2012 NBA Playoff Schedule: Expect 2 Series to Wrap Up Tuesday Night
The NBA schedule is in full swing Tuesday night for possibly the last time of the season.
Four games are scheduled for action, and every single one of the best-of-seven series are currently at 3-1.
So who survives to live another day and who wraps up their series and gets some rest for the remainder of the week? Here are predictions for all four games on closeout Tuesday.
Orlando Magic at Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV (Pacers lead 3-1.)
The Pacers are clearly the better team without Dwight Howard around and have won three straight in the series since blowing Game 1.
After a hot shooting start, the Magic have really cooled off. Shooting 39 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point land is not going to cut it. With little post presence, shooting so poorly is a death sentence.
Jameer Nelson (12.8 PPG, 34 FG%, 2.5 TOs) has been awful for Orlando and Most Improved Player Ryan Anderson (8.5 PPG, 32 FG%) hasn’t fared any better.
Behind the seasoned veteran David West (16.8 PPG, 10 RPG), the Pacers are going to wrap up their first playoff series victory since 2005 tonight.
Prediction: Pacers 94, Magic 87
Boston Celtics at Atlanta Hawks, 8 p.m. ET, TNT (Celtics lead 3-1.)
Do the Hawks have any pride?
After getting smashed by 21 points on Sunday, the Hawks have to win Game 5 to ensure they don’t go out looking like punks (again).
Joe Johnson is going to shoot the ball more than eight times this time around, and Al Horford (12 points, five rebounds) looked surprisingly comfortable in Game 4 after missing the majority of the season.
Remember, we are a Johnson brick away from this series being 2-2. I think the quick turnaround and long-distance travel hurt the aging Celtics—who are rather banged up and need more rest. The Hawks, in front of their home crowd, continue to breathe for at least one more game.
Prediction: Hawks 91, Celtics 88
Philadelphia 76ers at Chicago Bulls, 9:30 p.m. ET, NBATV (76ers lead 3-1.)
The big difference here is the ankle of Joakim Noah.
Chicago’s second-most important player is out—and so are the Bulls' playoff chances. The young 76ers are doing a good job of exploiting the lack of Derrick Rose, and you can bet Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes are licking their chops ready to destroy the paint without Noah around.
I don’t care who you are, if you are playing without your two best players in the playoffs, you’re not going to win regardless of the opponent.
Prediction: 76ers 101, Bulls 90
Denver Nuggets at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT (Lakers lead 3-1.)
This is a closer series than most think.
The Nuggets have two losses by a combined eight points and were the victims of clutch shooting from Ramon Sessions and Steve Blake in Game 4’s crushing loss. How often does that happen?
Denver’s young guns are gaining more experience by the day and are displaying much more maturity just a week after a blowout loss in Game 1 where they looked outclassed.
With a relaxed mood cultivated by George Karl in the Nuggets locker room, the team is playing with a “nothing to lose” mentality now that can be incredibly dangerous for a young and naive team.
I foresee Kobe Bryant forcing the issue as he tries his best to KO Denver tonight while shooting something like 5-of-17 in the process. The Denver bigs, led by Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee, keep Andrew Bynum at bay and the Nuggets survive to see another day in the upset of the night.
Prediction: Nuggets 104, Lakers 99
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