What if an AI System Predicted the 2022 NBA Playoffs-1st Round by Macon Workman

I recently discovered a website called WhatIfSports this website is insanely cool. You can pick any sports team professional or college and make them go verse each other from any year. But today I wanted to sim the 2022 NBA playoffs to see what would happen. I will be switching home and away every 2 games, and there will be stats from the website. Lets see what would happen if an AI simulation of the NBA playoffs.

1st Round Western Conference

1 seed Phoenix Suns vs 8 seed New Orleans Pelicans

Game 1: Suns lead 1-0

The game came down to the wire, but the suns won the game 115-107. 

Game 2: Suns lead 2-0

The Suns win by double digits winning 116-106 Devin Booker posted a 26 point game.

Game 3: Suns lead 3-0 

A absolute domination by the Phoenix as they win 117-96

Game 4: Suns win series 4-0

125-90 was the final score as Devin Booker leads the Suns to a sweep putting up 20 in game 4.


4 seed Dallas Mavericks vs 5 seed Utah Jazz

Game 1: Mavs lead 1-0 

Luka beats Utah scoring 35 in the series opener. 

Game 2:Tied 1-1

Rudy Gobert steals a game back for the Jazz putting up 19 points and rebounds winning 112-102.

Game 3: Jazz lead 2-1

Rudy Gobert grabs 18 rebounds helping Utah to win 119-109.

Game 4: Jazz lead 3-1

Donavan Mitchell scores 26, and wins 132-123.

Game 5: Jazz Win series 4-1

Luka’s 26 points was not enough for Dallas as the Jazz win 111-101.


3 seed Golden State Warriors vs 6 seed Denver Nuggets

Game 1: GSW leads 1-0

Curry’s 32 barely escaped as the Warriors win 106-100.

Game 2: Tied 1-1

Jokic 1 assist away from a triple double, but got the dominating win 108-87.

Game 3: Nuggets lead 2-1

Golden State was no match for Jokic’s 38 points in the 101-95 win.

Game 4: Tied 2-2

Stephen Curry drops 42 and a buzzer beater to beat the Nuggets 115-112.

Game 5: Nuggets lead 3-2

Even though Jordan Poole was able to get 26 points, the Warriors still fell short in the 103-98 loss.

Game 6: Nuggets win series 4-2

An unexpected 38 point game from Denver's small forward Will Barton as they won 105-96.



2 seed Memphis Grizzlies vs 7 seed Minnesota Timberwolves

Game 1: Grizzlies lead 1-0

Steven Adams grabbed every rebound that came his way getting 20 rebounds, and the 105-98 win.

Game 2: Grizzlies lead 2-0

Ja Morant’s 27 points helped Memphis demolish the Wolves 131-104.

Game 3: Grizzlies lead 2-1

First game back in Minnesota Karl Anthony-Towns puts up 27, also the 101-87 win.

Game 4: Tied 2-2

4 out of 5 of the Timberwolves starters scored double-digits in the 117-101 win.

Game 5: Grizzlies lead 3-2

Grizzlies 6th man Dillion Brooks gets 26 and the 112-103 win for Memphis.

Game 6: Grizzlies win series 4-2

All thanks to Desmond Bane’s 24 points in the 124-86 win.



1st Round Eastern Conference

1 seed Miami Heat vs 8 seed Atlanta Hawks

Game 1: Hawks lead 1-0

Altlanta takes game 1 in Miami Trae Young 11 assists helped the 92-83 win.

Game 2: Tied 1-1

Adebayo’s 26 and Lowrys dagger 3 helps Miami edge out the 109-106 win.

Game 3: Heat lead 2-1

All of Miami’s starters had double digits games as they stole the 126-117 win at Atlanta’s home.

Game 4: Tied 2-2

Clint Capela’s 18 points, 14 rebounds is enough for the Hawks 112-94 win.

Game 5: Heat lead 3-2

Adebayo gets fouled in Overtime as time expires to win 122-119 despite Trae Young's 39 point game.

Game 6: Tied 3-3

Collins and Young combine for 49 points, and force a game 7 in their 114-102 win.

Game 7: Heat win series 4-3

Kyle Lowry puts up 22 for the Game 7 113-90 win.

4 seed Philadelphia 76ers vs 5 seed Toronto Raptors

Game 1: 76ers lead 1-0

Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey score 27 points and the 111-91 win.

Game 2: 76ers lead 2-0

Embiid drops 34 points and blocks 4 shots in the Philadelphia 98-85 win.

Game 3: 76ers lead 3-0

Now in Raptors home court Joel Embiid scores another 28 point game to lead the 76ers to a 3-0 lead in a 116-106 win.

Game 4: 76ers win series 4-0

Pascal Siakam’s 27 doesn't matter as they lost game 4 105-87.


3 seed Milwaukee Bucks vs 6 seed Chicago Bulls

Game 1: Bucks lead 1-0

Giannis’s 31 points was very valuable in their dominating 138-90 win.

Game 2: Bucks lead 2-0

Jrue Holiday's turn to put up 32 points and the W 138-109.

Game 3: Bucks lead 3-0

It didn’t matter that the Bulls were at home Giannis drops 33, the game winner at the end of overtime.

Game 4: Jrue and Giannis both had 22 points to sweep the Bulls. The final score of game 4 119-100.


2 seed Boston Celtics vs 7 seed Brooklyn Nets

Game 1: Celtics lead 1-0

Kyrie Irving played an impressive game being away scoring 39 points, but came up short in the 138-111 loss.

Game 2: Celtics lead 2-0

Jayson Tatum silences Kevin Durant's 26 point game with 29 of his own in the 116-100 win.

Game 3: Celtics lead 2-1

Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant back in Brooklyn combine for 56 points and the 120-116 win.

Game 4: Celtics lead 3-1

Jayson Tatum’s 30 points and 14 rebounds was too much for the Nets as they win 111-92.

Game 5: Celtics win series 4-1

Robert Williams was snagging every board 17 to be exact in the 105-96 win.

The first round has come and gone, so if you're a little confused here are the remaining teams.

Western Conference-Suns, Jazz, Nuggets, and Grizzlies. 

Eastern Conference-Heat, 76ers, Bucks, and Celtics. So far the AI is correct about 6 of the 8 teams. The only two that aren’t supposed to be here are the Utah Jazz and the Denver Nuggets. Look out for the second round of the AI NBA playoffs!