The NBA Playoffs begin this weekend and typically there aren't many surprises to come out of those seven game first round series. To get an idea of whether any might be on the horizon this year however we turned to 'NBA 2K17' to simulate them. Each series was simulated 15 times with accurate rosters and playoff rotations to get the best idea possible of how the specific matchups may play out.
NBA 2K17 playoff predictions
Warriors (1) over Trail Blazers (8) 100%
Golden State had no trouble dispatching the Blazers, winning all 15 series and never once being pushed to a full seven games. The Warriors won 4-1 in 8 of the simulations and pulled off four sweeps.
Cavaliers (2) over Pacers (7) 100%
The struggles of the Cavs since the All-Star Break are nowhere to be seen here as LeBron James and company steamrolled the Pacers. Cleveland swept Indiana five times though they were taken to a seventh game on two different occasions.
Clippers (4) over Jazz (5) 87%
What oddsmakers see as the most competitive series didn't turn out that way in the simulations. Though many of the series were competitive going six or seven games, Los Angeles came out on top in 13 of the 15.
Hawks (5) over Wizards (4) 73%
'NBA 2K17' clearly favors Atlanta in what should be one of the more intriguing matchups in the first round. Six of its series wins however went all the way to seven games, so the series was competitive despite the result ultimately being the Hawks advancing.
Raptors (3) over Bucks (6) 67%
This was a pretty competitive series which saw Toronto usually win in six or seven games. The young Bucks team put up a fight but the Raptors and home court were just too much.
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Rockets (3) over Thunder (6) 53%
The battle between the two MVP candidates, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, turned out to be as close as they come. The Rockets overall won in more impressive fashion as they finished off Oklahoma City several times in sweeps or five games. On the other side the Thunder needed seven games on three occasions and six games in its other four victories.
Spurs (2) over Grizzlies (7) 53%
Is San Antonio vulnerable in the matchup with Memphis? 'NBA 2K17' seems to think so as the Spurs barely edged them out. San Antonio usually won 4-2 when it did advance but the Grizzlies had some dominant showings even managing to sweep the Spurs twice.
Bulls (8) over Celtics (1) 53%
In the one big shocker from the Playoff simulation it's the No. 8 seeded Bulls stunning the Celtics. In betting odds this series is more like a 3/6 than a 1/8, but still this would be a big upset. Chicago won most often 4-1 while Boston generally took six games when it advanced. This series only went to seven games twice, so the video game seems to think one team will find confidence and momentum early and ride that to the next round.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, is co-founder of the sports gaming site HitThePass.com, hosts the "Press Row Podcast" and be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre.