NBA Playoffs 2015: Latest Conference Semifinal Scores and Bracket Picks
Four well-rested NBA squads will resume their series Saturday, fighting for the upper hand in their second-round showdowns.
A weird kink in the postseason schedule gave these teams a four-day layover between Games 2 and 3. In the time between, the other two series knocked out a pair of games.
For anyone needing a refresher, the Atlanta Hawks took Game 2 from the Washington Wizards to even the series. While Washington stole one on the road, it now must prepare for the possibility of playing without John Wall.
In the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies handed the Golden State Warriors their third home loss of the year, snapping a 21-game winning streak inside Oracle Arena. A returning Mike Conley put the No. 1 seed on notice after a lopsided Game 1 with him absent.
For the second straight day, two teams will claim a 2-1 edge during the second round. Here's how every series is currently shaping up:
| No. 1 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 5 Washington Wizards | Tied 1-1 | Hawks in 5 |
| No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 3 Chicago Bulls | CHI 2-1 | Cavs in 7 |
| No. 1 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 5 Memphis Grizzlies | Tied 1-1 | Warriors in 6 |
| No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Clippers | LAC 2-1 | Clippers in 6 |
Game 3 Previews
Atlanta Hawks at Washington Wizards
A late Game 2 scratch, Wall later learned he has five fractures in his left wrist and hand. While the Wizards have yet to rule him out for Saturday and beyond, five fractures are a lot of fractures.
Letting your 24-year-old superstar play through significant injuries isn't sound business. For a case study on when playing hurt in the postseason goes wrong, they can stay inside the nation's capital and ask the Washington football franchise about letting Robert Griffin III grind out a knee injury two years ago.
According to Turner's David Aldridge, the Wizards will likely exhibit restraint for Game 3:
Without Wall, Washington can kiss any slim title hopes goodbye. As noted by ESPN Stats & Info, the offense has stalled without the Eastern Conference's assists leader:
A worse team on both sides without their star point guard, the Wizards actually suffer more defensively without Wall. According to 82games.com, they yield 102.4 points per 100 possessions with him and 109.8 without him.
| Rating | On Court | Off Court |
| Points/100 Possessions | 106.8 | 101.0 |
| Points Allowed/100 Possessions | 102.4 | 109.8 |
| Net Rating | +4.4 | -8.8 |
During Game 2's loss, the Wizards mustered 90 points despite going a blistering 12-of-22 from behind the three-point arc. Their pace screeched to a grinding halt, especially when head coach Randy Wittman played Nene and Marcin Gortat together despite the team's success with Paul Pierce and Drew Gooden as stretch 4s.
Simply put, underdogs don't knock off No. 1 seeds without their star players leading the charge.
Golden State Warriors at Memphis Grizzlies
From one point guard unlikely to play to another who made a speedier recover than anticipated, Conley made all the difference during Tuesday's upset.
A week removed from undergoing facial surgery, he dropped a game-high 22 points in Memphis' 97-90 victory. During Game 1's 101-86 defeat, fill-in Nick Calathes was held scoreless.
Per NBA TV, the Grizzlies are rolling when their ball-distributor is active:
During the postgame press conference, per USA Today's Sam Amick, Conley discussed his difficult decision to play:
"Monday was tough, because I'm getting all these people telling me they want me to play. My parents are like, no, you need to sit, make sure you're healthy. And I've got all these people pulling me left and right and I don't know what to do. So I'm just going to sacrifice and do what I've got to do for the team regardless if I score 20 (points) or had zero. Tonight I think my presence is being out there with the guys has just helped everybody mentally knowing that I'm going to push through and fight for them, so they pick me up as well.
"
Before getting too excited, note that the Warriors went 6-of-26 from downtown, with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson going a combined 3-of-17. While Tony Allen has flustered Thompson, don't expect Curry to miss another nine three-pointers.
One game doesn't offset Golden State's 67 regular-season wins and 10.1-point scoring margin. This is still the team to beat despite an off-shooting night, and Conley must continue to prove he's back to full strength.
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