NBA Playoffs 2015: Saturday Tip Times, TV Schedule and Predictions
Through two games in each Conference Semifinals series, every team in the NBA playoffs had one win. That's a huge turnaround from the very one-sided first round. The top seed in each conference now hits the road looking to take a 2-1 advantage.
The Atlanta Hawks were able to capitalize on John Wall's absence behind a big fourth quarter, wrapping up a 106-90 victory on Tuesday over the Washington Wizards. The Memphis Grizzlies did the unthinkable by winning on the road in Golden State over the Warriors, 97-90. The loss dropped the Dubs to 42-3 at Oracle Arena this year.
Ironically, every remaining series features a prominent storyline regarding the health of star point guards. Here is everything you need to know about each Game 3.
| Matchup | Time (EST) | TV | Series |
| Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards | 5 p.m. | ESPN | Tied 1-1 |
| Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies | 8 p.m. | ABC | Tied 1-1 |
Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards (Tied 1-1)
I'm no doctor, but five wrist fractures might be a few more than one would like, right?
According to USA Today, that is exactly what Wizards dynamic point guard John Wall is now dealing with. The team is still going through the process of determining his playing future, but the outlook is not good.
It doesn't take much analysis to figure out how pivotal Wall is to the Wizards, but ESPN's Marc Stein tweeted this incredible statistic to give you an idea.
Luckily for them, Ramon Sessions filled in amicably in Game 2 with 21 points. He, Otto Porter and Bradley Beal did everything they could to pick up the slack, but there's just no way this team can replace the playmaking ability of Wall.
The Hawks did lose two out of three on the road to the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, and 16 of their 22 regular-season losses came away from home as well. However, the odds are still stacked in their favor. According to ESPN, Washington is 10-40 without Wall in his five-year career.
The Wiz will need signs of life from Nene, who has missed all nine of his shot attempts in this series. Obviously Sessions will have to keep up his level of play, but the bench also has to contribute more outside of Porter. The odds are so against them without Wall that it has to be an absolute team effort to take out the Hawks.
Frankly, that is just hard to envision. Unless Wall defies the odds and suits up, expect Jeff Teague to finally get hot for the Hawks and lead them to victory by taking advantage of Wall's absence.
Prediction: Atlanta 105, Washington 96
Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies (Tied 1-1)
Mike Conley, or "One-Eyed Charlie" as Tony Allen now calls him, put on a performance for the ages in the Grizzlies' stunning Game 2 victory. His 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, three assists and one turnover were great, but the fact that he was out there gave Memphis the jolt of confidence it needed.
Memphis won this game because it forced the Warriors to play the grind-it-out style that has catapulted the Grizzlies to perennial contender status. The Dubs logged a season-low 39 points in the first half due to Conley's hot shooting and also because Allen made "first team all-defense."
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green shot a combined 3-of-22 from three-point range. At times, it felt as if Allen and Conley were guarding all four simultaneously, but this was a defensive clinic all-around by Memphis.
This series features such contrasting styles that it will almost be obvious who should win early on in each contest. Golden State had 16 assists to 20 turnovers in Game 2, a shocking number for the NBA's best offense.
Will Memphis be able to put on a similar performance without the excitement of Conley's return? All the chips are on the table now for an enormous Game 3.
We saw how the tides turned in Game 1 when the Warriors were hitting from outside. They rode 13 threes to a 15-point victory. The odds of them shooting 6-of-26 from deep again are slim to none, even against a team as good as the Grizzlies. Not even the Grindhouse should be able to stifle them that remarkably.
I'm predicting at least eight threes from the Splash Bros leading the Warriors to a close win for the 2-1 advantage.
Prediction: Golden State 109, Memphis 104
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