FROM BEYOND THE ARC By: Police Chief Inspector Rico C Santotome Jr (OS), RN, MPM My 2014 NBA Playoffs Predictions Were down to eight teams in the National Basketball Association postseason as powerhouse teams like defending champion Miami, fellow top seeded ballclubs Indiana and San Antonio as well as tournament darkhorse Oklahoma City all survived the first round of the playoffs via hard earned victories. Season 68 will be best remembered by an NBA record five pairings ending in a Game Seven right in the very first round even as the top four quintets qualified into the next stage. Today, I will be weighing the teams in the conference semifinals as to their strengths and weaknesses, to wit: Miami-Brooklyn. The reigning NBA champs Heat are definitely just right on track for a three-peat with Miami sweeping Charlotte in the first round, 4-0. However, the Nets also swept LeBron James and company in the regular season in four games and the age factor doesnt suit well with Coach Erik Speolstras quintet. Although the Heat are favored to win the series over the No. 6 seeded Nets which edged No. 3 Toronto in the first round, neophyte mentor Jason Kidd and his Brooklyn quintet is capable of an upset victory what with Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in one team opposite James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen. Prediction: Heat in seven. Indiana-Washington. After a grueling 4-3 series triumph over lowly Atlanta, the Pacers stock took a huge dip as Indiana try to salvage some pride in facing the surprising Washington Wizards, the No. 5 seeded quintet in the East. John Wall and company bested Chicago in five games in the first round but Indiana won the regular season series meeting, 2-1, over the Wizards. The seemingly tired and listless Pacers of Coach Frank Vogel are on a mini slide after letting go of old reliable Danny Granger while signing Evan Turner and Andrew Bynum in the process late in the season. Players like Roy Hibbert, Paul George, David West and Lance Stephenson must step up against Wall, Bradley Beal, Nene, Trevor Ariza and Marcin Gortat in order for the Pacers to advance into the conference finals. Prediction: Pacers in six games. San Antonio-Portland. These two Western Conference quintets split their regular season match-up at 2-all although the Spurs finished on top of everybody else in the elims. But No. 8 Dallas made life more difficult for San Antonio by extending their first-round playoff series to a winner-take-all meeting yesterday although the Spurs won by a mile, 119-96. As for the Trailblazers, Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge remain a potent pair for Portland as Rip City try to score another upset win over the top seeded Spurs of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili after the fifth seeds won over the No. 4 Houston Rockets of Dwight Howard and James Harden in six games in the opening round. Prediction: Trailblazers in seven outings. Oklahoma City-Los Angeles Clippers. The Thunder-Clippers conference semis duel will be an interesting match-up in the postseason with No. 2 Oklahoma City slightly favored over the No. 3 seeded Clippers. Scoring champion Kevin Durant and guard Russell Westbrook will definitely pose a big threat to Lob City in the second round of the playoffs. But in the aftermath of Clippers team owner Donald Sterlings banishment and his big $2.5 million fine by the NBA for his racist statements, LA is definitely a team out to prove something following their 4-3 series triumph over No. 6 Golden State behind Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Sixth Man Player of the Year Jamal Crawford. Prediction: Clippers in seven games. Belated happy fiesta to the people of Brgy Antipolo, Pontevedra and also to the residents of Dumangas town in Iloilo province on the occasion of their respective annual fiesta yesterday, May 5.... (For comments, you may forward them to my mobile number: 09192777888 or you may send your messages to my E-mail/Facebook account: ricosantotome@yahoo or follow me in my Twitter account: RicSantotomeJr)
Posted on: Mon, 05 May 2014 06:20:32 +0000
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