The Los Angeles Clippers set a franchise playoff record for 3-pointers in a single game in game one of the Western Conference semifinals on Monday, and will look to take home court advantage totally away from the Thunder, when they square off with them in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.
I know some are saying the Wizards stole game one but since I thought that would happen I am of a different opinion. Washington has been a strong road team all season long and in these playoffs even stronger.
The Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets will face off in the second round of the postseason in a battle of the first and sixth seeds in the Eastern Conference.
The Brooklyn Nets will make the trip out to South Beach just two days after a deciding Game 7 in their opening round series, as they will continue into the Eastern Conference semifinals with a visit with the Miami Heat.
Los Angeles won’t get any time to relax when they travel to Oklahoma City to open the Western Conference semifinals against the Thunder on Monday night.
The Wizards have been cooling their heels waiting to see who they are going to play. The fact that it is Indiana is hardly a surprise and even though they lost the season series to the Pacers, 2-1, I am sure they are going into this game with a high level of confidence.
In a strange twist it was Washington that made quick work of their opponent in their round 1 series. Meanwhile even though Indiana ultimately put away Atlanta, they certainly did not look like a top team in the process.
The San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers have survived Round 1, and now the two will face off in the Western Conference Semifinals. The two franchises have faced off in the postseason three times (San Antonio leads the series 2-1) with the 1999 Western Conference Finals being the most recent.
The 2014 NBA playoffs have been anything but a breeze for the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Now the two will face off in what could very well be the most entertaining series of the entire second round.
The Hawks are on the edge of becoming a special story or just another footnote of teams that got close but no cigar. They blew the chance to close out the series at home and now have to enter one of the toughest arenas in the league to win in for game 7.
The Warriors head home to play Los Angeles on Thursday, trying to force a pivotal game seven if they can find a way beat the Clippers who now hold a 3-2 advantage in the Western Conference series after they downed Golden State at home on Tuesday.
The Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets continue their opening round playoff series on Wednesday night when the series shifts back to Toronto for Game 5. The Raptors picked up a big win in Brooklyn on Sunday to even the series at two games apiece, downing the Nets at the Barclays Center, 87-79.!–more–>[ad-4468020]
First-round Game 5
Series tied (2-2)
Brooklyn Nets (2-2) at Toronto Raptors (2-2)
Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Air Canada Centre
City: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
O/U Odds: 191
Spread: Toronto -3
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The Raptors’ backcourt keyed that Game 4 victory. Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan paced all scorers with 24 points on 7-of-19 shooting, while point guard Kyle Lowry scored 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting despite visibly limping around for much of the game on a balky knee.
The major takeaway for the team, though, was that they finally seemed to figure out a way to slow Joe Johnson. Johnson has been a thorn in the team’s side throughout the series, though he was held to just seven points on 2-of-7 shooting in Game 4. Slowing Johnson came at the expense of a highly effective outing from Paul Pierce, as he scored 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, adding five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
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Even still, the Raptors will take more of the same from what we saw in Game 4, and it starts with the play of All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan, who has put up 28 points per game since struggling in his playoff debut. DeRozan struggled with his shot again in Game 4, though he was able to fight through it to come away with a productive outing.
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As for the Nets, they’ll be hoping for a better outing from point guard Deron Williams, as his production has been key to achieving victory. In the team’s two wins, Williams has scored 22 and 25 points, while he’s managed just 15 and 10 points in the team’s two playoff losses. With fellow guard Alan Anderson banged up, Williams will need to be on his game on Wednesday.
Something really seemed to click for the Raptors in Game 4, and we could have seen the start of something special from the team, as they could be set to make a significant run through the rest of the postseason. Game 5 on their home court is going to be a major statement game for the Raptors, and they will surely look to put their best foot forward.
Additionally, a low-scoring Game 4 has many overlooking the total in this one. Expect to see the teams have some more success scoring the basketball this time around.
The Raptors are 23-11-1 in their last 35 games following an ATS win, while the Nets are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine games overall.
The over is 7-1 in the Raptors’ last eight home games, and 6-2 in the Nets’ last eight conference quarterfinal games.
The play: Toronto -3, Over 191
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers play game five of the NBA playoffs at the Staples Center on Tuesday with the series tied 2-2.
The Hawks had Indiana on the ropes but couldn’t seal the deal in G4 letting a halftime lead disappear in the second half.
The Pacers started the series in frightful fashion dropping the opener at home but they came back nicely to win game 2 and even the series.
The Golden State Warriors beat the Clippers both meetings at home during the regular season and will look to take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Quarterfinals against Los Angeles on Thursday night in Oakland.
