NBA Playoffs 2017: Remaining Conference Finals Schedule and Updated Predictions

With a victory Sunday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers could've joined an elite group of teams.

One of them is playing this postseason, per ESPN Stats & Info:

After blitzing the Celtics early and pounding them into apparent submission, Avery Bradley buried a three with 0.01 seconds left, lifting Boston to a shocking 111-108 win.

Sans star guard Isaiah Thomas, the Green and White stood strong, even after Kevin Love poured in 15 first-quarter points on 5-of-7 shooting from downtown. After being down 16 at halftime, Brad Stevens' team came out swinging in the third and fourth quarters.

Despite the loss, Cleveland's first of the postseason, the Cavs remain the overwhelming favorite to win this series.

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Similarly, the Golden State Warriors are up 3-0 on the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.

It's fun to watch two teams dominate so forcefully, but nightly blowouts are far from exhilarating. Sunday's game was the first that raised viewers' pulses. That could change once the conference championships are over.

Find all the information you need on those below.

Schedule

Game	Matchup	TV outlet	Date	Time
Game 4	Celtics at Cavaliers	TNT	Tues., May 23	8:30 p.m. ET
Game 5	Cavaliers at Celtics	TNT	Thurs., May 25	8:30 p.m. ET
Game 6*	Celtics at Cavaliers	TNT	Sat., May 27	8:30 p.m. ET
Game 7*	Cavaliers at Celtics	TNT	Mon., May 29	8:30 p.m. ET
Game 4	Warriors at Spurs	ESPN	Mon., May 22	9:00 p.m. ET
Game 5*	Spurs at Warriors	ESPN	Weds, May 24	9:00 p.m. ET
Game 6*	Warriors at Spurs	ESPN	Fri., May 26	9:00 p.m. ET
Game 7*	Spurs at Warriors	ESPN	Sun., May 28	9:00 p.m. ET

Predictions

Eastern Conference: Cavs in 5

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Don't overthink this.

With I.T.,  Boston had a slight chance to win a game. Without him, the team...actually won?

Cleveland comfortably cruised to a 117-104 victory in Game 1; the lead was, at one point, stretched to 28. Thomas played 38 minutes, scored 17 points and had a minus-19 net rating. His injury in Game 2 isn't comparable to Kawhi Leonard's in San Antonio. The Spurs were winning Game 1 when he landed on Zaza Pachulia's foot.

Tim Bradbury/Getty Images

Without Thomas, the Celtics looked helpless before Marcus Smart and Jonas Jerebko jumpstarted things in the second half. After quarter No. 2, even Celtics Blog threw in the towel:

Despite the come-from-behind win, it seems unlikely the team will be able to overcome a 2-1 lead against LeBron James and Co. It's even more unlikely the King puts up just 11 points, six rebounds and six assists on 4-of-13 shooting while clanging all four of his three-point attempts and committing six turnovers again.

FanRag Sports' Zach Harper and BBALLBREAKDOWN's Shane Young contextualized LBJ's off night:

All along, Cleveland has made it clear it is not only playing for the victory, but that it's playing for the sweep. Now, the Cavs will look to end things in five.

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

"That's the best advantage for our team, having an older team," Tristan Thompson said of gaining extra rest prior to Game 4 of the conference semifinals, per Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon. "Whenever you can get a couple extra days of rest, I think we've got to take advantage of it."

Love also talked about the benefits: "I just think that we come in fresh and sharp and we feel great those first couple games, and then eventually you get to three, four, five, six, and seven games and your body starts to wear."

Heading into a potential Finals rubber match with the juggernaut Warriors, the Cavs will still want that recovery time. It just won't be as much as it could've been.

Western Conference: More Brooms

Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

The Warriors are in danger of dropping a game too despite repeatedly raining jumpers down upon the Spurs.

How come? This guy:

Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich hasn't been swept since the 2001 Western Conference Finals against Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers. That was 16 years ago. Leonard has already been ruled out, increasing the likelihood of being swept, despite Pop's genius.

According to Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post, it might be for the best. He compared the situation to when Popovich held Tim Duncan out of the 2000 playoffs with a knee injury and lost.

Ronald Cortes/Getty Images

The 68-year-old was thinking ahead, like always; it's never an all-in deal with San Antonio. 

Here's Bontemps:

"So the Spurs, with the long view in mind, have opted to do the same thing with Leonard that they did with Duncan 17 years ago: suffer in the short-term by playing with a shorthanded roster, in the hopes of having Leonard continue to be an impactful player for as long as possible. ...

"It's a formula the Spurs have been following for the past two decades. And, given how much success it's brought them, they won't be deviating from it anytime soon."

Noah Graham/Getty Images

There's a slim chance the Spurs pull off a shocker before losing in Game 5. But Round 3 against the Cavaliers still feels inevitable.