Could this be the moment "King" James finally claims the crown? Or will Kobe Bryant guide the Los Angeles Lakers to their first title since the departure of Shaquille O'Neal? Or might injury-nagged Boston manage a repeat as champions?

Answers will begin to unfold when the NBA playoffs begin Saturday. All series are best-of-seven.

The Cavaliers, who finished 66-16 to lead the league, open with Detroit in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs while Boston will face Chicago, Orlando will meet Philadelphia and Miami will confront Atlanta.

Two years ago, when Cleveland was swept by San Antonio in the NBA Finals, the Cavaliers battled with the Pistons for the East crown. Now the Cavaliers are heavy favorites, having lost only twice on their home court all season.

"When you consider all the great teams, all the great players, all the great coaches and all the great systems that are in the NBA, for us to finish with the best record is a tremendous feat," James said.

"We're fighting for that ring. It's one step. However, it's a big step."

James averaged 28.4 points and 7.6 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers, who have improved over two seasons ago with the addition of Mo Williams and the development of a solid core around playmaker James that could win a title.

The Celtics might have to defend their crown without Kevin Garnett, whose addition last season launched Boston to the title after years as a doormat.

Garnett, averaging 15.8 points and 8.5 rebounds, is suffering from a right knee injury that has kept him to only four games in the past two months. The Celtics have gone 18-7 without Garnett this season, 62-20 overall.

"It's not official that he's out for the entire playoffs, but it's official as far as I'm concerned," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see it.

"He has done everything he could do to get back on the floor. You could tell he was trying to mask that there was pain."

The Cavaliers would have a home-court edge on Boston in an Eastern Conference Finals showdown and the Lakers, whom the Celtics beat in last year's finals, would have an edge should both return to the championship series.

The Lakers, powered by Bryant and Spanish big man Pau Gasol, finished one game behind Cleveland for the best overall record but on top of the Western Conference to book a first-round date with the Utah Jazz.

Other first-round matchups in the Western Conference find Denver against New Orleans, Houston facing Portland and San Antonio against Texas-rival Dallas.

Bryant averaged 26.8 points a game while Gasol contributed 18.9 points and 9.6 rebounds and Andrew Bynum added 14.3 points and 8.0 rebounds.

A Houston club that has struggled to try and move past the first playoff round missed a chance at a division crown and a second seeding and slid all the way to a fifth seed without a home court edge against Portland.

That series should see Trail Blazers' big man Greg Oden and Chinese star center Yao Ming of the Rockets as a feature matchup.

The Spurs will try to power past Dallas with Tim Duncan's solid inside game, the playmaking skills of French guard Tony Parker and the outside shooting of Michael Finley with Argentina's Manu Ginobili sidelined for the run with an ankle injury. Germany's Dirk Nowitzki will lead the Mavericks.

NBA scoring champion Dwyane Wade, who averaged 30.2 points, will try and spark Miami past the Hawks in the opening round even though Atlanta emerged as the fourth seed and will have a home-court edge in that East series.