Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver’s Nikola Jokic led their teams to the top seeds in their respective conference.
With the AT&T Play-In Tournament complete, the 16-team field for the 2023 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel is set, with the action tipping of Saturday with an ESPN triple-header followed by a primetime ABC matchup that see the Golden State Warriors begin their title defense on the road in Sacramento.
Western Conference team comparison
Below is a look at the entire Western Conference playoff field and how they stack up against one another statistically.
Eastern Conference team comparison
The playoff action begins in Philadelphia with the No. 3 Sixers hosting the No. 6 Nets at 1 ET. See how those two teams compare to one another and the rest of the Eastern Conference field below.
Another record for LeBron James
When the Lakers open their first round series against the Grizzlies in Memphis on Sunday, it will mark the 23rd different franchise that LeBron James has faced in his playoff career, breaking a tie with former Lakers guard Derek Fisher.
LeBron enters his 16th postseason as the all-time leader in playoff points, minutes, games played, field goals made and steals. As he prepares to face the Grizzlies, we break down which teams he’s scored the most points against in his postseason career.
Climbing the all-time playoff scoring list
While LeBron sits atop the playoff scoring leaderboard, there are three players looking to make significant moves up the ladder this postseason: Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Philadelphia’s James Harden.
Below is a look at the moves theses players can make this postseason. Using their career playoff scoring averages, we run a timeline to show the gains they would make with each passing game. A deep playoff run could see Durant pass a couple legends and put him close to the top five, while Curry can potentially move into the top 10, with Harden just slightly behind.
Playoff time is clutch time
There is an intensity to the playoffs that simply can’t be replicated in the regular season. The stakes are higher, every game, every quarter, every possession means more.
The closest thing the regular season can offer is a game that comes down to the wire, with teams trading blows in clutch time – defined as the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the game is within five points.
Below we look at which teams and players came through most in clutch situations this season. The Bucks not only finished with the best overall record in the NBA this season, they were also the team with best clutch record. And from an individual standpoint, the clutch play of De’Aaron Fox helped the Kings end the longest playoff drought in league history and return to the postseason for the first time in 17 years.
No one can do it alone
Success in the playoffs requires contributions from up and down the roster. Sure, the All-Stars will do the heavy lifting, but there always comes a time when the second, third, fourth or fifth option must deliver in order for their team to win.
Below is a look at the top scoring duos among the 16 playoff teams. The list is headlined by Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who have put together one of the great combo seasons in recent memory as they average nearly 57 points per game and account for more than 48% of Boston’s entire offense.
