NBA experts’ predictions for the play-in tournament and Round 1
Who will escape the play-in tourney? Our experts make their picks for every playoff series….
The 2021 NBA postseason officially tips off Tuesday with the play-in tournament followed by the first round of the playoffs on Saturday.
After a thrilling end of the regular season with seeds finally decided on the last day, the Charlotte Hornets and the Indiana Pacers will start things on Tuesday in the East, followed by the Washington Wizards and the Boston Celtics in the late game.
On Wednesday, the San Antonio Spurs will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the early game in the West, followed by the Golden State Warriors taking on the Los Angeles Lakers.
The winners of Wizards-Celtics and Warriors-Lakers will earn the No. 7 seed in their respective conferences, while the losers will face the winners of Hornets-Pacers and Spurs-Grizzlies on Thursday and Friday to compete for the No. 8 seed. Got all that? Good.
Will the defending champions go home early? How many sweeps will there be in the first round? What about historic upsets? Our experts make their predictions for every play-in game and every first-round matchup.
MORE: What to know for the 2021 playoffs | Full playoff schedule
Eastern Conference play-in: Game 1s
Jerry Bembry: Celtics
Nick DePaula: Celtics
Nick Friedell: Celtics
Kirk Goldsberry: Wizards
Tim Legler: Wizards
Tim MacMahon: Wizards
Bobby Marks: Wizards
Dave McMenamin: Wizards
Monica McNutt: Wizards
Kevin Pelton: Wizards
Jorge Sedano: Celtics
Ramona Shelburne: Wizards
André Snellings: Wizards
Marc J. Spears: Wizards
Royce Young: Wizards
Ohm Youngmisuk: Wizards
Final tally: Wizards (12), Celtics (4)
Jerry Bembry: Pacers
Nick DePaula: Hornets
Nick Friedell: Pacers
Kirk Goldsberry: Hornets
Tim Legler: Hornets
Tim MacMahon: Hornets
Bobby Marks: Pacers
Dave McMenamin: Hornets
Monica McNutt: Pacers
Kevin Pelton: Pacers
Jorge Sedano: Pacers
Ramona Shelburne: Pacers
André Snellings: Pacers
Marc J. Spears: Pacers
Royce Young: Pacers
Ohm Youngmisuk: Hornets
Final tally: Pacers (10), Hornets (6)
Western Conference play-in: Game 1s
Jerry Bembry: Lakers
Nick DePaula: Warriors
Nick Friedell: Lakers
Kirk Goldsberry: Lakers
Tim Legler: Lakers
Tim MacMahon: Lakers
Bobby Marks: Lakers
Dave McMenamin: Lakers
Monica McNutt: Lakers
Kevin Pelton: Lakers
Jorge Sedano: Lakers
Ramona Shelburne: Lakers
André Snellings: Lakers
Marc J. Spears: Lakers
Royce Young: Lakers
Ohm Youngmisuk: Lakers
Final tally: Lakers (15), Warriors (1)
Jerry Bembry: Grizzlies
Nick DePaula: Grizzlies
Nick Friedell: Grizzlies
Kirk Goldsberry: Spurs
Tim Legler: Spurs
Tim MacMahon: Grizzlies
Bobby Marks: Grizzlies
Dave McMenamin: Grizzlies
Monica McNutt: Grizzlies
Kevin Pelton: Grizzlies
Jorge Sedano: Grizzlies
Ramona Shelburne: Grizzlies
André Snellings: Grizzlies
Marc J. Spears: Spurs
Royce Young: Grizzlies
Ohm Youngmisuk: Grizzlies
Final tally: Grizzlies (13), Spurs (3)
Eastern Conference: Round 1
Jerry Bembry: Heat in 6
Nick DePaula: Heat in 6
Nick Friedell: Bucks in 6
Kirk Goldsberry: Bucks in 7
Tim Legler: Heat in 7
Tim MacMahon: Bucks in 7
Bobby Marks: Bucks in 6
Dave McMenamin: Bucks in 7
Monica McNutt: Bucks in 7
Kevin Pelton: Bucks in 7
Jorge Sedano: Heat in 7
Ramona Shelburne: Bucks in 7
André Snellings: Bucks in 6
Marc J. Spears: Bucks in 7
Royce Young: Bucks in 6
Ohm Youngmisuk: Bucks in 7
Final tally: Bucks (12), Heat (4)
Jerry Bembry: Knicks in 6
Nick DePaula: Knicks in 6
Nick Friedell: Knicks in 6
Kirk Goldsberry: Knicks in 6
Tim Legler: Knicks in 6
Tim MacMahon: Knicks in 6
Bobby Marks: Knicks in 7
Dave McMenamin: Knicks in 6
Monica McNutt: Knicks in 6
Kevin Pelton: Knicks in 7
Jorge Sedano: Knicks in 7
Ramona Shelburne: Knicks in 5
André Snellings: Hawks in 6
Marc J. Spears: Knicks in 6
Royce Young: Hawks in 7
Ohm Youngmisuk: Knicks in 7
Final tally: Knicks (14), Hawks (2)
Western Conference: Round 1
Jerry Bembry: Nuggets in 7
Nick DePaula: Blazers in 7
Nick Friedell: Nuggets in 7
Kirk Goldsberry: Nuggets in 7
Tim Legler: Blazers in 7
Tim MacMahon: Nuggets in 6
Bobby Marks: Nuggets in 7
Dave McMenamin: Nuggets in 6
Monica McNutt: Blazers in 7
Kevin Pelton: Blazers in 6
Jorge Sedano: Blazers in 7
Ramona Shelburne: Nuggets in 7
André Snellings: Blazers in 7
Marc J. Spears: Blazers in 7
Royce Young: Blazers in 7
Ohm Youngmisuk: Nuggets in 7
Final tally: Blazers (8), Nuggets (8).
Jerry Bembry: Clippers in 6
Nick DePaula: Clippers in 6
Nick Friedell: Clippers in 6
Kirk Goldsberry: Clippers in 7
Tim Legler: Clippers in 6
Tim MacMahon: Clippers in 7
Bobby Marks: Clippers in 6
Dave McMenamin: Clippers in 5
Monica McNutt: Clippers in 6
Kevin Pelton: Clippers in 6
Jorge Sedano: Clippers in 6
Ramona Shelburne: Clippers in 5
André Snellings: Clippers in 5
Marc J. Spears: Clippers in 6
Royce Young: Mavericks in 7
Ohm Youngmisuk: Clippers in 6
Final tally: Clippers (15), Mavericks (1)
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