NBA Playoffs 2012: Breaking Down Potential Weekend Sweeps

Get your brooms out and hit the close-out button, because two teams will be hitting the golf course shortly. Yes, the NBA Playoffs will feature two sweeps this weekend. 

So much for two of the best teams being tested in the opening round of the playoffs, because we see no way for the Knicks or Mavericks to come back from insurmountable holes. 

In fact, they are dead in the water, only having one game before the inevitable end to their season. There are two games on the docket that are all but decided. 

Heat and Thunder fans can breathe a sigh of relief, because the first round is over, and their teams look all the stronger after three solid games. 

Here is what to expect this weekend. 

Oklahoma City at Dallas: Saturday, May 5th - 7:30 p.m. ET - TNT 

Thunder lead series 3-0

The Mavericks gave the Thunder quite the hard time in Oklahoma City, but the young legs seem to have the fuel to take those hits. 

This series could easily benefit the Mavericks, but they let Game 1 get away from them and recently ran out of gas in Game 3. 

Dallas locked out on Russell Westbrook, allowing Kevin Durant to go off for 31 points, sealing the rout for OKC. 

The Thunder are quicker to balls, far more able to close out on shooters and generally more active off the ball. The Mavericks don't have the defensive acumen to make one last stand, and that means their season ends today. 

Miami at New York: Sunday, May 6th - 3:30 p.m. ET - ABC 

Heat lead series 3-0

I was convinced we would see something special from the Knicks in the first round. I felt that they had turned a big corner since making Mike Woodson the head coach and seeing Carmelo Anthony return to form. 

Any thought that the Knicks could salvage the series was washed away during a second-half pummeling in Game 3. 

Carmelo Anthony was brilliant to start that game, but the cream rose to the top as Miami slowly dismantled the embattled team. The Knicks have had too much tumult this season to deal with a solid Heat team. 

Amar'e Stoudemire's injury was the final blow that did in this team, which lacks depth all over the court. New York has some re-tooling to do this summer, because they can't come back with the topsy-turvy cast they had this year. 

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