Who will win the NBA Finals? Predictions for 2024 NBA playoffs bracket
Can the Oklahoma City Thunder reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012?
Can Nikola Jokic deliver the Denver Nuggets a second consecutive NBA championship?
We'll soon find out as the 2024 NBA playoffs tip off Saturday with four first-round games. The Thunder will open its first-round series against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night.
Here are NBA playoff predictions from The Oklahoman sports department:
Play-in tournament picks: Lakers at Pelicans | Warriors at Kings | Heat at 76ers | Hawks at Bulls | Kings at Pelicans | Bulls at Heat
First-round picks: Celtics vs Heat | Knicks vs 76ers | Bucks vs Pacers | Cavaliers vs Magic | Thunder vs Pelicans | Nuggets vs Lakers | Timberwolves vs Suns | Clippers vs Mavericks
Jordan Davis, sports reporter
First round
Celtics over Heat in 4
Cavaliers over Magic in 7
Bucks over Pacers in 7
Knicks over 76ers in 5
Thunder over Pelicans in 5
Mavericks over Clippers in 7
Suns over Timberwolves in 6
Nuggets over Lakers in 6
Conference semifinals
Celtics over Cavaliers
Knicks over Bucks
Thunder over Mavericks
Nuggets over Suns
Conference finals
Celtics over Knicks
Nuggets over Thunder
NBA Finals
Nuggets over Celtics
Joel Lorenzi, Thunder beat writer
First round
Celtics over Heat in 4
Cavaliers over Magic in 7
Bucks over Pacers in 6
Knicks overs 76ers in 6
Thunder over Pelicans in 6
Mavericks over Clippers in 7
Timberwolves over Suns in 6
Nuggets over Lakers in 5
Conference semifinals
Celtics over Cavaliers
Knicks over Bucks
Thunder over Mavericks
Nuggets over Timberwolves
Conference finals
Celtics over Knicks
Nuggets over Thunder
NBA Finals
Celtics over Nuggets
Justin Martinez, sports reporter
First round
Celtics over Heat in 5
Cavaliers over Magic in 6
Bucks over Pacers in 7
Knicks over 76ers in 7
Thunder over Pelicans in 5
Mavericks over Clippers in 6
Suns over Timberwolves in 6
Nuggets over Lakers in 5
Conference semifinals
Celtics over Cavaliers
Knicks over Bucks
Thunder over Mavericks
Nuggets over Suns
Conference finals
Celtics over Knicks
Nuggets over Thunder
NBA Finals
Celtics over Nuggets
Joe Mussatto, columnist
First round
Celtics over Heat in 4
Cavaliers over Magic in 5
Pacers over Bucks in 7
Knicks over 76ers in 7
Thunder over Pelicans in 6
Mavericks over Clippers in 6
Timberwolves over Suns in 7
Nuggets over Lakers in 7
Conference semifinals
Celtics over Cavaliers
Knicks over Pacers
Thunder over Mavericks
Nuggets over Timberwolves
Conference finals
Celtics over Knicks
Nuggets over Thunder
NBA Finals
Nuggets over Celtics
More: OKC Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren is chasing greatness and isn't afraid to fail on the way
Jeff Patterson, sports editor
First round
Celtics over Heat in 5
Cavaliers over Magic in 6
Bucks over Pacers in 6
76ers over Knicks in 7
Thunder over Pelicans in 5
Mavericks over Clippers in 7
Suns over Timberwolves in 7
Nuggets over Lakers in 6
Conference semifinals
Celtics over Cavaliers
Bucks over 76ers
Thunder over Mavericks
Nuggets over Suns
Conference finals
Celtics over Bucks
Nuggets over Thunder
NBA Finals
Celtics over Nuggets
More: Fair or not, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be judged by OKC Thunder success in NBA playoffs
Jacob Unruh, deputy sports editor
First round
Celtics over Heat in 5
Cavaliers over Magic in 6
Bucks over Pacers in 7
Knicks over 76ers in 5
Thunder over Pelicans in 5
Mavericks over Clippers in 6
Timberwolves over Suns in 7
Lakers over Nuggets in 7
Conference semifinals
Celtics over Cavaliers
Knicks over Bucks
Thunder over Mavericks
Wolves over Lakers
Conference finals
Celtics over Knicks
Thunder over Nuggets
NBA Finals
Celtics over Thunder
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NBA playoff predictions: Can OKC Thunder win NBA Finals 2024?
