Sprained Ankles and Bruised Ego's - NBA Playoff Update

The NBA playoffs are in full swing.  With upsets brewing and injuries popping up, I'll preview how these series' will finish and the rest of the playoffs will unfold.

East

Bulls vs. Pacers (CHI 3-1) - News has surfaced that Derrick Rose has a sprained ankle, but plans to play in game 5.  This series has been close the whole way through, so this is definitely not good news for the Bulls.  If Rose's ankle limits him on the court, that may be just the break the Pacers need to get this series back to 3-2.   Teams rarely like to give out all the information in these situations, but it doesn't sound too serious.  The Bulls still will find a way to win this series, but it may take 6 or even 7.

Heat vs. 76ers (MIA 3-1) - While it was nice to see Doug Collins and the 76ers get a win, the real story again was the Heat's inability to hit a game-winning shot.  If you haven't heard by now, the Heat are an abhorrent 1-19  in game-winners with less than 10 seconds left.  I don't see this series going past game 5, but the Heat need to figure out how to finish before they start thinking about a NBA title.

Celtics vs. Knicks (BOS 4-0) - Well this wasn't much of a surprise.  The Celtics showed their age in the regular season and had some struggles, but now it's playoff time.  The Knicks are still missing the team chemistry needed to win and will need to add another piece in the offseason.  The Celtics' big 4 have shown why they have been a mainstay in the playoffs the last few years.  If Ray Allen continues to knock down shots and Rondo distributes the rock like he has been, this team will be difficult to beat.

Hawks vs. Magic (ATL 3-1) - You can't blame Dwight Howard.  He has put up 129 points and grabbed 70 boards in 4 games.  In case you are bad at math, that's 32 PPG and 17.5 RBG.  Now if the rest of his team learned how to shoot, this series would probably be over.  Assuming the Magic take game 5 at home, they will need to knock down shots on the road to have a chance in game 6.  I think that they find a way to turn it on.  I'll take the Magic to comeback and take it in game 7.

West


Spurs vs. Grizzlies (MEM 3-1) - No one saw this coming.  Honestly, most predicted this series to be a sweep, but the Spurs have shown their age and their weakness in this series.  The Grizzlies have punished San Antonio in the paint.  Zach Randolph has shown how underrated he is and the upstart Grizzlies are only a game away from pulling off the upset.  Manu and crew had been nearly unbeatable in the regular season, but can't seem to find their rhythm in this series.  Tim Ducan is struggling more than anyone, so even though the Spurs may win game 5 at home, the Grizzlies are going to close it out at home in game 6.  You are seeing the end of the Spurs dynasty.

Lakers vs. Hornets (TIED 2-2) - If Dwight Howard isn't the top performer in the playoffs, it has to be Chris Paul.  Paul has carried his team to this point, but will need some other guys to step up if they are going to upset Phil and Kobe.  Kobe needs some help of his own.  Kobe is the owner of the ankle injury story in the West.  He was seen leaving the arena on crutches, which is likely more of a precaution than anything.  Unlike Rose, Kobe doesn't need to rely on his speed to contribute to his team.  If the Lakers can take care of business at home in game 5, I like their chances to close it out in game 6 to earn some rest before the semis.

Dallas vs. Portland (DAL 3-2) - The Mavericks are more psyched than anyone that the Spurs are this year's target of the upset talk.  Following game 4's historic collapse, the Mavs rebounded nicely to take back control of the series.  Age is not on their side, but Dallas has a couple days of rest before they look to finish out the series in Portland.  The Blazers and LaMarcus Aldridge have been underestimated all year, but they don't have what it takes to be a legit contender yet.  Roy went from tears to jeers to carry them to the win in game 4, but I think that magic is gone and Dallas will do what it needs to close out this series on Thursday.

Oklahoma City vs. Denver (OKC 3-1) - The Nuggets avoided the sweep, but the big story is Russell Westbrook's decisions down the stretch.  Taking a few ill-advised shots may draw concern from some, but I personally like the attitude that it shows from the Thunder.  They believe they can make every shot and can compete with anyone.  If Westbrook hits one of those threes, we would be talking about how dangerous this team is.  Instead, people are beginning to worry about them.  Denver has done a great job after the Carmelo trade, but their season will likely end tomorrow night.  Don't be worried about the Thunder's poor decisions, they will be fine and likely be in the Western Finals before you know it.

What's To Come?


I'll go more in depth when the first round is official, but here are my projections for how the rest of the playoffs will play out.

East Semifinals
Chicago over Orlando in 6
Miami over Boston in 7

Eastern Conference Finals
Miami over Chicago in 7

West Semifinals
Oklahoma City over Memphis in 5
Los Angeles over Dallas in 6

Western Conference Finals
Los Angeles over Oklahoma City in 7

And the Winner is . . . Miami Heat over Los Angeles Lakers in 7

Again, I'll give more in-depth analysis on each series once the first round is over, but until then, enjoy the games!!