The 2023 NBA playoffs are set to begin on April 15th and will see 16 teams battle it out for the coveted NBA championship. The format would see each team face the other in a seven-game elimination series over two months. And Magic Johnson looks to be the most excited about it.
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With all the drama that has unfolded throughout the regular season, it’s time for the teams to put all that behind them and focus on the upcoming challenges. All eyes of sports fans will be fixed on the TV screens, and so will it be the case for former NBA legends. Speaking of NBA legends, Johnson recently had his weekend schedule announced to the fans.
Magic Johnson is ready for the playoffs
Magic Johnson is as excited about the 2023 NBA Playoffs as the rest of us. The Lakers superstar, an active social media user, recently went on Twitter to express his enthusiasm for the upcoming matches.
“I cannot wait until the first round of the Playoffs begin tomorrow. I got my barbecue and popcorn ready!! I’ll be watching all day Saturday and all day Sunday!”
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 15, 2023
A five-time NBA champion, Magic has thirteen playoff appearances in his career. Of those 13 appearances, he reached the finals an unprecedented nine times. He has been a part of the league for more than four decades, yet every year brings about a new sense of anticipation.
Key matchups to watch out for this weekend
With a jam-packed playoff schedule to keep us on the edge of our seats this weekend, let us look at some of the key matchups of the first round.
The Eastern Conference has been a three-horse race the entire regular season. Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia Sixers have been miles ahead of their competition and should get through the first round with little resistance. The matchup to keep an eye out for is between the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks.
However, in the Western Conference, it has been the total opposite. The teams competed for every single point throughout the season, and no team has separated itself from the other.
Memphis Grizzlies – LA Lakers, Sacramento Kings – Golden State Warriors, and Phoenix Suns – LA Clippers are all expected to be an intense first-round series. It would not be surprising to see a few first-round upsets in the West.
