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Miami Heat – A Bumpy Title Defense Start
No more illusions about a piece of cake couple of first rounds before the “real” playoffs begin. The Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Bobcats 99-88 with solid performances from LeBron James and Dwyane Wade but especially great runs sparked by the bench and James Jones to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
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NBA Playoffs – Game 1 Predictions (Bobcats vs Heat, Wizards vs Bulls)
The series of opening games in the NBA playoffs continues, with the Eastern conference showcasing the NBA champions playing against the Charlotte Bobcats and a much more potentially closer encounter between the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls.
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NBA Playoffs – Game 1 Predictions (Mavericks vs Spurs, Blazers vs Rockets)
A little taste of history in the series out West that continue the NBA playoffs, as the San Antonio Spurs meet a very familiar playoff foe in the Dallas Mavericks, while the Houston Rockets face the last team they’ve managed to beat in a postseason series, the Portland Trail Blazers.
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Golden State Warriors – Smarter & Better Than Expected
The best game of the first night of NBA playoff basketball went in the way of the Golden State Warriors, beating the Los Angeles Clippers 109-105 thanks to an incredible effort on defense and the rebounding department, getting by without Stephen Curry exploding thanks to getting Blake Griffin in foul trouble.
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Houston Rockets – Jeremy Lin & James Harden Made us Forget About Dwight Howard
The thing about the Houston Rockets we love to dissect and focus on more than anything is the way James Harden dominates this team, maybe a bit too much, and what does it mean for Jeremy Lin. But this season was also about Dwight Howard finding a comfort zone in the NBA once again, and although he isn’t the main face of the team and isn’t running the show, it’s safe to say he made the right choice through the free agency bonanza of last summer.
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Oklahoma City Thunder – Kevin Durant Punishes Every Mistake
The Memphis Grizzlies have what it takes to make this series a very difficult one for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but an upset? Right now they don’t have an answer for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who sprinted for a fast break finish after every miss or mistake the visitors made, pulling off a 100-86 series opening win in game 1.
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Indiana Pacers – Embarrassing on Both Ends of the Floor
The theory that things will magically get better once the playoffs begin for the Indiana Pacers was proven wrong by the surprising Atlanta Hawks and especially Jeff Teague, leading the #8 seed in the East to a 101-93 win in game 1 to take away home court advantage.
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Brooklyn Nets – Experience, Defense & Intelligence on Display
Despite the incredible atmosphere and support, the Toronto Raptors couldn’t get enough minutes of good basketball, while the Brooklyn Nets kept their composure throughout the whole ordeal, getting most of their offense from Deron Williams and Joe Johnson who played to their strengths and made the most of the defensive mismatches in a 94-87 to claim a game 1 win and steal home court advantage.
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NBA Playoffs – Warriors vs Clippers Game 1 Predictions
Some series have more than just one angle or story line to them. The Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors have been at each other’s throats for the last couple of seasons, so now they have a playoff series with up to seven games in two weeks to hash things out. Exciting.
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NBA Playoffs – Grizzlies vs Thunder Game 1 Predictions
It feels like tradition when the Memphis Grizzlies and the Oklahoma City Thunder meet in the playoffs, a third time over the last four seasons. Last year the Grizzlies made the most of Kevin Durant being left alone in the battle to advance, but the return of Russell Westbrook changes everything about this rivalry.