Vote: Which teams will advance in the NBA playoffs?

BySN Staff ESPN logo
Thursday, April 13, 2017

The NBA regular season has come to a close. Beginning this weekend, 16 teams will take the court again as the playoffs begin.

In the Eastern Conference, the defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers slot in as a No. 2 seed after a sluggish end to their regular season allowed the Boston Celtics to grab the top spot for first time since their championship campaign in 2007-08. LeBron James & Co. take on the Indiana Pacers while the Celtics are slated to do battle with the Chicago Bulls, who earned their playoff berth on the final day of the season.

The No. 3 seed Toronto Raptors face the No. 6 seed Milwaukee Bucks, who have not won a postseason series since 2000-01. The other matchup in the Eastern Conference pits the No. 4 seed Washington Wizards against the No. 5 seed Atlanta Hawks in a Southwest Division showdown.

There are plenty of intriguing Round 1 matchups this year, and here's a chance to pick which Eastern Conference teams you think will advance to the second round of the playoffs.

But wait ... we're not done yet.

The other side of the bracket also features some heavy-hitting action in the first round. The Golden State Warriors nearly broke the record for consecutive wins to end a regular season and comfortably slot in as the top overall seed. It will be a rematch of last season's Western Conference semifinals between the NBA runners-up and the No. 8 seed Portland Trail Blazers?

It was another 60-plus-win season for the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs, who will play the No. 7 seed Memphis Grizzlies again after sweeping them out of this round last season. Many eyes will be on the 3-6 matchup between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder as MVP frontrunners James Harden and Russell Westbrook go head-to-head with their seasons on the line.

The last matchup to be finalized was the No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. the No. 5 Utah Jazz, who have not appeared in the postseason since 2011-12 -- when they were swept away in the first round.

Once again, it's your turn to make selections for these first-round battles.

The NBA playoffs officially begin when the Pacers and Cavaliers tip off on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.