Must See Sports – Second Weekend of May 2014

Last week's advantage/disadvantage record, excluding series: 8-3
Last week's advantage/disadvantage record, in series: 4-0
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record, excluding series: 39-32
2014 Advantage/Disadvantage Record (series only): 4-1

If you can’t get your fill of sports this week, then you’re just plain greedy.

Thursday, May 8

NFL

2014 NFL Draft, 1^st Round – New York, NY – 7:00pm CDT

What will the Texans do with the #1 overall pick? Will Jadeveon Clowney go first overall? Where is Johnny Football headed? Those are the headlines but just the tip of the iceberg of questions whose answers will be delivered to us starting tonight.

1

NBA

NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

Brooklyn Nets at Miami Heat, Game 2 (Heat lead series 1-0)

I don’t expect Miami to coast to a 21 point win like they did in Game 1. I don’t expect them to hand over home court advantage tonight, either.

Advantages: Game – Heat, Series – Heat

Portland Trailblazers at San Antonio Spurs (Spurs lead series 1-0)

Game 7 of the first round against the Dallas Mavericks appears to have awaken a sleeping giant in the defending Western Conference champion Spurs. San Antonio handed out a complete, top-to-bottom beat down in Game 1. I don’t see the Blazers finding the confidence to win a road game against this Spurs team in Game 2.

Advantage: Game – Spurs, Series – Spurs

This series is loaded with future Hall of Famers. 2

Friday, May 9

NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards, Game 3 (series tied 1-1)

The Pacers are like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get. This team goes from dysfunctional and incompetent to looking like the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference that they are overnight. Roy Hibbert had completely vanished in the postseason until last night and then he emerged like Seabuscuit with 28 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots in the series-tying Game 2 at Indiana. Now the series shifts to D.C.. I don’t trust the Pacers but I do trust how home court can tip the scales in the playoffs.

Advantage: Game – Wizards, Series – Pacers

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers, Game 3 (series tied 1-1)

Another sleeping giant, actually two – MVP Kevin Durant and point guard Russell Westbrook of the Thunder – awoke in last night’s Game 2 as the Thunder hammered the Clippers. The series shifts back to the Staples Center in L.A., however and that move is a potential momentum-shifter.

Advantages: Game – Clippers, Series – Thunder

NFL

2014 NFL Draft, 2^nd and 3^rd rounds – New York, NY – 6:00pm CDT

Will Johnny Manziel still be on the board? Not probable…but not impossible.

Will any of these guys be available on Day 2? Stranger things have happened. 3

Saturday, May 10

NBA

NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

Miami Heat at Brooklyn Nets, Game 3

This is the Nets’ best chance to steal a game in this series. First game headed back to Brooklyn coming off of a travel day…. Enjoy the shot at a win, Nets fan! It may be your last.

Advantage: Nets

San Antonio Spurs at Portland Trailblazers, Game 3

That trip to Portland is not a short one. The crowd will be jacked. The Spurs’ 30-something bodies will not respond as well to a travel day as they once did. Jet lag is real. By the way, so are the Trailblazers, Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge, in particular.

Advantage: Trailblazers

The Blazers deserve a welcome home...for a great season. 4

Sunday, May 11

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Clippers, Game 4

I think this series is going the distance and I don’t expect the Thunder to return home down three games to one. This game is pivotal. It is in Los Angeles and it is very winnable for the Clippers. I simply expect the back-and-forth nature of a seven game series between two similarly talented teams, which these teams are, to send them back to OKC even after four games.

Advantage: Thunder

Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards, Game 4

Who knows? I think the Pacers will win four games in this series but their inconsistency makes it difficult to guess which four. Roy Hibbert appears to be back on the Focused Wagon, so I think the Pacers can return the series to Indianapolis tied a 2-2.

Advantage: Pacers

Roy Hibbert must have readjusted his monocle. 5

NFL

2014 NFL Draft, rounds four through seven – New York, NY – 11:00am CDT

If the NFL Draft has taught us anything, it is that there are an abundance of hidden treasures in the late rounds.

Monday, May 12

NBA

NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

Miami Heat at Brooklyn Nets, Game 4

Cue the late “Dandy” Don Meredith for the Nets: ♫ “Turn out the liiiii-ghts! The par-ty’s ooo-ver! They say that all-lll…good things must ennn-nd!” ♪

Advantage: Heat

San Antonio Spurs at  Portland Trailblazers, Game 4

This is a pivotal game. If Portland has any realistic chance of beating the Spurs, they need to sweep the remaining games they have at home.  I don’t think that is going to happen as experience and coaching will catch up to the up-and-coming Blazers.

Advantage: Spurs

Tuesday, May 13

NBA

NBA Playoffs – Conference Finals

Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers, Game 5

Don’t put any money on any game in this series. I’m simply deferring to the home court advantage for Game 5. The winner of this game will take the series in my opinion.

Advantage: Pacers

Los Angeles Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder, Game 5

Copy what I said for the Wizards and Pacers. The Game 5 winner will eventually advance to the Conference Finals. Being back in Oklahoma City, I expect the crowd and the home court to carry them over the finish line in the event that this game is close.

Advantage: Thunder

Durant and Westbrook we unstoppable in Game 2. 6

Wednesday, May 14

NBA

NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals

Brooklyn Nets at Miami Heat, Game 5 (if necessary)

Game…set…match.

Advantage: Heat

Portland Trailblazers at San Antonio Spurs, Game 5 (if necessary)

The trail stops being blazed here. I expect Game 5 to be competitive and close because the Spurs will be facing a test of endurance after the seven game first round series and four games of the Conference Semis. But I’ll throw my lot in with Gregg Popovich to close this one out should the Spurs enter the game with a 3-1 series lead.

Advantage: Spurs

Popovich sometimes has a like that it's so easy that he's bored. 7

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! 

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info. 

1) Image from www.cbssports.com

2) Image from www.miamiherald.com

3) Image from www.sportingnews.com

4) Image from www.flikr.com

5) Image from http://sports.yahoo.com

6) Image from www.bleacherreport.com

7) Image from www.fannation.com

Seven, Seven, Seven, Seven, and Seven

The most competitive, exciting and drama-filled first round of the NBA playoffs came to an end this past weekend. Five first round series concluded with a deciding Game 7, with a record three Game 7’s taking place on one day. The road team won the majority of the games played in the round. Only one series ended in a sweep with the two-time defending champion Miami Heat disposing of the Charlotte Bobcats in four games.  Six of the eight first round series required at least six games to decide the series. This all took place with the back drop of a potentially explosive controversy involving the racist remarks of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling. It was a first round that will be a tough act to follow.

There were unexpected curves in the road through the NBA Playoffs. 1

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FOR AN ENCORE?

In the Eastern Conference, the top seeded Indiana Pacers and fifth seeded Washington Wizards will play for the right to advance to the Conference Finals against the winner of the series between the second seeded Heat and the sixth seeded Brooklyn Nets. In the Western Conference, the survivors of the four tightly contested first round series were the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, and Portland Trailblazers. The winner of the Spurs and Blazers will advance to play the winner of the Clippers-Thunder series. Like in the first round, expect the series in the Western Conference to be decided by the slimmest of margins.

LeBron and company are all rested up thanks to the fight that owner Michael Jordan's Bobcats did not put up. 2

WHAT THE FIRST ROUND TOLD US

In spite of the intense competition and high drama, the first round of the first round, we know, roughly, what we knew going into the playoffs. The Heat are the team to beat. The Bulls were an easy out without Derrick Rose or any other potent scoring threat. The Pacers may be the most dysfunctional and inconsistent top seeded team in the history of the NBA. The Brooklyn Nets are beatable, but have so much talent and experience that they are capable of beating anyone (including the Heat) in spite of the obstacles in their path. The narrative in the East is the same has it has been for months.

In the West, there are three teams that appear to be similarly capable of winning the West – the defending conference champion Spurs, the 2012 conference champion Thunder, and the Clippers, notwithstanding their ownership crisis. The Portland Trailblazers started this season as the hottest team in the NBA and their play against the Rockets in the first round resembles their play in November and December, when they appeared to be poised to run away with the Northwest Division. Expect those two series to be heated, physical, and long.

Liftoff of the 2014 NBA Playoffs is successful. If the first round is any indication, the return from orbit could be bumpy.  If so, the fans (and television networks) will be the big winners between now and mid-June.

The Nets advanced in a Game 7 at Toronto by the tips of Paul Pierce's fingers. It won't be the last time this season we see exciting conclusions like this one. 3

Don't forget to vote in the fan polls! 

To advertise with The Daily Hat Trick, or to submit a guest column, please contact the editor at eric@thedailyhattrick.info.

1) Image from www.blacksportsonline.com
2) Image from www.winonadailynews.com
3) Image from www.nydailynews.com