Hornets To Face Lakers In Playoffs

The NBA playoff matchups are now set. With the Lakers overtime win over the Kings Wednesday night, they secured the 2 seed, setting up a matchup with the 7 seeded New Orleans Hornets. The Hornets lost all 4 matchups with the Lakers this season.

The rest of the Western Conference playoffs looks like this: 1 Spurs vs. 8 Grizzlies, 3 Mavericks vs. 6 Trail Blazers, 4 Thunder vs. 5 Nuggets.

The Chicago Bulls beat the Nets Wednesday night. That, coupled with the Spurs loss to the Suns, guarantees Chicago home-court advantage throughout the playoffs if they make it to the NBA finals. The 1 seeded Bulls will face the 8 seeded Pacers and will be the first game of the playoffs with a noon tip set for Saturday on ESPN.

The rest of the Eastern Conference playoffs matchups are as follows: 2 Heat vs. 7 Seventy-Sixers, 3 Celtics vs. 6 Knicks, 4 Magic vs. 5 Hawks.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions watching the Kings come back against the Lakers in the 4th quarter. Hornet fans were all hoping for a first round matchup against the Mavericks. Dallas has not won in the New Orleans Arena in their last 11 trips there. The teams split the season series. A Kings upset would've set up 4 great matchups in the Western Conference. Instead, Kobe Bryant hit a 3 to force overtime. As a result, New Orleans gets the Lakers in the first round. L.A. has more size than anyone in the league. Size has killed the Hornets all year. Without David West, it will be hard for New Orleans to get a victory in this first round matchup.