Things move quickly in the NBA Playoffs as we are already heading to the 2nd round of the big dance. The opening round saw a few surprises and a few whippings in this years playoffs. Miami and San Antonio both swept, Chicago beat the Nets in seven, while the Knicks, Pacers, Thunder, Grizzlies, and Warriors had to go to six games to win their respective series. So with the 1st round of the playoffs in the books, we are ready to rock and roll on the 2nd round in the 2013 NBA playoffs. Here is how I see the 2nd round going down in this years post season.
The first matchup we look at in the 2nd round will be the #1 Miami Heat taking on the #5 Chicago Bulls. Miami got here on the strength of a four game sweep of the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round. This is the 3rd year in a row Miami will be playing in the 2nd round and the 8th time in franchise history they have made it out of round one. As for the Bulls, they had to go to seven games to get here but they did it by knocking off the Brooklyn Nets in a hard fought seven games. This is the 2nd time in the last five playoff appearances that the Bulls have made it to the 2nd round. Chicago has won four of the six meetings between the two teams in the playoffs. Miami won the last playoff meeting between the two teams in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals. During the regular season, these two clubs split the four games at two wins each.
Int heir opening round whipping of the Bucks, Miami was lead by who else but LeBron James, but he wasn't the only one who had an impact in this series. Ray Allen had an impact in this series and lead the Heat in scoring in game three. Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosch had a big impact in this series as well. Miami scored over 100 points in games one and three, scored 98 points in game two and 88 points in game four. The Heat had a margin of victory in the series of ten points and allowed no more than 91 points against in the series, and that was in the game three win. As for the Bulls, they have been playing without the services of possibly their best player in the form of Derek Rose, and they still found a way to beat a tough Nets team in the opening round. Jokaim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Nate Robinson and Luol Deng carried Chicago in that opening round win and made it tough on the Nets. With this matchup, it will be a much tougher challenge for the Heat than it was in the opening round. Chicago will put up a good fight, and the series will go six games but the Heat will take the series and move on to the conference finals.
Next series on the docket is the last matchup in the East will see the #2 New York Knicks play host to the #3 Indiana Pacers. New York got here after dispatching the Boston Celtics in six games. Carmelo Anthony lead the way for the Knicks in the win in the opening round, but he didn't do it all on his own. He got help from the likes of Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler, and Raymon Felton. This was the first time the Knicks have won their opening round series since, 1999-2000. In the last four trips to the playoffs by the Knicks before this season, they all ended with first round exits. This year the result changed and they will play on. Meanwhile, the Pacers got out of the first round with a six game series win over the Atlanta Hawks. Paul George, Roy Hillbert and George Stephenson lead the way for the Pacers in the opening round win. This is the 2nd straight year the Pacers have advanced to the 2nd round, and last year they were beaten by the Heat in the 2nd round.
This is a renewal of an old rivalry between the two teams, made famous by Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, and Spike Lee. These teams have met six times in the playoffs, each winning three series. In the last meeting, the Pacers beat the Knicks in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals in six games. This will be the most even matchup, and probably the most fun to watch, in the 2nd round of the playoffs. Indiana is going to prove to be the toughest test for the Knicks in the East, outside of Miami, and the Knicks are going to have to show in this series that they are a legit threat again. Paul George and David West are the best players for the Pacers that the Knicks are going have to key on to have a chance in this series. Same thing can be said about Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith for the Knicks. This will be a tough series, and its going to come down to the bench. Series goes seven games and i'll take the Knicks but its going to be a lot closer than the opening round for both clubs.
Now we move right along to the Western Conference and we start there with the #1 Oklahoma City Thunder playing the #5 Memphis Grizzlies. For Memphis this is only the 2nd time ever they have made it to the 2nd round of the playoffs, and the last time they did was back in 2011 where they lost to the Thunder in seven games (that was the only time these two have ever played in the playoffs). For the Thunder this is the third year in a row they have made it to round two. During the regular season Memphis took two of the three meetings between the two teams.
Oklahoma City got here with a six game win over Houston, with Kevin Durant leading the charge. What makes this surprising is that Russel Westbrook is out for the rest of the playoffs for the Thunder, but with Kevin Martin and Derek Fisher still on the roster behind Durant, the Thunder still pose a tough challenge for any opponent. Meanwhile Memphis got here by knocking off the LA Clippers in six games thanks to Chris Paul, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph leading the charge for the Grizzlies. This could be the lone surprise coming up in round two, and just like the Knicks series could come down to the bench. It will go seven games easily and the Thunder will pull it out, just purely on the fact that they have the deeper bench. This series is going to be a lot closer than the seeding will indicate.
Finally we take a look at the last series of this round as its the #2 San Antonio Spurs playing the #6 Golden State Warriors. The Spurs got here after a four game sweep of the Lakers, while the Warriors beat Denver in six. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan lead the way for the Spurs over LA, while Stephen Curry lead the charge for the Warriors over Denver. For the Spurs its the 3rd time in the last five years they've gotten out of the first round, while the Warriors have gotten to the 2nd round in both of their last playoff appearances, the last time coming in a 2007 loss in round two to the Jazz. These two teams have met once in the playoffs and the Warriors won the series in six games in 1991.
this is going to be yet another tight series in this round, and again a case of bench and role players will come into play. Golden State is a good team but the Spurs are still better and Ill take San Antonio in five.
So there you have the predictions for round two! Sit back relax and enjoy the series!
(note these predictions were made BEFORE the start of the 2nd round)
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