NBA Playoffs 2014: Latest Results and Preview for Monday's Battles
NBA fans could not have asked for a better first round of the playoffs than this.
With the exception of a couple of series, it seems like almost every one of them is going to go either six or seven games. Even the teams that have a lead at the moment have had to go through a lot of trouble to get there.
As ESPN The Magazine points out, the opening set of games has already set a record for the most in league history:
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With plenty of action still to go in Round 1, it is hard to imagine how much more intense each game will get.
Here is a look at the matchups set for Monday night along with results from the entire postseason.
| 1 | Hawks 101, Pacers 93 | Indiana |
| 2 | Pacers 101, Hawks 85 | Indiana |
| 3 | Hawks 98, Pacers 85 | Atlanta |
| 4 | Pacers 91, Hawks 81 | Atlanta |
| 1 | Heat 99, Bobcats 88 | Miami |
| 2 | Heat 101, Bobcats 97 | Miami |
| 3 | Heat 98, Bobcats 85 | Charlotte |
| 1 | Nets 94, Raptors 87 | Toronto |
| 2 | Raptors 100, Nets 95 | Toronto |
| 3 | Nets 102, Raptors 98 | Brooklyn |
| 4 | Raptors 87, Nets 79 | Brooklyn |
| 1 | Wizards 102, Bulls 93 | Chicago |
| 2 | Wizards 101, Bulls 99 | Chicago |
| 3 | Bulls 100, Wizards 97 | Washington |
| 4 | Wizards 98, Bulls 79 | Washington |
| 1 | Spurs 90, Mavericks 85 | San Antonio |
| 2 | Mavericks 113, Spurs 92 | San Antonio |
| 3 | Mavericks 109, Spurs 108 | Dallas |
| 1 | Thunder 100, Grizzlies 86 | Oklahoma City |
| 2 | Grizzlies 111, Thunder 105 | Oklahoma City |
| 3 | Grizzlies 98, Thunder 95 | Memphis |
| 4 | Thunder 92, Grizzlies 89 | Memphis |
| 1 | Warriors 109, Clippers 105 | Los Angeles |
| 2 | Clippers 138, Warriors 98 | Los Angeles |
| 3 | Clippers 98, Warriors, 96 | Golden State |
| 4 | Warriors 118, Clippers 97 | Golden State |
| 1 | Trail Blazers 122, Rockets 120 | Houston |
| 2 | Trail Blazers 112, Rockets 105 | Houston |
| 3 | Rockets 121, Trail Blazers 116 | Portland |
| 4 | Trail Blazers 123, Rockets 120 | Portland |
Miami Heat at Charlotte Bobcats
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Where: Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, N.C.
Watch: TNT
Not only have the Charlotte Bobcats been completely overmatched in this series, but it appears that things are likely to get worse.
Al Jefferson is suffering from a plantar fascia injury and is unlikely to contribute in Game 4. Head coach Steve Clifford explained, "He couldn’t do anything this morning. I would say it’s doubtful he’d be able to play," via Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.
Even if he does play, the big man will clearly be at less than 100 percent and will not be able to help his team. This is bad news considering Jefferson is a big reason the team is there in the first place after averaging 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game during the regular season.
Miami has been on cruise control in this series and will not slow down anytime soon. James has been and the squad will try to complete the sweep in order to earn more rest heading into the next series.
Prediction: Heat 95, Bobcats 82
Atlanta Hawks at Indiana
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Bankers Life , Indianapolis
Watch:
This has been arguably the most surprising series of the first round, with the struggling to just pull even after four games. Obviously, Indiana performed poorly over the last month of the season, but the Hawks were not much better throughout the year.
Atlanta seemed to be in position to really take control of the matchup in Game 4, but it could not close out the home game. Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders thinks it was a huge moment of the series:
The two teams now travel back to Indianapolis, where the are clearly much more comfortable. They can take the confidence from their most recent win and let Paul George take care of the rest:
At this point, the biggest question mark is Roy Hibbert, who has struggled mightily in the postseason, with single digits in every game. However, he can rely on the pure talent of his teammates to pick up the slack and take the lead for the first time this series.
Prediction: Pacers 89, Hawks 86
San Antonio Spurs at Dallas Mavericks
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
Watch: TNT
No matter who you root for, it does not get much better than the ending in Game 3 between the Spurs and the Mavericks.
Both teams thought they had the game at different points in the fourth quarter, but it was Vince Carter who made the final shot to lift the Mavericks to victory:
Dallas took the 2-1 lead in the series and reminded everyone that it has as much veteran savvy as the Spurs.
That being said, San Antonio is not going away that easily. It knows that one more loss could make a comeback almost impossible, so the squad will do whatever it can to scratch and claw for a road victory in this one.
The key will be the play of Tony Parker, who scored 17 points in the first half of the last game but just two in the second. He likes getting others involved, but at some point, he needs to take over and score himself.
If he can do that, the Spurs will be able to even things up in Round 1.
Prediction: Spurs 102, Mavericks 100
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