NBA Playoffs 2015: Updated Conference Brackets, Postseason Records and Odds
None of the four remaining NBA teams have driven a paved path to the conference finals.
Although the top two seeds prevailed from each side, claiming the better teams handled their business doesn't do the second round justice. Each squad trailed at one point before storming back to take the series.
| Atlanta Hawks | Nets (4-2) | Wizards (4-2) |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Celtics (4-0) | Bulls (4-2) |
| Golden State Warriors | Pelicans (4-0) | Grizzlies (4-2) |
| Houston Rockets | Mavericks (4-1) | Clippers (4-3) |
They all entered Game 4 down 2-1, and the Houston Rockets made their journey extra difficult by losing that matchup as well. Yet here they stand, eight victories away from capturing the championship.
Based on the latest championship odds, courtesy of Odds Shark, Vegas clearly expects to see the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers do battle in the NBA Finals. They're probably right, but let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet.
| Golden State Warriors | 4-7 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 13-5 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 9-1 |
| Houston Rockets | 10-1 |
Conference Finals Matchups
Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets
Down 3-1 against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Rockets defied the odds and saved the series' most one-sided series. As their reward for turning the tables and seizing the momentum, Houston enters its new slate as monumental underdogs.
Odds Shark touts the Warriors as 10-point favorites to seize Game 1 at the Oracle Arena, where they have lost three times this year. Although seemingly harsh at first, the Warriors won all four of their regular-season meetings by double digits, averaging a 15.3-point margin of victory.
Along with earning 11 additional victories during the season, Golden State boasted a significantly higher point differential. Per ESPN's Kevin Pelton, it's the third-greatest discrepancy in Conference Finals history:
Despite a brief two-game scare against the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State is 8-2 this postseason with a plus-8.0 point differential. Houston sports a plus-nine scoring margin throughout the entire playoffs, dropping all four of their defeats by double digits.
Careful not to provide the Rockets any more "Nobody believes in us" fuel, head coach Steve Kerr dismissed his club's season dominance to Jeff Faraudo of the San Jose Mercury News.
"We saw Memphis three times, saw New Orleans four times, but they looked different in the playoffs," Kerr said. "Every series presents a different challenge, but when you get to the conference finals whoever you're playing is playing with a lot of confidence, playing well. It'll be a big challenge."
When juggling his rotation, Kerr should take note of an observation from ESPN's Tom Haberstroh, who pinpointed a particularly successful combination:
Andre Iguodala will prove especially vital guarding James Harden, who generated a 40.5 field-goal percentage against the Warriors.
Atlanta Hawks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
Yes, the Cavaliers have LeBron James, who won the East in each of the past four years. And yes, the Atlanta Hawks haven't looked particularly great this postseason, winning two six-game series. Although they erased a 2-1 deficit, they outscored the Washington Wizards by nine combined points throughout their last three victories. Paul Pierce came fractions of a second away from sending the clinching Game 6 into overtime.
The Hawks have their problems, but the Cavaliers are far from perfect. Without Kevin Love, they averaged 96.7 points per game against the Chicago Bulls, hindered further by Kyrie Irving's knee injury.
Not his usual self, the 23-year-old point guard averaged 17.5 points on 42.5 percent shooting, adding just 2.7 assists. He exited the final game after 12 minutes, and Cleveland wound up playing its best game of the series.
Yet the Cavaliers can't ride Matthew Dellavedova to the Finals. They'll need a healthy Irving to match points with a dangerous Hawks offense, and the early chatter is promising. According to the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore, Irving reported feeling much better:
Head coach David Blatt also passed along a good word to ESPN's Brian Windhorst after Tuesday's practice:
Receiving five days of rest before Game 1 will help Irving, whose presence will ease James' burden. Although he stuffed the stat sheet against Chicago, James shot an inefficient 39.9 percent, remaining ice-cold from three-point territory (3-of-28).
Before reading too much into Atlanta taking three of four season meetings, only one victory came after Cleveland acquired Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith. Mozgov has provided much-needed size down low, while the New York Knicks guards fit perfectly into their new roles.
Smith offers instant offense as a spot-up shooter, having already made 151 three-pointers in 56 games with his new franchise. After scoring 12.7 points per game against the Bulls, Shumpert will likely be tasked with chasing Kyle Korver through screens.
Per NBA.com, the Cavaliers leads all teams with a plus-9.5 playoff net rating. They'll need to play quicker and crisper on the offensive end, but their defensive resurgence should return James to the Finals.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
