NBA Playoffs 2015: Updated Championship Odds and Conference Finals Preview
An ever-unpredictable opening two rounds of the 2015 NBA playoffs didn't shake the top two seeds in each conference. Both will clash over the next two weeks for a coveted spot in the NBA Finals.
To say a rocky road brought us here would be an understatement, as the Houston Rockets had to overcome a 3-1 deficit to the Los Angeles Clippers just to make it this far. The other three members of the NBA's final four aren't without their battle wounds either, as each has been taken to six games by a foe thus far.
But the slate is wiped clean now, and eight wins from any of the four teams still left standing will result in a championship. With that in mind, let's take a look forward at the next round.
2015 NBA Playoffs: Conference Finals
| 1 | Wed., May 20 | Cleveland at Atlanta | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 2 | Fri., May 22 | Cleveland at Atlanta | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 3 | Sun., May 24 | Atlanta at Cleveland | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 4 | Tues., May 26 | Atlanta at Cleveland | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 5* | Thu., May 28 | Cleveland at Atlanta | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 6* | Sat., May 30 | Atlanta at Cleveland | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 7* | Mon., June 1 | Cleveland at Atlanta | 8:30 p.m. | TNT |
| 1 | Tues., May 19 | Houston at Golden State | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| 2 | Thu., May 21 | Houston at Golden State | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| 3 | Sat., May 23 | Golden State at Houston | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| 4 | Mon., May 25 | Golden State at Houston | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| 5* | Wed., May 27 | Houston at Golden State | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| 6* | Fri., May 29 | Golden State at Houston | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| 7* | Sun., May 31 | Houston at Golden State | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
Odds to Win 2015 NBA Finals
| Golden State Warriors | 4-7 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 9-4 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 8-1 |
| Houston Rockets | 10-1 |
Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.
Eastern Conference Finals
This year's conference finals feel like it's the dawn of a new era. It's filled with teams that don't have much experience at this level, but are hungry to build off of newfound success.
Perhaps the only similarity to recent years is the presence of one LeBron James.
His first season back with the Cleveland Cavaliers has been a bumpy one, but alas, he's led his Cavs back to the conference finals and is one series win away from a fifth consecutive NBA Finals appearance.
But doing just that won't be an easy task against an Atlanta Hawks team that wrecked the Eastern Conference throughout the season. Atlanta's regular-season dominance carried over to its season series with Cleveland, but Bleacher Report's Ethan J. Skolnick noted why that shouldn't be overanalyzed:
No team has a true answer for James, but the Hawks can offset the disadvantage by leaning on their balanced play. DeMarre Carroll could be a favorable defensive matchup to contain James one-on-one, but he'll certainly have his hands full.
The point guard battle could be an area where the Hawks flex their muscle. Jeff Teague has shown glimpses of greatness this postseason, and he figures to take advantage of a hobbled Kyrie Irving.
Western Conference Finals
For most of the last week, a meeting in the Western Conference Finals between bitter rivals Golden State and the Los Angeles Clippers seemed inevitable. However, the Houston Rockets had other ideas.
On the heels of an incredible Game 6 comeback, the Rockets ousted the Clippers at home in Game 7 to advance to face the Warriors. But they won't get much time to recover after Sunday's win, bouncing back for Game 1 in Golden State Tuesday night.
Even after overcoming a 3-1 deficit in jaw-dropping fashion, folks are still counting the Rockets out, including ESPN's Skip Bayless:
In fairness, it's easy to see why the Warriors are being touted as candidates to pull off a series sweep. Their only two playoff losses came in the first three games against the Memphis Grizzlies, before they got their act together and dominated the remainder of the series.
If James Harden truly takes offense to his MVP snub (and you know he does), he'll have the chance to make his case against Steph Curry—the man who took the award from his grasp. A couple of dominant performances would undoubtedly prove something to those who snubbed him.
Of course, it's not a one-on-one game, and the Warriors' overall team superiority will likely shine through. But with Rockets role players like Josh Smith, Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer coming into their own along with Dwight Howard's resurgence, that may not be the case.
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