It's opening night of the 2021-22 NBA season, but our experts are already looking ahead to the postseason. Will Tuesday's game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets be an Eastern Conference finals preview? Last year, the playoff series between the two juggernauts came down to Kevin Durant's foot, and the Nets lost Game 7 to the eventual champion Bucks. Are these two teams destined for a rematch? And will a healthy Durant-James Harden duo be enough to topple the defending champions? Are the retooled Los Angeles Lakers a lock to reach the Western Conference finals? Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook joined LeBron James out West, but will that be enough to contend in a tough conference? Will Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz finally turn a corner and reach the NBA Finals? Will Klay Thompson's return lift the Golden State Warriors back to the top of the West? And which team is primed to take it all? Will James win his fifth title? Can the Nets win a championship without a third star in Kyrie Irving? Will reigning Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo defend his title? Our experts predict the matchups in the conference finals and NBA Finals. MORE: Power Rankings, projections and intel for all 30 NBA teams Eastern Conference finalsTim Bontemps: Bucks over Nets Jamal Collier: Nets over Bucks Nick DePaula: Nets over Bucks Nick Friedell: Nets over Bucks Israel Gutierrez: Bucks over Heat Tim Legler: Bucks over Nets Andrew Lopez: Nets over Bucks Tim MacMahon: Nets over Bucks Bobby Marks: Heat over Nets Dave McMenamin: Nets over Bucks Kevin Pelton: Bucks over Nets Jorge Sedano: Nets over Heat Ramona Shelburne: Nets over Bucks André Snellings: Bucks over Nets Marc J. Spears: Nets over Bucks Ohm Youngmisuk: Nets over Bucks
Results (East champion): Nets 10, Bucks 5, Heat 1. Western Conference finalsTim Bontemps: Jazz over Suns Jamal Collier: Suns over Lakers Nick DePaula: Warriors over Suns Nick Friedell: Jazz over Lakers Israel Gutierrez: Lakers over Jazz Tim Legler: Lakers over Suns Andrew Lopez: Lakers over Jazz Tim MacMahon: Nuggets over Lakers Bobby Marks: Jazz over Lakers Dave McMenamin: Lakers over Suns Kevin Pelton: Lakers over Suns Jorge Sedano: Lakers over Nuggets Ramona Shelburne: Lakers over Jazz André Snellings: Lakers over Nuggets Marc J. Spears: Lakers over Warriors Ohm Youngmisuk: Lakers over Warriors
Results (West champion): Lakers 10, Jazz 3, Nuggets 1, Suns 1, Warriors 1. NBA FinalsTim Bontemps: Bucks over Jazz Jamal Collier: Nets over Suns Nick DePaula: Nets over Warriors Nick Friedell: Nets over Jazz Israel Gutierrez: Bucks over Lakers Tim Legler: Lakers over Bucks Andrew Lopez: Nets over Lakers Tim MacMahon: Nets over Nuggets Bobby Marks: Heat over Jazz Dave McMenamin: Nets over Lakers Kevin Pelton: Bucks over Lakers Jorge Sedano: Lakers over Nets Ramona Shelburne: Lakers over Nets André Snellings: Bucks over Lakers Marc J. Spears: Nets over Lakers Ohm Youngmisuk: Nets over Lakers
Results (NBA champion): Nets 8, Bucks 4, Lakers 3, Heat 1.
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