NBA Playoffs 2015: Updated Round 1 Bracket, TV Schedule and Picks
Much of the second round is already set, but the 2015 NBA playoffs won't move along until a trio of first-round series are in the books.
With the San Antonio Spurs coming off a crucial Game 5 victory in Los Angeles against the Clippers, the defending champions will try to get past a pesky early foe and move onto the next round. While a neck-and-neck series there was to be expected, the same can't be said of the two Eastern Conference series still going on.
Also still playing are the Chicago Bulls, who faced a potential sweep of Milwaukee before the Bucks rattled off two straight wins. Jason Kidd and crew could force a Game 7 if they take care of business at home, while the Cleveland Cavaliers are kicking up their feet awaiting their next opponent.
Add on another 3-2 series between the top-seeded Atlanta Hawks and a suddenly dangerous Brooklyn Nets team, and you have a first round that could stick around for a while. Let's take a look at the latest schedule information as well as what the bracket looks like.
Remaining First-Round Schedule
| Thurs., April 30 | Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks (Game 6) | 7 p.m. | TNT |
| Thurs., April 30 | Los Angeles Clippers at San Antonio Spurs (Game 6) | 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Fri., May 1 | Atlanta Hawks at Brooklyn Nets (Game 6) | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sat., May 2* | Milwaukee Bucks at Chicago Bulls (Game 7)* | TBD | TNT |
| Sat., May 2* | San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers (Game 7) | TBD | TNT |
| Sun., May 3* | Brooklyn Nets at Atlanta Hawks (Game 7) | TBD | TBD |
NBA Playoffs Bracket
| (1) Golden State Warriors vs. (5) Memphis Grizzlies | |
| (2) Houston Rockets vs. Spurs or Clippers | |
| Hawks or Nets vs. (5) Washington Wizards | |
| (2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Bulls or Bucks |
Predictions for Thursday, April 30
Game 6: Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks
The Chicago Bulls have known how big the test in front of them has been since the opening game of the series, but the Milwaukee Bucks have finally put it together to put some pressure on the Bulls entering Game 6.
Games 1 and 2 in Chicago were hard-fought, as was Game 3 that put the Bucks down 3-0 in the series. But Milwaukee pulled out the next two, one of which came on a buzzer-beating layup by Jerryd Bayless over Derrick Rose to give the Bucks their first win.
It took heroic performances from Rose and Jimmy Butler—the latter of which set playoff career highs in scoring in consecutive games—to win early matchups in this series. But in the last two contests, Khris Middleton has outplayed Butler on the wing, and Rose hasn't continued his early-series stardom.
Butler knows he hasn't been his usual self defensively, and vowed to make a change, per ESPN.com's Nick Friedell: "I'm supposed to be the prime-time defensive guy, and I haven't been guarding a soul. I've been worried about offense too much, and I need to change that quickly or it's going to be my fault."
Despite five tough-nosed games in this series, it's important to note that the Bulls have played far from their best basketball in a majority of the games and still had the chance to sweep. It's fair to assume the desperate nature of the playoffs escaped a bit with the next round in focus, which allowed Chicago to fall victim to a few defeats.
Don't expect that again Thursday, not with the season virtually on the line, as CBS Sports' Matt Moore noted:
If the Bulls come out flat for a third straight game and allow Milwaukee to threaten tying the series, it will say a lot more about head coach Tom Thibodeau than anything else has. However, Game 6 in a series that should have been over long ago is typically when stars like Butler, Rose and Pau Gasol put their best on the floor.
Prediction: Bulls win, 109-97
Game 6: Los Angeles Clippers at San Antonio Spurs
For what the first round of the playoffs has lacked in memorable series, the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs seem to be making up for all of it in their blistering showdown out West.
The two teams have traded games to this point, but it's the Spurs who have taken victory twice in L.A. to return home with a commanding 3-2 lead entering Game 6. It was wondered whether the defending champions could make the long trek to the Finals without home-court advantage, and they are proving able in the early goings.
It hasn't been for a lack of trying by the Clippers, who are getting star performances night in and night out from Blake Griffin, but the Spurs machine is simply a well-oiled one that has overcome L.A.'s athleticism to execute their plan, as ESPN Stats and Info showed:
Although they didn't need his impact for two wins earlier in the series, Tony Parker's resurgence following early injury troubles has been a key. He's averaging more than 15 points per game over his last two contests while being on the floor enough to help limit Chris Paul.
The Clippers had their chance to bring this series down to the wire, and they gave it up in L.A. in Game 5. That would have given them the confidence needed to snatch another game in San Antonio, but now the Spurs head to a familiar situation they know too well—eliminating a playoff opponent at home.
With Tim Duncan playing ageless basketball and Kawhi Leonard emerging into a superstar, the Spurs are far from the susceptible team they looked to be just a few games ago.
Prediction: Spurs win, 105-102
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