Eastern Conference
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 1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 8. Chicago Bulls The Bulls enter postseason play on a three-game win streak, putting away Toronto, Boston and Charlotte - all must-win games to clinch the final spot in the Eastern Conference. Their reward? The NBA's best team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won an NBA-best 61 games during the regular season. LeBron James, the likely candidate to win the league's MVP award, was given rest the final four games of the season, so he should come into the series at full strength. However, the rest of the Cavs are a different story. Mid-season acquisition, Antawn Jamison, played limited minutes over the last three games with an ankle injury. The Cavs' starting center, Shaquille O'Neal, has not seen action in over a month with a thumb injury and backup guard, Daniel Gibson has missed significant time over the past month, struggling to find his shot when he has returned to the court. Enter the Chicago Bulls. Can the Bulls continue to ride their recent surge over the Cavs or will they be worn out? The two teams split their regular season series 2-2, but the Bulls wins both came by a one-point margin. The playoff series kicks off Saturday afternoon in Cleveland, so only time will tell.
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 2. Orlando Magic vs. 7. Charlotte Bobcats The Magic look like a different team since the All-Star break. Their 21-5 record is tops in the NBA since then and they are rolling into the playoffs on a six game win streak. Dwight Howard is seemingly as dominant as ever, and Jameer Nelson is heating up just in time for the playoffs. The Magic hold a 3-1 season record against the Bobcats, but the Charlotte's additions of veteran leadership in Theo Ratliff and Larry Hughes should help ease the transition as the team makes their first playoff appearance in team history. Charlotte's backcourt and depth (Ray Felton, Stephen Jackson, D.J. Augustin and Larry Hughes) match up well with Orlando's (Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Jason Williams, and J.J. Redick), so the difference will come down to the frontcourt where the Magic possess one of the most diverse and unique trios in the NBA in Matt Barnes, Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard. Howard cannot be guarded by Charlotte's centers, Theo Ratliff and Tyson Chandler (who is returning from injury) which should lead to the Magic's domination of the paint and glass as per usual. Rashard Lewis enters the postseason on a bit of a slide, and being matched up with defensive minded- Boris Diaw or Gerald Wallace will certainly not help him find his stroke.
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 3. Atlanta Hawks vs. 6. Milwaukee Bucks Analysts thought that Milwaukee couldn't make the playoffs. First, Michael Redd went down just 18 games into the season and then with two weeks remaining and the Bucks in contention for a playoff spot, Andrew Bogut fell to injury. He was the team's lone inside presence, averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game. However, Milwaukee went 4-2 in the six game stretch without their starting center. John Salmons and Brandon Jennings form a formidable, yet inexperienced backcourt in this opening round matchup. The Hawks enter the series well-rested as several of their starters sat out the season finale. The Hawks loaded backcourt has more offensive firepower than most team featuring Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson and sixth man, Jamal Crawford. It's Atlanta's frontcourt that has potential to dominate Milwaukee as Al Horford, Josh Smith and Marvin Williams match up with a depleted and defensive-minded Bucks frontcourt. Atlanta won the season-series 2-1 and are expected to take this playoff series as well.
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 4. Boston Celtics vs. 5. Miami Heat In all of the first round matchups in the West, this series has the closest odds in Vegas, with a little more than half predicting the Lakers to take it. Kobe Bryant missed four of the final five games with a fractured index finger on his shooting hand, but he is amongst the league's toughest players, so don't expect a big difference in his game, with or without an injury. Andrew Bynum is a major concern as he has been sitting out since mid-March with a strained Achilles' tendon, but it has been reported that the center began practicing this week in preparation for a limited role in the series. In his absence, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom have been fantastic both scoring and rebounding the ball. It looks as if Ron Artest will get to show what he is made of as he will likely be stuck defending the league's leading scorer, Kevin Durant in this series. Although Durant has been a tremendous scoring force for the Thunder, he has struggled against L.A., connecting on less than 20% of his shots from behind the arc and averaging nearly five turnovers a game. Point guard Russell Westbrook has the ability to take over games and should remain a consistent force on offense and defense, especially with Derek Fisher and Jordan Famar's inability to contain opposing team's point guards. The x-factor for OKC could be forward Serge Ibaka, an uber-athletic 4-man who has seen his playing time increase as of late and has played well in the season series against the Lakers.
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Western Conference
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 1. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 8. Oklahoma City Thunder In all of the first round matchups in the West, this series has the closest odds in Vegas, with a little more than half predicting the Lakers to take it. Kobe Bryant missed four of the final five games with a fractured index finger on his shooting hand, but he is amongst the league's toughest players, so don't expect a big difference in his game, with or without an injury. Andrew Bynum is a major concern though; he has been sitting out since mid-March with a strained Achilles' tendon, but it has been reported that the center began practicing this week in preparation for a limited role in the series. In his absence, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom have been fantastic both scoring and rebounding the ball. It looks as if Ron Artest will get to show what he is made of as he will likely be stuck defending the league's leading scorer, Kevin Durant in this series. Although Durant has been a tremendous scoring force for the Thunder, he has struggled against L.A., connecting on less than 20% of his shots from behind the arc and averaging nearly five turnovers a game. Point guard Russell Westbrook has the ability to take over games and should remain a consistent force on offense and defense, especially with Derek Fisher and Jordan Famar's inability to contain opposing team's point guards. The x-factor for OKC could be forward Serge Ibaka, an uber-athletic 4-man who has seen his playing time increase as of late and has played well in the season series against the Lakers.
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 2. Dallas Mavericks vs. 7. San Antonio Spurs Over the last quarter of the season or so, since the Mavs acquired forwards Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, they won 23 of 30 games during the stretch. San Antonio wasn't too shabby either, posting a 20-11 mark in their final 31 games. In a matchup of two aging teams, this should be a battle of a series. San Antonio's star forward Tim Duncan is averaging 27 points and 13 rebounds against Dallas, while his supporting cast has been just as solid, with Tony Parker and Richard Jefferson combining for 34 points a night. Antonio McDyess, the Spurs' starting center, is hobbling into the playoffs with various bumps and bruises, while backup guard, George Hill missed several games over the season's final two weeks with ankle injuries. Dallas didn't rest their starters either as they were fighting for playoff seeding throughout the final week of the season, but everyone appears healthy. A trio of guards, Jason Kidd, Caron Butler and Jason Terry off the bench, should provide an excellent matchup for the Spurs' Parker, Ginobili and Hill if healthy. However, the speed, quickness and athleticism of the Mavs' frontcourt could cause some problems. Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki seemingly always get hot against San Antonio and this playoff matchup should only raise the intensity. Although Dallas won the season-series 3-1, this one could stretch the full 7-game distance.
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 3. Phoenix Suns vs. 6. Portland Trailblazers There is no hotter team in either conference than the Phoenix Suns; they have won 14 of their last 16, led by the dynamic duo of Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash. Stoudemire is averaging 27 points and
9.5 boards, while Nash is putting up 15 points and 10.5 assists per night during this stretch. Jason Richardson and Grant Hill are quietly chipping in for 14 points a night as well. Can these Suns continue their run through their playoffs or will the run-and-gun system continue to fail in the playoffs? The Blazers just lost their best player, Brandon Roy, for the entire postseason after undergoing surgery on a slight meniscus tear in his knee. Roy is an All-Star and obviously cannot just be replaced; however, Portland has the depth to try. Guards Rudy Fernandez, Jerryd Bayless and Martell Webster should all expect to see an increased role in this series. The length and athleticism of Portland's frontcourt could disturb Stoudemire's impact on the game. LaMarcus Aldridge and Marcus Camby have developed into solid threats on the offensive end, especially with their mid-range jumpers. Although Portland won the regular-season series 2-1, the Suns should make this a tough matchup.
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 4. Denver Nuggets vs. 5. Utah Jazz Utah went 11-7 down the stretch, free-falling down the Western Conference playoff seedings and missing out on the division title as a result. Injuries have decimated the team, especially in the frontcourt with Carlos Boozer, Andrei Kirilenko and Mehmet Okur all missing significant time in the season's final few weeks. C.J. Miles has filled in nicely, averaging 13 points per game while Kirlenko missed 15 of the last 17 games. Even though Boozer and Okur are not at full strength, Paull Millsap is a player who could be starting on nearly every other time, yet he comes off the bench for the Jazz. Can Deron Williams, and a combination of forwards slow down Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony? The Nuggets tandem is averaging a combined 61 points against the Jazz this season. Kenyon Martin missed some time in the last month with an injury. He returned to play in the season's final three games, but did not look 100% healthy just yet. With added rest, Martin and Nene Hilario should take advantage of the injuries up front with the Jazz and continue to score the ball around the rim. While the Jazz's bench may be depleted, Denver has two solid impact players on their team, a potent scorer, J.R. Smith, and defensive force, Chris Anderson.
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