NBA playoffs: Predictions for each second-round series
The conference semifinals are here.
Can the Utah Jazz give the Golden State Warriors some trouble? Will the Cleveland Cavaliers send the Toronto Raptors home for the second straight year?
The Paste BN Sports NBA crew weighs in.
Golden State Warriors (1) vs. Utah Jazz (5)
Sam Amick: Warriors in five
Jeff Zillgitt: Warriors in five
Michael Singer: Warriors in five
AJ Neuharth-Keusch: Warriors in five
How's that for consensus? This series will be a fun one, no doubt, as it gives the NBA world a closer look at a young and hungry Jazz team oftentimes hidden from the national spotlight. The only problem for Utah? They're facing a well-rested Warriors squad that will have had eight days off come Game 1. George Hill, Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert alone are capable of making it competitive, but at the end of the day, the NBA's Golden Boys won't have too much trouble with this one.
San Antonio Spurs (2) vs. Houston Rockets (3)
Sam Amick: Rockets in seven
Jeff Zillgitt: Spurs in seven
Michael Singer: Spurs in seven
AJ Neuharth-Keusch: Spurs in seven
This matchup — headlined by MVP candidates Kawhi Leonard and James Harden — has all the makings of must-see basketball, especially considering the fact that when these two teams met in the regular season, three of the four games were decided by two points. Amick went rogue, giving the nod to high-octane Houston, while Zillgitt, Singer and Neuharth-Keusch went with the Gregg Popovich-led group that knows a thing or two about playoff basketball.
Boston Celtics (1) vs. Washington Wizards (4)
Sam Amick: Celtics in seven
Jeff Zillgitt: Wizards in six
Michael Singer: Wizards in seven
AJ Neuharth-Keusch: Wizards in seven
In the interest of full disclosure, these picks were made after Sunday's Game 1 (thanks, NBA schedule makers). But the end result (a 123-111 Boston victory) didn't sway any picks. We promise. That said, don't let the seeding fool you: This series could go either way. The Celtics, as they showcased in Game 1, are an incredibly tough team to handle when Isaiah Thomas is locked in and role players (Al Horford: 21 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds; Jae Crowder: 24 points) take some of the load off his shoulders. But the same goes for Washington, who needs guys like Markieff Morris, Marcin Gortat, Otto Porter Jr. and Bojan Bogdanovic to take some of the attention away from John Wall and Bradley Beal.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2) vs. Toronto Raptors (3)
Sam Amick: Cavaliers in six
Jeff Zillgitt: Cavaliers in six
Michael Singer: Cavaliers in five
AJ Neuharth-Keusch: Cavaliers in six
Despite sweeping the Pacers in the first round, we're still waiting for the Cavaliers to fully flip the proverbial switch and enter defending champion mode. This is where they do it. The Raptors, who had a tough enough time getting past the young and inexperienced Bucks in the first round, simply don't have enough firepower to knock off this fully-rested LeBron James-led group in a seven-game series.