And the results of the 2014 NBA Finals are...

Spurs in five.

No one, especially me, would have guessed that prediction for the postseason.

“I think about game six every day,” Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said about the devastating turning point for San Antonio in last year’s NBA finals.

Once it was determined the Spurs and Heat would face off again for the second year in a row, many speculated this was San Antonio's chance at redemption. They were right.  

The Spurs blew out the Heat in four of the five games and it was through consistent, unselfish, team basketball. Although LeBron James did his thing for Miami, one of the main takeaways from this series was one man cannot win a championship on his own. James unfailingly had stellar stats including 20+ points per game, but his teammates weren’t as consistent. Dwayne Wade’s decline was certainly a major issue and Miami’s bench—Chris Andersen, Norris Cole, Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem—was useless and pointless overall. Not to mention, Mario Chalmers was an embarrassing no-show (he barely contributed as a starter).

The Spurs, on the other hand, were ridiculously consistent on offense. Their big three—Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili—were reliable as always and the starters as a whole were truly commendable. The Spurs’ bench contributed big points as well, from Marco Belinelli’s nine in game one to Patty Mills 14 and 17 in games four and five. Tiago Splitter was also crucial to the Spurs’ game one victory and Boris Diaw had big plays in games three and four. Everyone did their part, but it was the work of NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard in the last three games that was probably the most exciting to watch. All in all, each player contributed to the Spurs’ fifth championship.  

San Antonio is known to play beautiful basketball, but there was something about this win that was better than the other four. Perhaps it was their redemption against Miami after last year’s humiliating postseason. Perhaps it was Duncan and Popovich acquiring their fifth rings. Perhaps it was simply the Heat losing.

In any case, like Tim Duncan said, this title was “sweeter than any other.”

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Conference Finals Game 6

Deja vu. The results of game six have confirmed what we've already seen: The NBA Finals come down to Miami and San Antonio. But hopefully with different results.

Miami won the Eastern Conference Friday night in a blowout game. They beat Indiana by 25 points and the end score was Miami (117) vs Indiana (92). San Antonio won the Western Conference Saturday night, but in a much closer game. Although the Thunder tried their hardest, it was clear the Spurs would come out in the end as the winners. They won by five and the end score was San Antonio (112) vs OKC (107).

Many NBA fans (including myself) are hoping history won't repeat itself in the much anticipated 2014 finals. Whatever happens, it's bound to be a sensational series. What do you think will happen--redemption season for the Spurs or three-peat for the Heat?

I would say Spurs in six, but with the new finals format at 2-2-1-1-1 and Tony Parker not at 100%, I'm going to say (and hope) Spurs in seven.

Game one of the finals starts tonight with the Spurs and Heat at 8:00pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Conference Finals Game 5

Indiana stays alive a little bit longer with Miami's LeBron James in major foul trouble, and San Antonio shows OKC who they really are even with the Thunder's third best player back in the series. Click here for full highlights from the Pacers-Heat game and here for the Spurs-Thunder game. 

Here are the results from game five:

Indiana Pacers (93) vs Miami Heat (90) Heat lead series 3-2

San Antonio Spurs (117) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (89) Spurs lead series 3-2 

Game six is tonight (right now, actually) with the Pacers and Heat at 7:30pm and ends Saturday night with the Spurs and Thunder at 7:30pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Conference Finals Games 3 and 4

Conference finals aren't going as I planned. Miami is on the verge of knocking Indiana out (apparently the Pacers' great ball playing was very short-lived), and OKC has made an amazing comeback to tie the series against San Antonio with Serge Ibaka back from his calf injury. (I'm actually okay with the second part.) I still think the Spurs will come out the winners in the end, but I cannot wait to see how the West plays out. From the way the first two games went, I thought it was going to be a boring series, but the Western Conference proves me wrong once again. The East, on the other hand, looks about right. 

Here are the results from games three and four:

Game 3:

Indiana Pacers (87) vs Miami Heat (99) Heat lead series 2-1

San Antonio Spurs (97) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (106) Spurs lead series 2-1 

Game 4:

Indiana Pacers (90) vs Miami Heat (102) Heat lead series 3-1

San Antonio Spurs (92) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (105) Series tied 2-2 

Game five starts tonight with the Pacers and Heat at 7:30pm and ends Thursday night with the Spurs and Thunder at 8:00pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Conference Finals Game 2

Results of game two:

Indiana Pacers (83) vs Miami Heat (87) Series tied 1-1

San Antonio Spurs (112) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (77) Spurs lead series 2-0 

Miami showed up in game two against Indiana in the East, but it looks like there is no competition for who will win in the SAS-OKC series in the West. 

With a couple days off, game three starts Saturday night with the Pacers and Heat at 7:30pm and ends Sunday night with the Spurs and Thunder at 7:30pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Conference Finals Game 1

Who will go to the finals? It all comes down to these two series. 

Indiana took game one last night playing basketball like they did the first half of the regular season--full of energy and great ball handling. They've been in a lethargic state for the entire postseason, but there's something about the Heat that brings out the best in many Eastern Conference teams. Ever since Indiana was eliminated by Miami in game seven of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, they've been waiting for the opportunity to redeem themselves. Game one was that day.

The all-around stats for the Pacers were amazing: Paul George had 24 points and seven assists, David West and Roy Hibbert each had 19 points, Lance Stephenson had 17 points and eight assists, and George Hill had 15 points. CJ Watson added 11 off the bench.

Although Miami's LeBron James and Dwayne Wade played their parts (James had 25 points, five assists and three steels and Wade had 27 points and four assists), the third member of the Heat's Big Three--Chris Bosh--didn't come through (he only had nine points). Not to mention, Miami's other two starters--Shane Battier and Mario Chalmers--had a combination of nine points. Ray Allen added 12 off the bench, but it wasn't enough to win.

The score for the Eastern Conference Final's game one:

Indiana Pacers (107) vs Miami Heat (96)   

Although San Antonio struggled against OKC at times (after a 16-point deficit, the Thunder came to tie the game and even take the lead a couple times), the Spurs blew the Thunder away in the fourth quarter and ended up winning by 17. 

San Antonio's Big Three showed up tonight: Tim Duncan had 27 points and three assists, Manu Ginobili had 18 points and three assists, and Tony Parker had 14 points and a whopping 12 assists. OKC's dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook showed up as well (Durant had 28 points and five assists and Westbrook had 25 points and seven assists), but foul trouble and turnovers didn't help their cause. Not to mention OKC's third best player, Serge Ibaka, is out indefinitely with a calf injury, and the continuing problem of two players outscoring the rest of the team doesn't work in the long run. It'll get you far, but as we've seen in the last three years, it doesn't get you to the finals (2011, 2013) or win you championships (2012).

The score for the Western Conference Final's game one:

San Antonio Spurs (122) vs Oklahoma City Thunder (105) 


Game two starts tomorrow night with the Pacers and Heat at 7:30pm and ends Wednesday night with the Spurs and Thunder at 8pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 2 Game 6

Well I knew Indiana would win game six and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals, but I didn't expect the Clippers to lose in the West... :( So here we are again with #MIAvsIND and #SASvsOKC--Deja vu from last year's conference finals.

Here are the results from game six:  

Indiana Pacers (93) vs. Washington Wizards (80) Pacers win series 4-2 

Oklahoma City Thunder (104) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (98) Thunder win series 4-2

Game one of the conference finals started yesterday afternoon in the East with the Pacers and Heat at 2:30pm (Pacers won, woo!) and ends tonight in the West with the Spurs and Thunder at 8:00pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 2 Game 5

Both teams from last year's finals close out their series tonight and take game five. Wizards continue to hold on and the Clippers are still in shock from their one-point loss. 

Here are the results from game five: 

Indiana Pacers (79) vs. Washington Wizards (102) Pacers lead series 3-2 

Oklahoma City Thunder (105) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (104) Thunder lead series 3-2

Miami Heat (96) vs. Brooklyn Nets (94) Heat win series 4-1

San Antonio Spurs (104) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (82) Spurs win series 4-1

Game six is tomorrow night with the Pacers and Wizards at 7pm and the Thunder and Clippers at 9:30pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 2 Games 2, 3 and 4

Graduation week has delayed my updates, but it looks like the only series worth watching without knowing the definite outcome is OKC and LA. Here are the results.

Game two: 

Indiana Pacers (86) vs. Washington Wizards (82) Series tied 1-1 

Oklahoma City Thunder (112) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (101) Series tied 1-1

Miami Heat (94) vs. Brooklyn Nets (82) Heat leads series 2-0

San Antonio Spurs (114) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (97) Spurs lead series 2-0

Game three:

Indiana Pacers (85) vs. Washington Wizards (63) Pacers lead series 2-1 

Oklahoma City Thunder (118) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (112) Thunder leads series 2-1

Miami Heat (90) vs. Brooklyn Nets (104) Heat leads series 2-1

San Antonio Spurs (118) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (103) Spurs lead series 3-0

Game four:

Oklahoma City Thunder (99) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (101) Series tied 2-2

Indiana Pacers (95) vs. Washington Wizards (92) Pacers lead series 3-1 

Miami Heat (102) vs. Brooklyn Nets (96) Heat leads series 3-1

San Antonio Spurs (92) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (103) Spurs lead series 3-1

Three of the four series has the potential to end with the next game. Game five starts tonight with the Pacers and Wizards at 6pm and the Thunder and Clippers at 8:30pm. It ends Wednesday night with the Heat and Nets at 6pm and the Spurs and Trail Blazers at 8:30pm.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 2 Game 1

Indiana Pacers (96) vs. Washington Wizards (102) 

Oklahoma City Thunder (105) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (122)

Miami Heat (107) vs. Brooklyn Nets (86)

San Antonio Spurs (116) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (92)

Game two starts tomorrow night with the Pacers and Wizards at 6pm and the Thunder and Clippers at 8:30pm. It ends Thursday night with the Heat and Nets at 6pm and the Spurs and Trail Blazers at 8:30pm. 

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Predictions: Round 2

So I'm a little late with predictions for round two--I'm still thrown off by how unexpected round one was (and how wrong I was)--but here they are:

Eastern Conference

Indiana Pacers vs. Washington Wizards--This series is a toss-up. The Wizards have proven themselves to be a contender team and since the fragile Pacers aren't looking better since the postseason started, I'm thinking Washington could very well take this one. John Wall and Bradley Beal have brought the Wizards to the second round for the first time since 2005, but the only reason I want Indiana to win is because Miami has a hard time with them and the Pacers would certainly tire the Heat out. With my favorite teams--Chicago and Golden State--out in the first round, my only priority is finding a team to possibly beat the Heat or, at least, make their lives difficult before they head to the finals. Wizards in six or Pacers in seven.

Miami Heat vs. Brooklyn Nets--This should be a good series. With some of the ex-Boston stars on Brooklyn now, the memory of almost beating the Heat in game seven two years back in the Eastern Conference Finals will surely push Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Co. to make this series last as long as possible. Heat in six.

Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Clippers--I don't know if it's possible, but this series should be even more exciting than GSWvsLAC and MEMvsOKC. As much as I love the KD/Westbrook duo, in the long run, I don't think they can beat the Heat in the finals so I don't want them to win. I also don't think they can beat the Clippers even though both teams are highly offensive teams. Unless OKC finds a way to stop DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin on defense, the Clippers are nearly unstoppable. Clippers in seven.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers--This is also going to be a fun series. Old talent versus young energy will make it an exciting one. LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard have brought the Trail Blazers to the second round for the first time in 14 years, but I think the talent of the Parker/Duncan/Ginobili trio, not to mention the coaching of Gregg Popovich, will win out in the end. Spurs in six.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 1 Game 7

It looks like the better teams came out in the end when it counted. Here are the results from game seven:

Indiana Pacers (92) vs Atlanta Hawks (80) Pacers win series 4-3

Oklahoma City Thunder (120) vs Memphis Grizzlies (109) Thunder win series 4-3

Los Angeles Clippers (126) vs Golden State Warriors (121) Clippers win series 4-3

Toronto Raptors (103) vs Brooklyn Nets (104) Nets win series 4-3

San Antonio Spurs (119) vs Dallas Mavericks (96) Spurs win series 4-3

Round two game one begins tomorrow night with the Pacers and Wizards at 6pm and the Clippers and Thunder at 8:30pm. It ends Tuesday night with the Heat and Nets at 6pm and the Spurs and Trail Blazers at 8:30pm. 

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 1 Game 6

Most exciting first round of the playoffs: Five of the eight series are going to a game seven! Indiana, OKC, Golden State, Brooklyn and Dallas continue to hold on and force a final game. 

Here are results from game six:

Indiana Pacers (95) vs Atlanta Hawks (88) Series tied 3-3

Oklahoma City Thunder (104) vs Memphis Grizzlies (84) Series tied 3-3

Los Angeles Clippers (99) vs Golden State Warriors (100) Series tied 3-3

Toronto Raptors (83) vs Brooklyn Nets (97) Series tied 3-3

San Antonio Spurs (111) vs Dallas Mavericks (113) Series tied 3-3

Houston Rockets (98) vs Portland Trail Blazers (99) Trail Blazers win series 4-2

The biggest moment from game six was Damian Lillard's 3-point buzzer beater to close out Houston and move on to the second round. By the end of game four, it seemed pretty clear Portland was going to win the series, but talk about moving forward on a strong note. For the first time since 2000, the Trail Blazers have won a playoffs series. 

There will be five game sevens in the next two days. Starting tonight, the Pacers and Hawks play at 4:30pm, Thunder and Grizzles at 7pm and Clippers and Warriors at 9:30pm. The first round ends tomorrow with the Raptors and Nets (12pm) and Spurs and Mavericks (2:30pm).

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 1 Game 5

Chicago is out. OKC is surprisingly on the edge of elimination. LA makes a comeback. San Antonio finally takes the lead. Toronto is two for two. And Houston holds on. This is probably the most exciting first round series I've ever seen. Every game six is a nail-biter since each game could potentially lead to more team eliminations. But first, game five's results:

Indiana Pacers (97) vs Atlanta Hawks (107) Hawks lead series 3-2

Chicago Bulls (69) vs Washington Wizards (75) Wizards win series 4-1

Oklahoma City Thunder (99) vs Memphis Grizzlies (100) Grizzles lead series 3-2

Los Angeles Clippers (113) vs Golden State Warriors (103) Clippers lead series 3-2

San Antonio Spurs (109) vs Dallas Mavericks (103) Spurs lead series 3-2

Toronto Raptors (115) vs Brooklyn Nets (113) Raptors lead series 3-2

Houston Rockets (108) vs Portland Trail Blazers (98) Trail Blazers lead series 3-2

Probably the biggest shocker from game 5 was the Grizzlies' win over the Thunder last night. This was the fourth game in a row in the series to go into OT. With OKC on the brink of elimination in the first round, tomorrow's game six is a must-win for the Thunder. It will be difficult for Kevin Durant & Co. since they've clearly had a difficult time playing the Grizzlies the entire series, but also game six is in Memphis... A close second surprise was Atlanta's third win over Indiana. The Pacers continue to fall apart and it looks like the first seed is about to expire in the first round. I think it's safe to say no one saw that coming. And if the Pacers do lose tomorrow night, their team will go down as one of the biggest team collapses in the NBA. I never though I would say this, but it looks like it's going to be Washington and Atlanta for round two. 

This has been the most unpredictable first round playoffs and my strange takeaway is homecourt advantage, which is usually a big deal in the NBA playoffs, seems to have no real affect this season.

Game six starts tomorrow night with the Pacers and Hawks at 6pm, Thunder and Grizzles at 7pm and Clippers and Warriors at 9:30pm. It ends Friday night with the Raptors and Nets (6pm), Spurs and Mavericks (7pm) and Rockets and Trail Blazers (9:30pm).

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 1 Game 4

This year's first round of the playoffs is probably the best I've ever seen. Each series continues to surprise me. Most of them are tied, but the Wizards, Trail Blazers and now Hawks (They played game 5 tonight and won!) are leading their series with three wins. The only expectation that was actually met was Miami sweeping Charlotte. Below are Game 4's results.

Indiana Pacers (91) vs Atlanta Hawks (88) Series tied 2-2

Oklahoma City Thunder (92) vs Memphis Grizzlies (89) Series tied 2-2

Chicago Bulls (89) vs Washington Wizards (98) Wizards lead series 3-1

Los Angeles Clippers (97) vs Golden State Warriors (118) Series tied 2-2

Toronto Raptors (87) vs Brooklyn Nets (79) Series tied 2-2

Houston Rockets (120) vs Portland Trail Blazers (123) Trail Blazers lead series 3-1

Miami Heat (109) vs Charlotte Bobcats (98) Heat sweeps Bobcats 4-0

San Antonio Spurs (93) vs Dallas Mavericks (89) Series tied 2-2

Game five continues tomorrow with the Bulls and Wizards at 7pm, Thunder and Grizzles at 8pm and Clippers and Warriors at 9:30pm. It ends Wednesday night with the Spurs and Mavericks (6pm), Raptors and Nets (7pm) and Rockets and Trail Blazers (8:30pm)

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 1 Game 3

Indiana Pacers (85) vs Atlanta Hawks (98) Hawks lead 2-1

Oklahoma City Thunder (95) vs Memphis Grizzlies (98) Grizzlies lead 2-1

Los Angeles Clippers (98) vs Golden State Warriors (96) Clippers lead 2-1

Toronto Raptors (98) vs Brooklyn Nets (102) Nets lead 2-1

Chicago Bulls (100) vs Washington Wizards (97) Wizards lead series 2-1

Houston Rockets (121) vs Portland Trail Blazers (116) Trail Blazers lead series 2-1

San Antonio Spurs (108) vs Dallas Mavericks (109) Mavericks lead 2-1

Miami Heat (98) vs Charlotte Bobcats (85) Heat lead series 3-0

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 1 Game 2

I’ve been in a foul mood since last night and it’s because the Chicago Bulls lost both games on their home court (The only other team in the playoffs to lose both games at home is the Houston Rockets). The beauty and drawback of the playoffs is you never know which way things will go. Most of the series are split evenly which isn’t surprising (except the OKC-Memphis series which is nothing less than exciting to watch). Miami leads Charlotte 2-0, which again isn’t surprising, but Portland leading Houston 2-0 and Washington leading Chicago 2-0 was unexpected.  

Oklahoma City Thunder (105) vs Memphis Grizzlies (111) Series tied 1-1

Los Angeles Clippers (138) vs Golden State Warriors (98) Series tied 1-1

Indiana Pacers (101) vs Atlanta Hawks (85) Series tied 1-1

Toronto Raptors (100) vs Brooklyn Nets (95) Series tied 1-1

Chicago Bulls (99) vs Washington Wizards (101) Wizards lead series 2-0

Miami Heat (101) vs Charlotte Bobcats (97) Heat lead series 2-0

San Antonio Spurs (92) vs Dallas Mavericks (113) Series tied 1-1

Houston Rockets (105) vs Portland Trail Blazers (112) Trail Blazers lead series 2-0

Game three starts tonight with the Pacers and Hawks at 6pm, Thunder and Grizzles at 7pm and Clippers and Warriors at 9:30pm. It continues tomorrow night with the Raptors and Nets (6pm), Bulls and Wizards (7pm) and Rockets and Trail Blazers (9:30pm), and finishes up Saturday night with the Spurs and Mavericks (3:30pm) and Heat and Bobcats (6pm). Also on Saturday, the Pacers and Hawks (1pm) and Thunder and Grizzlies (8:30pm) will play game four.

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoffs Update: Round 1 Game 1

Toronto Raptors (87) vs Brooklyn Nets (94)

Los Angeles Clippers (105) vs Golden State Warriors (109)

Indiana Pacers (93) vs Atlanta Hawks (101)

Oklahoma City Thunder (100) vs Memphis Grizzlies (86)

San Antonio Spurs (90) vs Dallas Mavericks (85)

Miami Heat (99) vs Charlotte Bobcats (88)

Chicago Bulls (93) vs Washington Wizards (102)

Houston Rockets (120) vs Portland Trail Blazers (122)

Game two starts tonight with the Thunder and Grizzlies at 7pm and Clippers and Warriors at 9:30pm. It continues tomorrow night with the Pacers and Hawks (6pm), Raptors and Nets (6:30pm) and Bulls and Wizards (8:30pm), and finishes up Wednesday night with the Heat and Bobcats (6pm), Spurs and Mavericks (7:00pm) and Rockets and Trail Blazers (8:30pm).

All times are in Central Time.

2014 NBA Playoff Predictions: Round 1

It’s my favorite time of the year: The weather’s (kind of) warming up, school is almost over and the NBA playoffs are right around the corner. Here are my predictions for the first round:

Eastern Conference

Indiana Pacers vs Atlanta Hawks—The regular season series tied 2-2. But no matter how much they've been struggling, the Pacers are clearly the favored team here. From the way Indiana has been playing in the second half of the season—they lost six times in the last ten games—they’ll have to work for it. Pacers in five.

Miami Heat vs Charlotte Bobcats—The Heat were 4-0 against the Bobcats in the regular season. History will repeat itself in the playoffs. Heat in four.

Chicago Bulls vs Washington Wizards—The Bulls are in the best position they can be (they don’t have to play the Nets and, if they won, advance to the Heat), but the Wizards will put up a fight against Chicago. The series was split 2-2 during the regular season. With John Wall leading the Wizards Chicago will have to work for the win, but they’ll do it. Bulls in six.

Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets—This series is a toss-up. Brooklyn’s roster has a lot of playoff experience under its belt and a stacked team (Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez). They should win, but they have quite a few obstacles to overcome with Toronto. The series was tied 2-2 in the regular season, and with the exception of one game, all of them were close (within four points or less). Brooklyn certainly has the talent and experience, but Raptors Amir Johnson, rookie Mason Plumlee, Tyler Hansbrough and off the bench Patrick Patterson will likely keep the Nets on their toes since they’re athletic, energetic and young. Not to mention, Raptors’ point guard Kyle Lowry (17.9 PPG, 7.4 APG, 4.7 RPG) has better numbers than Nets’ Williams (14.3 PPG, 6.1 APG, 2.6 RPG). Another strike against Brooklyn is the coaching. This is Jason Kidd’s first playoff series as head coach so it’s unknown how he’ll execute player adjustments as a newcomer. It's really up in the air, but despite all of these things I’m leaning towards the Nets based solely on talent. Whoever wins, it will happen in six games.

Western Conference

San Antonio Spurs vs Dallas Mavericks—San Antonio beat Dallas 4-0 in the regular series and I wish history would repeat itself in the playoffs, but I think Dallas will put up a fight and win one. Good ol’ Spurs in five.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Memphis Grizzlies—I’d like to have a little faith in the Grizzlies and say they’ll take one just like they did in the regular season, but Kevin Durant’s incredible numbers will most likely result in OKC sweeping Memphis. Thunder in four.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Golden State Warriors—This is the series I’m most excited about. In the regular season, the series was split 2-2 and that reflects how I feel about each team’s chances—it’s 50/50. Each team truly has an opportunity to move on to round two. Although commentators lean towards the Clippers (and I understand why), I’m rooting for the Warriors. LA has all sorts of talent going for them besides two of the 10 best players in the league—Chris Paul and Blake Griffin—playing for the team. DeAndre Jordan is on fire defensively speaking and let’s not forget LA has one of the most experienced coaches in the NBA, Doc Rivers. But the Warriors have Steph Curry. And Klay Thompson. When you put those two at the three-point line and they’re hot, the game is over. Andre Iguodala is consistent on defense and could potentially cause problems for Griffin and Jordan. The biggest issue for the Warriors is Andrew Bogut. He’s out with a fractured rib. Obviously adjustments will have to be made, and Harrison Barnes and David Lee will really have to step up to push Golden State to the next round. Golden State is definitely the younger, more energetic team, but LA’s experience and numbers will probably be the defining factors. I'm crossing my fingers for Warriors in seven, but it will probably be Clippers in six.

Houston Rockets vs Portland Trail Blazers—I can see this series going either way as well. Portland has won 21 more games since their previous season and is ranked 18^th (from 26^th) in defensive efficiency and 6^th (from 16^th) in offense. Their improvement is substantial, and between Damian Lillard, LeMarcus Aldridge and new starter Robin Lopez, the Trail Blazers are covered well on O and D. But Houston’s numbers are better. Besides winning three of the four games against the Trail Blazers in the regular season, the Rockets are big on offense between Dwight Howard’s average of 25.5 points per game and James Harden’s 30+. Houston is also ranked 12^th in defensive efficiency so Portland is going to have to open up the floor and create shots to win this series. It’s fun to root for the underdog, but since I like both teams, I’ll let the numbers win this one. Rockets in six.

NBA Update Part 2/2

The West is dope.

Over the season we’ve seen many star players plagued with a range of injuries in the Western Conference—Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Russell Westbrook, Pau Gasol, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Jamal Crawford, David Lee—yet the West continues to outshine the East when it comes to numbers. As the Phoenix Suns (46-31) attempt to cling to the West’s eighth seed, they can at least relish the fact they have 12 wins over the Atlanta Hawks (34-43)—the East’s eighth seed. And when it comes to winning streaks, the West outperforms the East again. The San Antonio Spurs hold a 19-game winning streak compared to Miami Heat’s 10.

It’s no surprise that San Antonio and Oklahoma City hold the top two spots in the West. It is a surprise to see the Portland Trail Blazers (#5) and the Suns (#8) in the top eight. But between Portland’s offense—season averages of 23 points for LaMarcus Aldridge, 21 points and six assists for Damian Lillard and 16 points for Wesley Matthews—not to mention their incredible defense, it makes sense Portland grabbed a spot. Phoenix has made great strides to nab the last slot in the playoffs and much of their success is due to the unique point guard duo of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe on court. These last couple games will determine the Suns’ fate for the playoffs. But since they’ve had some significant wins especially towards the end of the season when it counts, I think they’ll pull it off.

The West has a lot going for them and I haven’t even mentioned my two favorite players: Kevin Durant and Steph Curry. Let’s start with Durant. I don’t think it’s possible to dislike the guy. Durant’s scoring streak of 25+ points ended at 41 games last night when OKC beat the Sacramento Kings 107-92. He surpassed Michael Jordan for the longest streak in the last 50 years and what did he have to say? “I don’t really care about it.” And he meant it. Personality isn’t a factor in the MVP race, but between his character and amazing stats—he’s the 2013-14 PPG leader at 32 points—Durant deserves to win. 

I’ve loved Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors for the last few years, but his talent continues to amaze me (Did you see his last-second shot against Dallas in OT last week?). According to Durant, Curry is the best three point shooter in the NBA, and he’s right. Curry’s ability to make threes after threes is redonkulous. His enthusiasm and lively energy, not to mention his nearly perfect shooting form, make him one of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA. 

With 4-5 games left in the season, here are the current standings for the West:

	W	L	PCT	CONF	DIV	HOME
San Antonio	60	18	0.769	36-12	11-3	31-8
Oklahoma City	56	21	0.727	34-15	11-5	32-7
L.A. Clippers	55	23	0.705	34-14	11-4	32-6
Houston	52	25	0.675	29-18	9-4	31-8
Portland	50	28	0.641	27-21	12-3	28-10
Golden State	48	29	0.623	28-19	10-5	26-13
Dallas	48	31	0.608	28-21	9-5	25-14
Phoenix	46	31	0.597	26-21	7-8	26-14
Memphis	45	32	0.584	26-23	3-12	24-14
Minnesota	39	38	0.506	22-26	7-8	23-15
Denver	33	44	0.429	17-30	4-11	20-18
New Orleans	32	45	0.416	13-34	3-11	20-18
Sacramento	27	51	0.346	14-34	3-11	16-23
L.A. Lakers	25	53	0.321	13-35	6-9	14-25
Utah	24	54	0.308	12-36	3-10	16-23

For those who thought the Lakers were still a contender after Kobe’s second knee injury last year, you were laughably wrong. The Lakers are currently in the second-to-last slot, beating only the Utah Jazz by one pitiful game. Kobe has been sidelined since December 17^th and his team has been 13-40 (!) since he last stepped on the court. 

That’s right, 13-40.