By Ethan Shahan The 2020 NBA playoffs have been the strangest, yet most exciting in recent memory. It started with the LA Clippers' Paul George, a supposed star player and integral part of the Clippers playoff status, missing shots over and over, spawning memes and goofs on his “playoff P” persona. However, the clippers manage to beat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round.
On the next leg of the playoffs, the Clippers faced off against the Denver Nuggets, who came back from a 3-1 deficit against the Utah Jazz to win their series. The Denver Nuggets, alongside names like Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, came back from another 3-1 deficit to beat the Clippers in seven games. In the east, the Miami Heat beat NBA All-star and defensive player of the year, Giannis Antentonkumpo’s Milwaukee Bucks in five games as huge underdogs. The young team displayed their stars like Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and flashy, twenty year old Tyler Herro, and brought massive notoriety to their team. The Heat now face off against the Boston Celtics, with stars like Jayson Tatum and Kemba walker, it won’t be a walk on the beach for Miami, as Boston matches up much better with the Heat’s aggressive style. Also in the east, Lebron James’ Lakers wiped out the Portland Trailblazers in five games, shattering the hopes of star point guard Damian Lillard. Lillard, who seemed unstoppable for most of the regular season, averaged a stellar 36 points per game in the playoffs. Unfortunately, that was not enough to halt the Lakers. The Lakers then faced Russell Westbrook and James Hardens’ Rockets in the second round, again beating them in five games. The Lakers now have the Denver Nuggets pinned 3-1, only needing one more win to secure their spot in the finals. However, the Nuggets have comeback twice this year from 3-1, so the Lakers should be wary of the team. Either way the finals end up, there is no way the matchup won’t be one for the ages. Whether Jimmy Butler and the Heat face off against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, or Lebron and Anthony Davis match up against the record-holding celtics, I guarantee that the games will be some of the most action packed and intense playoff games in recent memory.
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