Who is left in the NBA playoffs in 2023? Taking a deep dive

Eight teams remain standing in the 2023 NBA playoffs. Four teams each from the Eastern and Western Conferences are battling it out in the second round of the postseason.

The East features the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks in one bracket, and the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers in another. Both series are tied at one game apiece.

The West has the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets in one series and the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors in the second matchup.

The winners of each series will proceed to the conference finals which could begin on May 14-15 or 16-17.

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The Miami Heat are thriving in the playoffs against better-ranked teams including the New York Knicks

The Miami Heat pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NBA history when they eliminated the top-ranked Milwaukee Bucks in just five games in Round 1. Jimmy Butler’s back-to-back epic performances in Games 4 and 5 completed one of the most remarkable underdog stories in basketball.

After dispatching the Bucks, they next had to take on the fifth-seeded New York Knicks, who beat the fourth-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers. New York’s bruising style of play and unforgiving defense were too much for the Cavaliers to overcome.

The Knicks haven’t hosted a playoff game since 2013. Madison Square Garden was once again rowdy and loud as New York battled the Heat.

Without Julius Randle, who was nursing a sprained ankle, the Heat stole home-court advantage with a 108-101 win in Game 1. Jimmy Butler once again led Miami to the win with 25 points and 11 rebounds.

Unfortunately, “Jimmy Buckets” rolled his ankle and was unavailable for Game 2, which coincided with Randle’s return. The Knicks evened the series with a 111-105 victory.

Game 3 will take place on Saturday in Florida, where the Miami Heat are unbeaten in the 2023 NBA playoffs. The Knicks have proven that they can also win on the road in their series against the Cavaliers.

It will be another all-out battle on Saturday between the two teams.

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The reigning NBA Eastern Conference champs evened their series against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2

James Harden put on a show the NBA hasn’t seen from him in years. Without Joel Embiid, he scored 45 points to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a Game 1 win over the Boston Celtics. Harden’s masterpiece gave the 76ers the home-court advantage.

Heading into Game 2 on Wednesday, Embiid was announced as the NBA MVP. “The Process” finally won the award after placing second to Nikola Jokic over the last two years.

Embiid gladly announced to his teammates during their celebration that he was ready for Philly’s second game of the series against Boston.

With Joel Embiid in the lineup, the Boston Celtics obliterated the Philadelphia 76ers to tie the series. Embiid struggled physically in the Celtics’ 121-87 demolition of the 76ers. The NBA MVP is currently 1-9 in career postseason games against Boston.

It remains to be seen how he will perform on Friday for Game 3 when the Sixers host the Celtics.

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The embattled Phoenix Suns hope to win Game 3 against the Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets walloped the Phoenix Suns in Game 1. Denver was firing on all cylinders and handily beat the stacked Suns 125-107.

Game 2 was a defensive struggle with neither team pulling away. Chris Paul’s injury with a little over three minutes left in the third quarter may have turned this series.

The Suns were outscored 27-14 by the Nuggets behind former NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in the fourth quarter. Without “CP3” Phoenix couldn’t execute well down the stretch.

Cam Payne, Paul’s backup, played 17 minutes and finished with two points on 1-7 shooting, including 0-4 from behind the arc. He was a game-worst -16 in net rating. If this is the kind of production the Suns can get from him, the series could be over.

The Suns’ bench scored a measly four points in Game 2. They have been outscored 223-100 in the entire playoffs, the worst in the postseason by a wide margin.

Unless someone from the bench steps up, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker alone might not be able to carry this team.

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The LA Lakers stole home-court advantage from the defending NBA champs in Game 1

The LA Lakers were off to a rousing start in their series against the Golden State Warriors. They withstood the defending NBA champs’ crippling 14-0 blast late in the game to eke out a 117-112 win.

Game 2 will be on Thursday at the Chase Center, where Golden State will desperately look to tie the series.

Anthony Davis had a monster night for the Lakers, recording 30 points, 23 rebounds, five assists and four blocks. He was the biggest reason why LA crushed the Warriors inside the paint on both ends of the floor.

Meanwhile, Steph Curry, the NBA’s all-time 3-point leader, struggled a little but came alive late in the fourth quarter. His 3-pointer knotted the score at 112 all. He couldn’t attempt another potential game-tying triple, however, after Jordan Poole shot a 29-footer with 10 seconds left in the game.

The Warriors shot well from behind the arc, hitting 21 of their 53 3-pointers. They usually overwhelm opponents when they hit that many triples. However, the Lakers’ dominance inside the paint and free-throw shooting nullified that.

The team that executes their game plan better will likely win Game 2.

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