesota handled their teams in a 4-2 series win, as did the Knicks in a blowout game 6 that was won by 51 points in Atlanta. These teams all get to move on to the second round, but there’s 6 teams still fighting for their spot in the East. 

Starting with the teams who are in the process of blowing a 3-1 lead, the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics have their fans on edge in their respective series. The Magic seek to join the exclusive club of 8 seeds to beat the 1 seed in the first round, being the seventh team in history and second in the past 5 years. However, the Detroit Pistons are determined to not be on the wrong side of history, and have been rallying back thanks to the efforts of Cade Cunningham, who is averaging 32.5 points per game along with 6.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists across the 6 games so far. His teammate, Jalen Duren, has been facing criticism for his play, for not living up to his regular season standard and potentially costing the Pistons their season. Meanwhile, the Celtics are trying their hardest not to choke against the Philadelphia 76ers, their in-division rival that has not beaten them in the playoffs since 1982 (Note: As of the writing process of this article, the Sixers have closed out Game 7, eliminating the Celtics in 4-3 fashion).

As for the last series, the battle between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors has been centered around home court advantage, with the home team winning the game each time through all six bouts. The Raptors narrowly clinched the most recent game in overtime, thanks to an RJ Barrett shot that bounced perfectly up and into the hoop for 3.

For the teams who are still fighting for a playoff spot, this game may decide the future of their organization for years to come. The Cavaliers may blow it up if they lose in the first round, and the Magic or Pistons could likely do the same. Regardless, their fates rest on a single game: Win or go home.