This year’s NBA playoffs look quite different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With no fans present, the teams have to rely on each other to keep the energy up. The location and circumstances of the playoffs have also drastically changed. 2020 is the first year teams are unable to play in their home arenas and have to remain in the NBA “bubble” completely isolated from the rest of the world. With 30 teams in the NBA, only 22 teams entered the league’s enclosed environment at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Of those 22 teams, 13 were from the West and 9 from the East. Those teams included the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 79ers, Brooklyn Nets, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns. 

The Portland Trailblazers beat the Memphis Grizzlies to solidify their spot in the first round. In the West, the eighth seed Trailblazers then went on to play the first seed Los Angeles Lakers, and that series ended 4-1 with the Los Angeles Lakers moving onto the second round. The Houston Rockets started off the first round by playing the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Houston Rockets won that series 4-3. The Denver Nuggets began the first round by playing the Utah Jazz and won the series 4-3. The Los Angeles Clippers played the Dallas Mavericks and won the series 4-2. In the second round of the west, the number one seed Los Angeles Lakers played the number four seed Houston Rockets in a 4-1 series that ended with the Lakers on top. The Denver Nuggets had a huge upset over the Los Angeles Clippers to end the series 4-3. At the time of this article’s creation, the Los Angeles Lakers and Nuggets series is currently 3-1. 

In the East, the number one seed Milwaukee Bucks played the eighth seed Orlando Magic and won that series 4-1. The fourth seed Indiana Pacers were swept by the fifth seed Miami Heat ending that series 4-0. The Boston Celtics also swept the Philadelphia 76ers 4-0. Also in the first round, the Toronto Raptors swept the Brooklyn Nets 4-0. In the second round, the Miami Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks, ending that series 4-1. The Boston Celtics beat the Toronto Raptors in the second round 4-3. Now the Miami Heat are playing the Boston Celtics, and that series is currently 3-1.

The NBA Finals will begin on September 30.