The 2018 NBA playoffs will begin on Saturday and while the top two seeds in each conference - Rockets and Warriors in the West, Raptors and Celtics in the East - have separated themselves from the pack, the rest of the playoff picture is still very much murky. The Western Conference is like an old wild west movie with so many teams fighting over a few positions. The Trail Blazers have locked up No. 3 seed in the West, followed by seven teams separated by four games battling for the final five spots.
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Here are our projected first-round 2018 NBA playoff matchups with their current records:
EAST
#8 Wizards (42-38) vs #1 Raptors (58-22)
The Wizards remaining games are home against the Celtics and on the road against the Magic.
#7 Bucks (43-37) vs #2 Celtics (54-26)
The Bucks have two games remaining against the 76ers on the road and against the Magic.
#6 Heat (43-37) vs #3 76ers (50-30)
The Heat have two final games against the Raptors at home and the Thunder, while the Sixers have two games remaining against the Hawks and Bucks.
#5 Pacers (48- 33) vs #4 Cavaliers (49-31)
The Pacers have on final game left against the Hornet, while the Cavs will battle the Knicks in Cleveland twice. The Cavs come in as the four seed despite winning eight of their last 10 games. Losing to 76ers last Friday hurt their chances of being the three seed. The 76ers, on the other hand, have won 14 straight propelling themselves on top of the Cavs.
WEST
#8 Timberwolves (45-35) vs. #1 Rockets (64-16)
The Wolves will battle the Grizzlies and Nuggets to finish off the season. The winner of the Nuggets game may decide who gets the final playoff spot.
#7 Spurs (46-34) vs #2 Warriors (58-23)
The Spurs will play the Kings at home and the Pelicans on the road.
#6 Pelicans (46-34) vs #3 Trail Blazers (48-32)
The Pelicans will play the Clippers on the road and the Spurs at home to finish their season.
#5 Thunder (46-34) vs #4 Jazz (47-33)
The Thunder will finish their season up with the Heat on the road and the Grizzlies at home, while the Jazz battle the Warriors and Blazers.
The NBA playoffs start on Saturday and some of the favorites in the playoffs are dealing with injuries. The Warriors will be without Steph Curry in the first round with an ankle injury and the Celtics will be without Kyrie Irving.
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FOLLOW: Mitchell Renz is the Senior Writer & On-Air Host at Chat Sports. Check out his article archive and live videos on Chat Sports Facebook page. Please follow him on Twitter @MitchellRenz365.
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