EASTERN CONFERENCE ROUND 1
#5 Chicago Bulls vs. #4 Brooklyn Nets
No D-Rose, no problem. The Bulls took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series with a historic triple OT win on Saturday in Chi-Town. Nate Robinson was Jordanesque.
#6 Atlanta Hawks vs. #3 Indiana Pacers
The Pacers have a 2-1 lead in the series. No game has been close. The victor has won by margins of 17, 15 and 21. Indy shot 27% in Game 3 loss, ouch.
#7 Boston Celtics vs. #2 New York Knicks
Though down 0-3, Celtic pride will surely rise up for a W in Game 4. C’s are due to make some shots, and the suspension of J.R. Smith will hurt the Knicks offensively.
#8 Milwaukee Bucks vs. #1 Miami Heat
The Bucks are fighting hard, but it’s like pitting the freshman team against the varsity squad. Even with D-Wade’s aching right knee, Miami seems unbeatable.
WESTERN CONFERENCE ROUND 1
#5 Memphis Grizzlies vs. #4 Los Angeles Clippers
The series is knotted at 2-2 with both squads winning at home. Like last year, this looks to be a 7-gamer between the most evenly matched teams in the postseason.
#6 Golden State Warriors vs. #3 Denver Nuggets
The upstart Bay Area Bombers are an Andre Miller last-second layup from being up 3-0. With Game 4 in Oaktown, Mark Jackson’s sizzling underdogs have a chance to go up 3-1 on a talent-thick Denver team.
#7 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #2 San Antonio Spurs
The decimated Lakers have their D-League backcourt playing to prevent a sweep. The brief experiment of Kobe, Dwight, Pau and Nash is going out with a whimper.
#8 Houston Rockets vs. #1 Oklahoma City Thunder
OKC lost Westbrook for the remainder of the playoffs in Game 2. Would be season ending if they didn’t have a 6’10”, fill-in point-forward named Durant. They’re up 3-0 now, but in future rounds I bet they’ll miss James Harden.
