Happy Friday everyone!
Wow, a lot changes in a week. I was so sure of my NBA
playoff picks last week, but now not so much. I had the Bulls winning in five
games, the Pacers winning in four and the Spurs sweeping the Mavs.
Well, those series went the complete opposite way I thought.
So it’s time to repredict the first round and see how well I do this time.
The Marquee Matchup
No. 6 Golden State vs. No. 3 L.A. Clippers, West: This one
hasn’t disappointed one bit so far. Except for game two, this series has been
as back and forth as they come. The Clippers have the upper hand right now,
winning game three last night in Oakland, but don’t be surprised if the
Warriors come back with a dominating performance in game four. Steph Curry and
Klay Thompson were both brilliant last night, but so were Chris Paul and Blake
Griffin. I have my money on the Clippers, but I think their going to have to go
seven games in this one.
Second Tier
No. 7 Memphis vs. No. 2 Oklahoma City, West: I’m the most
surprised by this series. I thought the Thunder would stroll into the next
round. Memphis wasn’t that great during the regular season, but is now proving
it’s built for the post season. The Grizzlies lead two games to one, and the
Thunder seem lost out there. Kevin Durant is even starting to struggle from the
field. The Oklahoma City big men are just getting eaten alive by Marc Gasol and
Zach Randolph, while no one seems able to guard Mike Conley Jr. This one will
go seven games and I still like the Thunder, but buckle in for one heck of a
series.
Might Get Interesting
No. 8 Atlanta vs. No. 1 Indiana, East: What the heck is
going on with the Pacers? They just seem like all the chemistry they had from
last year’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals is gone. This team is no longer
the greatest challenger to the Miami Heat. That’s what happens when you go down
two games to one against lowly Atlanta. But the Hawks are just outplaying Indiana right now. Center Roy Hibbert can’t hit the broad side of a barn and
Paul George is trying to play hero ball. I’m going to stick with the Pacers in
this one, but it’s going to take seven games.
Other Picks
West:
No. 1 San Antonio over No. 8 Dallas in six games
No. 5 Portland over No. 4 Houston in four games
East:
No. 2 Miami over Charlotte in four games
No. 5 Washinteron over Chicago in five games
No. 6 Brooklyn over No. 3 Toronto in six games.
Things I Missed
-Rick Reilly is calling it quits as a writing columnist. Here's his farewell.
-Michigan forward Mitch McGary tested positive for marijuana and is now headed to the NBA.
-The Northwestern football decides today whether it will unionize.
Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
Reach me at: award6344@gmail.com
Follow me on Twitter and Instagram: @_andrewward
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