NBA Playoff Bracket 2012: Complete Guide to Round 1

It took until the end of the last night of the regular season, but the 2012 NBA playoff bracket is finally set.

There are a number of great matchups in this year’s postseason, so let’s get right into it. Here’s a look at each series with a prediction for the winner.

*Printable bracket can be found here. Remember, NBA playoffs do not reseed.

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 8 Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia apparently wanted to play Chicago, and now they have a shot at the group who earned the best record in the NBA (50-16).

The 76ers do not have a realistic chance against a hungry and motivated Bulls unit that knows anything less than a Finals trip is a disappointment.

Derrick Rose will make certain that the Sixers regret ever saying that they want to play his team.

Prediction: Chicago in five.

No. 4 Boston Celtics vs. No. 5 Atlanta Hawks

The Celtics earned the No. 4 seed but do not have home-court advantage over their opponents. While the C’s beat Milwaukee in their final game, Atlanta also conquered the Mavericks and finished the season with one more win.

Regardless, Boston had the Hawks number during the season and nearly beat their regular starting five with a lineup that included Avery Bradley, Sasha Pavlovic, Brandon Bass, Greg Stiemsma and Keyon Dooling.

There is no way that Beantown loses the first round of their last "Big Three" era playoff run to this injury-riddled Hawks squad.

Prediction: Boston in six.

No. 3 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 6 Orlando Magic

Indiana may have gotten the easiest draw of the postseason.

An Orlando Magic team that will have Dwight Howard sitting on the bench is going to pose absolutely no threat to them.

The Pacers have not had home court in a playoff series since 2004, the year they made it to the conference finals before falling to the Detroit Pistons.

While they lack star power, Indy has the size, athleticism and depth to make a deep run as a dark horse.

Prediction: Indiana in five.

No. 2 Miami Heat vs. No. 7 New York Knicks

This is going to be one of the best opening-round matchups, despite the fact that it’s between a ridiculously talented No. 2 seed and an enigmatic No. 7.

Miami should roll right past New York, with MVP-lock LeBron James leading the way, but Carmelo Anthony is playing out of his mind right now and putting the team on his back.

If Amar’e Stoudemire can play effectively through another nagging back injury, it’s likely that the Knickerbockers make this a competitive series.

The lack of a deep bench and point guard is what will eventually doom the Knicks.

Prediction: Miami in six.  

Western Conference

No. 1 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 8 Utah Jazz

As improbable as it sounds, Gregg Popovich’s group has somehow tied for the best record in the NBA despite giving plenty of rest to his stars during the lockout-shortened season.

It just shows how skilled Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and the rest of that roster is and how dedicated they are to their craft. There is no way that they will lose to the Utah Jazz and suffer another early exit.

As you probably remember, the Spurs earned the best record last season, but bowed out early to an upstart Memphis team. They will not make that mistake again.

Prediction: San Antonio in four.

No. 4 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers' fall to the Knicks in their last game of the season left an opening for Memphis to steal the No. 4 seed and home court. Memphis obliged by pummeling Orlando.

Now the Grizzlies are hoping that they can build on last year’s out-of-nowhere playoff run and advance to the Western Conference Finals.

Their road begins against the upstart L.A. Clippers, a franchise that has been mired in mediocrity for years now but is finally able to start contending.

Look for the Clips' inexperience to be their downfall.

Prediction: Memphis in seven.

No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Denver Nuggets

The one player that no one should want to face in the 2012 postseason is Kobe Bryant.

Black Mamba is motivated and angry about his Lakers’ early exit against the Mavs last year and looking to get revenge.

Denver is the first team that the purple and gold will match up with and they will not be much more than a bump in the road.

While the Nuggets are an emerging franchise, they must be humbled a few times before truly contending.

Prediction: Los Angeles in six.

No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks

It seems everyone picked the Thunder to win the Western Conference and make the NBA Finals.

Unfortunately for OKC, they have a hell of a matchup against the defending champions.

This isn’t the same Dallas team that schooled them in the conference finals last season, but they still have the same leader in Dirk Nowitzki and will not go down without a fight.

Expect a scrappy series and a surprise winner.

Prediction: Dallas in seven.