NBA Playoffs 2015: Tuesday TV Schedule and Semifinal Predictions
The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and awaiting us Tuesday night is another doubleheader of conference semifinal action. Here's a look at Tuesday's game schedule with TV and live stream information:
Both the Wizards and the Warriors will be looking to go up 2-0 in their respective series while the Hawks and the Grizzlies will be looking to rebound from Game 1 losses. The Hawks especially could use a win after giving away home-court advantage in Game 1. If the top-seeded Hawks go down 0-2 heading to the nation's capital, they could be in a world of trouble.
They certainly have a chance to even the series since they are playing at home. The Grizzlies, however, will have a much greater challenge. First and foremost, they will likely be without point guard Mike Conley again, according to Sam Amick of USA Today:
To make matters worse, an already raucous Oracle Arena crowd will likely take it to another level when Stephen Curry, the new NBA MVP, hits the floor.
If you think there's a chance Curry could let the moment get to him, think again. He seemed incredibly loose when he accepted the award Monday.
Unless the Grizz get superhuman efforts from Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, the Dubs should have no trouble taking a 2-0 lead to Memphis. The Wizards/Hawks game could go either way, but the Hawks should be able to protect their home court and even the series.
Now that the entire second round is underway, here's a look at one man's opinion on how each semifinal series will shake out.
| Series | Predicted Winner |
| Warriors/Grizzlies (GS Leads 1-0) | Warriors in 5 |
| Rockets/Clippers (LAC Leads 1-0) | Clippers in 6 |
| Hawks/Wizards (WSH Leads 1-0) | Wizards in 7 |
| Cavs/Bulls (CHI Leads 1-0) | Bulls in 7 |
There will be time to dive in to each series later, but for now, let's dig deeper into Tuesday's Game 2s.
Starting in the East, the Hawks can take Game 2 simply by shooting better. In Game 1 against the Wizards, the Hawks shot 37.8 percent from the floor and 34.2 percent from deep. They also took a whopping 38 threes.
Of course, some of that has to do with the defense of the Wizards, but in what ended up being a six-point game, turning a few open misses into makes could have made the difference. Kyle Korver, Atlanta's resident sharpshooter, was 3-of-11 from three.
If the Hawks can knock down a few more shots and keep John Wall out of the paint, they will have a better chance of winning Game 2.
The Grizzlies might need a miracle. If Conley doesn't play, it's tough to imagine them stealing a game in Oakland, where the Dubs have lost only two games (two!) all year.
The Warriors shot 50.6 percent from the field in Game 1 and 46.4 percent (13-of-28) from three. They will be fired up to play with the new MVP. The Oracle crowd is always wild, but if Curry and Co. hit a few early threes, the place will be downright giddy.
The Warriors just have too many shooters for the Grizzlies to keep up with. It's hard to expect the entire team to have a cold shooting night when six or seven players can hit threes with ease. Without Conley or much firepower from outside, the Grizzlies could be looking at an 0-2 hole and a quick second-round exit.
