NBA Playoffs 2018: Updated Bracket Results, Odds and Championship Predictions
Things are really starting to heat up in the semifinal round of the 2018 NBA playoffs.
Four of the eight teams—the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers—were in action Thursday night.
LeBron James did otherworldly LeBron James things against the Raptors, barreling his way to 43 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds to help the Cavs put the kibosh on DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry's quest to finally beat the King in the postseason.
Cleveland is up 2-0 on Toronto, which not only led the Eastern Conference with 59 wins in the regular season but also changed the way they play to beat No. 23 and The Land.
On paper, the Raptors should be able to beat the Cavs, but it looks as if James has the team that proudly proclaims "We the North" shaken to the point that they might not believe that they can beat him.
Philly vs. Boston was a thriller all the way until the final buzzer, but in the end, the Celtics prevailed for a 2-0 lead in the series.
Now that these teams have established a footing in their respective matchups, we are starting to get a feel for how the semis will play out. We'll make predictions on the outcomes and take a look at the latest championship odds, according to OddsShark.com.
NBA Playoffs: Semifinal Round Standings and Predictions
Eastern Conference
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors | Record: CLE 2-0 | Prediction: CLE 4-1
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers | Record: BOS 2-0 | Prediction: BOS 4-2
Eastern Conference
Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans | Record: GS 2-0 | Prediction: GS 4-1
Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz | Record: Tied 1-1 | Prediction: HOU 4-2
Playoff Predictions
Conference Finals
Cavaliers over Celtics 4-3
Warriors over Rockets 4-3
Finals
Warriors over Cavaliers 4-2
Championship Odds
Golden State Warriors -120
Houston Rockets +200
Cleveland Cavaliers +1000
Philadelphia 76ers +1100
Toronto Raptors +1200
Boston Celtics +5000
Utah Jazz +6000
New Orleans Pelicans +12500
Latest Buzz
Kevin Love Sighting
For much of the postseason, much has been made about the lack of help James is getting while willing his team to victory.
On Thursday night, Kevin Love decided to show up, playing the perfect tag team partner by dropping 31 points and 11 rebounds to help the Cavs secure a 128-110 win to put his team up 2-0 in the series.
With Love hitting open shots, he had 18 points by halftime. That opened up the floor for James, who took over the game in the second half, scoring 27 points.
"I made some shots. I mean, as simple as that," Love told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. "I know it's funny to say, but I've had a lot of great looks and really uncharacteristic misses for me. It's not like I forgot how to play the game of basketball."
If Love continues to play like this, there's really no way the Raptors will be able to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 3 tips off in Cleveland at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Boston Finds Ben Simmons Cheat Code
The Celtics were pretty good on the defensive end during the regular season, landing at No. 7 in the defensive rating (107.2), but no one expected them to be able to shut down Ben Simmons.
Boston held the presumptive Rookie of the Year to one point.
Simmons finished 0-of-4 from the floor. It was the first time in his career that he did not make a field goal in a game.
He did have seven assists and five rebounds, but his five turnovers basically canceled that out.
His excuse?
"I think mentally, I was thinking too much," Simmons said, via Marc D'Amico of Celtics.com.
Because of his poor play, Simmons was benched for most of the fourth quarter as Boston rallied, overcoming a 22-point deficit to take a 2-0 lead in the series with a 108-103 win.
Simmons will no doubt bounce back from Thursday night's dud, but will it be enough to get the Sixers back in the series?
Philadelphia hosts Game 3 on Saturday, with a 5 p.m. ET tipoff.
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