The 2023 NBA playoffs are in full swing as the first round starts on April 15th.

The Golden State Warriors are the defending champions entering the playoffs, in which 16 teams are facing off in four rounds of action to determine the 2023 champions. All four rounds of the NBA playoffs follow a best-of-seven format.

The top six teams in each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, while the teams that finished the regular season in seventh through 10th places advanced to the NBA’s play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff teams in each conference.

The NBA Finals are predicted to start June 1st. With game seven, if the series goes on for that long, it would be scheduled for June 18.

“Early in the year [the Finals defeat] was fuel, it really got us going. We kind of got away from it a little bit. But now that we’re in the playoffs, we’re not addressing it as a group, but when we talk about it individually, it’s something that’s still there,” says Celtics player “Big Al” Horford after game 4.

The answer for the Celtics, besides additional effort, was a rotation switch that saw Horford and Robert Williams III back on the floor together.

Boston came into the playoffs with a 21 percent chance to win the NBA Finals.

“That’s the growth we have to have as a team, especially with the prior experience. Being able to go to the Finals, no matter who was in the rotation — you have to have that perspective and communicate that urgency,” says Horford.

Boston averages the second-most 3-point attempts in the league. In their wins, the Celtics are connecting on 40.3 percent of their threes. In losses, they are shooting 31.6 percent from the arc.

Despite some change ups among the Celtics coaching staff, Boston fans are optimistic about the Celtics pulling through on their next trek to the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, considering their new addition of guard Malcolm Brogdon.

“Averaging so many more threes than twos makes the team easier to defend. If multiple Celtics hit a cold streak from deep, that could spell doom for Boston’s hopes of getting to the finals again,” suggests a Bleacher Report analyst.