NBA Playoffs 2015: Thursday TV Schedule and Predictions for Game 6 Matchups
The first round of the playoffs have reached a surprising point, with a number of series stretching longer than initially expected. Thursday’s set of games carries huge implications for the four teams involved.
In a surprising twist, the Milwaukee Bucks have forced a Game 6 against the Chicago Bulls, who they host at 7 p.m. ET, followed by an elimination game in the first round’s most entertaining series thus far, with the San Antonio Spurs looking to close out the Los Angeles Clippers at home at 9:30 p.m. ET.
As recently as Monday night, things looked pretty dire for the Milwaukee Bucks. Falling behind in the series 3-0 and returning to Chicago was a daunting task, but a hard-fought battle in Game 5 kept the No. 6 seed in the playoffs for at least another game, one that will take place in the friendly confines of the BMO Harris Bradley Center.
In comparison to every other first-round series, each game between the Clippers and the Spurs has carried an air of importance, with neither team holding more than a one-game lead. But a 111-107 victory in Game 5 set things up nicely for San Antonio, who will hope to seal the series in Game 6 at the AT&T Center.
| Time | Matchup | Series | TV |
| 7 p.m. ET | Chicago Bulls vs. Milwaukee Bucks | CHI leads 3-2 | TNT |
| 9:30 p.m. ET | San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers | SAN leads 3-2 | TNT |
Bulls vs. Bucks
If you would have told someone that this series would have shifted so dramatically in the span of half a week, he or she would have called you crazy. Even after claiming a win at home in Game 4, the Bucks were given little hope of surviving past Game 5 in Chicago.
That was until Michael Carter-Williams’ shots started to go in.
In the first four games of the series, the second-year point guard had shot under 50 percent every game, with his best performance coming in a Game 3 loss at home when he scored 19 points on nine-of-21 shooting.
But in Game 5, he lived up to the faith the young Milwaukee franchise had in him, shooting 10 of 15 with 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds to help give the Bucks hope and momentum moving forward.
It wasn’t just the performance of Carter-Williams that stood out, though, with shooting guard Khris Middleton adding 21 of his own to add to an already impressive 2015 playoff performance thus far.
As ESPN's Jeff Goodman noted on Twitter, the Bucks have impressed this year and done so without arguably their best player in Jabari Parker:
With momentum on their side and the Bulls seemingly reeling, things look perfectly set up for Milwaukee to claim the win at home and force a pressure-filled Game 7 back in Chicago. But despite all the logic that is on the side of the Bucks, it just isn’t going to happen for them.
It is going to be a close one again—the last four games have been decided by nine points or less—but in the end, Chicago’s talent on both sides of the ball just outweighs what the Bucks bring to the table.
Jimmy Butler has been having an outstanding series, averaging 26.6 points per game in the postseason, and Pau Gasol has been no slouch either with 15.8 points per contest. If Derrick Rose can get things going again like he did in Games 1 and 3, the Bulls should overpower whatever Milwaukee can throw at them and save themselves from an extra game before moving on to face the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Prediction: Bulls
Spurs vs. Clippers
Is anyone really surprised that this is the most entertaining first-round playoff series in recent memory? With an aging dynasty that every year finds new ways to help us ignore the fact that Tim Duncan was born during the Ford presidency and one of the most despised teams since the Bad Boy Pistons, how could this not be entertaining?
So far, it has lived up to the billing with the teams trading blows like the two heavyweight fighters they are. But now, it is time to head into the last few rounds, and things are looking surprisingly familiar for the Spurs.
Despite dropping Game 4 in San Antonio to take control of the series, the Spurs fought back to claim Game 5 on the road and set things up nicely for Thursday night at home. Duncan is back to the playoff monster he has been for nearly two decades—he is averaging 17.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game this series—and betting against a Gregg Popovich-coached team is always a bad idea.
Grantland's Bill Simmons was quick to note how incredible Duncan's performance was considering how long he has been in the league:
But the Clippers aren’t the kind of team to go away quietly, and things could get turned up to a new level with their playoff lives on the line.
Would it be all that shocking if Chris Paul had a world-beating game and pushed the series back to the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a Game 7 for the ages? Not at all, but it just doesn’t feel like that is the path things are going to take.
Even though Doc Rivers and the Clippers have had some success against San Antonio this season—going 2-2 in the regular season, including a 20-point road domination back in January—this is Pop and the Spurs in the playoffs.
It will be interesting, and officials will call a ton of fouls that both sides will argue incessantly. But in the end, the Spurs dynasty will march on and survive for at least another day.
Prediction: Spurs
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