NBA Playoff Schedule 2015: Viewing Guide, Predictions for Conference Finals
Two days.
That’s it—just 48 hours stand between us and the Conference Finals, where the top two teams from the East and West clash for a chance to play for an NBA title.
From the East, it will be the Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks. Outside of the group who unwisely picked against LeBron James when he took on Chicago Bulls in Round 2, this is pretty much what everyone expected.
On the other side, the Golden State Warriors will square off against the Houston Rockets in what is sure to be a good ol' fashion Western shootout.
Predictions and viewing guides for both series are included below.
How to Watch
| Game 1 | Cavaliers at Hawks | May 20 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 2 | Cavaliers at Hawks | May 22 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 3 | Hawks at Cavaliers | May 24 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 4 | Hawks at Cavaliers | May 26 | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 5 (if needed) | Cavaliers at Hawks | May 28 | TBD | TNT |
| Game 6 (if needed) | Hawks at Cavaliers | May 30 | TBD | TNT |
| Game 7 (if needed) | Cavaliers at Hawks | June 1 | TBD | TNT |
| Game 1 | Rockets at Warriors | May 19 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 2 | Rockets at Warriors | May 21 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 3 | Warriors at Rockets | May 23 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 4 | Warriors at Rockets | May 25 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 5 (if needed) | Rockets at Warriors | May 27 | TBD | ESPN |
| Game 6 (if needed) | Warriors at Rockets | May 29 | TBD | ESPN |
| Game 7 (if needed) | Rockets at Warriors | May 31 | TBD | ESPN |
Predictions
West
As much as we want to see a great series that goes seven games, there’s a strong chance this one will be an emphatic beatdown.
The Memphis Grizzlies pushed the Warriors because of Mike Conley's and Tony Allen’s devastating defense on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Serious question: Who are the Rockets going to put on the Splash Bros?
It doesn’t matter, because Curry and Thompson will destroy Pablo Prigioni, Jason Terry, James Harden, the guy who sells hot dogs—whoever it is.
ESPN recapped the regular-season meetings between these two teams, which seems to foreshadow promising things for the Dubs:
Trevor Ariza is a viable option for Kevin McHale to sic on the league’s best backcourt, but that would force Harden into a mismatch on a wing like Harrison Barnes.
Could Houston steal a few games and push this series to six or even seven? Absolutely.
Harden is one of the league’s biggest and brightest superstars. Having finished No. 2 in MVP voting to none other than Golden State’s golden boy, the Beard will likely be playing with an enormous chip on his shoulder.
But barring a Los Angeles Clippers-esque collapse, Golden State should win this comfortably and move on to the NBA Finals.
East
The Hawks are better and deeper than the Cavaliers at almost every position. They shoot a higher percentage from the field and from three-point land. They’re healthier and bigger, too.
But they don’t have a King.
Atlanta has proven to be very vulnerable to superstar explosions. It was Deron Williams (for a night) and Brook Lopez in Round 1 and John Wall in Round 2. Despite having four All-Stars, ATL has a gaping hole in the star department,
If Kyrie Irving is healthy, this series won’t be close. Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported on Saturday that the point guard didn’t practice after exiting Game 6 with a knee injury:
Irving has also been battling tendinitis in his left knee and a sprain in his right foot. With the 23-year-old on the floor during the regular season, Cleveland’s offensive rating jumps from 103.8 to 114.1, according to Baskeball-Reference.com.
Maybe Irving won’t play, though. Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder will give the Cavs all kinds of headaches if that’s the case. But James, even on a team severely damaged by injuries, makes Cleveland the favorite.
If Irving's health bar is around 90 percent, the Cavs could take care of business in five—and that's generous to Atlanta.
With James handling things on his own, give the Hawks at least six games before Cleveland returns to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006-07.
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