Boston Celtics: Ranking every single first-round playoff series

The Houdini is here to rank the Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76ers matchup among every single other playoff series.

The 2019-20 postseason figures to be one of the most chaotic two-month sprints the NBA has ever seen. There is a new crop of contenders–including the Boston Celtics–that could conceivably break through and win the first title of the decade, but guessing who will be the last team standing is more difficult now than perhaps it has ever been.

Not a single team in the league has an already established championship core outside of Toronto, but even they lost two key contributors in the offseason with the departures of NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.

With unpredictability at a fever pitch, the postseason matchups this year provide as much suspense as a first-round bracket could. Here’s the Houdini’s ranking of the most entertaining series this postseason:

8. #1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. #8 Orlando Magic

Much like last year’s dismantling of the Detroit Pistons, the Milwaukee Bucks should have little problems dispatching of the mismatched roster of the Orlando Magic. Realistically, no one on the Magic is going to have a prayer of stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo and this series likely won’t be high on drama.

Bucks in four.

7. #2 Toronto Raptors vs. #7 Brooklyn Nets

If these two teams were at full strength, this would be one of the best series in the entire playoff bracket. As it stands, the injury-depleted Nets are a plucky underdog with very little hopes of upsetting the defending champions.

Still, their play in the bubble has been inspiring, and if nothing else, Brooklyn will play their hearts out to make this a somewhat competitive series in small intervals.

6. #3 Denver Nuggets vs. #6 Utah Jazz

At the beginning of the season, both of these teams were projected as middle-of-the-pack dark horses in the Western Conference. Denver has ascended even higher because of the come up of youngsters like Michael Porter Jr. and Bol Bol (at least for a brief period during the scrimmage schedule) while Utah has been ravaged by injuries to the likes of Bojan Bogdanovic and Ed Davis while also losing Mike Conley for a few games due to the birth of his son.

Now, it seems likely Denver will take advantage of the slim pickings and close the door on this series relatively early despite a competitive game one.

5. #3 Boston Celtics vs. #6 Philadelphia 76ers

Just like the Raptors-Nets series, this would be more interesting if both teams were at full strength. Philadelphia is missing their second-best player and floor general in Ben Simmons, though, which means Joel Embiid will have to have an MVP-type series to knock off a Boston Celtics team that gained their composure and hit their stride as the bubble games progressed.

These two fanbases have gone at it all season knocking the other team, and it is a shame we will see these teams play under these circumstances. That said, after last night’s game one victory, I have the Celtics in five.

4. #4 Indiana Pacers vs. #5 Miami Heat

Over the years, the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers have forged a playoff rivalry off the strength of guys like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Paul George, and even Roy Hibbert when he was a can’t miss shot-blocking stud.

Now, the leadership mantle is held by the likes of Jimmy Butler for Miami and Victor Oladipo and T.J. Warren for the Pacers. This series should be even, but if Indiana can get Domantas Sabonis back, he could be the difference-maker needed to elevate the Pacers in what is one of the more even first-round series’.

3. #2 Los Angeles Clippers vs #7 Dallas Mavericks

The fact that Luka Dioncic and the Dallas Mavericks are a #7 seed shows how strong the playoff field is out west. Dioncic has been miraculous this season, elevating his name into the discussion for the All-NBA first team.

While the Clippers are a tough matchup, it’s honestly a shame that one of these teams needs to be eliminated in the very first round of the playoffs.

2. #1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #8 Portland Trailblazers

The combination of Damian Lillard’s bubble heroics and the Trailblazers’ red hot run to the final playoff spot has made them one of the most hyped-up #8 seeds in recent memory. Some are going as far as to say they will upset the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

Stranger things have happened, and this matchup has many different sub-plots: LeBron vs. Melo, Dame time against Showtime, and the battle of the bigs.

1. #4 Houston Rockets vs. #5 Oklahoma City Thunder

You could not have scripted anything better than the Houston Rockets meeting the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs just a year after the teams swapped superstar point guards in Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul. The deal was supposed to make Houston a powerhouse and the Thunder a rebuilder.

Instead, the bad blood between Harden and Paul that led to the latter’s ouster will play out in what is the best narrative and closest matchup of any series in the first round.