The National Basketball Association’s regular season will come to an end on April 16, but that is when the drama will begin. As we get closer to the finish line, the playoff brackets are becoming clear.  Currently, there are two obvious favorites from the eastern conference, the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers, while the western conference has a much tighter race.

The Miami Heat has won the last two championships and made it to the last three finals.  With superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the team is predicted by many to make a fourth consecutive appearance.  This year, the tides began to turn against the Heat when a new frontrunner emerged: the Indiana Pacers.  The Pacers have the top-ranked defense in basketball and have a young superstar in the making, Paul George.  There are several other dark horses in the eastern conference.  For the first time in many years, the Washington Wizards are in a position to make the playoffs as a lower seed.  With young stars John Wall and Bradley Beal, the Wizards have the fire power to cause some trouble in the east.  Two of these teams will most likely face off in the eastern conference final and the show-down will be intense.

The western conference is stacked with experienced teams like the San Antonio Spurs as well as young teams trying to make a name for themselves, like the Portland Trailblazers.  The Trailblazers have second year star point guard Damian Lillard and a great scoring forward with LaMarcus Aldridge.  This conference also has the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by Kevin Durant, who is this year’s Favorite to win MVP, and the Los Angeles Clippers, who boast the league’s top scoring offense.  Besides Durant, the Thunder have Russell Westbrook, all-star point guard, and defensive MVP candidate power forward Serge Ibaka.  Other emerging teams include the Golden State Warriors, led by “the splash brothers” (Stephan Curry and Klay Thompson), and the Houston Rockets, led by shooting guard  James Harden and all-pro center Dwight Howard.  The playoff games of the west will clearly be a run-and-gun type of basketball, and the last team with the ball will be the one to win each series.  Regardless of which teams make the finals, this year’s playoffs will be one for the records with plenty of fantastic teams and amazing players.