Nick Wright gives his NBA playoff picks, with Lakers and Sixers in the Finals
You knew Nick Wright wasn't going to let the postseason go by without trying his hand at predicting the future.
Let's dive into Nick's picks and see what the "First Things First" host had to say about the road to the NBA Finals:
WESTERN CONFERENCE: First round
No. 1 Utah Jazz vs. No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies
Nick's pick: Utah in five
Nick's thoughts: Wright picked the Golden State Warriors to beat the Grizzlies in the final play-in game Friday night, but Memphis was able to pull off an upset in the Bay Area. Said Wright on Friday, "If the Grizzlies somehow win, then I would have the Jazz in five."
No. 4 LA Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks
Nick's pick: Clippers in seven
Nick's thoughts: "I am picking against my large, adult, Slovenian son. It breaks my heart. I don't want to do this. … I think it's a great series. I think Luka [Doncic] is good enough to get two wins off the Clippers by himself. His teammates will pitch in for one more. But in a great, seven-game series, the Clippers move on."
No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Portland Trail Blazers
Nick's pick: Nuggets in five
Nick's thoughts: "This one is fascinating. Vegas has the Blazers as slight favorites. Not only do I not think the Blazers are the favorites, [but also] I think the Nuggets are going to score 130 points a game in this series. I think I am going to get so many DMs from Denver and Serbia simultaneously because [Nikola] Jokic is going to annihilate the Blazers."
No. 2 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
Nick's pick: Lakers in six
Nick's thoughts: Nick didn't see the need to spend much time with this one, apparently. "I have the Lakers in six." Concise.
WESTERN CONFERENCE: Semifinals
No. 1 Utah Jazz vs. No. 4 LA Clippers
Nick's pick: Clippers in six
Nick's thoughts: *sarcastic clapping* "First time in franchise history, the LA Clippers are going to make the conference finals. The Jazz are not going to match up well with the Clippers' wings."
No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
Nick's pick: Lakers in five
Nick's thoughts: "The Lakers easily dispatch the Nuggets in five. Jokic, at that point, is going to be a little worn out. It's going to be a lot like the Western Conference finals last year, when he couldn't handle Anthony Davis."
WESTERN CONFERENCE: Finals
No. 4 LA Clippers vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
Nick's pick: Lakers in five
Nick's thoughts: "The Western Conference finals that everyone wanted last year. 'Lakers-Clippers – going to be a classic!' And it is … Lakers in a gentleman's sweep. At this point, we've probably seen Kawhi [Leonard] limping down the stretch of a playoff after actually having to play every game. Paul George, I don't trust him, and they've got no one to guard Anthony Davis."
EASTERN CONFERENCE: First round
No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 8 Washington Wizards
Nick's pick: Sixers in four
Nick's thoughts: "The Sixers are gonna [sweep] the Wizards."
No. 4 New York Knicks vs. No. 5 Atlanta Hawks
Nick's pick: Knicks in seven
Nick's thoughts: "The Knicks in a classic against the Hawks. By Game 7, poor Trae Young – they're gonna beat him up."
No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Miami Heat
Nick's pick: Bucks in six
Nick's thoughts: "I believe in the Milwaukee Bucks. They are going to exorcise their demons of last postseason."
No. 2 Brooklyn Nets vs. No. 7 Boston Celtics
Nick's pick: Nets in five
Nick's thoughts: "The Nets beat the Celtics in five. Might be a sweep, but I'll give the Celtics one game."
EASTERN CONFERENCE: Semifinals
No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 4 New York Knicks
Nick's pick: Sixers in five
Nick's thoughts: "Obviously, the Sixers will beat the Knicks in five."
No. 2 Brooklyn Nets vs. No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks
Nick's pick: Bucks in six
Nick's thoughts: "I think Milwaukee beats Brooklyn. Game 6, in Milwaukee, is where this magical Brooklyn run comes to a close. Jrue Holiday is a massive upgrade from what they had last year in Eric Bledsoe. I believe in Giannis Antetokounmpo. They move on."
EASTERN CONFERENCE: Finals
No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks
Nick's pick: Sixers in seven
Nick's thoughts: "To me, the two best teams in the East all year, the Sixers and the Bucks, play each other in the conference finals. It is an epic conference finals, and the Sixers move on."
NBA FINALS
No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
Nick's pick: Lakers in six
Nick's thoughts: "This was my preseason NBA Finals. This is a good – not an all-time – but a good NBA Finals. Lakers in six, just like they won last year in six."
Check out all of Nick's picks, as well as the responses from Brandon Marshall and Kevin Wildes, below:
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