Oklahoma City and Cleveland have secured the top seeds in the NBA playoffs, granting them certain advantages. They will enjoy home-court advantage for at least three rounds and, presumably, a smoother path to advancing than other teams. However, a challenge awaits them: They will have only one full day to prepare for Game 1. While some teams will have a full week or four to five days to prepare for their first playoff opponent, the Thunder and Cavaliers will not know their foes until late Friday night. Consequently, they will open Round 1 matchups on Sunday with just one practice day to finalize their game plan.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers acknowledged the difficulty of this situation, noting the challenge it presents. Despite the tight turnaround, the Thunder are using the extra days to focus on self-improvement, taking advantage of the unique circumstances to prepare themselves effectively. Cleveland is also strategizing by assigning assistant coaches to specific teams throughout the season, ensuring preparation for all potential Round 1 opponents.
Meanwhile, other matchups such as Indiana-Milwaukee, New York-Detroit, Los Angeles Lakers-Minnesota, and Denver-Los Angeles Clippers, have had their opponents set since the regular season ended. These teams will have a full week to prepare for Round 1, knowing who they will face. The No. 2 seeds in each conference also learned their opponents, with Orlando set to play Boston and Golden State facing Houston. Victories in the play-in tournament on Tuesday allowed these teams a moment to exhale and regroup before the playoffs.
Overall, despite the challenges and uncertainties that come with the unique playoff format, teams like Oklahoma City and Cleveland are adapting and making the most of the situation to ensure they are well-prepared for their upcoming matchups.
The upcoming playoffs will see Oklahoma City facing off against either Memphis, Sacramento, or Dallas in Round 1 of the Western Conference, while Cleveland will take on either Atlanta, Chicago, or Miami in Round 1 of the Eastern Conference. By Friday night, both the Thunder and the Cavaliers will find out their opponents.
Both teams are taking the uncertainty in stride, as it hasn’t posed much of an issue in the past. Since the inception of the play-in tournament in 2021, top seeds have had a strong record in Game 1s against the eighth seeds, winning seven out of eight opening series—Miami’s upset over Milwaukee in 2023 being the lone exception.
Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson emphasized the importance of the first round, expressing confidence in his team’s ability to advance. “It’s the first round,” Thompson said. “No disrespect to those teams, but we’re supposed to win that series.”
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