Predictions for Round Two of the NBA Playoffs
So Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs is officially in the books as of Sunday night. And a good book it was. The Celtics, down two to the Bulls, made history with a four-game turnaround sweep. The Cavaliers found their postseason form and tossed the Pacers into the trash heap in four games. The Warriors did the same with the Portland Trail Blazers. The young Milwaukee Bucks forced a Game 6 with the Toronto Raptors before the NBA’s only Canadian team sealed the deal. John Wall and Bradley Beal propelled the Wizards to their third conference semi-finals appearance in four years. The Memphis Grizzlies suffered two losses in games 1 and 2 against the Spurs before pushing back with two series-tying victories — the Spurs went on to finish things in six. Russell Westbrook’s storied season ended in five games against James Harden and the Rockets. And the fifth-seeded Utah Jazz took the Clippers to a game 7 where they won in fine form, 104-91.
So here we are, in vague sight of the NBA Finals, with the postseason whittled down to eight teams. And I feel like some predictions are in order.
(1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Washington Wizards
Game 1 concluded Sunday night with the Celtics straight up overwhelming the Wizards in the end, 123-111. Isaiah Thomas dropped 33, going 5-11 from three, a day after flying cross-country to attend his sister’s funeral, and then leaving early in the second quarter after losing a tooth. Jae Crowder added 24 points, with 18 of them coming from beyond the arc. Avery Bradley scored 18. And Al Horford went 10-13 from the field, grabbing 9 rebounds and 10 assists. It was a banner night for the boys in green.
Thomas left in the second quarter after losing a front tooth, but came back just in time to help boost the Celtics past the Wizards.
Game 2 is slated for Tuesday night at the Garden. And the question we’re all asking is, can the Wizards make this series interesting? They started game 1 with a 16-0 run. But by the end of the third quarter, the Celtics had come back and amounted a 15-point lead. In the end, the Celts just played better basketball. They also got a bit of a leg up when Washington starter Markieff Morris left with a sprained left ankle in the second quarter. But he intends to play game 2.
The way Boston is playing, it’s hard to imagine them falling this series. But, we can’t forget the rivalry that’s been brewing between these two teams since last year when the Celtics swept the Wizards in the postseason.
My prediction: Celtics win in six.
(2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (3) Toronto Raptors
It took six games for the new look Toronto Raptors to beat a young, upstart, and by all accounts inexperienced Milwaukee squad in Round 1. They face a totally different monster in the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are aiming for their third consecutive finals appearance. Sure, the Raptors are hungry but they’ve got a history of losing to the Cavs at crucial junctures. The only difference for this year’s team is the addition of Serge Ibaka. In the Raptors’ first-round series victory over Milwaukee, Ibaka averaged 12.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.3 blocks. But are those numbers enough to help the Raptors stop James and Company? My guess is, no. For the Cavs, the big question is LeBron: can he stay healthy and durable with all the minutes he’s playing? James led his team with series averages of 32.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.0 blocks against the Pacers. But he did it averaging a league-high 43.8 minutes per game. At 32 years old and in his 14th season, you’ve got to wonder if it’s wearing on him.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue says no. “I don’t understand why people make a big deal out of minutes,” Lue told reporters Wednesday, after the Cavs held their first full practice since beating Indiana in four last Sunday. “[James] had a week off before the series started. We won four straight games, and then he had a week off again. So next [series] he might play 48 minutes.”
The thing about LeBron James is, he’s a workhorse. He’s like the Tom Brady of basketball — Lue even refers to him as Benjamin Button cause he seems to be getting stronger with age.
“It’s impressive,” said teammate Kyrie Irving. “It’s impressive, man. It’s nothing short of impressive. So, I mean he does an incredible job of just taking care of his body, making sure he’s prepared. So you got to give credit to a man like that.” So clearly Irving thinks LeBron is impressive. And so do I (but then again I’ve loved LeBron since that Nike ad with the lions so I may be a bit biased). Nonetheless:
My prediction: Cavs win in five.
(1) Golden State Warriors vs. (5) Utah Jazz
The best team in basketball looks to make another stellar Finals run this postseason. On the way, they’ll have to pass through Salt Lake City at least twice. But the Jazz, who just played game 7 against the Clippers Sunday night, might not have the stamina to beat the well-rested Warriors. It’s hard to imagine a team that lost 15 games in the regular season losing more than one in this series. The Warriors are averaging 119.5 points per game right now in the postseason. Defensively, they’re playing some of the best ball of the whole year with Draymond Green averaging more than 4 blocks a game and Curry averaging 2 steals a game. After obliterating the Blazers in four games and getting a full week of rest, it just seems unlikely that the worn-out Jazz will steal more than one game from this series.
My prediction: Warriors win in five.
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (3) Houston Rockets
This series has got to be the tightest matchup of all the semi-finals matchups. In fact, it’s got 6 or 7 written all over it. The X-factors for each team are clear: James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. This season, the Beard has averaged 29.8 points, 11.8 assists, and 9 rebounds per game against the Spurs. While Leonard has averaged 28.5 points and played absolutely stifling defense against Houston. In the regular season, the Spurs won 3 of 4 against their cross-state rivals. But this is the playoffs. Right now, Harden is averaging 33.2 ppg, 7 assists, and 6.4 rebounds a night. And Leonard is averaging an equally impressive 31.2 points with 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Now, granted the Rockets are scoring around 112 points a night and the Spurs are scoring 104, but when these two teams get together crazy things happen.
My prediction: Spurs win in seven, but Harden outscores everyone.
