NBA Playoff Bracket 2015: Conference Semis Dates, Schedule and Predictions
The first round of the 2015 NBA playoffs ended rather quickly. Of the eight series, three were sweeps, two went just five games, two went six and only one went a full seven games. With eight very strong teams moving on to the conference semifinals, we should expect the competition to heat up.
Each conference semifinals series is already through one game. The Memphis Grizzlies missed Mike Conley in Game 1 and lost to the Golden State Warriors as a result. The Kevin Love-less Cleveland Cavaliers were downed by the Chicago Bulls. Bradley Beal powered the Washington Wizards to a big road win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Houston Rockets despite the absence of Chris Paul.
With the action resuming Tuesday, it won't be long before we know if the Game 1 winners can increase their leads and get closer to a berth in the conference finals or if things will even up. As we anxiously await these teams to return to action, let's take a look at the remaining schedule for the conference semifinals and predict the winner for each series.
Conference Semifinals Schedule
| Game 2 (at Golden State) | Tue., May 5 at 10:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 3 (at Memphis) | Sat., May 9 at 8 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 4 (at Memphis) | Mon., May 11 at 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 5* (at Golden State) | Wed., May 13, TBD | TNT |
| Game 6* (at Memphis) | Fri., May 15, TBD | ESPN |
| Game 7* (at Golden State) | Sun., May 17, TBD | TBD |
| Game 2 (at Cleveland) | Wed., May 6 at 7 p.m. | TBA |
| Game 3 (at Chicago) | Fri., May 8, TBD | ESPN |
| Game 4 (at Chicago) | Sun., May 10 at 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Game 5* (at Cleveland) | Tue., May 12, TBD | TNT |
| Game 6* (at Chicago) | Thu., May 14, TBD | ESPN |
| Game 7* (at Cleveland) | Sun., May 17, TBD | TNT |
| Game 2 (at Atlanta) | Tue., May 5 at 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 3 (at Washington) | Sat., May 9 at 5 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 4 (at Washington) | Mon., May 11 at 7 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 5* (at Atlanta) | Wed., May 13, TBD | TNT |
| Game 6* (at Washington) | Fri., May 15, TBD | ESPN |
| Game 7* (at Atlanta) | Mon., May 18 at 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 2 (at Houston) | Wed., May 6 at 9:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 3 (at Los Angeles) | Fri., May 8 at 10:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 4 (at Los Angeles) | Sun., May 10 at 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 5* (at Houston) | Tue., May 12, TBD | TNT |
| Game 6* (at Los Angeles) | Thu., May 14, TBD | ESPN |
| Game 7* (at Houston) | Sun., May 17, TBD | TBD |
*Denotes "if necessary" games.
Series Predictions
Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks
The Wizards fought through injuries to earn a huge road victory in Game 1, as Beal and John Wall put together brilliant performances out of the backcourt. Beal finished with a game-high 28 points, and Wall notched a double-double with 18 points and 13 assists.
Washington has been finding more success using Nene Hilario less and asking more of Drew Gooden. Not only has the team become more productive on the offensive end of the court, but Gooden is a key defensive cog, and he helped hold the sharpshooting Hawks to a measly 37.8 shooting percentage from the floor in Game 1.
While Atlanta does possess a well-rounded offense and a stout defense, the team hasn't been quite as productive as Washington so far in the postseason. The Hawks are allowing opponents to shoot 48.3 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from downtown so far in the playoffs. Those numbers will lead to the team's demise against the high-octane Wizards.
Prediction: Wizards in six
Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Game 1 of this series wasn't even close. The Warriors dominated in all phases of the game, as Stephen Curry led his team to a decisive victory over a Grizzlies squad that sorely missed the firepower of Conley. Luckily for Memphis, Conley is hopeful to return for Game 2, according to Sports Illustrated, but will his return be enough to take down the dangerous Warriors?
One of the best shooting teams in the NBA, Golden State has a bevy of playmakers to complement the electric Curry. Klay Thompson is always a force from long range, and the team possesses some athletic big men up front. If the team has one weakness, it's allowing opponents to hit 48.8 percent from the floor in the playoffs.
Memphis is a strong defensive team, holding opponents to 95.0 points per game in the postseason. However, the Warriors still managed to shoot 50.6 percent against the Grizzlies in Game 1. If that kind of production persists, this series won't make it past five games.
Prediction: Warriors in five
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls
Watch out, because the Bulls are looking very scary right now. Chicago was already known to have a solid defense, leading all postseason teams with an average of just 89.0 points per game allowed. Now, factor in the Bulls lighting up the Cavaliers for 99 points while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor, and you get a championship contender.
A healthy Derrick Rose does wonders on the offensive end of the court. He produced 25 points in Game 1, hitting 11 of 26 attempts from the floor. He was complemented nicely by Pau Gasol and Jimmy Butler, as they combined for 41 points on the day. Joakim Noah didn't score a point, but he did manage to haul in nine rebounds and block two shots.
As for the Cavaliers, they have plenty of talent with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert, but the loss of Love really affects the way this team runs its offense. Without another threat from distance, it becomes easier to guard against Cleveland on the interior, and that will be the reason Chicago advances.
Prediction: Bulls in six
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers stunned the Rockets with a big Game 1 victory despite the absence of Paul. Blake Griffin was a force on the interior, notching a triple-double with 26 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists on the game. He was complemented by the consistent Matt Barnes and sharpshooting guards J.J. Redick and Austin Rivers.
Houston hasn't performed well on defense in the postseason, allowing opposing teams to average 50.0 percent from the floor and giving up an average of 111.2 points per game. With those numbers in mind, the outburst of offense from Los Angeles in Game 1 shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
If the Rockets are going to climb back into this series, they'll need better play down low. James Harden will always be a scoring threat, but if Dwight Howard doesn't get some additional help collecting boards, the Clippers will get an abundance of second-chance opportunities and rack up points on Houston's lackluster defense.
Prediction: Clippers in seven
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