NBA Playoff Schedule 2015: Tuesday TV Guide, Live Stream Info and Picks
Sometimes, less is more.
There are just two games on the slate for Tuesday night, but they’re heavy hitters.
First up is an in-state grudge match between the Houston Rockets, who lead 3-1, and the Dallas Mavericks. Big D never had much of a shot to move on this series, and Rajon Rondo and coach Rick Carlisle’s obsession with clashing against one another only made matters worse.
Still, the team showed some fight by winning Game 4 and avoiding a sweep on Sunday.
Following that contest will be the main event: the San Antonio Spurs visiting the Los Angeles Clippers. With the series deadlocked at 2-2, this Game 5 will be pivotal for a pair of teams with championship aspirations.
You’d be silly to miss out on these contests.
How to Watch
| Mavericks at Rockets | 8 p.m. | TNT | 3-1 HOU |
| Spurs at Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | TNT | 2-2 TIED |
Live streams for Tuesday’s games, both on TNT, can be found at here.
Picks
Houston at Dallas
We knew that the Mavericks were going to take Game 4 because of Houston’s loudmouth shooting guard, Jason Terry.
The Jet insisted on wearing black to the game and made it known that it was a symbol of Dallas’ supposed funeral.
"You know my wardrobe," Terry told Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. "You know what it consists of when it's time to close a series out. So I haven't changed that at all. ... Black on black."
Terry won his only NBA championship with the Mavericks, so the team probably felt a bit slighted by his jab. For that reason, Dallas was just meant to win.
Plus, that’s a proud team. With accomplished veterans like Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler and Monta Ellis on the floor, it would’ve been surprising to see the Mavs go quietly into the night.
But their run will end in Game 5.
As long as Terry doesn’t throw another bottle of lighter fluid onto Dallas’ fire, the Rockets should take care of business.
James Harden was held relatively in check in Game 4, finishing with 24 points (7-15 FG, 1-7 3PT), five boards and five assists. He’s due for a bigger night on Tuesday. It’s also unlikely that Dallas out-rebounds Houston 52-38 again.
Terry talked the talk but failed to walk the walk. His chirping was followed up with a meager three points on 1-of-5 shooting. You can bet he’ll be better on Tuesday than he was on Sunday.
The same could be said for the rest of his team, including Trevor Ariza, who only had seven points on 2-of-10 shooting. On Monday, Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle described the forward’s mindset:
Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press pointed out that the sooner Houston wins, the better:
The Mavericks saved face and won their token game. Now it’s time for Houston to move on and prepare for an absolute battle against either the reigning champion Spurs, or a Clippers team overflowing with talent.
San Antonio at Los Angeles
This could be it.
According to numberFire, teams that win Game 5 and take a 3-2 lead have gone on to win the series 85.3 percent of the time (232-40).
The importance of this game can't be overstated.
But as written by OddsShark, the Spurs probably aren't stressing too much: “San Antonio has dropped two straight postseason games just three times since the 2013 NBA Finals.”
That doesn’t bode well for the Clippers.
But Los Angeles has what it takes to beat the dynastic Spurs.
Kawhi Leonard is the only player on that roster capable of even slowing Chris Paul down a tiny bit. CP3 absolutely tore up San Antonio in Game 4, as he racked up 34 points (11-19 FG, 10-10 FT), seven assists and three boards.
Blake Griffin, another player for whom the Spurs have no answer, poured in 20 points and 19 rebounds. The NBA’s clear commercial king is too quick for Tim Duncan, Tiago Splitter and Aron Baynes, and too strong for Leonard or Boris Diaw.
It would feel...weird...to see the Spurs, who have dominated the league for so long, lose in the first round.
But Los Angeles, perhaps more so than any team not named the Golden State Warriors, is equipped to defeat the Spurs.
And for that to happen, the Clippers will need to pull off a win on their home floor on Tuesday night. Take the home team in a thriller.
