NBA Playoff Schedule 2016: Viewing Guide, Predictions for Conference Finals
Sixteen teams have turned into four in the NBA playoffs. It's conference finals time.
In the Eastern Conference, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers are on fire offensively and look like they're finally maximizing their potential, but they'll have to get past a second-seeded Toronto Raptors team that plays with heart and quite a bit of skill.
Out West, the No. 1-seeded Golden State Warriors will face the No. 3-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in what should be a series for the ages. Both squads possess a lot of talent and are formidable on both ends of the floor.
Let's take a look at the schedules and TV information for both series and then preview and predict the matchups.
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors | |||
| Game 1 (at Cleveland) | 5/17 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 2 (at Cleveland) | 5/19 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 3 (at Toronto) | 5/21 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 4 (at Toronto) | 5/23 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 5 (at Cleveland, if necessary) | 5/25 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 6 (at Toronto, if necessary) | 5/27 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 7 (at Cleveland, if necessary) | 5/29 | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | |||
| Game 1 (at Golden State) | 5/16 | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 2 (at Golden State) | 5/18 | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 3 (at Oklahoma City) | 5/22 | 8 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 4 (at Oklahoma City) | 5/24 | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 5 (at Golden State, if necessary) | 5/26 | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 6 (at Oklahoma City, if necessary) | 5/28 | 9 p.m. | TNT |
| Game 7 (at Golden State, if necessary) | 5/30 | 9 p.m. | TNT |
Predictions for Conference Finals
No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 2 Toronto Raptors
Cleveland will enter its second consecutive playoff round being much more rested than its opponent, as the Cavaliers finished off their conference semifinal series against the Atlanta Hawks on May 8, winning in four games. Meanwhile, the Raptors finished off a back-and-forth seven-game series Sunday against the Miami Heat, with three of the contests going into overtime.
Even disregarding the team's energy levels, though, Cleveland is hands down the better team in this matchup.
LeBron James is easily the series' best player (as he would be against any Eastern Conference opponent), and the Raptors' biggest problem will be finding a way to contain him. DeMarre Carroll is the top candidate to check him, but he hasn't been the same on defense since his knee surgery. The Indiana Pacers' Paul George gave Toronto trouble in the first round, and LeBron could do the same.
The Cavs' overall team chemistry is shining right now, and it's resulting in crisp ball movement and threes galore. Cleveland has knocked down 134 trifectas in the postseason, good for 16.8 per game. Even the vaunted Warriors outside attack is way behind at 12.2 threes made per contest.
Toronto's offense has a bad habit of stalling in the fourth quarter when the team has a lead, a habit that gets worse when center Jonas Valanciunas is injured. Per the Palm Beach Post's Jason Lieser, head coach Dwane Casey said Friday that Valanciunas "is nowhere close to being ready" after suffering an ankle sprain in Game 3 against the Heat. That's not good news for Toronto.
Expect the Raptors to grab one win at home behind explosive offensive outings from Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. But those two have been inconsistent, and the Cavs have been too strong on both ends to make this series a tight one.
Prediction: Cavaliers in 5
No. 1 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 3 Oklahoma City Thunder
Everyone assumed it would be the Warriors and San Antonio Spurs in the conference finals all year in an exciting series with lots of quality basketball from both teams. With the way the Thunder are playing and how easily they disposed of the Spurs, though, the Warriors-Thunder matchup may be the best option.
Golden State did well without unanimous MVP Stephen Curry for five full games plus a half during this playoff run, but it struggled to separate itself from the Portland Trail Blazers when he came back for Games 4 and 5. The squad's tendency to get lazy defensively despite possessing an excellent cast of players on that end has haunted it at several points during the postseason.
While Oklahoma City wasn't nearly as dominant as Golden State was during the regular season, it looked sharp after Game 1 against the Spurs in the second round.
Superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook can both win games by themselves if they get hot, Enes Kanter and Steven Adams are a force on the boards and Serge Ibaka, Dion Waiters and Andre Roberson are all playing well in their designated roles. Most importantly, the squad's defense was sharp against the Spurs.
The Warriors will be a different beast than the Spurs, though. After a few days off, Curry and Draymond Green should have shaken off the effects of some of their nagging injuries and will be ready to get back to their regular-season exploits. Golden State is much more athletic and will punish Oklahoma City in transition if it gets lazy with the ball.
Durant and Westbrook give the Thunder a chance in any series, and Oklahoma City's size in the frontcourt could cause rebounding problems for Golden State. (Warriors center Andrew Bogut is questionable for Monday's Game 1 with a shoulder injury, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's Rusty Simmons.)
But Golden State's offense, the extra gear the Warriors often find on defense and home-court advantage will prove just enough for head coach Steve Kerr's team to get past a hungry Thunder squad.
Prediction: Warriors in 7
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