NBA Playoof Outlook

The NBA playoffs are starting to heat up as teams begin to play their game threes and fours. Like many experts like to say, the playoffs don’t really start until a series is tied 2-2, or nobody has control until they’re up 3-0. So, this is the time when those viewpoints truly come into focus.

 

For instance, The Utah Jazz barely won game three and were laid to waste in games one and two. The sad thing for them was they didn’t fair too well in game four in Utah either, and got beat. They are down 3-1 and should be done.

 

Over in the east, the Cavaliers swept the Detroit Pistons and get to wait it out a few days before they’ll see anymore action.

 

Back west again, the New Orleans Hornets kind of looked like the Jazz in their game three as they had to scrap just to get a win and bring the series to 2-1 and make things interesting. Now, if they can win their game four, they’ll completely change the landscape of the series as Denver had dominated them in games one and two, by evening things out at 2-2.

 

The two and sevens in the east are an enigma to me. Both teams have won a road game and lost a home game. The most interesting factor to me is that Chicago can only beat Boston in overtime!

 

Another big whopper of a surprise is the battle between the Mavericks and Spurs. The Mavericks have jumped out to a 3-1 series lead and in all three of those wins they have looked fairly dominant with their defense and confidence moving the ball.

 

Even the three seeded Orlando Magic have run into their share of trouble by falling to a 2-1 deficit against the sixth seeded Philadelphia 76ers before finally tying things up 2-2 last night in Philly.

 

Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets have really taken charge in their matchup versus the Portland Trail Blazers where they currently lead 3-1. The Blazers have only been dominated in one of those games, game one. However, since overcoming those young playoff willies they have performed very tough and although they are down 3-1 they certainly are not competing like a team who is down 3-1 in a series.

 

As for the Heat and Hawks, game one made things look like the Hawks might be getting ready for the second round soon. However, since being blown out in game one, Miami has won a dominating game two, and succeeded in a blowout game three in Miami. Now the tables have turned and the Hawks have to prove they were worthy of hosting the series by winning game four.

 

Basically, if a series gets tied up at 2-2… watch it. If a higher seed is down 3-1… watch it. The higher seeds do not tend to go away too easily. Anything else is either over or about to be.