From The Sports Desk: NBA playoff preview - BERITAJA

Tomorrow, the first information of the NBA playoffs begins.

Lots of intriguing matchups. Can the remodeled Atlanta Hawks trial the star-studded New York Knicks? In the Houston Rockets-Los Angeles Lakers series, which all-time awesome will extremity pinch the precocious hand, Kevin Durant aliases LeBron James? There’s an full Wikipedia page dedicated to the past 20 years of the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves’ rivalry.

Time to fastener in. Our NBC Sports unit analyzes the bid below. Throughout the NBA playoffs, we’ll person you covered present and, arsenic always, connected the Beritaja website.

Eastern Conference

1. Detroit Pistons vs. No. 8. Orlando Magic aliases Charlotte Hornets: Are group sleeping connected the Pistons? A respected NBA writer told maine he whitethorn prime against them successful the first round, particularly if Detroit pulls Charlotte arsenic an opponent. The Pistons were 2nd successful nett standing during the regular season, finishing down the Oklahoma City Thunder. Detroit should triumph this bid handily, but watching the Pistons’ discourtesy (particularly their extracurricular shooting) get a accent trial will beryllium interesting.

2. Boston Celtics vs. No. 7. Philadelphia 76ers: Joe Mazzulla is simply a deserved Coach of the Year candidate, starring Boston to 56 wins contempt Jayson Tatum missing about of the play and an offseason makeover. Any concerns about Jaylen Brown and Tatum meshing good aft Tatum’s return from a torn Achilles should beryllium near successful the regular season. The Celtics outscored opponents by 107 successful 318 minutes Brown and Tatum shared the level together this year. Philly, meanwhile, will beryllium playing astatine a important disadvantage arsenic Joel Embiid sits while recovering from an emergency appendectomy.

3. New York Knicks vs. No. 6. Atlanta Hawks: This whitethorn beryllium the champion matchup of the first information successful the East. Since trading distant Trae Young successful January, Atlanta posted a 27-15 record. New York’s grounds successful that clip play was 29-15. Who closes games for the Knicks will ever beryllium interesting. The Hawks person 1 of the champion five-man groups successful the league, while New York’s quintet of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns posted a so-so 2.3 nett standing successful 541 minutes.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5. Toronto Raptors: Because of injuries and trades, Cleveland could participate the playoffs lacking cohesiveness, arsenic coach Kenny Atkinson has had to operation and lucifer lineups each play long. The Raptors, who vanished pinch the fifth-best defense successful the league, will apt effort to get the Cavs successful the mud for a slugfest of a series. There will beryllium a palpable unit connected Cleveland, which has an costly roster that’s disappointed successful the postseason complete the past fewer years.

Western Conference

Denver Nuggets halfway Nikola Jokić (15) and Minnesota Timberwolves halfway Julius Randle (30) successful the 2nd half of an NBA hoops crippled Sunday, March 1, 2026, successful Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)David Zalubowski / AP

1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8. Phoenix Suns aliases Golden State Warriors: The NBA hasn’t had a repetition champion since 2017-18, but the Thunder, pinch the league’s champion defense and apt the repetition MVP successful Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, are poised to extremity the streak. If you’re looking ahead, the Thunder person the about favorable way to the Finals successful each the West. Potential showdowns against the Spurs, Nuggets and Timberwolves wouldn’t return spot until the 3rd round.

2. San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 7. Portland Trail Blazers: Victor Wembanyama makes his playoff debut. Need we opportunity more? Well, he surely did, erstwhile asked about his team’s playoff inexperience. “We don’t person acquisition right?” he said. “Screw it. We’re still gonna play 100% and effort to triumph this championship. Screw it.” After Feb. 1, San Antonio went 28-2 erstwhile Wembanyama played. It’s the only squad to person Oklahoma City’s number this season, winning 4 of the 5 matchups.

3. Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6. Minnesota Timberwolves: These teams will meet successful the 3rd postseason successful the past 4 years successful what is apt the West’s about competitory opening-round series. Nikola Jokić averaged a triple-double, and Jamal Murray is coming disconnected his champion regular play ever to thief Denver extremity the play connected a 12-game triumph streak. Minnesota limped done the past month, but prima Anthony Edwards and cardinal defender Jaden McDaniels are patient again, and the Timberwolves cognize really to triumph successful the playoffs aft consecutive conference-final trips.

4. Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 5. Houston Rockets: Don’t return for granted a bid pitting LeBron James against Kevin Durant. (How galore much will location be?) With Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić some injured, the Lakers’ late-season revival rests connected the 41-year-old James turning backmost the timepiece and reverting backmost to Los Angeles’ No. 1 option. He averaged 25 points, 11 assists and 6.8 rebounds while his co-stars were retired to decorativeness the season. The Rockets person been unpredictable since halfway Steven Adams was wounded early successful the season, but will effort to triumph scoring wrong by utilizing the league’s tallest roster.

Title connected the Line

Nico O'Reilly of Manchester City scores his team's 2nd extremity past Kepa Arrizabalaga of Arsenal during the Carabao Cup Final lucifer betwixt Arsenal and Manchester City astatine Wembley Stadium connected March 22, 2026 successful London, England.Julian Finney / Getty Images

This is it. The title is connected the statement arsenic Manchester City big Arsenal successful 1 of the biggest Premier League games successful years.

Fans crossed the world will extremity and watch pinch adjacent amounts of hope, worry and fear. Only 1 squad has the momentum pinch a fistful of games to go: Pep Guardiola’s City are purring and person timed their champion shape of the play for illustration the serial winners that they are. City person a 78% win-rate crossed their last 10 convention matches since Guardiola arrived successful 2016. And the Gunners, arsenic usual, are limping toward the decorativeness line. Can they get it done this time?

Arsenal has a six-point lead atop the array but that could beryllium trim to zero if they suffer Sunday and City triumph their crippled astatine Burnley connected Wednesday. City will past apt beryllium up connected extremity difference. They are the clear favorites to triumph this game, but really will they separator Arsenal? The midfield duo of Rodri and Bernardo Silva clasp the key. Their domiciled is besides truthful important successful feeding the red-hot beforehand 4 of Jeremy Doku, Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland.

As for Arsenal, they look frightened and they whitethorn beryllium moving retired of steam again. Under Mikel Arteta successful the past six years, they person had a 55% win-rate successful the past 10 games of the season. A fewer weeks ago, they looked nailed connected to triumph the quadruple. But injuries (Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber being retired person been huge), a deficiency of assurance and fluidity and, well, conscionable the unit of being Arsenal and not winning the convention title successful 22 years, person seen nerves creep in. They mislaid astatine location to Bournemouth past play and scraped into the Champions League semifinals against Sporting Lisbon aft an exhausting, nervy 0-0 draw. Their fans are scrambling arsenic they contemplate the anticipation of their squad becoming the first successful Premier League history to decorativeness 2nd 4 years successful a row.

No pressure, lads, it’s conscionable 1 game.

What we're reading

• Guardians rookie Parker Messick had his no-hit bid surgery up past nighttime successful the 9th inning.
• FIFA and New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill are pointing fingers astatine each different complete the $100-plus World Cup train tickets.
• Ex-NBA subordinate and coach Damon Jones is group to beryllium the first personification to plead guilty successful a sweeping national gambling and sports betting probe.
• USA Today fired a reporter for her comments connected Dianna Russini.
• Ex-Alabama shot subordinate is accused of wearing wigs to impersonate NFL stars successful a fraud scheme.
• The Dallas Wings unopen down questions about the individual narration betwixt its stars Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers.
• Dodgers pitcher Will Klein sewage a civilization mitt pinch a Pokeman paper implant.
• The NHL’s all-time starring extremity scorer Alex Ovechkin is “pretty sure” he’ll beryllium back adjacent season.
• Mike Trout reminded everyone he’s still really bully astatine hitting with his 5 homers at Yankee Stadium this week.

What we're watching

In the NBA Play-In Tournament, we person 2 win-or-go-home games tonight. All times are Eastern:

• 7:30 p.m.: No. 8 Orlando Magic vs. No. 9 Charlotte Hornets, connected Amazon Prime
• 10 p.m.: No. 7 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 10 Golden State Warriors, connected Amazon Prime