No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors<\/p>\n
Raptors: Can the Raptors hold up against top-level competition? They took care of the league\u2019s worst teams, going 22-6 against teams that didn\u2019t qualify for the postseason. They went 19-8 against the Hawks plus the Play-In Tournament field. Against the Western Conference\u2019s top six and the East\u2019s top four \u2014 the teams most people would consider the best 10 in the league \u2014 the Raptors went 5-22. Three of those wins came against the Cavaliers, but those all came in the first month of the year. One of them featured Cleveland\u2019s skeleton crew.<\/p>\n
In particular, the Raptors offense was an issue against the league\u2019s best teams. On paper, it will be tough for them to keep up with the dynamic Cavaliers. \u2014 Eric Koreen<\/p>\n
Cavaliers: Where does it all end? I mean, sure, that\u2019s the overriding question for all 16 playoff teams, but this iteration of the Cavs \u2013 with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, have never made it past the second round. The general feeling outside of the team is Cleveland has to reach the conference finals to avoid a substantial shakeup. And, by the way, if this sounds like a familiar storyline, that\u2019s because it is. When J.B. Bickerstaff went 0-for-3 in making it past the second round as Cavs coach, he was fired. Would the axe fall on Kenny Atkinson if they fail again? I\u2019d rather not speculate on any specifics. The changes could be broader than that if a roster that is the most expensive in the NBA can\u2019t win two playoff series. If Cleveland loses this series \u2026 whoa boy. The team might fire the ball boys. \u2014 Joe Vardon<\/p>\n
Complete Cavs vs. Raptors preview: Who stops Donovan Mitchell, James Harden<\/a>?<\/p>\n \n Nikola Joki\u0107\u2019s Nuggets and Julius Randle\u2019s Timberwolves meet for an intriguing first-round series.<\/p>\n Western ConferenceNo. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD: Warriors\/Clippers\/Trail Blazers\/Suns<\/p>\n Thunder: Are the Thunder still great enough to fend off the field? The answer isn\u2019t as obvious as Oklahoma City\u2019s league-lapping 11.1 net rating might suggest. Its defense remains historically suffocating. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who could repeat as league MVP, is as efficient and manipulative on offense as ever. The regular season, riddled with injuries and stretches of vulnerability, tested this Thunder squad more than its pair of No. 1-seeded predecessors. Ajay Mitchell, who hardly played a role in last year\u2019s title run, is an additive stabilizer and necessary creator away from SGA.<\/p>\n All signs point to OKC improving upon its title team.<\/p>\n Though separated by experience, the San Antonio Spurs undoubtedly seem ahead of schedule. Victor Wembanyama is as revered a defender as there is in these playoffs. San Antonio has three ball handlers capable of running offense in a postseason that begs teams to fight through muddied possessions. This isn\u2019t to mention Denver, or any threat opposite of the West\u2019s side of the bracket.<\/p>\n What might the Thunder get from its trio of feisty defenders \u2014 Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Lu Dort \u2014 all of whom have seen their 3-point percentages dip from a season ago? Or All-NBAer Jalen Williams, who entered the season mindful of his wrist and finishes it mindful of his hamstring? Will Ajay Mitchell rise to the occasion? Can the Thunder call on the end of its bench in matchup-dependent situations as effectively as it does in the regular season?<\/p>\n The field will beg the Thunder to answer these questions. \u2014 Joel Lorenzi<\/p>\n No. 2 San Antonio Spurs vs. TBD: Phoenix Suns or Portland Trail Blazers<\/p>\n Spurs: Obviously, it\u2019s Victor Wembanyama. But the aspect of the league\u2019s new megastar that will actually be hanging in the balance is whether he can truly withstand the rigors of an NBA title run. It\u2019s not just that he has to play more minutes than he is used to. It\u2019s the fact that every single defense is going to be trying to beat him down all night long.<\/p>\n It will be physical defense after physical defense that is spending an entire series finding every little intricate way to knock him out of his comfort zone and hope that they can wear him down over the course of a long series. We\u2019ve seen Wembanyama do just about everything, but we haven\u2019t seen him face that level of defense night and night out consistently yet.<\/p>\n He should be up for the challenge, but it is still the great unknown with the guy who could end up being the greatest player in the game. \u2014 Jared Weiss<\/p>\n No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves<\/p>\n Timberwolves: Do the Timberwolves have a switch to flip? Coming off of two straight Western Conference finals appearances and bringing back everyone but Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the Timberwolves talked in training camp about taking the final step to the NBA Finals.<\/p>\n I thought we would see an ultra-motivated, locked-in group in the regular season, one that was out to atone for a 4-1 wipeout at the hands of the Thunder last May. Instead, we saw a team that was largely complacent all season long, appearing to treat these 82 games as beneath them.<\/p>\n The question they will answer in this series is do they have a switch to flip? Or are they a team in decline?<\/p>\n They will need Anthony Edwards playing at his two-way best after mailing in the defense on too many nights in the regular season. He has always been a playoff riser and should enter the postseason as healthy as he\u2019s been in weeks after getting some time to rest an aching right knee.<\/p>\n Julius Randle slayed a lot of his previous playoff demons last season and will be healthy and rested, as will Jaden McDaniels after missing six games with a bone bruise in his left knee.<\/p>\n The Wolves believe they have the talent to beat anyone. At times this season, they have probably believed in themselves too much. Now, it\u2019s time to see what they\u2019re made of.<\/p>\n Anthony Edwards will need to be at his best against Nikola Joki\u0107 and the Nuggets. \u2014 Jon Krawczynski<\/p>\n Nuggets: Can the Nuggets defend consistently?<\/p>\n The Nuggets have the NBA\u2019s top offense, but a bottom-third defense. However, during its 12-game winning streak to close the season, Denver coach David Adelman thought the Nuggets defense defined the streak.<\/p>\n \u201cWe flipped defensively at some point in all these games, meaning we\u2019ve been inconsistent all year with that,\u201d Adelman said. \u201cAt some point, you have to sit down and guard, and that leads to what we are really good at \u2026 fast-break points.\u201d<\/p>\n A factor in the Nuggets\u2019 defensive efforts will be the availability of perhaps their best perimeter defender, wing Peyton Watson, who has battled hamstring injuries this season. Watson hasn\u2019t played since April 1, when he aggravated his right hamstring. The same hamstring caused him to miss 19 games earlier in the season. Watson has started on court workouts, but the Nuggets have not said if, or when, they expect him to return. \u2014 Jason Quick<\/p>\n![\"Denver's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/260413-Nikola-Jokic-Julius-Randle-scaled-e1776056682550.jpg\")
<\/p>\n