While the Miami Heat entered the playoffs as a betting favorite to win it all again, they have not been THE story of the NBA playoffs. This year, we’ve seen a couple of good stories develop with (1) breakout stars and (2) scrappy underdogs.

For any fans who weren’t familiar with the Golden State Warriors, say hello to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. This dynamic backcourt has the range to hit 3 point shots from anywhere on the court, and the team has really bought into Mark Jackson’s coaching philosophy. As a #6 seed, the Warriors ran right through the Denver Nuggets (who had the best home record in the NBA) to upset the #3 seed and advance to the second round. They are now in a toe to toe battle with Tim Duncan and the #2 seeded San Antonio Spurs.

In the Eastern Conference, Paul George’s star is rising quickly for the Indianapolis Pacers. He’s proven to be a big time defender, and a more than capable offensive player. The Pacers look to be in good shape to get past the New York Knicks and advance to the conference finals. You may think they are no match for the Heat, but they were up 2-1 against Miami in last year’s conference semifinals, and won two out of three games during the regular season this year. I’m not convinced they will beat the Heat, but it certainly looks like they aren’t afraid of LeBron’s team.

I also have to give a shout out to the Chicago Bulls. Playing all season without the 2011 NBA MVP, Derrick Rose, and further shorthanded in the conference semis without Luol Deng and Kirk Heinrich, this team is giving everything they have to try and compete. In their first playoff series, they went into Brooklyn and won game 7 on the road. Now, against the mighty Heat, they won game 1 in Miami, and are making new fans all over the league with their “heart, hustle & muscle” (credit to Stacey King).

You can follow the remaining playoff action on our NBA playoff page, where eliminated teams are updated daily.

The regular season ended Wednesday, with some great drama to end the season. The Utah Jazz lost a must win game against the Memphis Grizzlies, so the Los Angeles Lakers clinched a playoff spot before they even took the court for their final game. The Lakers still played hungry though, and they ended up beating the Houston Rockets in overtime to move up to the #7 seed in the west, dropping the Rockets to the #8 seed. Now the fun begins.

Some critics may argue that the playoffs are too long, or that too many teams qualify for the playoffs (16 out of 30 teams get in). I’m not one of them. My basketball passion reaches a frenzy during March, as I watch the NCAA tournament, and just as my passion is starting to wane, I’m treated to the NBA playoffs. Some call it the second season, because it actually feels and looks different from the regular season. Defense is better, fast breaks are limited, and teams get plenty of rest days to tweak their strategies and game plans. Beating a team once is much different than playing them in a 7 game series.

We can all agree that the Miami Heat are the team to beat in this year’s playoffs, with the #1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder a close second. Looking at the Vegas odds to win the championship, they seem to believe that no team other than the Heat and Thunder really have much of a chance to win it all.

Odds To Win NBA Finals (via Bovada.lv)

Miami Heat 2-3
Oklahoma City Thunder 9-2
San Antonio Spurs 17-2
New York Knicks 15-1
Denver Nuggets 22-1
Indiana Pacers 22-1
Los Angeles Clippers 22-1
Memphis Grizzlies 35-1
Los Angeles Lakers 40-1
Chicago Bulls 50-1
Boston Celtics 60-1
Brooklyn Nets 60-1
Golden State Warriors 100-1
Houston Rockets 100-1
Atlanta Hawks 125-1
Utah Jazz 250-1
Milwaukee Bucks 300-1

At the first jump ball, all those odds go out the window though, as teams will do their best to win and advance. Make sure to follow your contender here as they battle towards the NBA finals.

On the weekend of the Masters, sports talk was dominated by Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant. Tiger, of course, for his efforts (and penalty) on the golf course, while Kobe tried to will the Lakers to the playoffs. Unfortunately, for NBA fans and Laker fans especially, Kobe’s achilles couldn’t bear the weight of the franchise. He went down against the Golden State Warriors with a ruptured achilles tendon. This injury typically requires 6-9 months of rehab.

Can a 34 year old, who has logged 17 NBA seasons, come back from this injury? Probably. Definitely, in the case of Kobe Bryant. He’s one of the most fierce competitors the game has ever seen. I’m sure he’ll attack his rehab with the same passion and energy that he uses to attack defenders. That’s not the question though. The real question is whether or not Kobe can come back to his old form? If so, expect him back to terrorize the league again next year. If not, we may have seen the last of Kobe Bryant as an elite basketball player.

What does that mean for the Lakers? First of all, they are going to try and secure the 8th and final playoff spot without him. Hopes of making a deep run this year have taken a serious hit. Time for Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol to step up for this team, but don’t hold your breath in hopes of a playoff series win. Without Kobe, this Lakers team is just not deep enough to knock off the #1 seed (either San Antonio or Oklahoma City). Going forward, the Lakers are going to have to figure out what their offense will look like without relying on #24.

While there are some good stories in the NBA this season, the Miami Heat’s win streak is one for the records. At press time (not really a printing press now that we are in the digital world, so I think I just dated myself with that reference), the Heat have won 27 straight games, and are the proud owners of the second longest winning streak in NBA history. The longest streak in history is 33 games, by the 1971-72 Lakers. That streak seemed untouchable for years. Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls couldn’t come close. The Showtime Lakers never did it. Neither did the great Boston Celtics teams of the 80′s. As polarizing as this Miami Heat team was after “The Decision”, it appears that more and more fans are rooting for them to topple the 41 year old record. They have tough upcoming games in Chicago and in San Antonio, then home against the New York Knicks. If they continue winning, the streak will fall on April 9th at home against the Milwaukee Bucks. Whichever way you cheer, keep an eye on the Heat as they approach history.