The Celtics and Bucks Are on a Collision Course for an Eastern Conference Finals Matchup

The NBA has two true title contenders this season, and both lie in the Eastern Conference: the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams have been the best this season, and their peak play is the best of any other team.

The two teams have split the two regular-season meetings, with the Celtics winning the matchup where both teams were relatively healthy. The two teams have been close all season, especially in the power rankings. The latest rankings from NBA.com have the Bucks at one and the Celtics at two.

The rankings go along with how I feel, as they are the two best teams in the NBA. The Bucks and Celtics are both top five in defensive rating, which is what wins in the NBA playoffs. I don’t see how any team in the Eastern Conference will beat either the Bucks or the Celtics in a seven-game series. Barring injuries, it seems to be a foregone conclusion that they will match up in the Eastern Conference Finals.

https://twitter.com/precision80/status/1629250440545067009?s=43&t=XAuRFKYrxxDgMu0FQzMJSQ

If the Bucks and Boston Celtics meet in the Conference Finals, it would be the first time they have matched up there during the Giannis Antetokounmpo/Jayson Tatum era. It would also be the fourth matchup in the playoffs in the last six seasons.

This would further enhance the rivalry between the two teams, and it would be great for the NBA. Tatum and Antetokounmpo are arguably the two best players in the NBA at this point in time, so having them battle it out in another brutal seven-game series would be iconic.

Ultimately, the final matchup between the teams on March 30 will be vitally important as it will most likely decide the number one seed. The winner of this matchup could well decide the NBA champion, just as the Heat and Celtics did 11 years ago to conclude the 2011-12 lockout season.