NBA Playoffs 2018: Saturday TV Schedule, Odds and Bracket Predictions
On January 22, the Utah Jazz fell to 19-28 after losing to the Atlanta Hawks, who finished the year with one of the league's worst win-loss records. The defeat dropped the Jazz five games behind the Denver Nuggets for the Western Conference's final playoff spot.
However, the Jazz have since gone on a three-month tear, winning 29 of 35 regular-season matchups and beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in six first-round games to advance to the conference semifinals against the Houston Rockets.
Rookie guard Donovan Mitchell has been the catalyst for Utah's success, and his remarkable play will be one of the more interesting storylines to watch for the remainder of the postseason. You can review a deeper dive in regards to that below, in addition to analysis on the puzzling Cleveland Cavaliers.
Furthermore, here's a look at Saturday's television schedule, the odds (from OddsShark) and bracket predictions.
Saturday TV Schedule and Odds
8 p.m. on TNT: Milwaukee at Boston (-4.5, 195 O/U)
10:30 p.m. on TNT: New Orleans at Golden State (-9, 224 O/U)
Bracket Predictions
First Round
Cleveland over Indiana in seven; Boston over Milwaukee in seven.
Conference Semifinals
Houston over Utah in five; Golden State over New Orleans in five; Cleveland over Toronto in seven; Philadelphia over Boston in six.
Conference Finals
Houston over Golden State in seven; Cleveland over Philadelphia in seven.
NBA Finals
Cleveland over Houston in seven.
Superstar Donovan Mitchell
If a postseason MVP award existed, it might go to Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, who has averaged 32.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists in six games. The runner-up is a tough call, but it would be between New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis, Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.
The last player is the most interesting of the bunch, as he stands out for a few reasons. First, the others are No. 1 overall picks, while Mitchell was taken at the back end of the lottery last season. Second, Mitchell wasn't picked with the idea that he would be Utah's No. 1 option this year.
Mitchell's growth and development from role player at the beginning of the season to legitimate superstar has been one of the league's most remarkable storylines. After averaging 20.5 points during the regular season, Mitchell became an absolute force in the playoffs, posting 28.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
He also notably feeds off the energy of the home crowd, like when he dropped 38 points in Game 6 and another 33 in Game 4. The 38-point performance was something no rookie had done in the playoffs in quite some time, per Bleacher Report:
Mitchell and the Jazz have a difficult task ahead of them in a matchup with the Houston Rockets, who could provide difficulties thanks to their litany of three-point shooters. Still, a Jazz upset isn't implausible due to Mitchell's remarkable play of late.
What Happened To the Cleveland Cavaliers?
In case you're wondering why you see the Cavaliers predicted as NBA champions above given their first-round struggles, it's because I made the pick before the playoffs. I can't flake out now with the Cavs still in the picture.
Confidence is low after the Cavs' 121-87 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday, which forced a deciding Game 7 on Sunday. However, it's also possible LeBron James averages something close to 35 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists the rest of the way en route a championship and the greatest individual postseason in NBA history. It's not likely, but doubting James and his team is never a comfortable bet.
The Cavs look like they corrected course by winning nine of 10 games near the end of the season, which helped them gain home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. That stretch included five wins over playoff teams (New Orleans, Washington, Milwaukee and Toronto twice).
The defense was inconsistent throughout that stretch, but the offense was on fire, and the team looked like it was finally starting to jell after the roster was overhauled prior to the trade deadline.
The Cavs have held serve at home, with three close wins against the Pacers thus far, but they've struggled in Indiana, losing their three games by an average of 18 points.
On offense, the primary problem has been the lack of supplementary scoring. Kevin Love, who averaged 17.6 points per game during the regular season, has posted just 11.0 points a night in the postseason. That mark is second on the team, and no other Cavalier is averaging double-digit scoring figures.
On defense, the Cavs have alternated between struggling to defend the three-pointer (the Pacers knocked down 15 of 30 treys in their blowout Game 6 win), the bench (Lance Stephenson and Domantas Sabonis have combined to average 23.6 points) and Victor Oladipo (who scored 32 in Game 1 and posted a 28-point triple-double in Game 6).
Ultimately, the Cavs' supporting cast needs to step up, and the team defense needs to improve if the Cavs are to win Sunday and have any chance at a deep playoff run.
