Out of the 8 first round series, we predicted 7 right, but only got 2 out of the 7 game scores correct. There were a couple close calls. The Spurs were leading by 14 and choked the 4th quarter which prevented them from winning 4-0. The Lakers took care of the Rockets in even less time than I imagined. And the Wolves beat the Nuggets so badly even when Edwards didn’t play with injury, resulting in them winning in 6 instead of 7. The Pistons somehow needed to mount a 3-1 comeback to beat the Magic. And craziest of all, Boston choking a 3-1 lead to Philly to lose their first ever series against the 76ers since 1982. What a choke job. Without further adieu, lets pick out semi’s.
#1 Thunder vs #4 Lakers
Lakers showed a lot of grit to beat the Rockets. Can they do the same against the Thunder? I think probably not. Luka’s injury timetable has been pushed back, so he might not comeback for this series at all unless its a game 6 or 7. Austin has looked shaky at best. And the Lakers have been turning the ball over and losing the non-Lebron James minutes bad. While we can attribute these things to the Rockets physical style of defense, the Lakers are now matching up against the OKC defense, the most physical in the league. There is no reason to expect the turnover problems to go away. And now instead of Amen Thompson’s ugly jumper trying to punish the Lakers poor defense, its Shai Gilgeous Alexander. The league MVP. The best player alive, who just shot 55% from 2 this year. The Thunder have an advantage in every possible way. Once again, the GOAT can win one game for the Lakers, but it’s going to be too little too late. Thunder in 5.
#2 Spurs vs #6 Timberwolves
The Wolves have proven themselves to be more than advertised. Even without Edwards, they are deep and versatile. The real question is can Randle and Gobert do it again with Edwards continuing to be sidelined, when they are facing a much more athletic team in the Spurs. The Nuggets, a relatively slow and unathletic team, was held in check by the Wolves defenders. The Spurs get out in transition and attack the rim more aggressively. On the other side of the ball, the Wolves picked on Murray, one of the worst defenders in the playoffs. The Spurs have no one to pick on. Dylan Harper, despite his size, is a pitbull on defense. Castle is an excellent defender. And the rim is being guarded by possibly the best defensive player ever in Wemby. The Wolves made their money pulling Murray and Jokic into the pick and roll, and driving hard to the rim to create fouls and get easy shots. That offensive strategy fails at all 3 levels against the Spurs. With Edwards still injured, the Spurs should have enough advantages to handle the Wolves. Spurs in 6.
#1 Pistons vs #4 Cavs
The Pistons have looked shaky. It just took them 7 to take out the Magic, and Jalen Duren (a likely all-NBA candidate), has not looked the part. The real question is, was the first 4 games the Pistons, or the last 3? In the final 3 games, the Pistons clamped down defensively and Cade turned back into MVP form. If the first 4 games were just a dry-spell, the Pistons should be back in form and ready to take on a Cavs team that also just went the distance. Unfortunately, I’m more inclined to believe that the first 3 games were real signs of the Pistons troubles. Without Cade, they have no true ball handler. No one else can create any offense, driving Cade’s usage higher causing him to force plays and turnovers. With Duren playing poorly, the Cavs can singularly focus on defending Cade. While the Cavs haven’t looked particularly good either, you can atleast trust Mitchell, Harden, Mobley, and Allen to perform in enough games. Duren hasn’t shown the ability to perform in the playoffs in any of his 7 games. Cavs in 6.
#3 Knicks vs #7 76ers
While many people are doubting the Knicks, I am not one of them. They were never truly in jeopardy of losing to the Hawks, and they lost both their games by 1 point. When they locked in, they blew the Hawks out by 10+ every single game. They looked like the better team throughout the entire series. The same cannot be said for the Sixers. While Embiid coming back is huge, he just injured his knee again in game 7, that felt like the teams final hurray. They just put their hearts on the line and played in their championship, which was game 7 of the first round. I have a hard time believing they’ll be able to continue that on into the second round as the days between games become shorter, and the wear and tear continues to build up. The Knicks have higher aspirations, and have proven to be the better team all season long. The Knicks should handle the Sixers, with or without Embiid. Knicks in 6.