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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
SI Staff

NBA Playoffs: Expert Predictions for the First Round

The NBA playoffs tip off on Saturday. Who will advance to the second round? Our staff makes its series predictions.

Eastern Conference

Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat (1) vs. Atlanta Hawks (8)

Howard Beck: Heat in 7 
John Gonzalez: Heat in 5
Jarrel Harris: Heat in 6
Chris Herring: Heat in 6 
Robin Lundberg: Heat in 6
Chris Mannix: Heat in 6
Ashley Nicole Moss: Heat in 6
Rohan Nadkarni: Heat in 5
Ben Pickman: Heat in 5
Michael Pina: Heat in 7
Michael Shapiro: Heat in 5
Elizabeth Swinton: Heat in 5
Kyle Wood: Heat in 6

Boston Celtics (2) vs. Brooklyn Nets (7)

Beck: Celtics in 6
Gonzalez: Nets in 7
Harris: Nets in 7
Herring: Celtics in 5
Mannix: Celtics in 6
Pina: Celtics in 5
Moss: Celtics in 7
Nadkarni: Nets in 6
Shapiro: Celtics in 6
Pickman: Nets in 6
Swinton: Celtics in 6
Lundberg: Nets in 6
Wood: Celtics in 7

Milwaukee Bucks (3) vs. Chicago Bulls (6)

Beck: Bucks in 5
Gonzalez: Bucks in 4
Harris: Bucks in 5
Herring: Bucks in 4
Mannix: Bucks in 5
Moss: Bucks in 5
Nadkarni: Bucks in 4
Pickman: Bucks in 5
Pina: Bucks in 4
Shapiro: Bucks in 4
Swinton: Bucks in 4
Lundberg: Bucks in 4
Wood: Bucks in 4

Philadelphia 76ers (4) vs. Toronto Raptors (5)

Beck: Raptors in 7
Gonzalez: Sixers in 7
Harris: 76ers in 6
Herring: 76ers in 7
Mannix: 76ers in 7
Moss: 76ers in 7
Nadkarni: Raptors in 
Pickman: 76ers in 6
Pina: Raptors in 6
Shapiro: 76ers in 7
Swinton: 76ers in 5
Lundberg: Raptors in 7
Wood: 76ers in 6

Western Conference

Rick Scuteri/USA TODAY Sports

Phoenix Suns (1) vs. Pelicans (8)

Beck: Suns in 5
Gonzalez: Suns in 4
Harris: Suns in 4
Herring: Suns in 4
Lundberg: Suns in 4
Mannix: Suns in 5
Nadkarni: Suns in 4
Moss:  Suns in 6
Pickman: Suns in 4
Pina: Suns in 5
Shapiro: Suns in 4
Swinton: Suns in 5
Wood: Suns in 5

Memphis Grizzlies (2) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (7)

Beck: Grizzlies in 7
Gonzalez: Grizzlies in 6
Harris: Grizzlies in 6
Herring: Grizzlies in 6
Lundberg: Grizzlies in 6
Mannix: Grizzlies in 5
Nadkarni: Grizzlies in 7
Pickman: Grizzlies in 6
Pina: Grizzlies in 7
Moss: Grizzlies in 6
Shapiro: Grizzlies in 6
Swinton: Grizzlies in 6
Wood: Grizzlies in 6

Golden State Warriors (3) vs. Denver Nuggets (6)

Beck: Warriors in 5
Gonzalez: Warriors in 6
Harris: Warriors in 7
Herring: Warriors in 6
Lundberg: Warriors in 6
Mannix: Warriors in 7
Moss: Warriors in 6
Nadkarni: Warriors in 7
Pickman: Warriors in 5
Pina: Warriors in 7
Shapiro: Warriors in 5
Swinton: Nuggets in 7
Wood: Warriors in 6

Dallas Mavericks (4) vs. Utah Jazz (5)

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