This is the best time of the year to be a fan of the NBA. In these best of seven series, where it’s win or go home, the stars really start to shine.

As always, the West will be a hard-fought battle, but the defending Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder is the main team that stands out from the pack.

As the Western conference stands right now, the Thunder have top seed. Behind the Thunder are the third-seeded Clippers with the best chance of  winning. With the help from their new star point guard Chris Paul, I see the other team from LA with the best chance to knock off the Thunder.

The Clippers are fielding their best team possibly ever after winning their first Pacific Division title in franchise history.  The battle of the West should come down to OKC Thunder and the LA Clippers.

The Warriors chances of winning look better everyday with the help of a healthy Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, a duo that became to top three-point shooting combination in the NBA this season.

Despite the crushing loss of All-Star David Lee to a torn hip flexor after an opening round loss to Denver, Golden State tied the series at 1-1 with a dominant performance Thursday night.

But I don’t see the Warriors making it to finals because they don’t have enough playoff experience to beat a team like the Thunder.  The fire power of Kevin Durant, and Russell Westbrok will be too much for any team to handle.

In the East, I expect the conference finals to come down to the red hot Miami Heat and the explosive New York Knicks with Carmelo Anthony. But unlike most people, I expect the Knicks to pull the upset of the defending NBA champions.

Despite the top-seeded Heat having the best record in the NBA, I believe this one will go to the Knicks because New York has destroyed the Heat twice this season and the Knicks are playing like they want their first championship since the 1970s.   Plus,  Anthony is playing with pure dedication and hunger.

When we get to the finals, I see the Thunder beating the Knicks in seven games.  It should be a battle to the end, but I don’t think the Knicks have the skill or shooting to beat the Thunder.

I expect the Thunder to win their first NBA title to cap an amazing season.