NBA Playoff Schedule 2015: TV, Live Stream Coverage for Tuesday's Semis
Heading into a pair of second-round Game 2s, the NBA's top seeds drift upon diverging paths.
The Golden State Warriors have sustained their season dominance into the playoffs, winning their first five games with no sign of slowing down. The Atlanta Hawks, however, continued their sluggish postseason with a late letdown over the weekend.
Each squad enjoys one more night of home cooking before hitting the road. Let's break down Tuesday's two playoff matchups.
| 8 p.m. | Washington Wizards | Atlanta Hawks | TNT | WAS 1-0 |
| 10:30 p.m. | Memphis Grizzlies | Golden State Warriors | TNT | GS 1-0 |
Live Stream: Watch TNT
Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks
For the second straight year, NBA fans find themselves asking, "Are the Washington Wizards actually going to make the Eastern Conference Finals?"
Last season, they knocked off the hobbled, higher-seeded Chicago Bulls before taking Game 1 from the top-ranked Indiana Pacers. Once again, the No. 5 seed has started the second round with a victory. Once again, a discounted Wizards team suddenly looks like a real threat.
Although last year's results—the Pacers came back to triumph in six—prove Game 1 doesn't mean everything, stealing the series' opening bout on the road significantly bolsters the Wizards' chances of upsetting the Hawks. In fact, ESPN's BPI, per ESPN Stats & Info, now favors Washington:
When presented the parallels from last year, Bradley Beal admitted to The Washington Post's Jorge Castillo that the previous year's young club was simply satisfied with upending Chicago, earning the franchise's first trip past Round 1 in nine years. This time, the 21-year-old won't be content with a second-round exit. Beal said:
"We have a different approach. Last year, we were just happy to be in the playoffs. We were happy we moved on. And we didn’t really have any high goals after the first round. This year, we expect more out of ourselves. We expect to get out of the second round.
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Through five postseason tilts, Washington has upped the ante on both sides of the court. Its stingy defense has proven a tad stingier, but a lethargic offense has mustered a 112.2 offensive rating, 10.4 points per possession higher than its season tally.
Meanwhile, Atlanta's offense has veered in the opposite direction, which was apparent during Sunday's 35-point second half that squandered a 10-point halftime lead.
| Hawks | 106.2 | 103.0 | 100.7 | 100.8 |
| Wizards | 101.8 | 112.2 | 100.0 | 96.1 |
Although Beal and John Wall were banged up during the win, both told Castillo that they'll suit up on Tuesday night:
The Hawks have hardly looked like a No. 1 seed this tournament, surviving a six-game scare against the 38-44 Brooklyn Nets before blowing Game 1 against Washington. Calling Game 2 of any best-of-seven series a "must-win" is mathematically irresponsible, but dropping consecutive bouts at home would put them in a dire position.
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors
The Warriors rarely ever lose regardless of the locale, but they're virtually unstoppable at home.
Including three postseason victories, they're 42-2 inside the Oracle Arena. Following Sunday's 101-86 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, they now hold a 10.6-point home margin of victory in postseason play.
A lot has happened in the three-plus months since Golden State last lost a home game. SportsCenter listed a few events that occurred during its 21-game winning streak at the Oracle:
Another event to add? Stephen Curry receiving 2014-15 NBA MVP honors. Not only did he benefit from being the best player on the NBA's best team, but nobody else matched his influence on and off the court. NBA.com/Stats showed the Warriors' stark split in net rating with him splashing threes or taking a breather:
He's doing his best to justify the votes, averaging 31.4 points and 7.4 assists during the postseason. But Curry dropping 22 in Game 1 is ordinary. Draymond Green draining four three-pointers? Now that's noteworthy.
The defensive guru improved his offensive game this season, but he still shot 33.7 percent from behind the arc. Golden State harnesses all of its three-point prowess from Curry and Klay Thompson, the most prolific shooting backcourt in NBA history. Everyone else is there mostly for defense and inside scoring.
So when Green—who was silenced to 19 points combined during three regular-season clashes with Memphis—embraces the size matchup by stretching the court, it's not fair. Memphis is the rare team capable of exploiting Green as an undersized power forward, but not if he finds other ways to contribute.
While the Grizzlies have earned their reputation as a stout defensive team, the Warriors finished the season with the NBA's best defensive rating. They also showed they can handle a slow, half-court slugfest. After leading the league in pace during the season, they've played slower than anyone against the snail-like Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans.
For Memphis to have any chance at stealing Game 2, it needs a miracle recovery from Mike Conley. In his place, Nick Calathes failed to find the basket on Sunday, giving the Grizzlies' six guards a combined 21 points.
USA Today's Sam Amick warns against expecting a Tuesday return for Conley, who fractured his face against the Portland Trail Blazers:
With one of sports' wildest crowds in their corner, the Warriors are poised to grab a commanding 2-0 lead.
Advanced stats courtesy of NBA.com.
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