2012 NBA Playoff: Previewing Potential First-Round Upsets

Everybody likes a good sports upset, and there are a handful of series that could flip the script during the First Round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs.

Sit back down, Philadelphia 76ers fans. Your scrappy team is going to be able pick up some games against the reeling Chicago Bulls, but it’s not going to happen, even sans Derrick Rose.

There is no way the youthful and backcourt-deficient Utah Jazz are going to win four games against the San Antonio Spurs juggernaut.

The Miami Heat completely exposed the New York Knicks, even before they lost Iman Shumpert. The Knickerbockers will pick up a game or two, but this rivalry isn’t reborn just yet.

Finally, the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics are so evenly matched by rosters and record, that the outcome can’t be considered an upset either way.

That leaves us with:

An Orlando Magic team that’s circling the wagons against the Indiana Pacers (and deserves some good karma for a change).

The L.A. Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies are another even match-up, but everyone was so bullish on the Grizz that a Lob City victory could feel like a minor upset.

The Denver Nuggets bailed out in their first game against the Los Angeles Lakers, but they have the requisite tools to make things interesting.

And a Dallas Mavericks team that proved they can hang with the Oklahoma City Thunder. OKC’s in the driver’s seat, but they best avoid a seven game series with the defending champs.

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