What would happen if the NBA playoffs functioned like March Madness?
By Tyler Key
Final Four: Coin flips (bolded team wins)
#1 (1st) Boston Celtics vs #2 (6th) Milwaukee Bucks
#4 (14th) Orlando Magic vs #2 (7th) Los Angeles Clippers
National Championship/NBA Championship: Coin flip for the title (bolded team wins)
#1 (1st) Boston Celtics vs #2 (7th) Los Angeles Clippers
March Madness/NBA Championship Winners:
#2 (7th) Los Angeles Clippers
Well, there you have it, folks. For the first time in the Clippers franchise history, they are crowned champions. Sure, it was an imaginary single-elimination tournament based mostly on RNG luck, but an NBA title is an NBA title. A special shout-out to the 6th seeded Atlanta Hawks and 7th seeded Memphis Grizzlies for being the 2024 NBA March Madness Cinderella teams, with both of them making the Elite 8 as some of the lowest seeds in the tournament.
Unfortunately, in this bracket, it looks like the Boston Celtics still could not quite get over the hump, but perhaps real life and the standard 7-game series in the playoffs will treat them better. Regardless, welcome to March, and welcome to the madness that is the final stretch of the NBA season!