Finally! The NBA playoffs are now days away from making a return after the unfortunate suspension of the top basketball league in the world due to Covid-19 pandemic.

All playoff matchups have been set already except for one. The Western Conference number one LA Lakers are still waiting on who they’ll take on in the first round between the Portland Trailblazers and the Memphis Grizzlies. Both teams go head-to-head in a play-in to determine who will be the eighth seed in the West. If the Blazers go through, their matchup with the Lakers will be an intense one that you won’t want to miss.

This year’s playoff are already looking like a postseason that will produce series match-ups that could go down as one of the most memorable ever. It got me thinking, which first-round series shouldn’t we miss?

NO. 3 – (2) LA Clippers vs (7) Dallas Mavericks

The LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks will face-off in the first round of the playoffs. A series that is very promising as it will feature the two best duos in the league, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George taking on Luka Dončić and Kristaps Porziņģis.

Leonard and George have proven themselves as the new Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen tandem on the defensive end as the two Los Angeles natives are among the top five perimeter defenders in the league.

The Dončić-Porziņģis duo, on the other hand, are currently one of the best young cores in the league and look like they could one day be the league’s best one-two punch.

The Europeans are one of the best offensive tandems in the league. Dončić is cooking everyone put in front of him with his elite skills while Porziņģis, being the unicorn that he is, stands at 7’3 with guard-like moves, great athleticism and might be able to learn how to shoot like the legendary Dirk Nowitzki.

This series will be a clash between the unstoppable offensive forces of Dončić-Porziņģis taking on the immovable defensive clamps of Leonard and George.

This is a truly must watch series that has the potential to go seven games.

NO. 2 – (4) Miami Heat vs (5) Indiana Pacers

A lot of people ask, what’s so great about the playoffs? The fact that two teams will go at each other in the minimum of four games? How about the pressure of needing to win every game, and the increased level of competitiveness?

 Well, if you ask me, the most important factor is drama.

And that is exactly what the battle between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers has right now. There is drama, especially between Jimmy Butler and T.J Warren.

Butler and Warren had a memorable moment this season where both men got very physical on the court and started talking trash to each other in their interviews.

Butler, who is a multiple All-Star, stated that Warren is nowhere near his level. Warren on the other hand is now letting his game do the talking, averaging 31 points per game along with 6.3 rebounds in the bubble to lead the Pacers to 6-2 record with one game left before finishing the regular season.

Aside from the drama of the two, both teams also have the talent to put up a great series. Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson are all expected to step up big time once the playoff rolls in. The Heat will be monitoring the status of Derrick Jones Jr., who had a scary injury in the final game of the restart.

Indiana on the other hand have all-stars Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis (if he returns) along with Myles Turner and Malcolm Brogdon.

A seven-game series between two teams that possess 90s-like physical and psychological warfare capabilities could be one for the ages.

NO. 1 – (4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs (5) Houston Rockets

As I’ve said earlier, there are multiple factors that make the playoffs so great. This particular series has it all, talents, drama, history and pressure, all that is in the seven game series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets.

During the offseason, this is a series that no one even thought of as a possibility come playoff time.

Both teams made huge changes at the before the start of the season. The Thunder traded away Russell Westbrook to the Rockets for Chris Paul, a trade that looked weird on paper but has borne fruit.

Westbrook got reunited with James Harden in Houston but didn’t reach the expectations a lot of people had for them, which is to be in the top three stops within the Western Conference. However, they still proved to be a great team as they secured the fifth seed with a 44-27 record and made the playoffs.

Oklahoma on the other hand, only had a 0.2 percent chance of making the playoffs at the beginning of the season according to ESPN. The ever-competitive Paul had other things in mind and steered his new squad to the fourth seed in the West with 44-27 record.

When Harden and Paul played together in Houston, their biggest achievement was they were able to reach the Conference Finals before losing in seven games against Golden State.

Westbrook failed to reach that level of success despite having Paul George on his team for two seasons.

Now the former Thunder stars will see each Paul and his young entourage on the court in the first round. Both teams obviously have the talent to make the series very enjoyable for fans. They also have the history and the drama to make a first round series feel like a high-stakes one.