Many stars, many contenders
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
The most normal regular season of the NBA in three years since the pandemic has thrown up the most wide-open championship tussle ahead of the play-offs. A host of stars, with the exception of LeBron James, are hoping to shine and there are no clear-cut favourites in either conference.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
PHOENIX SUNS V NEW ORLEANS PELICANS
The Phoenix Suns have the National Basketball Association's (NBA) best record (64-18) and a franchise-best regular-season win total. They have built on last season when they reached just their third NBA Finals and their first since 1993.
• KEY MAN: Veteran All-Star guard Chris Paul knits everything together with his leadership, desire and direction.
New Orleans have missed their best player, Zion Williamson, all season due to foot surgery. After losing 12 of their first 13 games, they have had a winning record since then, especially after acquiring guard C. J. McCollum in February.
• KEY MAN: Brandon Ingram has grown markedly since earning his first All-Star nod in 2020.
DALLAS MAVERICKS V UTAH JAZZ
The loss of Luka Doncic to a calf injury will be a massive blow to the Mavericks. The All-Star guard averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists in 65 starts in the regular season, finishing third in the league in scoring and fifth in assists.
• KEY MEN: Tim Hardaway Jr and Jalen Brunson will need to step up in the absence of the Slovenian star.
This is the sixth season in a row that the Jazz have reached the play-offs but they have failed to make the Western Finals since 2007. In Rudy Gobert, Utah have a big-post presence while Donovan Mitchell and Jordan Clarkson are both capable of scoring.
• KEY MAN: Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Gobert, averaging 15-plus points per game, is the first Jazz player to lead the league in rebounds.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS V DENVER NUGGETS
Golden State, back after a two-year absence, will bank on the presence of their Big Three - Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green - for the first time in the play-offs since 2019. Much-improved Jordan Poole has also stepped up this season.
• KEY MAN: Curry is still crucial even though his 38 per cent three-point success rate is the second-lowest of his career.
The Nuggets will be without the injured Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr but they have Nikola Jokic, who helped them win 20 of their last 30 games.
• KEY MAN: Tipped to retain the Most Valuable Player award, Jokic is the first player in NBA history to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES V MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES
The Grizzlies may be young and inexperienced - last year's play-off appearance was just their first in four seasons - but they are also fearless, improving from eighth to second seeds in just a year en route to their best season in history.
• KEY MAN: The 2020 Rookie of the Year Ja Morant has been hailed as the successor to NBA great Allen Iverson and keeps getting better, earning his first All-Star start in February.
Like the Grizzlies, the Timberwolves are another young and hungry side. Minnesota are on this stage for only the third time since 2004.
• KEY MAN: Last month, Karl-Anthony Towns became the first centre since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 to score 60 points in a game.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
MIAMI HEAT V ATLANTA HAWKS
Miami Heat, losers in the 2020 NBA Finals, have made their mark defensively - they rank third in the NBA in scoring defence at 105.3 points per game - while sharing the ball and effective outside shooting also have been vital.
• KEY MAN: A vital component of Toronto Raptors' 2019 title-winning side, Kyle Lowry's arrival saw him provide a team-leading 7.5 assists per game.
This is the second straight season the Hawks are in the play-offs and they have a young team capable of pulling off a surprise again, like last term, when they reached the Eastern Finals.
• KEY MAN: All-Star Trae Young led the NBA in total points and assists this season. He averaged 28.4 points over 76 games for the fourth-best mark.
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS V TORONTO RAPTORS
This is probably the best Philadelphia team since Iverson led them to the NBA Finals in 2001. Joel Embiid is an MVP award contender and James Harden has taken over playmaking duties since his arrival.
• KEY MAN: With an average of 30.6 points per game this season, Embiid is the first centre to earn the NBA scoring title since O'Neal.
The Raptors' play-offs berth not only righted the wrong of missing the post-season last year - ending a string of seven straight play-off appearances - but it also allowed the likes of Fred VanVleet and O. G. Anunoby to rest and recover from injuries.
• KEY MAN: Top performer Pascal Siakam has rediscovered the form that helped Toronto win the 2019 championship.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS V CHICAGO BULLS
Reigning NBA champions Bucks may not have reached the same regular-season heights of 2019 and 2020, when they were the league's top sides, but they remain incredibly well-rounded. Besides Giannis Antetokounmpo, their offensive threats also include All-Stars Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday.
• KEY MAN: Antetokounmpo is second to the 76ers' Joel Embiid on the scoring chart with 29.9 points per game.
The Bulls' stock has fallen, losing four of their past five games after leading the conference two months ago. But they still have players who can deliver.
• KEY MAN: All-Star DeMar DeRozan's scoring average of 27.9 points was a career high, just four players scored better than him.
BOSTON CELTICS V BROOKLYN NETS
The Celtics reached the 50-win plateau for the first time since 2017-18. Offensive virtuoso Jayson Tatum is expected to play well, but he will need Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown to contribute against a Nets defence that can be porous.
• KEY MAN: Tatum, with a 26.9 points average, also has an average rebound rate of eight.
The Nets finished the regular season strongly with four straight wins before grinding down the Cavaliers to qualify via the play-in tournament. Despite their seventh seeding, the presence of All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving means Brooklyn are the East's dark horses.
• KEY MAN: Irving is brimming with confidence, averaging 27.4 points per game.
REUTERS, NYTIMES