The NBA Playoffs’ Bad Blood Guide

It’s a common saying that matchups are what make series in the playoffs: Can they slow down Team X’s star forward? Do they have enough size to stop Superstar X in the post? How many open threes does my team have to give up before my dad keels over from screaming at the TV? While these are interesting bits and usually the difference between who wins and who loses the series, that is not what actually makes a series entertaining: bad blood is. So with the NBA playoffs starting on Monday here is a guide to what series will give you well-played, entertaining games, but also a level of intensity and anger not found in other series.

Boston Celtics #3 VS. Philadelphia 76ers #6

In a rematch of the 2018 Eastern Semis that the Celtics won in an improbable five-game series where they were down starters Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving, the two Eastern Conference playoff staples meet again with some different faces but mostly the same cores. The Celtics took game one on Monday in a hotly contested 109-101, but the history between these teams is not what gives this game some bad blood. After last year’s disastrous Celtics season, veteran All-Star big man Al Horford jumped ship and signed a massive four-year contract with Philly. It has been reported that Horford going to the enemy was not taken well among Boston’s players and that there has been little love lost. On the other side, each team has its share of feisty players with Boston guard Marcus Smart giving us this gem last season.

Oklohoma city thunder #4 vs. Houston rockets #5

In a rare star- for-star trade that occurred last offseason, the Rockets shipped guard Chris Paul to the Thunder for former MVP Russell Westbrook in one of the more shocking moves of the offseason. Paul and Rockets’ superstar guard James Harden had reportedly had a falling out at the end of last season over Harden’s ball-dominant style of play, and it is widely accepted that Houston would not have made this move without Harden’s approval. Paul is known as one of the league’s greatest point guards as well as one of its most vocal irritants to the other team. Harden is no stranger to mixing it up with opponents. With two of the league’s most volatile superstars going at it who already have grudges against one another, you can be sure that sparks will fly in this series.