2012 NBA Playoffs

[Hyperglide]

Playoffs are set to begin Saturday, April 28th and the final games of the season are just finishing up as I post this. Here are the brackets for the 1st round of the NBA playoffs:

West:
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz
(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets
(4) Memphis Grizzles vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

East:
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers
(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks
(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic
(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

Heres my predictions in bold

West:
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz in 4
(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks in 6
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets in 7
(4) Memphis Grizzles vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers in 5

East:
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers in 4
(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks in 5
(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic in 6
(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks in 7

What are your predictions? Are you excited?

[Vanthar]

West:
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz in 5
(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks in 6
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets in 6
(4) Memphis Grizzles vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers in 7

East:
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers in 4
(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks in 6
(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic in 5
(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks in 5

[Urizen]

West:
(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz in 4. (Maybe one game goes to OT. And there's another heartbreaker, but the Spurs sweep.
(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks in 7. I expect Dallas to surprise and put up a fight. That said, a first-round exit is only solace if D-Will is in your training camp in the fall.
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets in 7. Here's my upset pick. Gallo and Ty Lawson will go to work. McGee will tear down 16+ boards a game. The Denver altitude should throw off the Lakers big men in the late stages of run-and-gun games.
(4) Memphis Grizzles vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers in 6. Unless Gasol turns into a beast, and Tony Allen is in the zone, The Clippers should be OK. Nick Young has come along, and Blake was great all around in the last two games (albeit losses). He's locked in.

East:
(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers in 5. If you can keep the Bulls off the boards, you have a chance. Sixers can't do that.
(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks in 7. Miami can't close out in the Garden, and they've been damned good at home. I wouldn't be surprised if the home team wins every game.
(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic in 6. I think the Magic can stay hot enough, long enough from 3 to steal a couple games.
(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks in 5. Joe Johnson and J-Smoove are both in a groove, but Boston's defense...

[pomeroy]

Ugh. That throwaway game against the Hawks cost the Celtics home court in the first round. Stupid.

Oh well. Pretty excited either way.

[Vanthar]

D-Rose

short.

[Cyndair]

Originally Posted by Vanthar

D-Rose

short.

That really really really really sucks. They were kinda my lone hope to beat the Heat in the east . Nothing against the Celtics, I just don't see it this year.

[Hyperglide]

Bulls still have a chance. They were still one of the best teams in the East even without D-Rose for most of the season.

[Urizen]

Rubio, Shumpert, Lin and D-Rose.

Wilbon is wailing against the league as soon as his boy from Chicago goes down. I was kind of neutral on him before, but this is disgusting. Apparently, it's OK for every other player to become fodder so long as the Bulls don't suffer.

It sucks like hell for Rose. He should go to Germany - not even bother with surgery.

[Vanthar]

I mean.. he writes for ESPNChicago. It's kind of tailored to a certain audience even though he does mention all the other casualties of this year.

[pomeroy]

Originally Posted by Hyperglide

Bulls still have a chance. They were still one of the best teams in the East even without D-Rose for most of the season.

Yeah, but the season ain't the playoffs. I don't expect much out of them now.

It sucks that he's out...he's fun to watch.

[Cyndair]

Ugh... Come on Rondo... Your team gets back in the game and then you get ejected over a loose ball foul? Of course they are going to suspend him for at least two games for that crap as well. I want to see these teams at full strength, but that's a ridiculous lack of self control.

[Urizen]

I hope they let him off with a fine, but he shouldn't get more than one game. You can't equate a regular season two game suspension with a playoff one. And reg season, that was two game at most.

It was reckless and dumb, and there is a precedent, I guess because of that earlier suspension he got tossing the ball at the ref. so he's a repeat offender now. But he's not Rasheed Wallace or arrest crazy, and he's not dirty. It would suck if he got suspended.

I feel like an idiot for shutting off the Clippers game.

[Cyndair]

Originally Posted by Urizen

I hope they let him off with a fine, but he shouldn't get more than one game. You can't equate a regular season two game suspension with a playoff one. And reg season, that was two game at most.

It was reckless and dumb, and there is a precedent, I guess because of that earlier suspension he got tossing the ball at the ref. so he's a repeat offender now. But he's not Rasheed Wallace or arrest crazy, and he's not dirty. It would suck if he got suspended.

I feel like an idiot for shutting off the Clippers game.

Yeah, that's a good point on regular season games not equating to playoff games. I was basing my two game comment on the earlier offense. We shall see, I guess.

[Hyperglide]

Amar'e Stoudemire is an idiot. What happened to the men in this league? Grow up and lose graciously. I mean ffs.

[Cyndair]

Man, the Knicks are bad. They aren't just bad, they are boring. Iso iso iso.

[Hyperglide]

Originally Posted by Cyndair

Man, the Knicks are bad. They aren't just bad, they are boring. Iso iso iso.

See: Mike Woodson.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

I am a lifelong Bulls fan and watching this team fall apart (literally) in the first round has been heartbreaking.

Also, the officiating in these playoffs has been atrocious. Embarrassingly pathetic no-calls and Miami is as Hollywood as ever.

[drewmg]

I only follow the NBA when the Indiana Pacers are worth paying attention to.

This year, it feels like I've come out of a coma. I can't believe they almost let game 4 get away from them. How do you blow a 19 point lead, srsly?

[pomeroy]

Originally Posted by Hyperglide

See: Mike Woodson.

Also: Carmelo Anthony.

[Urizen]

Melo is probably the most interesting guy in the league since Barkley. I'd love to hang out with him. Really unfortunate no one has been able to put his skills to good use in an effective system.

Maybe if the Zen Master returns to the Knicks...

Great show by the C's today. They might need duck tape to hold themselves together, though, will probably be wishing Sixers don't win until Game 7, though, they should thank their stars as it is if the Sixers win.

I don't think the Thunder can beat the Lakers without a healthy Perkins.

The Clippers can be so good with a real coach.