NBA Playoffs 2015: Updated Bracket Results, Odds and Championship Predictions
After an off night, the NBA playoffs are back in full swing Friday.
The Chicago Bulls will try to maintain the home-court advantage they took from the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 99-92 Game 1 win. The Cavs came storming back in Game 2, led by LeBron James' 33 points, to even the series after a 106-91 victory Wednesday night.
The Bulls did their job in Cleveland by taking one of two. Now, they must defend their home court at 8 p.m. ET against an aggressive James and a returning J.R. Smith. The latter will join the fray for the first time in this series since serving his two-game suspension for punching the Boston Celtics' Jae Crowder during the Cavs' first-round series.
Chicago is the deeper team, but it's hard to account for the James factor.
Here's a look at the odds for both of Friday's games and the current series standings.
| Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | Series tied 1-1 | Bulls (minus-2) |
| L.A. Clippers vs. Houston Rockets | Series tied 1-1 | Clippers (minus-2.5) |
| Washington Wizards vs. Atlanta Hawks | Series tied 1-1 | Hawks (minus-3.5) |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors | Series tied 1-1 | Warriors (minus-4.5) |
The Los Angeles Clippers accomplished the same thing the Bulls did by taking Game 1 away from the Houston Rockets with a 117-101 win. In Game 2, the Clippers looked to be on their way to a commanding 2-0 lead, but the Rockets defense woke up, and James Harden started to play like an MVP candidate.
He finished with 32 points, and the Rockets erased a 13-point deficit to win 115-109 and even the series.
While the Clippers are heading back home with a split in Houston, they are likely in a better situation than the Bulls. The Clippers managed their split without their floor general. Chris Paul missed both Games 1 and 2, but he could play in Game 3 if his injured hamstring improves. Per Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, Paul's status is uncertain for the 10:30 p.m. ET game.
The Clippers have proved they are capable of winning on the road without arguably their best player. The biggest reason for that is the play of Blake Griffin. He has been fantastic during the postseason.
Griffin is averaging 25.4 points, 13.4 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1.2 blocked shots per game. There isn't much more head coach Doc Rivers can ask of him. Even if Paul doesn't play and Griffin maintains the level of performance he's exhibited in the playoffs thus far, the Clippers should be the favorites to win the series.
Championship Predictions
All season long, I've maintained that if the Bulls were healthy, they had the best team in the East. With the Cavs playing without Kevin Love and potentially Iman Shumpert, per Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com, Chicago's roster is better.
That said, James can be the great equalizer.
Still, the Bulls are the pick in the East, as they would beat either the Atlanta Hawks or the Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Clippers are the team in the West—if Paul can get back close to 100 percent. If I'm Rivers, I'd consider sitting Paul for the entire series. The Rockets' poor perimeter defense puts a ton of pressure on its rim protectors to erase all mistakes.
They won't beat the Clippers with or without Paul. Rivers will out coach Kevin McHale, and the Clippers are mentally tougher than the Rockets.
I'd also give the Clippers the edge over the Memphis Grizzlies or the Golden State Warriors. Those two teams figure to wear each other down. The team that emerges victorious may not have enough left in the tank to beat a Clippers team that could theoretically win their series in five games.
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