NBA Playoffs 2015: Friday Schedule, Odds and Predictions Guide
Four NBA title hopefuls will switch venues to snap a 1-1 second-round stalemate on Friday night.
Every Round 2 series started with each side splitting the opening pair of games. While a 2-1 lead is far from insurmountable, Game 3 goes a long way for clubs trying to capture a seven-game slate.
The No. 2 and 3 seeds from both conferences will joust on Friday night, with injuries adding intrigue to tight matchups. Here's a look at the schedule and latest odds, per Odds Shark, for both bouts.
| 8 p.m. | Cleveland Cavaliers | Chicago Bulls | Tied 1-1 | CHI -2 | ESPN |
| 10:30 p.m. | Houston Rockets | Los Angeles Clippers | Tied 1-1 | LAC -4 | ESPN |
Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls
After the Cleveland Cavaliers squandered Game 1 at home, the narrative quickly turned to LeBron James needing a transcendent performance to overcome Kevin Love's absence and the Chicago Bulls' resurgence. After all, the bum finished shy of a triple-double with only nine assists on Monday.
Although James didn't hear any of the outcry if he honored his phone and social media fast, he responded by scoring 33 points on 29 shot attempts. It was far from his best work, but the superstar attacked with regularity.
It wasn't the talking heads who convinced him to play aggressively, but rather his teammates, as he explained to USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt:
"For me, I had to change my approach tonight knowing how shorthanded we are and be ultra-aggressive. Kyrie (Irving) wanted me to be ultra-aggressive, which I'm not accustomed to doing, especially taking that many shots. I've never been a high-volume shooter. But I have to respond to my teammates. What my teammates want me to do, I try to succeed at doing it. This is a change of mindset for myself, and I have to do it if that's what my guys want me to do.
"
Then again, one of the game's most unselfish stars has taken matters into his own hands at an alarming rate, averaging 23.5 shot attempts per contest in the postseason. As highlighted by ESPN's Tom Haberstroh, his looks have come via a heavy chunk of isolation plays:
Luckily for Cleveland, Derrick Rose proved far more inefficient, scoring 14 points off 20 field-goal attempts in Game 2. While the former MVP has shown flashes of brilliance this postseason, his best performances have come when receiving extra rest.
When playing after a one-day break, the results have been ugly:
| 4 | 39.0 | 14.0 | 29.9 | 27.3 | 6.8 | 5.8 |
Reports of Rose's return have been greatly exaggerated. He's shooting 39.7 percent during the playoffs, and Chicago has only averaged 90 points during those four games on normal rest. While the Cavaliers' isolation style is concerning, James, Kyrie Irving and a returning J.R. Smith give them enough spark to overcome the Bulls.
Prediction: Cavaliers 99, Bulls 94
Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers
The Houston Rockets collect their points behind the arc or at the charity stripe, finishing the season first in three-point attempts and second in foul shots. After letting the Los Angeles Clippers take Game 1 sans Chris Paul, they won Wednesday's Game 2 despite struggling mightily on both fronts.
During its 115-109 victory, Houston left several points on the board, as highlighted by ESPN Stats & Info:
Yet the Rockets still doubled Los Angeles' trips to the charity stripe with a lofty 64 chances, 13 of which Dwight Howard botched. The Clippers also matched their opponent's deep-shooting ineptitude by shooting five of 26 from downtown.
Both should improve their long-range precision, but Houston is unlikely to corral another 64 free-throw opportunities inside the Staples Center. Although Blake Griffin carefully chose his words, he questioned the disparity to ESPN Los Angeles' Arash Markazi:
"I don't know if you can equate that to aggressiveness. I thought we were just as aggressive. At times, we let them off the hook and didn't attack, but I don't think you can equate that to just being aggressive or the intentional fouling. But it's on us. We got to do a better job, I guess, of making it more obvious.
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The Clippers and Rockets head into Los Angeles at an even 1-1, but the No. 3 seed has to be thrilled at stealing a road victory without Paul. Griffin has donned Howard's Superman cape this postseason, but starting Austin Rivers at point guard is tough to overcome over a long stretch.
As of Friday morning, no word is out about Paul's Game 3 status. With the two clubs evenly matched without him, the superstar point guard would markedly turn the tide in Los Angeles' favor.
His club finished the season with the league's second-highest scoring margin, per NBA.com, and endured a much tougher first-round opponent before outscoring Houston by 10 through two away bouts. The Rockets, on the other hand, played two sluggish games despite salvaging a win.
Prediction (with Paul): Clippers 114, Rockets 103
Prediction (without Paul): Rockets 109, Clippers 106
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