The NBA Conference Semifinals are here. The race to determine who will be this year’s NBA championship is getting tighter, and it won’t get any easier going forward. The Denver Nuggets hold a 1-0 lead over the Phoenix Suns, while the Miami Heat took down the New York Knicks in their first contest. Two more games are on tap today, with the Suns looking to extend their lead in one of them.

Celtics Host The Sixers

With 54 wins and 28 losses under their belt this season, the Philadelphia 76ers step onto the court to get their Semifinals competition going against the Boston Celtics. The Sixers shoot with a success rate of 38% from beyond the paint, while getting 48.7 from the field.

To get to where they are, the 76ers had to get past the Brooklyn Nets, which they did with relative ease. A big part of that success came through Tobias Harris and his 25 points. The Celtics are going to have to work him hard tonight.

In the most recent matchup between the Celtics and the Atlanta Hawks, Boston secured a 128-120 victory. Despite a solid performance from Atlanta, the Celtics were able to maintain a lead with their impressive 42.9% accuracy from 3-point range, making 15 out of 35 attempts. Additionally, they finished strong by hitting 77.3% of their free throws, going 17 for 22.

The Celtics are at home, which will be a good start for them. However, they’re going to have a little bit of trouble on defense against a strong Philly squad. They’re fifth in terms of points given up and can’t afford to make any mistakes tonight.

Philly is going to come out strong and control the pace of the game for the win.

Nuggets Power Through the Suns

Game 2 between the Nuggets and Suns follows a resounding 125-107 victory for the Nuggets last Saturday. It was a performance that showed that it will be very difficult to get the pass to the leaders in the regular season of the Western Conference.

Although Jamal Murray was the Nuggets’ leader in points in this matchup, the one who once again gave a spectacular performance was Nikola Jokic, contributing a double-double of 19 rebounds and 24 points. Between the two, Denver is ready to continue its success and keep the Suns on their heels.

Phoenix must improve in the defensive department if it wants to have any chance in this matchup, in which area it is averaging 117.2 points per night. That won’t be enough to neutralize a rival that continues to improve as the season progresses.

This game is going to be tougher than Game 1, but not enough. The Suns are going to fall once more as the Nuggets take charge.

Looking Ahead

Tomorrow, the action continues with two more semifinals. The Heat are 1-0 against the Knicks and getting off to a great start. The LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors will make their semifinals debut in what should be a constant battle for control of the ball.