The New York Knicks versus the Miami Heat is going to be a war. Bloody, long, painful to watch, painful to play in, just plain painful. It seems, that these two teams always meet in the playoffs. They are very similar teams. Both run plodding offenses that run through their low post center, but this year, I've got to go with Miami. Alonzo Mourning is playing like an MVP. Patrick Ewing usually owns Mourning, but this year, I don't think he can stop him. On the other hand, it's rare for Ewing to guard Mourning. Charles Oakley used to guard Zo, but since the only other big man on the Knicks strong enough to guard Zo is Chris Dudley, who is a foul waiting to happen, look for Ewing and Zo to go one-on-one for 35 minutes a game. As well, I don't think the two headed monster of Chris Childs and Charlie Ward can guard Tim Hardaway. Hardaway is one of the best money guards. He's always ready to take the last shot and shines in the playoffs. Allan Houston, as always against the Heat, will have a big seri es, since Dan Marjele and Voshon Leonard can't guard him. The x-factor is Latrell Sprewell. I don't know how he'll handle the rough-and-tumble Knicks-Heat series. If he shows up, then maybe the Knicks have a chance. I think P.J. Brown will dominate Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas. Jamal Mashburn has to show everyone that he's the real third offensive option on that team. I don't think Larry Johnson can handle him without help. Neither are particularly good defensive players, so look for a Tom Chambers-type match up. Who ever scores the most points wins. Prediction: Heat in 5.

The Milwaukee Bucks versus the Indiana Pacers is going to be interesting. The Bucks are beat up. Glenn Robinson is out. Robinson was the Bucks best chance at winning. Chris Mullin is a defensive liability, especially if he had to guard Robinson. Derek McKey is a great defensive player, but he doesn't really add to the offense anymore. Jalen Rose could move over to the three spot, but Robinson could easily post him up. But all this is moot. Let's talk about reality. The Pacers are a deep, veteran team with a lot of playoff experience. They are not running on all cylinders though. There are rumors that Mark Jackson is grumbling about playing time, because Travis Best is getting a lot of minutes in crunch time. It's put up or shut up time for the Pacers. No Michael Jordan this year. They were picked to win the East. I think if they are playing well, they should. Reggie Miller is the best big game player in the NBA. He's always huge. Rik Smits, when he's playing well, is great. The Davis boy s can bang with the best of them. The Bucks are tough to get. Sam Cassell is back from his ankle injury, but I don't know if he's healthy. If he is, Best and Jackson will have trouble stopping him, especially his ability to create and drive. He has a lot of playoff experience, from his years with Houston. He is big in big games. Ray Allen is a star. Reggie versus Ray should be fun. The big men for Milwaukee are decent with Ervin Johnson, Robert Traylor, Tim Thomas and Armon Gilliam. I don't think they will be able to handle Indiana's talent and depth. Look for Rik Smits to dominate Ervin Johnson in the post. If Indiana underestimates Milwaukee, look out. Prediction: Pacers in 4.

The Philadelphia 76ers versus the Orlando Magic is an upset waiting to happen. The 76ers are playing good basketball. The Orlando Magic are not. The 76ers are led my NBA scoring champ Allen Iverson. Iverson should be good for 30 points a game. No one in the starting lineup for Orlando can stop him. Anfernee Hardaway and Nick Anderson are too slow to stop him. Look for super-sub Darrell Armstrong to come on early to try to stop him. Nick Anderson doesn't like when he plays with Penny and Armstrong, because he has to move to small forward. At 6'6", he's a bit undersized and moves away from the his favorite spot, the three point line. The 76ers have a couple nice big men in Theo Ratliff and Matt Geiger. Both are tough on the board and on their men. They should be more than a match for Isaac Austin and Horace Grant. If Michael Doleac can hit the 15 foot jumper, it should open up the floor Penny or Armstrong to drive. Ratliff and Geiger aren't great defenders outside of the key. Orlando's Matt Ha rpring and Philadelphia's George Lynch give their respective teams good defensive players with a lot of energy. Eric Snow, who has a lot of playoff experience with Seattle, should have no problems running the show and letting Iverson go off. If Orlando gets their house in order and lets Penny do his thing, I think Orlando should win. They are the better team, as their record indicates. The 76ers have some awesome talent, but they might be too inexperienced. Larry Brown versus Chuck Daly is a good subplot. Daly is a great coach. Brown is no slouch. Can Daly be effective enough to overcome Orlando's adversity? If so look for Orlando, if not the 76ers. I'm going out on a limb, because I think Iverson wants to show the world he can be a leader and a winner. Prediction: 76ers in 5.

The Detroit Pistons versus the Atlanta Hawks looks like a mismatch on paper. Atlanta is a talented team. They have experience. They have depth at all their positions. They have a dominant center. Then why do I think they might lose? In a best of five, anything is possible. But actually, Alan Henderson is out. He might not play in the series. That's a big loss of Atlanta. Steve Smith is a great player and will bring his game to another level. Mookie Blaylock better raise his level of play or Atlanta will be going home quick. Dikembe Motumbo will dominate whomever he plays against, either Bison Dele or Eric Montross. Neither player can stop him. He should have a field day on the boards and blocking shots. Grant Hill will play well, as he always does. If Jerry Stackhouse comes up big, then Detroit may have a chance. Detroit has talent. Joe Dumars is well, Joe Dumars, even if he's been slowed by time and injuries. Jerome Williams is a poor man's Dennis Rodman, circa 1989. Christian Laettner and Loy Vaught both can play. Lindsay Hunter has bouts of brilliance. Yet the Pistons rarely play as a team, in a cohesive unit, unlike Atlanta. That's why I don't think they will win. Lenny Wilkens is a very good coach, often overlooked, even though he is the winningest coach of all time. Prediction: Atlanta in 4.