NBA Playoffs 2015: Wednesday's Game Times, TV, Live Stream Coverage and Picks
What a set of conference semifinals matchups we have this season. The NBA gods are smiling upon us brighter than ever before.
What more could a basketball junkie ask for than a pair of Game 5 battles with each series knotted at 2-2?
John Wall is looming over the Atlanta Hawks-Washington Wizards series like a lion ready to pounce. The Hawks are desperately trying to end this series before he comes back. The Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors couldn't be more different, and the result of each game is an enthralling duel of high-octane offense versus punishing half-court defense.
So, what gives? Wednesday night will surely present us with a slightly clearer picture of the 2015 NBA playoff landscape.
| Matchup | Time (EST) | TV | Series |
| Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks | 8:00 p.m. | TNT | 2-2 |
| Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors | 10:30 p.m. | TNT | 2-2 |
Live streams for Wednesday's NBA games on TNT can be found right here.
Picks for Wednesday
Can the Hawks Make a Statement?
Atlanta stomped through the Eastern Conference with a loud 60-win campaign. Even through six playoff wins, the Hawks have yet to announce themselves. Even in victories, it has just felt like they were missing that little oomph.
We all thought this series was over when John Wall broke his wrist in five places. Paul Pierce felt otherwise by calling "game" in Game 3.
The big mystery of this entire series is if and when John Wall will make his return. His outlook seemed bleak, but in the biggest news involving basketball dribbling since James Naismith invented the sport and did it himself, ESPN has reported that Wall in fact dribbled and took shots in practice.
He is listed as questionable, and the Wizards' official Twitter account is feeling rather optimistic.
Not to be forgotten, the Hawks' leading scorer in this postseason suffered a bad hip pointer right at the end of Game 4 but should be able to give it a go on Wednesday. Yes, DeMarre Carroll is leading the Hawks in scoring. Their lone starter who didn't make the All-Star Game has been invaluable thus far.
He took a hard hit from Nene on a screen, as you can see via RealGM.com.
In order to win Game 5, Atlanta will need another big night from Jeff Teague. He finally capitalized on Wall's absence with 26 points in Game 4 and should be able to ride that confidence back home. The Hawks looked much more comfortable and well-rounded in Game 4, which is not a good sign for Washington.
I don't believe the Wiz Kids will pull this one off on Atlanta's home floor because the absence of Wall is starting to take its toll. Teague and Dennis Schroder are looking more comfortable each game, and there is too much responsibility in the hands of Bradley Beal and Otto Porter.
Al Horford and Paul Millsap also took it to the Wizards' vaunted front line in Game 4. It would be a huge letdown for Atlanta to drop this one after finally looking like its usual selves in the last contest. Expect another close battle, but the Hawks will hit enough big shots down the stretch.
Prediction: Atlanta 110, Washington 102
Have the Warriors Flipped the Script?
Memphis somehow held one of the best shooting teams ever to 6-of-26 from three-point range in back-to-back contests during Games 2 and 3.
Unsurprisingly, the Splash Bros had an answer. The Dubs hit 14 threes in Game 4, more than the previous two contests combined.
Including the postseason, there have been four occasions all year where an opponent has dropped at least 33 points on the Grizzlies. Two of those instances were courtesy of Stephen Curry, and the other was a 42-point outburst by Klay Thompson. C.J. McCollum got stupidly hot to produce the other game in Round 1, surprising us all.
AP Sports Writer Jim Reynolds also produced this noteworthy stat:
The point is, Game 4 was no fluke. The Warriors can outshoot a stellar defense.
As great as the Grizzlies have been in this series, they've yet to crack 100 points. You best believe Golden State is not going to stay under 95 points, at the very least back home at Oracle with this much on the line, so Memphis has to bring it.
We must not forget that Memphis won a Game 5 at Oklahoma City last year against the Thunder, so there's no question it will be prepared.
The X-factor for Wednesday is courtesy of Grizzlies sideline reporter Rob Fischer, and it's a big one.
The odds were against the Grizzlies with a healthy Tony Allen but at less than 100 percent, it stacks the deck considerably in Golden State's favor. That shooting slump is a thing of the past. The Dubs will head back to the Grindhouse up 3-2.
Prediction: Golden State 106, Memphis 94
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
