The NBA playoffs kickoff today with plenty of great basketball waiting to happen. This has the possibility of being one of the most entertaining and competitive NBA playoffs in a long time, as there are several teams in both leagues that are capable of making the championship game. Lots of playoff story lines are in the mix, and being there in person is the best part of all. The west has the defending champions in the Los Angeles Lakers, who looked very good during most of the regular season. But the Lakers entered a tailspin as the season ended, and have plenty of questions in the roster. Add to that the effect of a Western Conference making a leap, and there are several teams that are capable of knocking of the defending champs. The Lakers are still the most popular pic, with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, and don’t forget Phil Jackson, looking to get one more ring.
Everyone seems to forget about the San Antonio Spurs, but they were the most dominant team the first half of the decade. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker can win games in their sleep, and if they catch some breaks and stay healthy they can beat anyone. The Oklahoma City Thunder are another team that can make some real noise in the playoffs, with Kevin Durant emerging as among the most dangerous players in the game. The NBA Western Conference has some very good teams that will provide plenty of action for anyone holding sports tickets for them all.
The Eastern Conference features the three Finals favorites in the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics, and nobody is sure what is going to happen. But that’s why they play the games right. Sports tickets are in high demand in cities across the country that have a playoff team on its hands. There is a lot of optimism in the Eastern Conference on behalf of fans, and seeing who comes out on top is going to be a lot of fun. The Miami Heat have their share of fans, but they also have more haters than anyone. Very few people outside of South Beach are rooting for the Heat, but ticket sales in Miami are through the roof! The other favorite right now are the Chicago Bulls, who earned the #1 seed in the league after an incredible season. The Bulls have heart like nobody’s business, and taking them down is not going to be easy. And then there are the defending Eastern Champs in the Boston Celtics. They were not a popular pic to make the Finals entering last year’s playoff, so they are used to getting disrespected. The Celtics world got turned upside down after Kendrick Perkins trade, but they have veterans that are ready to go for one last shot at the championship. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnet and Ray Allen know what they need to do to get it done, and is Shaq is healthy they will not be laying down. The Eastern Conference playoffs are going to be a great one, so make sure that you check it out and see what happens when the balls on the court.





