NBA Playoffs 2015: Updated Championship Odds, Bracket Picture and Predictions
Heading into Sunday's games, the Golden State Warriors are the only team that has advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs. Their four-game sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans confirmed the team's place as the favorites to win the NBA championship.
Per Odds Shark, the Warriors' odds to win the NBA Finals are set at 7-4. That's a shade ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 9-4 odds. Here's a look at the updated odds for those still alive in the postseason.
| Atlanta | +1200 |
| Brooklyn | +50000 |
| Chicago | +1400 |
| Cleveland | +225 |
| Dallas | +20000 |
| Golden State | +175 |
| Houston | +1200 |
| L.A. Clippers | +3300 |
| Memphis | +1400 |
| Milwaukee | +100000 |
| Portland | +100000 |
| San Antonio | +350 |
| Toronto | +75000 |
| Washington | +4000 |
Sunday afternoon, the Cavs completed the sweep of the Boston Celtics with a 101-93 win. Later on Sunday, the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards are looking to complete four-game sweeps of their own.
Take a look at the bracket heading into Sunday's games.
| No. 1 Atlanta vs. No. 8 Brooklyn | Atlanta leads 2-1 |
| No. 4 Washington vs. No. 5 Toronto | Washington leads 3-0 |
| No. 2 Cleveland vs. No. 7 Boston | Cleveland wins 4-0 |
| No. 3 Chicago vs. No. 6 Milwaukee | Chicago leads 3-1 |
| No. 1 Golden State vs. No. 8 New Orleans | Golden State wins 4-0 |
| No. 4 Portland vs. No. 5 Memphis | Memphis leads 3-0 |
| No. 2 Houston vs. No. 7 Dallas | Houston leads 3-0 |
| No. 3 L.A. Clippers vs. No. 6 San Antonio | San Antonio leads 2-1 |
Two more teams will have an opportunity to close out their series, and one has a chance to take a 3-1 lead. Here's a breakdown and prediction for each of those games.
Bulls Will Blow Out the Bucks
The Chicago Bulls literally gave Game 4 on the road away against the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite 26 turnovers, the Bulls had a chance to win the game in the final 20 seconds of the fourth quarter. Derrick Rose had a poor shooting night before catching fire as a scorer and facilitator in the final period.
While he played a nice role in putting Chicago in position to win the game, he turned the ball over on a key possession and gave the Bucks a chance to win it at the buzzer.
Rose then proceeded to get beat on a back screen by Jerryd Bayless, who scored the game-winner as time expired. On the heels of the heartbreaking 92-90 loss, the Bulls will be out to make a statement in Game 5 at home.
During a postgame interview in the visitor's locker room in Milwaukee, Rose owned up to his mishaps and uttered one key phrase. Per the Chicago Tribune, Rose said: "I swear, I'm built for it."
With Rose showing increased durability and improved play, we'd be wise to believe him. Throughout this series, he's been more good than bad, and his backcourt running mate, Jimmy Butler, has been spectacular.
The Bulls will close out the Bucks in impressive fashion with a lopsided victory on Monday.
Memphis Will Finish Broken Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers are a broken team. They gave the Memphis Grizzlies their best shot in Saturday's Game 4, but it wasn't enough. The Grizzlies turned back Portland's late-comeback attempt and took a 3-0 lead with a 115-109 victory in Rip City.
Game 4 should be more of the same. Expect the Blazers to come out with energy in the first quarter, but Memphis will keep it close. Toward the end of the first half the same factors that have made Memphis superior through three games will become evident.
Rebounding and points in the paint have been the keys to Memphis' success. In Game 3, the Grizzlies outscored the Blazers 48-30 in the paint and outrebounded them 38-35.
Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol will again pound Portland into submission en route to the four-game sweep.
Brooklyn Will Even Series
The Atlanta Hawks are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but you can bet there isn't one team in the playoffs that is intimidated by them. They play an excellent style of basketball, but their performances down the stretch of the regular season (5-5 in last 10 games) and in Game 3 against the Brooklyn Nets prove the team has a ways to go before it can be considered playoff-ready.
The Nets will even the series at two games apiece with a win at home on Monday.
Brooklyn made the adjustment on Kyle Korver, limiting him to two points on 1-of-8 shooting from the field. Korver had been torching Brooklyn through the first two games of the series.
Behind a dominant inside presence from Brook Lopez, who had 22 points and 13 rebounds on Saturday, and increased defensive pressure, the Nets will send the series back to Atlanta all even.
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