Did not see any of this coming...
- May 14, 2015
- 3 min read
So I have been out of action for about a week or so due to university assignments so naturally my second round preview series is going to be somewhat redundant now. I mean... the second round is almost over so no point going back over it. Okay now that I have that out of the way...
There isn't long until the conference finals but the teams that may well be featuring in them hasn't been especially clear. Most of the series' have been hotly contested (read: Rockets blown out twice) and could easily go one way or the other. Hopefully the decision isn't made by the refereeing, which has been great so far, but rather transcendent plays from the NBA elite.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Chicago Bulls
LeBron decided to finally take control of the Bulls-Cavs matchup, leading the team to a 106-101 victory. It was all King James in this one, leading his team in all five major statistical categories. All. Five. It sounded like this; 38 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. He really can do it all but he's going to need help because I very much doubt that the Cavs are going to shoot 50% from the field again this series. It seemed like just about everything was dropping in from them and would have been a very long game for the Bulls' defence, especially with no Pau Gasol around the rim. Not that he's an elite defender or even a shot blocker in general, BUT a dude who is 7 feet tall with long arms standing in front of the rim is better than nothing. Which is basically what Mirotic provided the Bulls. Nonetheless the Cavs have a 3-2 series lead and more importantly, momentum in their favour. But even more important than that? LeBron James. Do not underestimate what he brings to the table and how well he plays despite being vastly overlooked this season.
Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers
This series was the enigma of the four when trying to predict who will come out on top. It always seemed like the Clippers had the edge against the Rockets and it's certainly playing out that way. While CP3 and Harden balance out each other on the superstar scale and DeAndre and Dwight kinda cancelled each other out, there's that third guy who would potentially throw the series one way or the other. Blake Griffin has been playing out of his mind these playoffs, averaging 24 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists. That's more than Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving WHO ARE BOTH POINT GUARDS MIND YOU.
James Harden has never been great against the Clippers and that trend has been continuing in this series. While his first playoff triple-double came today in the blowout game 5 win, he has otherwise not been himself. Avergaing less points and FTA with an increase in his assist numbers haven't exactly helped the Rockets and he will need to do more if Houston has any chance of progressing. Alternatively, someone needs to step up their scoring and I think this is an issue for the Rockets. Despite being an elite offensive team, the roster is comprised of spot-up shooters and big guys who can't make free throws. They desperately need someone who can create their own shot *cue Chandler Parsons sneakily raising his hand*
Atlanta/Washington and Memphis/Golden State coming tomorrow!!
Comments