after the game 5's

Eastern Conference

Pistons beat Magic 4-1

The Pistons won another close game against the Magic. The Pistons made the plays down the stretch and the Magic simply didn't. The Magic put up good fights in Games 2-5 but they simply weren't good enough to take advantage of Billups missing most of Game 3 and all of Games 4 and 5. If the Magic make some tweaks to their roster they will be a force for years to come.

Celtics lead Cavs 3-2

Nothing too surprising happened in Game 5 if you consider the regular season but if you consider what happened in the 1st four games then a lot of crazy things happened - LeBron dropped 23 in the 1st half and 35 for the game, KG had a beast game with 26 and 16 and actually showed up in the 4th qtr, Doc pulled the plug on Sam I Am early and Rondo flourished (20 and 13 dimes). I was glad to see a relatively well played game. With their continued road struggles I don't think the Celtics will win in Cleveland but they will handle them at home in Game 7.

Western Conference

Lakers lead Jazz 3-2

This has been the most entertaining series of the 2nd round so far and that continued in Game 5. This game was highly entertaining with Utah continually tying the score but never being able to take the lead. They were within 1 point in the final minute but couldn't make enough plays to win. As Barkley said on Inside the NBA, the Lakers might have the real big 3 - Kobe (26, 6, and 7), Pauuuu (21, 6, and 8) and LO (22, 11, and 1). The Lakers will be hard pressed to win Game 6 in Utah but if the players around Kobe step up on the road like they do at home then they will have a very good chance to close the series out. Because Kobe's back is hurting I give Utah the edge at home and expect the Lakers to take the series in 7 like originally predicted.

Hornets lead Spurs 3-2

Nothing changed in Game 5. The home team is down at halftime but the home team dominates the 3rd quarter and ends up winning by double digits. David West had a career game (36 and 14) and if the Spurs want to avoid putting Duncan on him then he is going to keep beasting (at least in NO) and the Hornets will win this series. I'm very surprised that a veteran team like the Spurs repeatedly gives up leads but maybe NO is just slightly better. The Spurs will win Game 6 but I will be watching it closely to see HOW they win Game 6. I still think they can win in NO and if they dominate Game 6 from the start that will only increase that belief.

after all the game 4's

Western Conference

1. Los Angeles Lakers vs 4. Utah Jazz - tied 2-2

This series has gone pretty much to form so far. Many experts predicted a long series and this series is now guaranteed to go 6 games. The Lakers weren't really threatened in the 1st 2 games and the Jazz held off the Lakers in their 2 home games. The Lakers really should be up 3-1 but Kobe's injury and bad execution hurt them in Game 4. The Lakers may have some pressure on them to win Game 5 but the Jazz really haven't showed that they can win on the road in LA. Kobe says his back is fine and he has an extra day of rest before Game 5. I still see the Lakers winning this series.

2. New Orleans Hornets vs. 3. San Antonio Spurs - tied 2-2

This series has been filled with double digit victories. New Orleans looked unstoppable at home in Games 1 and 2 and then the Spurs looked unstoppable at home in Games 3 and 4. Duncan looked better Games 3 and 4 and maybe the fever was the primary cause of his struggles in the first two games. The Spurs have decided to let Chris Paul get his and try to stop the other Hornets. Bowen is now guarding Peja instead of CP3 and it is slowing Peja down. The Hornets were unable to run in San Antonio. I think the Hornets bounce back in Game 5 but the Spurs may win in 7.

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Celtics vs 4. Cleveland Cavaliers - tied 2-2

Man what an ugly series. Boston hasn't cracked 90 points in any game and Cleveland has only once. LeBron James is shooting 25% in the series but the Cavs are somehow tied with the Celtics...and that is because the Celtics apparently cannot win on the road (0-5 in the playoffs). If I was a Celtics fan I would be a little worried. The Cavs almost stole Game 1 in Boston and they've obviously showed they can win at home with ease. Boston's supposed Big 3 isn't playing that well and I would worry about KG (0 pts!) and Ray Ray disappearing in the fourth quarter in Game 4. I still give Boston the edge because of how they play at home but they need to stop messing around.

2. Detroit Pistons vs. 3. Orlando Magic - Pistons lead 3-1

The Magic have to really be kicking themselves. They didn't execute at the end of Game 2 and they were screwed at the end of the third quarter during that game. They blew a 15 pt lead and again didn't execute at the end of Game 4 even though the Pistons were missing Chauncey Billups. Now, Jameer Nelson is guaranteeing a Game 5 victory in Detroit which makes no sense since they just lost to them at home. Pistons win Game 5. This series is over.

Celtics-Cavs Prediction

1. Boston Celtics (4-3 vs Hawks) vs. 4. Cleveland Cavs (4-2 vs Wizards)

On paper this should be a mismatch. Boston was 66-16 with a +10.3 point differential while Cleveland was 45-37 with a -0.4 point differential. In reality, this series should be competitive. Boston was taken to a Game 7 by Atlanta which no one expected. Cleveland handled a injury-riddled Washington team in 6 games after playing mediocre to end the season.

Key points IMO

- Cleveland is not as nearly as athletic as Atlanta is. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Al Horford, and Josh Childress are all good or great athletes and they caused problems for Boston. LeBron is probably the best athlete in the league but the Cavs don't have many other athletes.

- Boston plays great team defense and they are a much better defensive team than Washington. The '07 Cavs (who were a better team then this year) got swept by a great defensive team in the Spurs in the finals.

- Some people are doubting the Celtics because they didn't win a road game against a 37 win team and they had trouble closing games. Since they have home-court advantage they don't have to win a road game especially since they've been untouchable at home. I think Boston will be ready for close games now that they've been woken up by Atlanta.

I have a hard time believing Cleveland can win in Boston and I think Boston can and will win a road game in this series. They were great on the road during the season (31-10). I don't feel great going against LeBron but the Celtics are simply too dominant.Lebron will cause problems in close games but I don't think most of the games will be close. Boston in 6

Onto the 2nd Round

It's funny that out all of the supposed competitive series the NBA had in the 1st round that the only one that is going 7 is the Celtics and Hawks. Can the Hawks pull off the biggest upset ever? I don't think so but hey I didn't think they would win a game. The last conference semifinal prediction will come Sunday or Monday after that Game 7.

I believe the 2nd round this year is due for some memorable moments like the one above (Fisher 0.4). Onto the predictions.

Eastern Semifinals

1st round performance in parenthesis
2. Detroit Pistons (4-2 over Sixers) vs 3. Orlando Magic (4-1 over Raptors)

This is a very interesting series. Detroit seemed to wake up during halftime of Game 4 and completely dominated the Sixers from that point on. The Magic handled the Raptors with ease even though they didn't shoot the three well besides the 1st quarter of Game 1. The Magic are clearly a lot better than Philly but Philly only caused problems when the Pistons were sleeping. I think the Pistons will be more mentally prepared this series. Dwight Howard is going to cause a lot of problems for the Pistons especially if they don't double him. But the only two Magic players really having a good series are Howard and whoever Prince doesn't guard between Turkoglu and Lewis. The Pistons don't like the double and they will prevent the Magic from getting a lot of open 3's. I believe the Pistons' offensive versatility will be the key. If Billups gets everyone involved and the team moves the ball I don't believe the Magic can stop them defensively. The Magic also don't have someone like LeBron who can completely dominate from the perimeter inward and expose the Pistons' unwillingness to double team. The Pistons' arrogance could cost them a game or two but not the series. Pistons in 6

Western Semifinals

1. Los Angeles Lakers (4-0 over Nuggets) vs 4. Utah Jazz (4-2 over Rockets)

This could possibly the best series of the entire playoffs. Both teams have a lot of offensive firepower with some questions on the defensive end. Both teams run their offenses very efficiently. Utah has clear advantages at PG and PF with Deron and Boozer. Los Angeles has clear advantages at SG and C with The MVP and Gasol. SF could go either way as Kirilenko is known for his defense and Vlad Rad is known for his shooting. I believe the benches could be very important. Both teams bring scorers and bangers off the bench.

I believe there are a few keys to this series. Can the Lakers contain Deron Williams? They can't allow him to score at will and get others involved. They must guard the pick n roll well. Can Utah slow Kobe down at all? Kobe has torched them during the regular season even though they have some good defenders like Brewer and AK-47. Kobe is going to get his regardless but if they let him do it very efficiently then they are in trouble. I'll believe the Lakers having the best player in the series and homecourt advantage will lead to victory. Lakers in 7

2. New Orleans Hornets (4-1 over Mavs) vs 3. San Antonio Spurs (4-1 over Suns)

Both teams easily handled their first round opponents who had made major trades during the season. The Hornets simply outclassed the Mavs while the Spurs simply outexecuted the Suns. The Hornets showed that talent can trump playoff experience while the Spurs showed that you have to TAKE out the champs instead of expecting them to go away quietly. Although the Spurs have not repeated following a championship they have lost to the Shaq-Kobe Lakers in '04 and the Mavericks (who should have won the title) in 7 games in '06. In '00 Duncan missed their 1st round loss with an injury. It's safe to say that they will not go away quietly. I do believe the Hornets have the talent to take it away from them. I do not believe they are mentally ready to do so. I believe teams must experience tough playoff games along with some heartbreak before they are ready to defeat a great veteran team.

There are some great matchups. Cp3 is the best point guard in the game while Tony Parker might be the quickest. Neither is a great on the ball defender so I can see them both having ridiculous numbers. Duncan might the best power forward of all time but I can see Chandler and West doing a decent job on him. They also will not allow the pick and roll with Parker and Duncan to work as well as it did against the Suns. If I'm a Hornets fan I worry a lot about Ginobili. Neither Peterson nor Peja can guard him and I think he will be the X-factor. The Hornets have impressed me a lot this season but the Spurs are most definitely not the Mavs. Spurs in 6