NBA Eastern Conference

The Boston Celtics are not afraid of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After going up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference final, they've shown that much and more.

They may not be scared of the moment, but how exactly are they beating the reigning Eastern Conference champs?

Is Tyronn Lue right? Are the Celtics overachieving in the postseason because they are "gooning the game up"?

Whether it's their hard-nosed play or not, Boston is on a roll, and it remains to be seen if Cleveland can turn things around now that Game 3 will be on their home court at Quicken Loans Arena.

CELTICS TOUGHER: Ty Lue says #Celtics are “gooning it up” against his #Cavs. They’re the “tougher” team right now pic.twitter.com/70ep6TJszl

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) May 16, 2018

      

NBA Schedule: Saturday, May 19

7:30 p.m. ET on TNT, Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers; Boston leads series 2-0

       

NBA Playoffs: Conference Finals Schedule and Predictions

Eastern Conference

Celtics 108 - Cavaliers 83 (Game 1): Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC

Celtics 107 - Cavaliers 94 (Game 2): Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Boston at Cleveland (Game 3): Saturday, May 19 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Boston at Cleveland (Game 4): Monday, May 21 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Cleveland at Boston (Game 5, if necessary): Wednesday, May 23 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Boston at Cleveland (Game 6, if necessary): Friday, May 25 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Cleveland at Boston (Game 7, if necessary): Sunday, May 27 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

        

Western Conference

Golden State 119 - Houston 106 (Game 1): Monday at 9 p.m. on TNT

Golden State 105 - Houston 127 (Game 2): Wednesday at 9 p.m. on TNT

Houston at Golden State (Game 3): Sunday, May 20 at 8 p.m. on TNT

Houston at Golden State (Game 4): Tuesday, May 22 at 9 p.m. on TNT

Golden State at Houston (Game 5, if necessary): Thursday, May 24 at 9 p.m. on TNT

Houston at Golden State (Game 6, if necessary): Saturday, May 26 at 9 p.m. on TNT

Golden State at Houston (Game 7, if necessary): Monday, May 28 at 9 p.m. on TNT

         

The Others Get a Boost at Home

LeBron James has done his part.

In two games against the Boston Celtics, he's averaging close to a triple double with 28.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game.

But James has had little help, if any.

His No. 2, Kevin Love, has been adequate, putting up 19.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per outing, but he's the only one even remotely offering any assistance.

J.R. Smith served up a goose egg in Game 2, finishing with zero points and one bush-league flagrant foul on Al Horford.

The Celtics lead a best-of-7 series 2-0 for the 38th time in team history. They have yet to lose one of those series.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 16, 2018

If the Cavs want to get back in this series, they'll need players like Smith, George Hill, Tristan Thompson, Rodney Hood and Jeff Green to make significant contributions in the scoring column.

In addition to putting points on the board, Cleveland's others will have to start doing some "gooning" of their own.

They'll need to match Boston's toughness and get gritty.

"We've got to be tougher, mentally and physically," Lue told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "We've got to come out swinging. We've got to be aggressive. I think we've got to be physical, and we've got to have a physical mindset, you know, that they're coming in, playing tough. They're aggressive, and we've got to match that."

According to ESPN Stats & Info, James wins Game 3 and 4 when he's down 0-2 in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

That bodes well for the Cavs' goal to turns thing around.  

BOSTON — LeBron James tore the ice pack off his left knee and tossed it left-handed toward the garbage can sitting 10 feet away in the visiting locker room at TD Garden.

Swish.

He peeled the cellophane from his right knee, removed the ice pack and took aim for the bottom of the same trash can. Two-for-two.

Next was the ice pack that encased his lower back. This time, he tossed it straight to a locker room attendant wearing a Boston Celtics T-shirt and dreadlocks. A pinpoint pass, to be sure.

Even in the aftermath of a bitter postseason defeat—and staring at the most treacherous path to the NBA Finals he's faced in a decade—James was making all the plays late Tuesday night.

And it still wasn't enough.

"We're going to use these days to really dive in on what needs to be done to help our ballclub be successful," James said after his brilliant 42-point triple-double couldn't rescue the Cleveland Cavaliers, who fell into an 0-2 hole in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 107-94 loss to the Celtics.

"We have a few days," James said, "and we're going to see what we're made of on Saturday."

James didn't repeat his line from Game 1 (15 points, nine assists, seven rebounds) on Tuesday night and didn't say he had "zero level of concern at this stage" like he did on Sunday. Perhaps that's because this is a stage he hasn't stood on in years. It's the first time James has faced an 0-2 deficit in an Eastern Conference playoff series since the second round against Boston in 2008.

It was the 15th time he'd faced the possibility of going down 0-2 in a postseason series. He's now 8-7 in those Game 2s. In the prior series in which he's trailed 0-2, James is 2-4.

That's a lot of history, a lot of mileage. And as he's done so many times, James came out of his corner like Mike Tyson used to and started landing haymakers and gut-wrenching body blows to a Celtics team that had been bracing for exactly that—and withstood it.

"You know, you've got to tip your hat to LeBron," Celtics agitator Marcus Smart said. "He's been doing this for a long time, and if he's not the greatest to do it, he's one of them. We knew coming into this game that he was going to come out and give everything he had and have a game like this."

The Cavs have three days to digest where they are—in this series and as a franchise—before suiting up at home for Game 3 on Saturday (8:30 p.m. ET). The way this is playing out, we'd be wise to sit back and enjoy what may be the last playoff series of LeBron's career that he'll have to exert this much effort and carry this much of a load.

Is this the last time we'll see LeBron as a one-man show?

As James is 33 and heading into his 16th season with free agency looming again, it's difficult to imagine a world in which he'd willingly choose to continue carrying a team that provides so little support for his herculean efforts.

Not to say he can't anymore, because he clearly can. But who's to say he'll want to?

If James stays, virtually the only move the Cavs can make to dramatically improve the team around him would be trading the famed Brooklyn pick, which was determined in Tuesday night's lottery to be No. 8 overall in the June 21 draft. The problem, of course, is they'd likely have to decide whether to do that without any commitment from James about his free-agent plans.

The bold moves general manager Koby Altman pulled off at the February trade deadline to make the team younger and more athletic haven't exactly backfired; there simply wasn't enough time for the coaching staff to integrate all the pieces into anything close to a cohesive unit. Thus, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr., in particular, have taken turns sitting in the front row while coach Tyronn Lue has stuck with the guys he trusts. (Like JR Smith, for example, who was 0-of-7 from the floor Tuesday and hasn't made a three-point basket in the series.)

"When LeBron leaves," one Eastern Conference executive told Bleacher Report, choosing an interesting qualifier (not "if" but "when"), "that trade will be devastating financially. A lot of money in [George] Hill and Clarkson, and you have to pay Nance."

A better way to look at it is, what kind of case can the Cavs make for LeBron to stay—on a team without a consistent third scorer (and oftentimes, without a second one)? Not to mention the Cavs already have the league's highest payroll, and the only real asset they have to acquire a third star is one they better not trade unless they're sure James is coming back.

"They're screwed," a prominent agent told B/R on Tuesday night.

The best the Cavs can hope for is that James can find it within himself to pull the team out of this hole, complete an eighth consecutive trip to the Finals and then fail to find the free-agent options as appealing as he may have hoped.

"He's not going to the Lakers, because they know they can get Kawhi [Leonard] next summer," the agent said. "If I'm the Sixers, I have to think about what it means to bring in LeBron and take the ball out of Ben Simmons' hands. Simmons is useless when he's not controlling the ball. Is LeBron going to give up the ball?"

Here's a better question: After the physical and mental toll of dragging this Cavs team through this tumultuous season, all the way to the conference finals, will he be willing to consider living in a world where he can do less and win more?

He wasn't ready for that Tuesday—wasn't willing to go down doing anything but swinging. He had 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting (4-of-7 from three-point range) in a first-quarter barrage that the Cavs parlayed into only a four-point lead. Then James absorbed an inadvertent blow to the chin from Jayson Tatum's shoulder as Tatum tried to cut off James' driving lane on the baseline with 3:48 left in the second quarter and the Cavs leading by 11. James looked woozy and went to the locker room. Cleveland never built a bigger lead.

"I felt like I needed to go back to the locker room, which I did, to kind of recalibrate," James said. "It was a tough blow."

Asked if he was checked for a concussion, James said, "I was checked for multiple things and I passed them all."

If only some of his teammates could pass a test in these conference finals. Through two games, James has scored more than a quarter of Cleveland's points (57 of 177). James and Kevin Love have scored nearly 55 percent.

"We didn't respond," Kyle Korver said. "And that's something we'll have to talk about amongst ourselves."

Lazy defense, no communication and a 36-22 advantage for Boston in the third quarter added up to a wasted effort from LeBron—and pushed him and the franchise a step closer to doomsday, part two.

In the interview room, I asked James about the challenge ahead, and how he'll spend the next couple of days digesting all that will be demanded of him Saturday and beyond. It's a massive burden, but he wasn't showing it.

"How will I digest it?" he said. "I'm going to go home tonight and see my three kids, see my family, recalibrate, see my mom. I think I'll be fine. I'm not going to lose sleep over it. When you go out and lay everything on the line, at the end of the day, you can live with that."

How much longer? Only he knows.

As his team battles for a spot in the NBA Finals, Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart will have to do his best to stay focused on basketball when he's on the court.

ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg reported that Smart's mother, Camellia, was recently diagnosed with bone marrow cancer and began chemotherapy treatments on Monday. But rather than have her son be distracted, she wants the Cleveland Cavaliers to be the only thing on Marcus' mind.

Smart opened up to Forsberg about the situation:

"It's tough. I'm not going to lie, it is tough. I'm professional; we have a job to do. And that's something about my mom, she's real big on, 'I'm going to be OK, go handle what you gotta do. And I'm going to be all right.' That gives me a little comfort to go out there and not really feel guilty of being here instead of there with her.

"But it is tough. It's tough, but I have a great support [system] around me."

Smart had nine points and six assists in a 108-83 Game 1 victory on Sunday, shooting just 4-of-12 from the field and 1-of-5 from three-point range.

By the time he got back to his locker at TD Garden after the game, he already had a voicemail from his mom.

"My whole family was actually watching. They all went over the house," Smart sald. "It was good to hear everybody. When she called me, the smile and joy that she had in her voice lit up my day."

It's easy to forget that athletes are human and deal with the realities of life off the court just the way fans do. Smart admitted that it's tough to keep his mind clear as his mom undergoes three sessions of chemotherapy per week. He did, however, reveal that "she's doing well."

Smart himself only just recently returned to the court after missing more than a month due to right thumb surgery. Boston is 7-2 since he returned and just three victories away from its first NBA Finals since 2010.

Smart and the Celtics will be back on the court Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET) for Game 2. No matter how it plays out, he knows his mom will be ready to talk about it.

"My biggest critic and my biggest fan, and I love her," Smart sald.

Throughout the 2017-18 NBA season, the Boston Celtics have functioned as a better team than the Cleveland Cavaliers. That's an objective fact.

Though LeBron James is easily the premier individual in the Eastern Conference Finals while C's head coach Brad Stevens has been forced to shuffle his lineup over and over to account for myriad injuries to rotation members (Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart, Daniel Theis, etc.), the East's No. 2 seed has consistently proved itself the superior outfit. Its 3.7 net rating during the regular season lagged behind only the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz, while the Cavs (1.0) fell all the way down to No. 13 from No. 8 last season. 

Game 1 of this penultimate round told a similar story, with Boston using a massive 21-2 run in the first quarter to earn a gaping advantage it would never relinquish en route to a 108-83 victory Sunday. At no point in the opening clash did the Cavaliers, even with James on the floor, seem like the juggernaut they'd apparently become against the Toronto Raptors one series earlier.

Except Cleveland was ostensibly the favorite in this contest.

The Celtics only required five games to dispatch the talent-laden Philadelphia 76ers. They hadn't dropped a single game on their parquet floor against either the Sixers or the Milwaukee Bucks, their athletic but undisciplined first-round foes. And yet, despite playing at home in front of a raucous crowd that booed James every time he touched the rock in the first quarter, the Celtics were a one-point underdog at the opening tip, per OddsShark. Even FiveThirtyEight's CARM-Elo model gave the Northeast Ohio representatives a 60 percent chance of advancing to the Finals. 

To be fair, the rationale isn't that hard to grasp. 

Though Cleveland's sweep of Toronto was closer than 4-0 might initially indicate (see: overtime victory in Game 1 and the miraculous buzzer-beater in Game 3), it appeared to have turned that proverbial corner—the non-James members of the roster, in particular. While the Celtics are squeezing every iota of talent from non-household names such as Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Cavs roster still features the best player in the world. And he's a player who doesn't exactly lack confidence, even in the face of a road game in the Garden: 

LeBron James: "Listen, it doesn’t matter to me if I’m a six seed or a three seed or a two seed, eight seed. If I come into your building for a Game 1, I can be very challenging." -- Among my favorite LeBron quotes, ever

— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) May 13, 2018

But the Celtics didn't take long to prove the Cavaliers' alleged status as favorites was a misnomer. They'd already exploded for 34 points in the first quarter before Tatum, their leading scorer in the playoffs, dropped a floater from the left baseline for his first points of the game, extending the lead to 36-18. 

The Cavs could only muster 35 points in the first half. 

Boston isn't always going to drill 61.9 percent of its field-goal attempts, as it did in the first quarter. It's not going to turn the ball over just three times in a half, as was the case Sunday. But Cleveland is making it tough to expect anything else. 

The defensive discipline still isn't there, and that's been the case throughout the campaign. Lest we forget, Cleveland finished the regular season ranked No. 29 in points allowed per 100 possessions, and it's only been the 10th-best defense in the playoffs. That lack of preventative power was on full display Sunday when the Cavs inexplicably left shooters open at the top of the key, failed to recognize backdoor cuts and helped from a man away against Boston's bevy of shooters, sometimes even neglecting to guard Brown in the corner so they could help against Al Horford. 

These are basic defensive principles, elementary for even league-average outfits at this advanced stage of the season. But the concepts still elude far too many of the Cavaliers' rotation members, who are now going up against a team geared toward exploiting their countless mistakes. 

The Raptors were supposed to exploit Cleveland's defense, but poor shooting from DeMar DeRozan and a reversion to isolation proclivities prevented that. Boston won't fall into similar traps; it's a well-oiled machine with shooting coming from all five spots.

Oh, and it knows how to buckle down on defense, as well. 

If anything, Cleveland's defensive issues are a secondary concern when going against a crew uniquely built to become a matchup nightmare against a James-led offense. Generating offense, even for a group that has consistently torched foes to mitigate the ill effects of that Swiss cheese stopping unit, is problematic.

Marcus Morris on the chance to defend LeBron James in playoffs after getting a taste a couple years ago in Detroit: "I’m a little older, a little more experienced. Personally, I think I’m probably the best guy defending him in the league, outside of Kawhi."

— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) May 12, 2018

The Celtics have a host of usable bodies they can throw at their primary adversary, ranging from alleged "LeBron stopper" Marcus Morris to the surprisingly quick Horford to the physical, young bodies of Brown and Semi Ojeleye. Unlike the Raptors, they don't have to double-team him on every possession, instead switching on screens and letting a wide range of frames attempt to slow James for singular possessions, harassing him into quick passes and ugly turnovers (seven on Sunday). 

Holding James to 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting was very much a team effort, but Morris did his part when granted the individual assignment: 

The Celtics take Game 1 against the Cavs 108-83. Cleveland's 25-point loss is the 2nd-largest Game 1 loss by a LeBron James team in his playoff career (27-point loss in the 2006 East Semis).

James was guarded by Marcus Morris on 24 plays, finishing with 5 points on 2-6 shooting. pic.twitter.com/NOuPpMS3wz

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 13, 2018

And perhaps even more importantly, this is nothing new for the Celtics forward:

Maybe Marcus is onto something...

Since 2013-14, LeBron James has at least 50 FGA against 26 players in the halfcourt.

He's shooting 33% when defended by Marcus Morris. The only player to force James into a lower percentage in that span is Draymond Green.

h/t @SecondSpectrum pic.twitter.com/1a3JAGlsbO

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 13, 2018

But even going into the Game 1 blowout, we knew all of this. Boston always looked—on paper, at least—like a mismatch for a Cavaliers team featuring an inconsistent supporting cast and a porous defense. That was just obfuscated by James' presence, since he makes it so difficult to bet against a run to the NBA Finals each and every season. 

Falling into the trap of overlooking these Celtics is significantly harder now. 

We've seen Horford continuing to serve as Boston's primary signal-caller against a James-led offense, and that didn't stop him from putting up 20 points and six assists of his own while shooting 8-of-10 from the field. The lights aren't too bright for the youngsters, either. Rozier's passing (eight assists, one turnover) and Brown's all-around game (23 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block) were both on full display. 

Just look at this block and bucket on the other end:

Jaylen Brown denied Kevin Love, let him know about it ... then buried it on the other end. 👀 pic.twitter.com/jFgNPTqmnj

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 13, 2018

Unless these up-and-comers get Monstared before any subsequent game in this series, they don't look scared of going against a living legend in James. Hell, they may just be young enough not to know any better. As Tatum said, via NESN, when asked how to slow down the four-time MVP in a postgame interview after closing out the Sixers, "This is my first year. I don't know."

Following Game 1, we have some ideas.

A Hall of Fame performance by an individual as talented and motivated as James can change this. We certainly don't want to rule out that possibility. But playoff series are typically won by either a superior team with more top-to-bottom talent or one capable of capitalizing on an advantageous matchup. 

On the heels of a 25-point blowout, the Celtics sure appear to check both boxes. 

     

Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.

Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball Reference, NBA.com, NBA Math or ESPN.com and current heading into games on May 13.

Apparently the Boston Celtics aren't the Clam Chowder Raptors.  

Jaylen Brown scored 23 points and Al Horford added 20, as the Celtics overwhelmed the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first quarter and never looked back on their way to a 108-83 win in Sunday's Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Cavs led 7-6 with 8:56 remaining in the first quarter and never led the remainder of the game. The Celtics went on a 17-0 run from which the Cavs never recovered; Boston led by as many as 29 points in a two-way evisceration.

LeBron James finished with 15 points in by far his worst performance of this postseason. The Cavs shot just 36.5 percent from the floor as a team, including a 15.4 rate (4-of-26) beyond the arc.

Here are some takeaways from Game 1 as we look ahead to Game 2 on Tuesday in Boston (8:30 p.m. ET). 

       

It's Not Time to Panic Over LeBron

At halftime, I got a text from a friend that, in the most radio-edited form, said we need to "re-evaluate LeBron's legacy if he loses to this Celtics team."

My response, one word, two emojis: Nope, crying face, crying face.

There's no sugarcoating anything. Relatively speaking, the best player on the planet was awful Sunday at TD Garden. With his teammates folding like Memorial Day lawn chairs, he did nothing to pick them up. His three-pointer remains broken, a talking point that was swept under the rug because he single-handedly ended the Raptors franchise.

James has made just three of his last 23 threes (13 percent). If he can't make the Celtics pay from distance, Cleveland is going to struggle to create space. Boston can hedge hard against his dribble drives and force the Cavs' co-stars to beat them—something they showed no ability to do in Game 1.

On the flip side: This is LeBron. How many times do we have to have this inane legacy conversation after one game, only for him to come back two days later with a historic performance that leaves our collective mouths agape?

May 21, 2017: LeBron finished with 11 points, six rebounds, six assists and six turnovers in a Game 3 Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Celtics. Boston didn't win another game.

May 13, 2018: LeBron finished with 15 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and seven turnovers in a Game 1 loss to the Celtics.

LeBron has been historically brilliant the entire playoffs. It is one game. On the road. In the afternoon, when James has struggled all season. Odds are our talking point Monday night will include James stuffing some random Celtic in a locker. 

        

Brad Stevens > Tyronn Lue 

Speaking of being stuffed in a locker, Ty Lue is lucky he's not a big guy because he'll be camping inside one overnight after taking a browbeating from Brad Stevens, who this postseason has continued to barge his way to the top of the NBA coaching ranks.

The chasm between the coaching staffs was evident from the first quarter. Stevens, who obviously studied the Kevin Love/Kyle Korver off-ball movements that were so successful against Toronto, had his guys switching all over. He also went with ultrabig lineups to bully the Cavs for stretches, and Lue had no real answers.

The Cavs kept doing the same thing, expecting different results. 

In the days leading up to Game 1, there was a bit of moving the goalposts with Stevens. Some pointed to the fact that the roster, even without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, is loaded with first-round picks. But those narratives ignored the fact that Jaylen Brown just reached legal drinking age in October and that Jayson Tatum was a teenager until two months ago.

Stevens and his Celtics coaching staff have given their young talent the confidence to succeed. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge told ESPN.com's Zach Lowe that Stevens' calm demeanor—rather than one of a screaming totalitarian—has kept the young players level-headed. 

"Some players have a tendency to get frazzled or emotional," Ainge said. "Brad helps with that."

Lue, on the other side, doesn't really exude anything. His resting face is one of confusion, so much so that it's become a Basketball Twitter meme. The fundamental chasm between coaching is the reason the Celtics have a chance in this series. 

On the bright side, Lue did get Rodney Hood to enter the game without refusal. So there's that.

        

Celtics Youngsters Step Up Where Raptors Failed

These guys are just not afraid of the limelight. Brown and Horford carried the Celtics during their first-half trouncing, with the former scoring 18 of his 23 points before the break.

Brown's improvement this season is eye-opening; last season, he looked like a borderline bust with only occasional flashes of good play. Now the good play has become a near constant, and his game exudes swagger—again a testament to Stevens.

Tatum saw his streak of 20-point playoff games end at seven, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds. He didn't need to take over the game for any long stretches and played efficiently in the background. 

      

Cavs In Desperate Need of Better 3-Point Shooting

This is obvious. The Cavs can't win this series shooting 15.4 percent (4-of-26) from deep. Kyle Korver can't go brick city (1-of-5). Neither can Kevin Love (1-of-4) or JR Smith (0-of-3).

LeBron threw up a ton of bricks on his own jumpers (5-of-14 overall), but he needs to continue shooting to help space the floor.

         

Maybe Let's Not Clown Marcus Morris Next Time

The internet shamed the Celtics into deleting an article saying Marcus Morris could be the key to stopping LeBron. Then Morris went out and had a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double while James had his worst game of the playoffs.

It wasn't all Morris, but he helped. 

The NBA Conference Finals officially start on Sunday, May 13, with the Boston Celtics playing host to the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden.

This is the second straight year that the Celtics and Cavs have met in the Eastern Conference Final.

Last season, Cleveland moved on to the NBA Finals after winning the series 4-1. When Kyrie Irving was traded to Boston over the summer, there was intrigue in the possibility of a rematch.

But with Irving and Gordon Hayward out, it's an entirely different picture, and most analysts are picking the Cavs to advance again.

The Western Conference Final begin on Monday, May 14, with the Houston Rockets playing host to the Golden State Warriors.

With a now fully healthy roster, many analysts are picking the Warriors to repeat as champions, but those same analysts have offered the caveat that the Rockets are the one team built to beat them.

That should make for an epic series out West.

Here we will dive into the playoff schedule, make some predictions and reveal the latest championship odds, according to OddsShark.

        

NBA Playoffs: Conference Finals Schedule and Predictions

Eastern Conference

Cleveland at Boston (Game 1): Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC

Cleveland at Boston (Game 2): Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Boston at Cleveland (Game 3): Saturday, May 19 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Boston at Cleveland (Game 4): Monday, May 21 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Cleveland at Boston (Game 5, if necessary): Wednesday, May 23 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Boston at Cleveland (Game 6, if necessary): Friday, May 25 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

Cleveland at Boston (Game 7, if necessary): Sunday, May 27 at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN

      

Western Conference

Golden State at Houston (Game 1): Monday at 9 p.m. on TNT

Golden State at Houston (Game 2): Wednesday at 9 p.m. on TNT

Houston at Golden State (Game 3): Sunday, May 20 at 8 p.m. on TNT

Houston at Golden State (Game 4): Tuesday, May 22 at 9 p.m. on TNT

Golden State at Houston (Game 5, if necessary): Thursday, May 24 at 9 p.m. on TNT

Houston at Golden State (Game 6, if necessary): Saturday, May 26 at 9 p.m. on TNT

Golden State at Houston (Game 7, if necessary): Monday, May 28 at 9 p.m. on TNT

*All times ET

      

Championship Odds

Golden State Warriors -130
Houston Rockets +247
Cleveland Cavaliers +552
Boston Celtics +2070

       

Predictions

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics

A little over a month ago, the Eastern Conference Final between Cleveland and Boston would have been chum for all of sports media.

LeBron James vs. Kyrie Irving.

Batman against Robin.

Former teammates going head-to-head with a chance to go to the NBA Finals on the line.

But with Irving showing up in street clothes and Gordon Hayward sidelined, too, this series won't have the marquee matchups, but it will still be exciting.

Let's face it, any game or series with The King of Akron is must-see TV.

This will be the 7th time a LeBron James team faces off against the Celtics in a playoff series. James' team has come out on top the last 4 playoff series, including last year's Eastern Conference Finals. pic.twitter.com/cRRBUkwPDU

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 10, 2018

James has delivered, yet again, this postseason, averaging 34.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 9 assists per game.

And who could forget about those two incredible buzzer-beaters?

James is seemingly surrounded by castoffs that appear and disappear from game to game, but if Kevin Love can consistently play at or near his All-Star level, the Cavs will advance.

On the other side of the ball is Boston.

Brad Stevens is the best coach in the series, and the Celtics have literally made it this far because of him.

He's instilled greatness in Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier, and they have delivered.

Rookie Jayson Tatum has stepped up in a big way, too. He's entered esteemed company this postseason, racking up seven straight games with 20 or more points. 

Jayson Tatum ties Donovan Mitchell for the 2nd-longest streak of 20-point playoff games by a rookie. pic.twitter.com/UEfag1K7Se

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 10, 2018

That's the second-longest streak of 20-point games by a rookie in history (he's tied with Donovan Mitchell).

The player with the biggest assignment will be Marcus Morris. He has to defend James and try to keep him somewhat contained.

In the end, though, the Cavs will prevail and James will advance to play in his eighth straight NBA Finals.

Cleveland in 6

      

Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have made no qualms about who they've wanted to face in the Western Conference Final.

It's always been the Golden State Warriors.

They're the team on the mountaintop, and the Rockets want to see them fall.

It all started back in January, when Houston beat Golden State 116-108 and someone put a microphone in Clint Capela's face.

"We are better than them," he said, via ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

That's the way the Rockets have felt since then.

And now here we are.

For their part, the Warriors aren't as focused on the who, they're focused on the what.

They want another championship. Period.

"It don't matter to us who we play," Draymond Green said matter-of-factly at the postgame presser after winning Game 5 of the semifinals. "However we got them. Alright. Now let's get it."

This is likely going to be some of the best basketball fans have seen in years.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, this is the first time since turnovers became an official stat in 1973 that a playoff series features two teams that both averaged at least 112 points per 100 possessions in the regular season.

Going by efficiency, Warriors-Rockets is the best offensive matchup in modern NBA history.

Since team turnovers became official in 1973-74, this is the 1st NBA playoff series between teams that both averaged at least 112 points per 100 possessions that regular season. pic.twitter.com/Nh15XlbO36

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 9, 2018

Both of these teams can score in bunches.

Both of these teams can light it up from three.

Both of these teams are exciting to watch.

The only real difference is style of play.

Houston's offense tends to depend on a lot of iso plays where James Harden and Chris Paul take turns going one-on-one.

Golden State's offense is centered around ball movement. They pass the ball until they find the best shot.

No matter how many three's the Rockets hit, that's where the Warriors will separate themselves and come out on top.

Golden State in 7  

At this point in the 2018 NBA playoffs, the magic number is three.

Eight teams remain, but as of Sunday night, four of them—the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets—hold a three-game lead in their respective semifinal matchup.

That means that the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz are all fighting for their playoff lives.

Will any of them be able to stave off elimination?

Here's a quick look at the game dates and times, as well as television and live-stream information.

The second round is coming to a close, so we'll throw in a few picks and odds, according to OddsShark.com.

Kevin Durant is up to 38 PTS!#DubNation 108 | #DoItBigger 85

4 minutes left on #NBAonABC pic.twitter.com/xGFqufTc2j

— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2018

TV and Live Stream for Monday's Semifinal Matchups

Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers | BOS 3-0 | 6 p.m. ET | TNT | TNTDrama.com

Toronto Raptors at Cleveland Cavaliers | CLE 3-0 | 8:30 p.m. ET | TNT | TNTDrama.com

            

TV and Live Stream for Tuesday's Semifinal Matchups

Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets | HOU 3-1 | 8 p.m. ET | TNT | TNTDrama.com

New Orleans Pelicans at Golden State Warriors | GS 3-1 | 10:30 p.m. ET | TNT | TNTDrama.com

              

Playoff Predictions

Conference Finals

Cavaliers over Celtics 4-3

Warriors over Rockets 4-3

Finals

Warriors over Cavaliers 4-2

         

Championship Odds

Golden State Warriors -150
Houston Rockets +225
Cleveland Cavaliers +550
Boston Celtics +1600
Philadelphia 76ers +10000
Utah Jazz +10000
Toronto Raptors +10000
New Orleans Pelicans +10000

Updated odds to win the NBA Championship:

Warriors -150
Rockets +225
Cavaliers +550
Celtics +1600
Pelicans +10000
76ers +10000
Raptors +10000
Jazz +10000

Odds via BetOnline | #NBA

— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) May 6, 2018

         

Latest Buzz

Walk Off LeBron

Whenever LeBron James reaches another milestone or does something else incredible, the comparisons come out of the woodwork.

Has James surpassed Michael Jordan as the GOAT?

That argument has many layers, but the latest wrinkle occurred Saturday night.

With the score tied at 103 and fewer than six seconds left in the game, James dribbled from baseline to baseline and rose off one foot to deliver a game-winning floater from the left block.

It was such a shocker that most people on the court, including J.R. Smith, couldn't react.

After that amazing buzzer-beater, James now has five career postseason buzzer-beaters.

For comparison's sake, according to ESPN Stats & Info, his two buzzer-beaters in this year's playoffs are one shy of Jordan's career playoff total.

With the way he's playing, James will keep breaking records and wowing audiences whenever he steps on the court.

            

Hamptons Five Back?

Much was made about the "Hamptons Five" when Kevin Durant signed in the offseason of 2016.

With Durant in tow, the Golden State Warriors now had five players (Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala) that could effectively blow the lid off the Association with its firepower.

In Game 4 against the New Orleans Pelicans, Durant came alive, going off for 38 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

It was vintage Durant with an amazing array of deadly, contested mid-range shots.

KD's shot chart (15/27). The variety of mid-range shots was absurd pic.twitter.com/H0dpldN0fj

— Sam Esfandiari (@samesfandiari) May 6, 2018

Durant hit those difficult shots on a shorter Jrue Holiday, but that's not the important part to focus on.

As the games and competition get harder, the Warriors need this Durant, the one that breaks hearts with seemingly unmakeable shots.

If all of the Hamptons Five are firing on all cylinders, the rest of the league should be nervous.

According to USA Today's Sam Amick, the Hamptons Five lineup was on the floor for 18 minutes and registered a net rating of 63.6. Additionally, the lineup averaged 130.1 points per 100 possessions and had a defensive rating of 66.5.

Curry and Durant are playing like their old selves and that spells trouble for anyone looking to dethrone the defending champs.

Things are really starting to heat up in the semifinal round of the 2018 NBA playoffs.

Four of the eight teams—the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers—were in action Thursday night.

LeBron James did otherworldly LeBron James things against the Raptors, barreling his way to 43 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds to help the Cavs put the kibosh on DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry's quest to finally beat the King in the postseason.

Cleveland is up 2-0 on Toronto, which not only led the Eastern Conference with 59 wins in the regular season but also changed the way they play to beat No. 23 and The Land.

On paper, the Raptors should be able to beat the Cavs, but it looks as if James has the team that proudly proclaims "We the North" shaken to the point that they might not believe that they can beat him.

Philly vs. Boston was a thriller all the way until the final buzzer, but in the end, the Celtics prevailed for a 2-0 lead in the series.

Now that these teams have established a footing in their respective matchups, we are starting to get a feel for how the semis will play out. We'll make predictions on the outcomes and take a look at the latest championship odds, according to OddsShark.com.

Terry Rozier lobs it up for the Jayson Tatum slam in tonight's #AssistOfTheNight! #CUsRise pic.twitter.com/3V0pCMESjl

— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2018

         

NBA Playoffs: Semifinal Round Standings and Predictions

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors | Record: CLE 2-0 | Prediction: CLE 4-1

Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers | Record: BOS 2-0 | Prediction: BOS 4-2

Eastern Conference

Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans | Record: GS 2-0 | Prediction: GS 4-1

Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz | Record: Tied 1-1 | Prediction: HOU 4-2

        

Playoff Predictions

Conference Finals

Cavaliers over Celtics 4-3

Warriors over Rockets 4-3

Finals

Warriors over Cavaliers 4-2

    

Championship Odds

Golden State Warriors -120
Houston Rockets +200
Cleveland Cavaliers +1000
Philadelphia 76ers +1100
Toronto Raptors +1200
Boston Celtics +5000
Utah Jazz +6000
New Orleans Pelicans +12500

Updated odds to win the NBA Championship:

Warriors -120
Rockets +200
76ers +1000
Cavaliers +1100
Raptors +1200
Celtics +3500
Jazz +5000
Pelicans +12500

Via @BovadaLV | #NBA

— Odds Shark (@OddsShark) May 3, 2018

          

Latest Buzz

Kevin Love Sighting

For much of the postseason, much has been made about the lack of help James is getting while willing his team to victory.

On Thursday night, Kevin Love decided to show up, playing the perfect tag team partner by dropping 31 points and 11 rebounds to help the Cavs secure a 128-110 win to put his team up 2-0 in the series.

With Love hitting open shots, he had 18 points by halftime. That opened up the floor for James, who took over the game in the second half, scoring 27 points.

"He said he was going to do that. He actually called his shots this morning."

Kevin Love on LeBron James.#GameTime pic.twitter.com/FKXaIJk6Zl

— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 4, 2018

"I made some shots. I mean, as simple as that," Love told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. "I know it's funny to say, but I've had a lot of great looks and really uncharacteristic misses for me. It's not like I forgot how to play the game of basketball."

If Love continues to play like this, there's really no way the Raptors will be able to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. Game 3 tips off in Cleveland at 8:30 p.m. ET.  

        

Boston Finds Ben Simmons Cheat Code

The Celtics were pretty good on the defensive end during the regular season, landing at No. 7 in the defensive rating (107.2), but no one expected them to be able to shut down Ben Simmons.

Boston held the presumptive Rookie of the Year to one point.

Simmons finished 0-of-4 from the floor. It was the first time in his career that he did not make a field goal in a game.

He did have seven assists and five rebounds, but his five turnovers basically canceled that out.

pic.twitter.com/OucNotJROo

— $aint Nick (@NickAndOne_) May 4, 2018

His excuse?

"I think mentally, I was thinking too much," Simmons said, via Marc D'Amico of Celtics.com.

Because of his poor play, Simmons was benched for most of the fourth quarter as Boston rallied, overcoming a 22-point deficit to take a 2-0 lead in the series with a 108-103 win.

Simmons will no doubt bounce back from Thursday night's dud, but will it be enough to get the Sixers back in the series?

Philadelphia hosts Game 3 on Saturday, with a 5 p.m. ET tipoff. 

The second round of the 2018 NBA playoffs is in full swing, and teams have stepped up their intensity to win their respective semifinal series for places in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals.

The Cleveland Cavaliers stole a game on the road against the Toronto Raptors, the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden, the Golden State Warriors went up 2-0 on the New Orleans Pelicans behind a resurgent Stephen Curry and the Utah Jazz pulled off a shocker, evening up their series 1-1 on the Houston Rockets' home court.

It's still early in the second round, but these playoff teams' identities are increasingly coming into focus, which means informed predictions can be made.

Here we will dive into the playoff bracket, examine key matchups and reveal the latest championship odds, according to OddsShark.

           

NBA Playoffs: Semifinal Round Standings and Predictions

Eastern Conference

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors | Record: CLE 1-0 | Prediction: TOR 4-3

Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers | Record: BOS 1-0 | Prediction: PHI 4-2

        

Western Conference

Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans | Record: GS 2-0 | Prediction: GS 4-1

Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz | Record: Tied 1-1 | Prediction: HOU 4-2

https://twitter.com/nbaplayoffs2018/status/990803167553114112

        

       

Championship Odds

LeBron James has never lost a first-round playoff series, and he moved one step closer to keeping that streak alive behind some signature heroics as the Cleveland Cavaliers nabbed a dramatic 98-95 Game 5 win over the Indiana Pacers at Quicken Loans Arena on Wednesday night. 

After Cleveland choked away a double-digit fourth-quarter lead, James came up with a game-saving block when he denied Victor Oladipo's go-ahead layup attempt with five seconds remaining:

On the ensuing possession, James received the in-bounds pass, took a few quick dribbles to position himself atop the arc and fired home a game-winning triple as time expired: 

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Wednesday's buzzer-beater was the fourth of James' career and his first since 2015 against the Chicago Bulls: 

This was LeBron James' 4th playoff buzzer beater in his career.

Paul Pierce (2) is the only other player with multiple buzzer-beaters in the playoffs since James entered the league. pic.twitter.com/5PNwhEMidb

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 26, 2018

It also pushed him past Michael Jordan in terms of clutch postseason efficiency: 

Not because #NBATwitter wants it, but because #NBATwitter needs it.

LeBron James is 6-of-13 on go-ahead shots in the final 5 seconds of the 4th quarter / overtime in his playoff career.

He's now made one more than Michael Jordan. pic.twitter.com/CdX32jUM88

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 26, 2018

All told, LeBron finished with 44 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, which resulted from a dominant second half. 

Before stringing together a sequence for the ages in the game's waning seconds, James proved prolific during a third quarter that saw Cleveland outscore Indiana by 15 after entering the half down seven. During that crucial 12-minute stretch, he scored 15 points and assisted on 12 more in what was the start of a signature showing, as the Washington Post's Tim Bontemps observed: 

Meanwhile, this LeBron James performance is one for the ages. Just sheer willpower from him to push Cleveland back into the lead.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 26, 2018

The Cavaliers now own a 3-2 series lead and will have an opportunity to send the Pacers packing Friday when the series shifts back to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for Game 6.  

When that game tips off, Indiana will need more from Oladipo—who scored 12 points on 2-of-15 shooting Wednesday.  

The Most Improved Player of the Year front-runner is 12-of-50 from the floor over his past three games and has entered a clear funk, as Yahoo Sports' Chris Mannix and Fox Sports' Nick Wright observed: 

Oladipo is earning himself a spot on the All-Bad Shot team this series.

— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) April 26, 2018

Oladipo will snap out of this 2.5 game funk he's been in, but he just hasn't shot with the same confidence since he missed the wide open 3 to tie up Game 2 at the end. He's been awful offensively since then.

— nick wright (@getnickwright) April 26, 2018

StatMuse provided an overview of the inconsistencies that have plagued Oladipo dating back to Game 3: 

Victor Oladipo, last 3 games:

24.0 FG%
21.7 3P%
10 turnovers
12 field goals pic.twitter.com/2shFIb9Gmi

— StatMuse (@statmuse) April 26, 2018

Had it not been for another shaky outing, the Pacers may very well be in the driver's seat. 

Domantas Sabonis produced his finest effort of the series with 22 points off the bench, and he played an instrumental role in helping build the Pacers' halftime edge thanks to easy conversions against switches in the post, according to Basketball Insiders' Spencer Davies: 

#Pacers have made it a point to feed Domantas Sabonis in the post all game long. He's taken advantage of mismatches.

— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) April 25, 2018

Plus, the Cavaliers didn't have much going their way outside of James. 

While Kevin Love crashed the boards on both ends (10 rebounds), he managed a meager 11 points on 11 shots. JR Smith, meanwhile, went scoreless in 33 minutes. James outscored the Cavaliers' other four starters 44-36. 

That discrepancy was hardly ideal, but it was enough to put the Cavs ahead. 

Now in control, James and Co. will try to avoid a return trip to Quicken Loans Arena with a win Friday night. If they can break through in enemy territory, a second-round showdown against the Toronto Raptors or Washington Wizards will await in Round 2.