The five best matchups in the first round of NBA playoffs

Finally, the 82-game slog of a regular season is over. It's playoff time in the NBA, and like every season, the stars will be shining on the game's biggest stage. 

Some of those stars have favorable first-round matchups while others must battle to make it to the second round. 

Here are five matchups to keep an eye on in the stacked opening round:

Magic's Jalen Suggs vs. Cleveland's backcourt

Guarding Donovan Mitchell must be one of the least fun things an NBA player can do. But being guarded by Suggs seems just as miserable. So, something must give in the Magic-Cavs series in which Suggs — who has an elite mixed-team defense mark — is tasked with irritating Cleveland's Mitchell and his backcourt mate, Darius Garland.

Garland's numbers have dropped slightly after two consecutive All-Star-level seasons, but he and Mitchell still form one of the craftiest backcourts. Suggs loves taking on challenges like this, so this series should be fun.

Anthony Davis (Lakers) vs. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets)

In terms of big-man matchups, it doesn't get much better. 

Jokic had his way with Los Angeles in last season's sweep in the Western Conference finals (27.8 PPG, 14.5 RPG, 11.8 APG), but he had his way with every team en route to an NBA championship. Davis shoulders little blame for the defeat, averaging 26.8 points and 14.3 rebounds in the series.

The Nuggets are again the better team, but AD vs. the Joker will be as fascinating as last season.

Luka Doncic of the Mavericks vs. Clippers 

One man will not be facing an entire team, but round three of Doncic (and the Mavericks) vs. the Clippers might have even more on the line than the first two. The Clippers won both of those series.

This time, it feels like a "last dance" for the Clippers, who enter the playoffs with a star-heavy roster but one that hasn't been able to stay healthy or produce high-level playoff moments for many years. 

Can Los Angeles' James Harden shake his past blunders when things matter most? Will Los Angeles' Kawhi Leonard — who has a right knee inflammation — play in Game 1? Does Doncic have the horses (no pun intended) around him to finally knock off L.A.? 

We can't wait for the answers.

Jalen Brunson (Knicks) vs. Tyrese Maxey (76ers)

Brunson (28.7 PPG, 40.1% 3PT) and Maxey (25.9 PPG, 6.2 APG) — both deserving first-time All-Stars this season — are trying to help their teams answer big questions. 

The question for Brunson and New York is whether the team can compete with the NBA's elite without Julius Randle (right shoulder surgery) in the lineup. His absence will hurt New York, but the team has found ways to win while dealing with various injuries (notably Mitchell Robinson) and showed it is at least still very good without Randle, winning five in a row to earn the East's second seed. 

Maxey, meanwhile, is trying to prove he and Joel Embiid can be centerpieces on a team that advances past the second round, something Embiid hasn't done as a Sixer. 

Look out for heroic performances from these two dynamic guards in a series that's nearly impossible to predict.

Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves) vs. Devin Booker (Suns)

Players who love the spotlight — such as Edwards and Booker do — are made for playoff basketball.

Edwards has played in just two playoff series in his career, but this is the first one he'll play where his team will be favored. Minnesota gets contributions from numerous players, but for the Wolves to advance, Edwards must be the superstar he's become this season.

Booker is a steadying force for Phoenix. His improvement as a passer is impressive, but he must score and distribute at an All-NBA level for Phoenix to beat Minnesota. 

The jawing between these teams in a recent game adds more spice to an already intriguing matchup.