NBA Playoffs 2015: Odds and Predictions for Tuesday's Bracket Picture
Is it too early to panic after two games in a seven-game series?
Some NBA teams might be finding that out the hard way Tuesday night as the first round of the 2015 NBA playoffs shifts to Game 2 for six teams.
On one hand, going down 2-0 isn't necessarily the end of the world. Winning four out of the next six isn't impossible.
Then again, a 2-0 deficit might be extremely tough to come back from for lower seeds or those teams that lost home-court advantage.
Tonight's three games are far from the must-win variety, but don't tell that to the three teams potentially staring at a two-game hole.
| 7 p.m. | No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 7 Boston Celtics | TNT | CLE (-11) |
| 8 p.m. | No. 4 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 5 Washington Wizards | NBA TV | TOR (-5) |
| 9:30 p.m. | No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks | TNT | HOU (-5.5) |
Predictions
No. 7 Boston Celtics at No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers
The Boston Celtics are going to take one, maybe two games off the Cleveland Cavaliers in this series. Their win(s) won't come in Quicken Loans Arena. The importance of home-court advantage can sometimes be overstated, but the Cavs have a genuine edge when they're playing at The Q.
Boston also lacks Kyrie Irving and LeBron James, who combined for 50 points in Game 1. Irving in particular played well, dispelling the notion that he might be overawed by postseason basketball.
Even if the Celtics can limit James and Irving, they still have to figure out how to handle Cleveland inside. Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov dominated inside, per SB Nation's Fear The Sword:
The difference between these two teams isn't gargantuan, and the Celtics arguably have the deeper bench. Isaiah Thomas is going to have a huge game at some point in this series.
In Game 2, though, the Cavaliers should get another double-digit win.
Prediction: Cleveland 101, Boston 90
No. 5 Washington Wizards at No. 4 Toronto Raptors
It's probably best that nobody spends too much time talking about Game 1 between the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors. Neither team shot higher than 40 percent from the field, while they both combined to miss 38 of their 50 three-point attempts.
The biggest question is which team will find its offense in Game 2. The Raptors' trio of Terrence Ross, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points on just 11-of-41 shooting.
Meanwhile, John Wall went 5-of-18 for 10 points. Seth Partnow of Nylon Calculus also highlighted this interesting stat:
"John Wall had 24 assist chances on which his teammates made only 8 shots yesterday (usual % ~55ish), decent shotmaking and Wiz win handily
— Seth Partnow (@SethPartnow) April 19, 2015"
Even though Paul Pierce probably won't score 20 points again tonight, the Wizards could easily take a commanding 2-0 lead heading into Washington.
However, Toronto will even the series. DeRozan will find his shooting stroke and ease some of the burden on Lowry. The Raptors won't lose two in a row at home.
Prediction: Toronto 96, Washington 92
No. 7 Dallas Mavericks at No. 2 Houston Rockets
Some tend to think of the Houston Rockets as a one-man show, with James Harden ruling the roost and doing almost everything offensively.
Last year, that was true to a large extent. Harden attempted 22.2 shots a game, including nine from behind the arc, in the postseason. His playoff shooting percentage (.376) was 80 points lower than where it was in the regular season.
Last Saturday, the Rockets struck the kind of offensive balance that will take them deep in the postseason. While Harden was only 4-of-11 from the field, seven different players scored in double figures.
"That's means everybody's touching the basketball, everybody's getting involved and they can't only just stop one person," Harden said after the game, per The Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "They put two on the ball. Me, I make the pocket pass, I made the easy play and had confidence in my teammates to make the next one."
Maybe it's a bit unrealistic to expect Jason Terry to score 16 every night, but as long as the threat is there, the Dallas Mavericks have to respect it. And the more attention drawn away from Harden is only a good thing for Houston.
Couple that with the Mavericks' continued spacing problems following the Rajon Rondo trade, and the Rockets should come away with a Game 2 win.
Prediction: Houston 105, Dallas 99
Note: Playoff odds are courtesy of Odds Shark.
