NBA Playoffs 2018: Postseason Standings, Championship Odds and Predictions

The Minnesota Timberwolves made the playoffs on the last day of the regular season when they edged the Denver Nuggets in overtime.

Still, many observers thought all that win would do was buy the Timberwolves a four-game exit against the top-seeded Houston Rockets.

Minnesota may get eliminated in the first round, but it won't be in four games. Tom Thibodeau's team earned a decisive 121-105 victory at home over the Rockets, and they will have a chance to square the series Monday night.

NBA Championship Odds (per OddsShark, as of April 23)

Golden State Warriors, +108
Houston Rockets, +251
Toronto Raptors, +900
Cleveland Cavaliers, +1150
Philadelphia 76ers, +1200
New Orleans Pelicans, +5400
Utah Jazz, +7000
Oklahoma City Thunder, +11000
Boston Celtics, +13000
Indiana Pacers, +22500
Milwaukee Bucks, +40000
Minnesota Timberwolves, +60000
Washington Wizards,+60000
Miami Heat, +100000
San Antonio Spurs, +125000

NBA Playoff Standings (Seeds in Parentheses)

Eastern Conference

Toronto Raptors (1) vs. Washington Wizards (8): Series tied 2-2.
Boston Celtics (2) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (7): Series tied 2-2.
Philadelphia 76ers (3) vs. Miami Heat (6): Philadelphia leads series 3-1.
Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Indiana Pacers (5): Series tied 2-2.

Western Conference

Houston Rockets (1) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (8): Houston leads series 2-1.
Golden State Warriors (2) vs. San Antonio Spurs (7): Golden State leads series 3-1.
Porland Trail Blazers (3) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (6): New Orleans win series 4-0.
Oklahoma City Thunder (4) vs. Utah Jazz (5): Utah leads series 2-1.

While we applaud the Timberwolves for their decisive win in Game 3, it's quite improbable that they will get the best of the Rockets in a best-of-seven series. They could win one more game, but look for James Harden & Co. to survive and advance in this series.

Harden would like to see the Rockets pick up their offensive game because Houston is shooting 42.7 percent from the field in the postseason. "It's been a long time," Harden said, per Tim McMahon of ESPN.com. "It's been a long time, but tomorrow is the perfect opportunity for it."

The Spurs salvaged Game 4 against the defending NBA champion Warriors. San Antonio has its victory, and while other sports have seen teams come back from 0-3 deficits, it has never happened in the NBA. If it ever does, it would be shocking if it happened to the Warriors, even though they are playing without Steph Curry (MCL sprain).

Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson are able to handle much of the offensive burden, while the Warriors continue to play a hounding defense that will keep the Spurs from mounting another win in the series.

The top two seeds in the Eastern Conference are feeling quite a bit of heat. After rolling to two strong wins at home, the Raptors were beaten in both games in Washington as the Wizards have squared the series. John Wall scored 27 points and had 14 assists in Sunday's 106-98 victory, and if the Raptors don't figure out a way to slow down the star guard, the Wizards could steal this series. 

The Celtics are following a similar pattern. They won the first two games of the series in Boston, but they got hammered in Milwaukee in Game 3 and before losing a 104-102 game on the road Sunday in Game 4.

The Celtics are an injured team and are depending on Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford, but the Bucks have the star of the series in Giannis Antetokoumpo, and he is nearly impossible for Boston to stop when he is on his game.

Antetokounmpo averaged 26.9 points and 10.0 rebounds per game during the regular season, and he is averaging 27.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in the playoffs. He is getting help from Khris Middleton, who has an average of 25.5 points per night.

Head coach Brad Stevens was encouraged because the Celtics cam back from a 16-point halftime deficit to outscore the Bucks by 14 points in the second half.

"We played great in the second half," Stevens said, per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. "We were so much better after the break, even when they made those first few shots. I thought we were doing what we set out to do. We were better on [Khris] Middleton. I thought we did a decent job on Giannis and we played the way we want to play in the second half."

Predictions

Look for the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference to survive the first round, leading to a Toronto-Cleveland matchup as well as a Boston-Philadelphia meeting in the second round.

The Cavaliers may get pushed hard in any Eastern Conference series they play, but LeBron James will find a way to survive. The Celtics have the savvy and fighter's mentality to be a problem for the talented Sixers, but Philadelphia will end Boston's season.

Beating the Celtics is one thing; taking down James and the Cavaliers is quite another. LeBron will be at his best in the Eastern Conference finals and Cleveland will get to the NBA Final once again.

In addition to New Orleans' four-game sweep over Portland, Houston, Golden State and Utah should survive their first-round series. The Rockets will find a way to get past the seventh-seeded Pelicans, but it will take seven hard-fought games. 

The Warriors may not have Curry back for the Jazz in the second round, but Golden State wins that series in five games.

Houston will prove how good it is when the Rockets take down the Warriors in the Western Conference finals.

A surprised James is thrilled that he doesn't have to play Golden State in the championship round, and Cleveland shocks the basketball world by winning the NBA title in June.