2012 NBA Playoffs Schedule: Predicting the Winners of Saturday's Matchups

NBA fans will be treated to a wonderful night of basketball on Saturday with several exciting matchups on the schedule.

The Los Angeles Lakers will try to hold off a furious series comeback by the Denver Nuggets in the first Game 7 of the playoffs thus far, and the Boston Celtics will continue their storied playoff history with the Philadelphia 76ers in the first game of the second round.

The Lakers held a 3-1 series lead but couldn't close out the Nuggets at the Staples Center in Game 5 and then got dominated on the road in Game 6.

Kobe Bryant called out his teammates after the Game 6 loss, but can the Lakers regroup and avoid a major upset? Can the Celtics continue their home-court dominance against a talented young 76ers group?

Let's answer those questions and predict the winner of Saturday's games.

Matchup	Time (ET)	TV	Location
76ers at Celtics	8 p.m.	TNT	TD Garden
Nuggets at Lakers	10:30 p.m.	TNT	Staples Center

Nuggets at Lakers

The Lakers have found it difficult to defend top-tier point guards all season, and in the playoffs that hasn't changed. Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson is dominating this series with his ability to lead the fast break and penetrate the defense in the half court. The Lakers have had no answer for him thus far.

Lawson's 32 points in Game 6 led all scorers, and there's no reason to think he can't have a similar offensive performance in Game 7.

However, the game will come down to the play of the frontcourt on both teams. Lakers big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum didn't play well in Game 6 and shot a combined 5-of-21 from the field.

If those two struggle again, it's hard to imagine the Lakers winning this game. The Nuggets have a better and more productive bench than the Lakers do, and overall Denver is much more athletic.

The Nuggets believe they can win this series, which is a huge factor going into this game. I don't think they fear the Lakers at all.

My prediction is the Nuggets win a close one in Los Angeles to stun the Lakers and play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs for the second straight season.

76ers at Celtics

The Celtics probably didn't think they would be playing the 76ers in the second round, but injuries to Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah were too much for the Chicago Bulls to overcome against a young and athletic Philadelphia team in the first round.

Against the Celtics, the 76ers will have a really tough time scoring in the half court because the Boston defense is so good at rotating, switching on screens and helping out defensively in the paint.

The Celtics blocked a lot of shots during their series with the Hawks, which is an area they didn't dominate in during the regular season.

The 76ers will also have a difficult time defending Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo and power forward Kevin Garnett. They don't have a guard with the defensive skills to contain Rondo, and Elton Brand will have trouble with Garnett at both ends of the floor.

Without a legitimate go-to guy in crunch time or any shutdown perimeter defenders, don't expect the 76ers to last more than five games.

The Celtics will win Saturday's Game 1 at TD Garden, where they are 3-0 in the playoffs thus far.

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