After Game 1 people took to one of two sides. The first: The win was a fluke. The Bulls got lucky, LeBron wasn’t aggressive and that’s the only one they’ll win the rest of the way. The second: The Bulls’ defense is the best in the NBA and they have a real chance to kick off the Heat.

After Game 2 the bandwagon tipped back to Miami and people fell back to earth and realized a depleted roster without many scorers don’t have a good chance of beating Miami.

Now the series touches down in Chicago and they have their home-crowd behind them. Chicago desperately needs a big game at home in the next few nights. Losing both will most definitely result in either a 5 or 6 game route. For Chicago, who is essentially playing a starting lineup of role players, the home-crowd will be huge for them. Role players play better when they’re at home; it’s just what happens. Underdogs play better with their home-crowd as well so although they are depleted their crowd should provide them with an edge.

However, like Jeff Van Gundy keeps saying emotion only takes you so far. The difference between Game 1 and Game 2 was rebounds and points in the paint. Sure, Miami hit a couple more threes in Game 2 but the real point of damage caused by the Heat was their dominance down low. According to ESPN.com, Miami had 33 drives to the basket – good for 45 points. LeBron was ultra aggressive in Game 2 from the beginning and that put pressure on the entire Chicago defense.

The entire formula for effective Miami offense is drive, put pressure on the defense and either dunk or kick out to the flurry of shooters on the perimeter. The Heat’s shooters are the luckiest in the league as the open opportunities are limitless as a result of the penetration of James and Wade. However, to beat the Heat you have to force them to hit threes instead of giving them points inside. In the Bulls’ Game 1 win, they forced Miami to shoot 7-24 from the three-point line – good for 29%. In Game 2, Miami went 9-18. LeBron and Wade are two of the best finishers in the league and they’ll score in the paint or go to the line if they’re given enough room. You can live with the shooters of Miami hitting every shot, shots will eventually miss but layups won’t if they’re given continuously. That’s essentially the recipe for Chicago. They need to pack the paint above all else and force the Heat to shoot threes. It’s not ideal, as Miami can shoot threes consistently but you can’t stop the three and pack the paint at the same time.

Pace will be huge for the Bulls for the rest of the series as well. Chicago can’t afford to play a fast styled game against Miami. They are obviously deadly in transition and with Chicago’s scoring difficulties they need to honor every last second of their available 24 each time down the floor for them to win. In Game 1, Chicago scored 7 fast-break points to Miami’s 9. In Game 2, they scored 2 fast-break points to Miami’s 20. The Bulls can’t afford to waste possessions. They are depleted and really besides Nate Robinson and Bellinelli there isn’t anyone else to be a spark plug offensively. They have to get easy shots every time down the floor.

Nate Robinson needs a new jolt in Chicago. He was the key in their victory in Game 1 but was almost a no-show offensively in Game 2. He has the ability to put points up in a hurry and he needs to. Most of all, their 15 million dollar a year max-contract guy (Carlos Boozer) hasn’t done anything in this series. Against a team who is known for playing small ball and lacking big bodies, Boozer should be having a field day. He’s averaging 7 and 5 on the season and without him scoring down low, the Bulls have to rely solely on perimeter scoring, which we’ve established they lack. Boozer needs to step up. If they slow the game down and guard the paint, their defense will take care of itself but their offense needs a spark. Robinson, Bellinelli and even Butler can only do so much. Boozer is supposed to be an all-star. That’s what he was signed as in 2010, so it’s time for him to step up.

The series is going to continue to be extremely physical as it has clearly picked up recently but the Bulls need to keep their cool. They can’t afford to lose composure or get into foul trouble – they already lack bodies as it is. Miami is the team who isn’t used to playing supremely physical so it’s their playing field for the most part.

Game 7 is just twenty minutes away from tip-off between the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls. The injury report for Chicago right now has Derrick Rose out (obvious), and Nate Robinson (flu), are out tonight. Taj Gibson (illness) and Kirk Hinrich (left calf) are both game-time decisions.

Derrick Rose has been out for more than a year. He was cleared to practice at the end of January and cleared to play on March 9th.

He’s said in several interviews that only god knows when he’ll return, or that he’s not comfortable yet. He’s not mentally prepared. He’s looking at the big picture. So on and so on.

His Bulls are about to play Game 7 in Brooklyn in what could be their last game of the entire season. They’re playing away, they’re undermanned and their active players are almost all dealing with injuries or health issues. Nate Robinson was seen throwing up on the bench in Game 6 and then came back out and gave it his all. Joakim Noah is playing with plantar fascitis. They’re banged up but they’re continuing to play.

Derrick Rose most recently said he won’t go out until he’s comfortable and that he’s looking at the big picture of things. I wonder what he really means by that. I can’t imagine Kobe Bryant saying he’s not going till he’s comfortable, nor Lebron James doing that. Superstars are supposed to want to come out and play for their team. Derrick Rose may be thinking of his career in the longterm but he isn’t going to get injured if he comes out tonight. He’s not going to suffer a setback or re-tear his ACL if that’s even possible. The worst that would happen is him coming out and after a few minutes saying, “Coach, I can’t do it. Take me out.” He’s talking like he’s going to cause damage to his body by coming out and playing one game. He’s been playing hard in practice with the team for two months. For all we know he’s been himself for two months, this whole mental aspect of things will go away once he gets on the floor and plays. His team is going to fuel him throughout. If he steps on the court his teammates will provide him with the energy he needs to keep going. He’s thinking of the worst when he’s not even considering the best. The best could be winning a Game 7 on the road and realizing he’s okay and pushing his team further in the playoffs.

If he were to play and he’s not the Rose we’re used to, as long as he contributes half of what he normally does he can push Chicago to the 2nd round. Then he gives his teammates more time to rest up and get past their illness and their injuries and if he doesn’t want to play in the next round that’s ok but at least he would’ve willed them to the next round where they have a full roster.

We all understand that he’s a professional athlete and his body is his all, but sports has always and will always be team before player. What ever happened to the saying, ‘there is no I in team.’ Half of his team is injured and sick but they’re playing for each other. Derrick Rose is the leader of the team yet watching his teammates sacrifice for success while he sits on the bench and claps every other play. It’s time to get over the dramatics and man up. He has that warrior gene within him. We all know that, he’s a hard worker and an MVP but it’s time to bring the beast out of hibernation. It’s summertime for god’s sake.

#TheReturn is getting old. Pull a Willis Reed and come back. It’s time.

San Antonio’s had a week for their old guys to rest and get ready for their next opponent. Golden State who at the end of a clumsy 4th quarter last night in Oracle Arena came out alive and ready to play onward. In some ways the Spurs are really just an older version of the Warriors in the way that they share the ball and are so explosive offensively. There is also a certain camaraderie among both these teams that keeps them exciting and intense on the court. Who will win this series? The Big Dogs or the Underdogs? Let’s see.

How Golden State Wins:

Golden State has all the momentum in the basketball world coming into this series against the Spurs. After both the Clippers and Lakers’ disappointing seasons finishing abruptly, they are not only California’s team but America’s team. Oracle Arena is like a college campus and the entire team from Mark Jackson down to Andris Biedrins are full of energy every game. Maybe not Andris Biedrins but you get the idea. They are constantly high energy on the offensive end and on the defensive end of the floor and that is going to be vital against the Spurs whose schemes can frustrate teams everywhere – especially a team whose average age is 26 and doesn’t have the mental strength nor the experience that other teams may have. Stephen Curry has been hot all postseason and won’t be fazed this series even by Tony Parker. He’s already dealt with Lawson, Brewer and Igoudala for god’s sake. There is really nothing that the Spurs can throw at him that he hasn’t seen already. According to ESPN.com, he leads all players in assists this post-season in assists with 9.3 a game. He is third in PER ratings at 27.3 only behind Lebron James and Kevin Durant. He is averaging 24 points on 44% shooting from beyond the arc and here is the kicker: In 3 games against San Antonio this season, Stephen Curry averaged 26 points on 47% from downtown. That’s a stat that should put a smile on Golden State fans who won’t have to worry about the Spurs’ defensive schemes bothering Curry. Curry’s shooting in the postseason has opened things up for him to penetrate and that has impacted his teammates who have all benefited from his improved play. That was evident in their 1st round match-up against Denver when Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut both increased their scoring outputs this post-season. Golden State is going to need Klay Thompson to step his game up against San Antonio. His scoring dipped against the Nuggets, as did his shooting percentage from the regular season. If he’s not a threat from the perimeter then it allows defenses to shrink into the paint and that eliminates driving lanes for his teammates. Andrew Bogut became a top 5 center again against the Nuggets in the 1st round and the Warriors will need him to continue rebounding the ball and defending the paint to counter Duncan down low and Tony Parker’s penetration. David Lee’s health will be key in this series from an offensive standpoint. Defensively, the Warriors have found viable options off the bench in Carl Landry and Draymond Green. Offensively, if he can contribute 10-12 points a game the Warriors will be in good shape. His presence poses another threat to the Spurs’ defense and gives them another weapon to pull the defense in to give room to their shooters. Golden State will also need to take care of the ball if they want a chance to compete. They averaged 17 turnovers a game against Denver including 10 turnovers in the 4th quarter alone of Game 6. San Antonio is not dangerous in transition but they value the ball and if you’re turning the ball over and your opponent is not than you are losing opportunities to score and handing them to the opposition. The Spurs only averaged 9.8 turnovers a game against Los Angeles so Golden State is going to need to value every possession. The two main culprits that Golden State has to worry about on the defensive end is the duo of Tony Parker and Tim Duncan – both seasoned experts when it comes to the playoffs. The entire team is going to have to be active to beat Tony Parker. He is deadly coming off of pick and rolls, and once he gets into the paint you can almost bet on an acrobatic layup that leaves you wondering how such a small french man could’ve made that against 7 footers. OR he’ll pass out to one of his collection of shooters in Matt Bonner, Danny Green and Gary Neal among others. Bogut is going to need to step up on pick and rolls instead of staying back. Tony Parker has a more consistent jumper than Ty Lawson and will kill Golden State if they give him room and wait for him. Stopping Tim Duncan on the other hand will be a proponent of strong low-post defense, which the Warriors have tons of. They can throw many options at him including Bogut, Landry, Green and even Lee if he’s feeling up to it. They’ll need to be tough and be young and disruptive on the 37 year old Duncan who isn’t the same physical specimen he was 10 years ago.

How San Antonio Wins:

San Antonio wins with experience. Golden State’s oldest player is 32 years old. They’re babies compared to the wise men playing over in San Antonio. Golden State’s inexperience was brought to the light in the 4th quarter of Game 6 against Denver when they coughed up 10 turnovers. Denver is young themselves, but I guarantee San Antonio would’ve won that game and forced a Game 7 had they been in that position. San Antonio will win the mental game and that could be the difference maker. They are superbly coached in every faset of the game. Their defense and offense works like a factory and since everybody’s been together for so long they rarely make mistakes. I think the most effective way to stop Curry is to trap him as soon as he crosses half court. When he has the ball in his hands the Warriors offense is fluid and effective but when you force someone else to take the responsibility of primary ball handler they face problems. It puts pressure on other guys to make plays and that’s the way you beat the Warriors. When Jarret Jack is in and Curry is coming off screens off the ball, the Spurs will have to trust the defensive abilities and I.Q of Tony Parker, Danny Green, Corey Joseph and Gary Neal. Tony Parker is going to have an easy time in this series against Curry who is an inconsistent defender and coming off screens where Bogut is a culprit of staying flat-footed and waiting for the offensive player to attack him. Tony should have pull up jumpers all day long in this series. The Spurs need their outside shooters to be effective in this series to counter Golden States shooting. The Warriors make all of their runs through three point shooting and that’s how they’re never counted out of a game. To match that explosiveness, they’ll need Danny Green, Bonner and their other guys to hit shots.

Who Will WIn?

I underestimated the Spurs against the Nuggets and got burned because of it, so I think I’m going to go with them this time and see if it works out. I hate to bet against such an experienced and well coached squad like the Spurs but I think the explosiveness and energy that the Warriors have will out-match that of the Spurs. Curry is my MVP of the playoffs so far and with him hitting shots and putting pressure on the defense I think the Warriors can make it past this round.

Final Prediction:

Warriors in 7.

Both teams made it through. One without their team’s second star, and one who disappointed the city of stars. Memphis won through controlling the pace and pounding Los Angeles down low. Even with all the firepower that the Clippers had, it wasn’t enough to bea to beat the grit of Memphis. Oklahoma lost Westbrook and probably gave Houston too much breathing room but won in the end. In my previews for both of their 1st round series, I predicted Memphis in 7 and Oklahoma in 5. Right again in terms of the victor. Once again, stick with me folks. Here we go.

How Memphis Wins:

Memphis wins basketball games through the same formula every game. They rebound, they pound it inside and they play defense… The BEST defense in the league I should add. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph both played superbly against the Clippers’ frontline. 17 points and 7 rebounds for Gasol and 21 points and 8 rebounds a game for Randolph. I think Ibaka and Perkins’ll test them both on the offensive end as those are two of the best low post defenders around but defensively they will have more room to help inside on Durant. Neither Ibaka nor Perkins has any offensive skill down low so they have the freedom to roam in the paint and make it tough for Durant to get inside. Without Westbrook, Durant is the sole focus for Memphis’ defense. If they can limit him to 30 points or less then they’ll win the series. Without Westbrook he’s averaged 33 points a game this postseason. Houston didn’t play defense against OKC and that’s why the role players were able to step up and give the Thunder a win even when Durant was scoring only 24 or 29 points. Against Memphis, those role players aren’t going to have as much freedom. So if Memphis just targets Durant and puts Tony Allen on him and holds him to 30 points or less then they will win the series. Everybody’s been playing great for Memphis lately. Mike Conley averaged 17 and 8 against L.A; Bayless averaged 9 points a game off the bench, as did Prince. I think it’s really important that these guys keep scoring and producing for Memphis against Oklahoma. The Thunder are a very strong defensive team and the Grizzly big men may have a hard time against Ibaka and Perkins – both top interior defenders. It may not be as easy as Los Angeles and they need their role players to step up when needed and knock down shots to take the pressure off. Memphis needs to control the pace as well. They did an excellent job of making the Clippers play their style of game and they’re going to have to do the same against a Thunder team who loves to get out and run.

How Oklahoma City Wins:

Oklahoma City wins by guarding the post. Memphis scores the majority of their points inside from the hands of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Luckily for OKC they have a trio of some of the best low post defenders in the game in Kendrick Perkins, Serge Ibaka and Nick Collison. That’s why I said if OKC were to get Memphis over Los Angeles it would be a blessing in disguise. To beat Memphis there’s a formula. There is a concrete game plan and that is stop them down low and force other guys to make shots. They luckily have the guys needed to stop their big men, which is why they match-up so well. I think Kevin Durant will have an easier time as well against Memphis on the perimeter. The Grizzlies have Tony Allen and although he could be the best one-on-one defender around, he’s only 6’4. Kevin Durant can be anywhere from 6’10 to 7 feet on a good day. There’s no way Tony Allen is going to alter Durant’s shot, and Durant will really have the ability to shoot right over him all series. He may bother him but we all know nobody can stop him, especially someone half a foot shorter. Reggie Jackson will also be huge in this series defensively. It’ll be his job to limit Mike Conley’s penetration and harass him to disrupt the entire offense for Memphis. The Thunder bench will be huge in this series as well. Without Westbrook they lost a lot of depth. With Jackson starting at the point guard, they only have Martin and Fisher to score the ball off the bench. Memphis on the other hand has Bayless, Arthur, Dooling, Ed Davis and even Austin Daye to provide a scoring punch off the bench. They all do their jobs well and the Thunder are going to need to match that intensity so whenever Durant takes a breather they don’t completely lose grasp of the game. If there has ever been a time for Kevin Martin to step up it’s now. He needs to be the Thunder’s second offensive weapon. He needs to make shots and be aggressive throughout.

Who Will Win?

I think Memphis has this one. Without Westbrook, the Thunder doesn’t have enough to beat a true contender in the West. They barely beat the Rockets and they don’t even play defense. Now they’re up against the toughest team in the league and unfortunately I don’t think they’ll be able to keep up. Kevin Durant will probably continue to average 30 a game but without his wingman, the Thunder aren’t a contender.

Final Prediction:

Grizzlies in 6.

At 1pm Eastern Time on Sunday the 2nd round will officially begin. It was quite an exciting first round for both of these teams. For the Pacers, they played an ugly series against Atlanta but ultimately won it out through defense. Josh Smith played his last game in Atlanta, and Paul George confirmed his legitimacy. For the Knicks, it was a tad more dramatic. First, we have J.R Smith throwing the blatant elbow to Jason Terry and then doing that thing that players do where they throw their hands out – palms up, and widen their eyes at the officials, then they’ll do a few owl turns of the head and finally jog back cursing under their breath. He didn’t jog back though, he got ejected. He then went on to say that the Knicks would’ve swept had he been in Game 4. Then he went golfing, then he went clubbing, then they all wore funeral black to the game – a respectful action on behalf of the Knicks who said they were attending the Celtics’ funeral. Jordan Crawford told Melo, that, “his boy f****d his wife,” and Raymond Felton and D.J White got into it. Then they went up 25 points in Game 6, played ISO Melo for 12 minutes and barely made it through. So that’s the recap. Before I preview the series, just want to throw it out there that I had predicted both the Pacers and Knicks to win in 6. Stick with me folks, I’m psychic. Ok, here we go…

How Indiana Wins:

Indiana can win this series on the boards and down low. They averaged 55 rebounds a game on the season as opposed to the Knicks’ 48 a game. If they can create second chances and prevent New York from creating extra possessions then they could win solely off of that. New York plays a small lineup, after Chandler their biggest guy is Melo at 6’8. Second chance points will be big too. New York just played the best defensive series they’ve probably ever played by holding Boston to 82 points a game on 41% shooting. The Celtics are an unusually poor offensive team but so are the Pacers and they know that. Indiana only scores 94 points a game and only scored 94 a game against Atlanta – not nearly the defensive team that New York is. They should learn from Boston’s mistakes. When Boston slowed down and tried to play in the half-court and isolate Pierce or play their sets they couldn’t score. Their runs, and their wins came from scoring in transition. The Pacers have options that Boston didn’t in the half-court like two dependable low post scorers and reliable wings but New York’s defense will only get better in this next round. I think the Pacers might want to consider double-teaming Carmelo Anthony as an option. New York plays small ball, with two point guards and Melo at the 4. Indiana is the opposite, they play a center, a true power forward, two wings and a point guard and Melo is going to give David West a damn hard time on the perimeter. There is no way he can stay with him as Melo is a lot quicker. You can’t put Paul George on him because then you’ll have David West on Iman Shumpert? That doesn’t sound right. Maybe they resort to a zone, and get New York to settle for threes – something they do on their own anyway. That may be better, as Melo and J.R have been cold lately and like they say the best way to kill an idiot is to give him the gun and watch him shoot himself in the foot. Would playing zone make New York shoot themselves? Possibly. Indiana needs to take care of the ball in this series. They averaged 15 turnovers a game on the season and in their 2 losses against Atlanta they had 22 turnovers in their 69-point outing and 13 in the other. New York isn’t deadly in transition, however they don’t turn over the ball so it’s not like you might get those possessions back. Every possession needs to be honored if Indiana wants a chance to win. I think the X factor for Indiana could be David West, Lance Stephenson and the Indiana bench. I think David West has a mismatch size-wise against Melo down low and should attack the basket at the beginning of each game to try get Melo in foul trouble and get him exerting himself defensively. Lance Stephenson has had a breakout season for a guy who didn’t play last year. He averaged 8 points and 8 rebounds against the Hawks and now he’ll be guarded by Prigioni or Felton both significantly smaller defenders. One of his greatest strengths are attacking the basket and I think that’s how he’ll put pressure on the defense – by attacking and keeping possessions alive on the glass. The Indiana bench will have to step up this series as well. The starting lineups are for the most part very equal, but the New York bench has slipped up in the past series against Boston. J.R has been cold since his elbow and nobody else has really been a scoring threat. Indiana needs guys like Hansborough, Augustin and Green to step up and out play the Knicks’ bench. I think for Paul George his real test starts here to see if he can be a star player. The Knicks play stingy defense, they have star power and he’ll have to keep up his level of play in Madison Square Garden against Iman Shumpert who’s been playing the best basketball of his career.

How New York Wins:

New York needs to move the ball first and foremost. The Knicks’ offense is virtually unstoppable when Raymond Felton and Chandler are pick n rolling, Shumpert is cutting and Melo is moving off the ball. That’s how they built 20-point leads and dominated some games against Boston. They lost when they gave Melo the ball one-on-one for half of the game. Not only does it make their offense stagnant and easy to defend but also it takes other players out of their rhythm. Take last night for example. They had a 20-point lead and then they isolated Melo for pretty much 8 consecutive minutes of the 4th quarter and they completely lost the lead. Melo is probably the best one-on-one offensive player in the league but he needs to pick and choose his moments. That’s also on Mike Woodson. He should be catching off movement or isolating as a last resort with 8 or 9 seconds left in the shot clock. With all that said, he’ll have an easier time this series against a much slower David West on the perimeter. He should therefore attack that matchup and go to the paint before he even thinks about shooting. It puts pressure on the defense and gives him the best chance to get to the line and get in a rhythm. The Knicks have to be tough on the boards. Indiana is one of the best in the league. They grab 13 offensive rebounds a game, good for second in the league. The Knicks think they were good on the boards against Boston well hate to break it to you, Boston sucks at rebounding. They’re actually are 29th in that department with 47 a game. Indiana is a much tougher and stronger team on the inside and the Knicks need to battle down low and create extra possessions. The magic number for New York defensively is 90. Why? In their two losses to Boston they let them score 97 and 92 points respectively. If the Knicks can hold Indiana to under 90 points a game they’ll win the series. To their credit they put on the best defensive performances of the year against Boston. They shut them down and I think a big part of that was Iman Shumpert harassing Paul Pierce. He played the best 6 games of his career against Boston and he will be absolutely key if they want to win. Paul George is a legitimate star and he averaged 18.7 ppg and 9.5 rebounds against Atlanta. Iman needs to come with the same intensity he had guarding Pierce and shut George down. That would be huge. Indiana also leads the league in opponents’ 3point% at 32.7%, which is awkward for the Knicks who need the three to score the ball. They do have the luxury of Novak in this series. Due to mismatches, they couldn’t play him consistently. Now they’ll be able to have that extra shooter on the floor and spread the defense out. The X-factor is Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler. Raymond Felton played superbly against a defensive specialist in Bradley and when he’s breaking defenses down and getting into the paint it opens things up for everyone else. I say Tyson Chandler is an X-Factor because he’ll be up against Roy Hibbert – a scoring center who is almost the same size inch for inch. It’ll be a battle for him this series and he’ll have to continue to rebound the ball and guard the paint while worrying about his man as well.

Who Will Win?

I’m going with New York on this one. I think besides their stagnant offense they played an almost perfect series against Boston and Melo has a better matchup this series against David West and the bigger Pacers lineup. I think defensively, New York will contain Indiana who has trouble scoring on their own.

Final Prediction:

Neither team won in the opposing arena during the regular season so I’ll go Knicks in 7.

And we’re right back at it. So far San Antonio and Miami have walked on into the 2nd round. What a coincidence that they are probably the favorites to get to the finals. Game 5 everywhere is over and here’s what I’ve taken away from those games.

1. The Knicks were funeral black to their game, but ended up losing. Can anyone spell embarresing?  J.R went 3-14… But let’s not blame him guys. I mean he was still probably hungover from the night before.  Spike Lee had to be taken off the court in a stretcher due to a heart attack.  And above all else New York went from a 3-0 savior for New Yorkers to the team with the highest chance to lose a 3-0 lead and get kicked out of the 1^st round. They’d also be the first team to EVER let a team comeback from that deficit and win the series. Like I said during my preview for this series, Boston has that trait about them that keeps opposing fans uneasy. It’s that ability to slide under the radar and hit those annoying shots when they need to. The only bright spot for New York, who continues to get brighter and brighter with each game is Iman Shumpert. He really is one of the best defenders around.

2. Nobody watches the Pacers-Hawks series anyway. Tony Parker admitted it as well. But it seems like both teams can’t win on the road. So Pacers in 7.

3. Word has it Skip Bayless is hiding in the outskirts of Arizona in a cave to try and avoid the criticism he’s getting over comments made previously that Russell Westbrook is bad for the Thunder. They’re 0-2 without him buddy. KD is putting up Lebron numbers but he needs his wingman to beat the beard. Meanwhile, Harden and the Rockets are getting closer and closer to winning a series based solely on offense. Somewhere in Hollywood, Mike D’Antoni’s eyes just lit up.

4. The big men aren’t doing zip for the Clippers right now and now they have to try force a game 7 in Memphis. Blake hurt his ankle too… WAIT! Maybe his Optima with UVO voice activated control can take him back in time and un-twist his ankle. Genius!

5. The Mannimal wasn’t enough to injure Steph Curry, so I’m thinking they’ll just get Javale McGee to trip over him next game and see if that does the trick. Nonetheless, Denver won’t win in Golden State tonight, which I’ve dubbed the Bee’s nest cause of all the yellow in the stands. Anyway, it’ll be another 1^st round exit for Denver and George Karl. You have to think maybe the no-star thing just doesn’t work come playoff time. How hilarious yet slightly unsurprising would it be if George Karl were to get fired? Not funny at all. It’d be Mike Brown 2.0. Let’s hope the Nuggets can run it out and force a game 7.

6. The Nets will live to see another day after a poor defensive game from Chicago and a stellar offensive night from the Nets. I can’t tell which it was. Either way, the Mad House on Madison is going to be rabid tonight. It’s these big nights at home that Chicago doesn’t seem to lose. Derrick Rose is apparently 89.7% ready mentally so Bulls fans, he’s only 13.3% away from returning in 10 years. Keep your chin up Chicago, he’ll have to play against LeBron next round if he doesn’t want death threats.

1. To be honest, I think Boston just did themselves harm by winning the 4th game. Half the team is ready for retirement, by avoiding the inevitable they’re really just tiring themselves out. I bet KG and Paul on the outside want nothing more than to win, but they’re like 55, let them go to Cape Cod and fish for the rest of the summer. Poor Celtic fans – they actually think this win means anything. Oh, and Game 4 really showed Iman Shumpert at his best – something he hasn’t been since last season. To think him and his high-top fade could be in Phoenix right now.

2. Steph Curry is continuing to paint masterpieces every game with his newest collection titled, “The Best Shooter Ever,” which is now showing in arenas in Denver and Golden State. I’m not sure if you’re all aware but last weekend a pot conference was held in Denver. Yeah… Make your own conclusions for the Nugget team but let me remind you their average age is 24 years old. Maybe that’s why they keep turning the ball over and not playing defense. I also think Golden State is officially America’s team at the moment. Is anyone feeling a Baron Davis type of nostalgia right about now?

3. If every award for the season were to be given again based solely on post-season play, which sounds like something Jeff Van Gundy would agree with, then Nate Robinson would win the 6th man award right now. He put on one of the best playoff performances… Ever. 29 points in 4th quarter/OT play alone. Damn, it’s almost crazier than a 5’9 NBA player. Apparently, according to Reggie Rose who is really milking any air time he can get with Derrick out, says Rose will return in the 2nd round. Now that’s an intriguing bit of news ain’t it?

 4. I said it in the beginning, both teams are poor shooting teams and it would ultimately come down to the play of the big men down low. In Games 3 and 4, besides being at home, which gives a humongous advantage to the Grizzlies – Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph have scored a combined 91 points and grabbed 41 rebounds. The Clippers big men have scored a combined 39 points and grabbed 22 rebounds. While Mike Conley and Chris Paul have been cancelling each other out, there is no way the Clippers are going to win with Blake and DeAndre playing the way they are.

 5. Yeah so… The Pacers were embarrassed in Atlanta. Absolutely demoralized - only scoring 69 points. The Warriors score more than that in one half of basketball alone.

 6. The Lakers lost by 31 points at home in Game 3 with a starting backcourt of Andrew Goudelock and Darius Morris. You can’t expect to win with those guys starting especially because they haven’t got enough experience even if Goudelock is an MVP. The best part though for me? Those two played better than everybody on the Lakers squad. How funny is that? Dwight wants the team to himself but can’t play defense on Duncan, and let’s two D-League call-ups outplay him. Then in Game 4 Dwight bitched about being hacked by Brian Scalabrine’s cousin Matt Bonner and got ejected. Will that be the last time he walks out of the tunnel?

7. So they didn’t beat them in 6. Give Brandon a break. Oh wait, Jim Boylan gave him a break the entire second half of Game 4. My fault. Anyway, LeBron James could be the best point guard in the NBA. I also realized why the Heat are so hard to guard. Defensively, if you are guarding a shooter, you stay glued to them. If you are helping on LeBron James you help hard. So how the hell is anybody supposed to help hard on LeBron and stay glued to Ray Allen – they’re both the ultimate examples of both rules. Never mind just Ray Allen, what do you do about Battier, Miller and even Chalmers. Another thing I learned that I already knew, so something I was reminded of was how bad of a coach Jim Boylan is. They’re down 3-0 at home, in the 4th quarter, and he keeps Brandon Jennings on the bench. So what if he’s 1-7? He’s supposed to be your star player so he’s supposed to step up in the 4th quarter. They completely lost grip of the game in the 4th and where was he? On the bench the entire time. He played 22 minutes. Does Boylan not realize that Jennings may not come back next year, and that could’ve been his last game as a Buck? Does he not realize that he may have just rid Jennings of all thoughts of coming back to Milwaukee? What an idiot. Oh and I also realized how stupid it is that the Bucks traded for Redick on deadline day. The Bucks had a promising wing in Tobias Harris, Doron Lamb was a promising shooter and they traded them among others for Redick. Don’t get me wrong; Redick is a solid player who is one of the best shooters in the league. But what the hell did the front office think adding him was going to do for them? They know Ellis isn’t coming back and Jennings probably won’t either. The Bucks were in the 8th seed at the time and they expected what? Redick to push them to the 4th, 5th, or 6th seed? C’mon, and if then what was going to happen come playoff time. A first round exit, that’s what. And that’s what happened tonight. Now Tobias Harris is a future all-star and will haunt them forever. They essentially made a win-now type of trade as an 8th seed and now after getting swept Redick probably doesn’t want anything to do with Milwaukee after being treated like shit on the bench the entire series. Great job Bucks! Have fun rebuilding for the rest of eternity while the Magic get a lot better.

 8. Kevin Durant has been held back by Russell Westbrook for the past few years. But not in a bad way, if you can come to understand that. Every Batman needs his Robin otherwise they can’t fight off villains like Lord James and his minions in South Beach. However, Batman on his own takes on more work and therefore, produces more and racks up more ass-kicking numbers than usual. That’s what’s happening without Westbrook. Immediately, the 18.8 shots that Westbrook takes per game are Durant’s. It was evident that Durant has a new sense of freedom on the court now. His 41 in Houston really showed that to be true. I honestly think he could average 40 points a game for the rest of the playoffs this year. It’s completely do-able. I also realized the Thunder better pray the Grizzlies beat the Clippers in the 1st round. The Thunder have a better chance at the Grizzlies simply because they have the interior defenders to guard Gasol and Randolph. A trio of Ibaka, Collison and Perkins can handle them down low and will probably limit their production. Without those guys getting numbers, the Grizzlies are nothing. If the Thunder play the Clippers on the other hand, they have to deal with Blake down low, CP3 on the perimeter and the deep bench of Los Angeles to battle against. The Thunder aren’t deep, especially now since Jackson is starting. With the Clippers you have to think about stopping several things, as they’re a more diverse and explosive squad. With the Grizzlies there is a clear road to victory and that road is a walk on the beach for OKC as they can probably handle them with ease. Against OKC, the big man duo of Memphis averages a combined 28 and 25. That’s a stat that should put smiles upon Thunder fans faces if they were to get them next round.