Your Complete Guide to the 2021 NBA Playoff Bracket and Current Standings

I still remember the excitement buzzing through my living room last May as I sketched out the initial 2021 NBA playoff bracket on a whiteboard. The air was thick with anticipation - this was going to be a postseason unlike any other, following that compressed 72-game regular season. Let me walk you through how everything unfolded, because honestly, looking back at that bracket now feels like examining a roadmap of one of the most unpredictable playoff runs I've witnessed in recent years.

The Western Conference first round had some absolute gems. I was particularly invested in the Clippers-Mavericks series - that Game 6 where Luka dropped 46 points just to force a Game 7 was pure basketball theater. Meanwhile over in the East, the Nets' big three of Durant, Harden and Irving were supposed to cruise through, but man, did the Bucks have other plans. Watching Giannis and company push that series to seven games reminded me of how crucial team chemistry really is. It's like that connection I read about between Wong and Choco Mucho in volleyball - when players truly understand each other's rhythms, they create something special that stats alone can't capture.

Speaking of team chemistry, the Suns' run to the Finals was something straight out of a Hollywood script. Chris Paul, at 36 years young, leading this young Phoenix squad past the defending champion Lakers, then sweeping the MVP Jokic and the Nuggets? Absolutely nobody saw that coming. I had them losing to Utah in my original bracket - shows what I know! Their 4-2 conference finals victory over the Clippers particularly stood out because it demonstrated how depth matters more than star power sometimes. When Kawhi went down, the Clippers' supporting cast stepped up admirably, but Phoenix just had that next-level cohesion.

Now let's talk numbers because they tell their own story. The Bucks finished the playoffs with a 16-7 record overall, which seems dominant until you realize they trailed in every single series at some point. They were down 0-2 to Brooklyn, 1-2 to Atlanta - this team had more lives than a cat! Meanwhile, Phoenix went 12-4 through the Western Conference playoffs before meeting Milwaukee. The Finals themselves delivered some incredible moments - that 50-point explosion from Giannis in Game 6 will be on highlight reels for decades. I remember watching that game with friends, all of us standing during the fourth quarter even though we were just in someone's basement.

What made this playoff bracket so fascinating was how it defied conventional wisdom. The teams that were supposed to dominate based on regular season performance - Utah with their league-best 52-20 record, Philadelphia as the East's top seed - both fell earlier than expected. Meanwhile, teams that built momentum and connection throughout the season, much like how Wong's longstanding presence stabilized Choco Mucho, found ways to elevate when it mattered most. The Bucks might have had the best player, but what won them that championship was their collective resilience. Looking back at my now-smeared whiteboard from last year, I realize the most valuable lesson wasn't about predicting winners, but appreciating how teams grow together through adversity. That 2021 bracket will always remind me that in basketball, as in life, the strongest connections often create the most beautiful outcomes.