By: Nicholas Riggs

   Since its tipoff in mid-April, the NBA postseason has been home to thrilling matches, shocking endings and amazing victories. Throughout their favorite stars’ journey, students have been heartbroken, surprised and baffled by the results.
  The postseason officially started on April 15th, with the NBA Play-In Tournament to decide the 7th and 8th seeds. In the Play-In, teams ranked 7th through 10th battle it out. The 7th and 8th seeds play, with the winner earning the 7th rank. The loser of said matchup then goes on to another game against whoever won the 9th and 10th seeds’ matchup; whoever wins gets the 8th seed.Following the Play-In, the first round officially began.
  The first round showed some dominance: the Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers, each first-seeded in their respective conference and boasting more than 60 wins out of 82 games each, brutally swept their matchups. However, there were also a fair share of upsets. The Los Angeles Lakers, expected to be serious title contenders after their midseason acquisition of superstar Luka Dončić, were stunned by the Minnesota Timberwolves in just five games. The second-seeded Houston Rockets, with a rapidly improving young core, were then narrowly defeated, 4-3, by the Golden State Warriors, led by veterans like long-time superstar Steph Curry and new face Jimmy Butler.
  “I wouldn’t have been surprised if the Lakers didn’t make the finals, but the fact [that] the Lakers [lost in the] first round was surprising because they have two of the best players in the league,” shared junior Sid Raghunath.
  The Conference Semifinals followed and contained some playoff thrillers, such as when the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks both took 2-0 leads against their heavily favored rivals at the latter’s own courts, each winning the series to make a refreshing Conference Finals. The Timberwolves breezed past the Warriors in their own series but were overshadowed by the Denver Nuggets vs. Thunder series, in which both MVP frontrunners faced off. The Nuggets went the distance and pushed the Thunder to seven, but were humiliated in the do-or-die final game as the Thunder and MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander advanced. The Conference Finals began the following day, emphasized by Tyrese Haliburton’s improbable game-tying buzzer-beater to send the game into overtime and win, setting a mood for the series.
  “Haliburton’s buzzer-beater that teetered on the edge of the rim [is the most shocking moment so far],” sophomore Jesus Mirabal reasoned.
  The Conference Finals are now over, and a final battle is underway: the Oklahoma City Thunder face the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, which started Thursday, June 5th. But before even the first tipoff, reflection and discussion have stirred over key players and matchups.
  “The best player so far has got to be Haliburton. People called him overrated, and his team was not expected to go far, but they came out on top. I want the Pacers to win, but realistically, I expect the Thunder winning in five,” believed Raghunath.
  As of now, the series is tied 1-1; Game 1 was taken by the Pacers in a dramatic come-from-behind victory in yet another buzzer beater victory, his fourth so far in the playoffs. The Thunder responded with a Game 2 blowout to remind fans and players of their dominance.
  No matter who wins it all, this playoffs and Finals will be one to remember, with either team winning its first championship in history. Look out for the results!