NBA Playoff Schedule 2015: Viewing Info for Remaining Postseason Games
One half of the puzzle is written in ink, and the other is written (firmly) in pencil.
The Cleveland Cavaliers completed their four-game sweep of the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night. The celebration that ensued was legendary. Would you expect anything different, though? After all, J.R. Smith is on the team.
In the West, the Golden State Warriors will look to finish off the Houston Rockets in Game 5 Wednesday night.
When the Cavs and the Dubs both led 3-0, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported that the league would explore the possibility of moving up the Finals’ start date. But since Houston stole Game 4, things look to be set in stone.
Check out the rest of the Western Conference Finals and the Finals schedules below.
How to Watch
WCF
| 5 | May 27 | Rockets at Warriors | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| 6* | May 29 | Warriors at Rockets | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| 7* | May 31 | Rockets at Warriors | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
NBA Finals
| 1 | June 4 | Cavs at GSW/HOU | 9 p.m. | ABC |
| 2 | June 7 | Cavs at GSW/HOU | 8 p.m. | ABC |
| 3 | June 9 | GSW/HOU at Cavs | 9 p.m. | ABC |
| 4 | June 11 | GSW/HOU at Cavs | 9 p.m. | ABC |
| 5* | June 14 | Cavs at GSW/HOU | 8 p.m. | ABC |
| 6* | June 16 | GSW/HOU at Cavs | 9 p.m. | ABC |
| 7* | June 19 | Cavs at GSW/HOU | 9 p.m. | ABC |
Key Cavs X-Factors
Regardless of who Cleveland plays for the title, the team will depend on players stepping up around James. Let's look at two of the biggest X-factors.
Delly's D
Second-year guard Matthew Dellavedova has become notorious, glorified, loved and hated throughout these playoffs (depending on whom you talk to). He’s a scrappy defender and a capable shooter, but he’s drawn criticism for playing “dirty.”
Oh, please. The kid just plays hard.
James defended his teammate on May 25, per NBA on ESPN:
Brad Winton of Juco.com concurs:
ESPN’s Seth Greenberg agrees, too:
Cleveland thrives off of Delly’s dive-on-the-floor feistiness. The fans love him, because he’s a likable character and a player who steps up when it matters most—in this case, when Kyrie Irving was forced to sit.
He’s going to have his hands full with Stephen Curry in the next round if Golden State wins. But Mike Conley and Tony Allen slowed the MVP with physical, in-your-face defense in the conference semis. If Dellavedova can find a way to make Curry work a little harder than normal, he’ll have done his job.
Similarly, Cleveland could sic Delly on James Harden for stretches if Houston makes a miraculous comeback.
Tristan Thompson on the Boards
Tristan Thompson attacks the glass ravenously.
The forward pulled down 11 boards in Game 4 against Atlanta, five of which came on the offensive end. As a team, Atlanta had seven offensive rebounds—just two more than Thompson.
He’s averaged 9.4 points per game throughout these playoffs, which really isn't overly impressive. But that’s not why TT is going to cash in this summer. He earned his paycheck on the glass and on the defensive end.
Thompson earned himself a technical foul at halftime of Game 4 for going toe-to-toe with Kent Bazemore at the buzzer. He’s a bruiser and a baller, very similar to Dellavedova. ESPN’s Doug Gottlieb has another comparison: the Warriors’ Draymond Green:
If Thompson can get going against Golden State’s front line of Green and Andrew Bogut, the Dubs might be in trouble. The same goes for Josh Smith and Terrence Jones in Houston.
In addition to his already known rebounding prowess, Cleveland’s big man displayed some legitimate offensive skills in the conference finals while still rocking the rim.
James recently had high praise for Thompson, per ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin:
Just imagine what James will be saying if Thompson helps him give Cleveland its first title in franchise history.
Stats are accurate courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
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