The dust has all but settled in the East after a frenetic first round of playoffs action.
There were upsets, individual masterclasses and certified shellackings.
The eight in the East have now become four, but who moves on from here?
As the cream rises to the top, each round of the playoffs gets harder and harder to predict.
Luckily for all you Sportsbet punters out there, we’re back with more expert NBA playoffs tips and predictions.
So, without further ado, here are our NBA Conference semifinals tips and predictions for the East.
New York Knicks (No.5 seed) vs Miami Heat (No.8 Seed)
One of the 1990s best rivalries is set to be reignited when the New York Knicks take on the Miami Heat.
Both of these sides won their first-round series in five, but neither of them were favourites to progress to round two of the playoffs.
It certainly wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility for the Knicks to move on, but no one had the Heat moving on against the No.1 seeded Bucks, let alone in five.
Miami’s triumph over Milwaukee will go down as one of the biggest upsets ever in the playoffs.
An injury to Bucks big man and star player Giannis Antentokoumpo early in the series slightly opened the door for the Heat before Jimmy Butler single-handedly kicked it down.
The man known as “Jimmy Buckets” dropped one of the greatest individual performances in playoff history to send the Bucks packing.
Butler painted his masterpiece in game four of the series, scoring 56 points (the fourth most ever in an NBA playoff game), helping the Heat to overturn a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
While most of the buzz has been around the Heat, and rightly so, the favourites to advance from this matchup are actually the Knicks.
The New York-based franchise managed to shut down superstar Donovan Mitchell with alarming ease to dispatch the Cleveland Cavaliers in five.
They now hold a home-court advantage over the Heat in this series due to their superior seed and, on paper, are a deeper team than their eastern rivals.
It will take another legacy-defining performance from Butler to keep the Heat’s fairytale alive, with the Knicks expected to advance in six or seven.
Boston Celtics (No.2 seed) vs Philadelphia 76ers (No.3 seed)
It’s No.2 vs No.3 in the other Eastern Conference semifinal, as the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics both advanced from round one.
After sweeping the Nets in four, the 76ers stormed into the Eastern Conference semifinals.
On the other hand, the Celtics had to work a little harder for their semifinals berth, overcoming a spirited Atlanta outfit in six.
Both teams have what it takes to progress to the Eastern final and potentially go all the way and win the championship.
MVP-elect Joel Embiid’s health is the biggest point of concern for the 76ers after the star centre sustained a knee sprain in game three.
Word is he could be right in time for game one against the Celtics, and if he does recover in time, he will have Atlanta’s Trae Young to thank.
Young drained a clutch three-pointer with 1.8 seconds left on the clock in game five that, forced Boston to play an extra match and, as a result, has given Embiid more time to recover.
Boston now has home-court advantage for as long as they remain in the playoffs, thanks to the No.1 seeded Bucks’ demise.
In terms of who comes out on top of this one, it’s hard to say. With home-court advantage and Embiid under an injury cloud, the Celtics appear to have the upper hand.
Don’t forget, though, Embiid isn’t Philly’s only drawcard, with a certain bearded baller ready to step up.
James Harden and Co. will not want to go quietly, so we’re tipping Boston to get through in seven.