SI.com's John Hollinger weighs in with his forecast of the first round of the NBA playoffs.
First round
Eastern Conference	(1) Detroit vs. (8) Orlando Let's start this off boldly This is not your typical No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup, even if Ben Wallace comes back to Detroit's lineup completely healthy. The Pistons didn't play particularly well after the All-Star break, while on the other hand the trade of Mike Miller seemed to energize Orlando. They also have the best player on the court in Tracy McGrady, and that's why they're going to be the third No. 8 seed in NBA history to knock out No. 1 in the first round. Besides, would it be the pickoff if I didn't pick against Detroit? Magic 4, Pistons 2
Eastern Conference	(2) New Jersey vs. (7) Milwaukee Like Detroit, New Jersey is a top seed in name only. In fact, since the All-Star break, each of the East's top three seeds has strugglied mightily. New Jersey's hopes of a contribution from Dikembe Mutombo are sinking like the Titanic, while Milwaukee finished the season winning seven of eight. But while I'm not at all sold on New Jersey, I still think they have more than enough in the tank to beat the defenseless Bucks. Nets 4, Bucks 2
Eastern Conference	(3) Indiana vs. (6) Boston Long term, the Pacers need a healthy Brad Miller if they're going to make it through the Eastern Conference. They have the talent to do it, too, despite their second-half swoon. Speaking of swoons, Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker look completely out of gas after their second straight year of playing two-on-five, so even without Miller, Indiana should easily dispense the weary Celtics. Pacers 4, Celtics 0
Eastern Conference	(4) Philadelphia vs. (5) New Orleans Allen Iverson gets the pub, but the 76ers also have an imposing frontcourt of Keith Van Horn, Derrick Coleman and Kenny Thomas which keyed their second-half surge. The problem is that two of those three were battling injuries to end the season. Since Van Horn and Coleman both returned on Wednesday, one presumes that Philadephia will be close enough to full strength to hold off New Orleans, who have injury issues of their own with Baron Davis set to limp through another playoffs. 76ers 4, Hornets 2
Western Conference	(1) San Antonio vs. (8) Phoenix The Suns are more upbeat about this matchup than you might think because they took three of four from the Spurs during the season, including their playoff-clincher on Sunday night. But while Stephon Marbury can give the Spurs' backcourt some problems, the same can't be said for the frontcourt. Tim Duncan should ensure that San Antonio navigates any bumps without too much damage. Spurs 4, Suns 1
Western Conference	(2) Sacramento vs. (7) Utah Last year, these two met in the first round, and Utah was able to frustrate Sacramento with their gritty style of hand-to-hand combat, eliminating the type of flowing, open-court game the Kings prefer. But the Kings persevered and won the series in four tough games. Expect a similar result this year; I just hope it isn't the last we see of Stockton-to-Malone, because they're good enough to keep doing this for five more years. Kings 4, Jazz 1
Western Conference	(3) Dallas vs. (6) Portland Do I have to pick somebody to win this series? The Trail Blazers didn't exactly inspire confidence by getting smacked around in their final game by a Clipper team that gave up on the season six months ago. On the other hand, there's no guarantee that Michael Finley will come back 100 percent, and without him the Mavs were exposed on the wings. If the Blazers can keep all their key players out of handcuffs and avoid any intramural boxing matches they can make it a series, but at the end of the day Dallas' offensive wizardry should prevail. Mavericks 4, Trail Blazers 3
Western Conference	(4) Minnesota vs. (5) L.A. Lakers Do you think maybe the folks in Minnesota are a little upset with the Trail Blazers right now? All they had to do was beat the Clippers, and everything would be nice and tidy. Kevin Garnett could lead them to their first series win, they'd lose in the second round, and everyone would be happy. Instead, Shaq will treat Rasho Nesterovic like a human speed bump and the T'wolves streak will hit seven. Lakers 4, Timberwolves 2
Season record: 129-66.