NBA Playoffs 2012: Breaking Down Thunder-Lakers and Likely Second-Round Matchups
After taking a 3-1 lead against the Denver Nuggets Sunday night, the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves on the cusp of an epic Western Conference Semifinal matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder will have at least a week's worth of rest going into the series, and they'll likely need every minute of it. Scott Brooks' biggest advantage is that his young stars thrive in an up-tempo game, and they should be ready to run when Los Angeles comes to town.
His second biggest advantage is that Los Angeles is a sub-par team away from the Staples Center, finishing the regular season at 15-18. The Thunder's home-court advantage could be decisive in what promises to be a tightly-contested series.
Still, it's impossible to count the Lakers out so long as they have Kobe Bryant and two dominant seven-footers. This series is almost a lock to go six or seven games, and anything less would be a tragic disappointment.
Prediction: The Lakers should be able to keep things interesting (and obviously anything can happen), but the Thunder should have the edge in seven games.
But this isn't the only Conference Semifinals worth watching—here are your other three matchups:
San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers (Spurs lead season series 2-1)
The Spurs are set to sweep the Utah Jazz (and may have already done so by the time you read this), but the identity of their prospective second-round opponent remains uncertain. The Memphis Grizzlies aren't yet out of their series against the Clippers, but Los Angeles has the edge for now.
Should San Antonio face the Clippers, the series should simply come down to postseason polish. The Spurs are on a roll, and this isn't their first rodeo. As talented as Los Angeles is—and as fantastic as Chris Paul has been—this team won't be able to defend the Spurs' very productive offense.
Prediction: San Antonio would make short work of the Clippers, probably in five games (but maybe in six).
Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers (Heat lead season series 3-1)
These teams both lead their respective series three games to one, and nothing short of a couple miracles will extend them much longer.
No one on the Indiana Pacers has anywhere near the individual talent of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or even Chris Bosh. Coach Frank Vogel still has a few things going for him, though. First and foremost, Indiana has lots of depth and should be able to bring plenty of energy to the table.
The Pacers also have an advantage in the middle, thanks to All-Star Roy Hibbert. The Heat may score a lot of points in the paint, but they don't have a big who can stop Hibbert in the post.
Nevertheless, Indiana would need to play virtually perfect basketball to have a chance against Miami. And even that might not be enough, unless the Heat start to implode for some reason.
Prediction: The Pacers could take the Heat six games, but probably no further than that.
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers (76ers lead season series 2-1)
It might not be the most exciting series, but Boston and Philadelphia both lead their respective series 3-1 and appear poised to grind out a defensive battle in the Semifinals.
While Boston may be better equipped to sustain a deep postseason run, the 76ers have a lot of fight in them and plenty of depth. Doug Collins' squad may not boast many superstars, but they're hard to beat when they play like a team.
At the end of the day, though, Doc Rivers has the veteran leadership that so often makes the difference in the postseason.
Prediction: It might not come easily for the Celtics, but they should prevail 4-2 against Philly.
