Cavaliers, Bulls remain on collision course
The 2015 NBA Playoffs have only begun, and yet so many storylines are already taking shape. In the Eastern Conference, the first-round matchups almost seem all but decided already with the exception of the Toronto Raptors-Washington Wizards series.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, a team which Vegas Insider has at 11/5 to win the NBA title and an astounding 1/3 to take the Eastern Conference crown, is already up 1-0 on the overwhelmed Boston Celtics in their quarterfinals matchup. Cleveland took Game 1 by an 113-100 total, led by LeBron James scoring 20 points with seven assists and six rebounds. Point guard Kyrie Irving scored 30 points to lead all scorers, while forward Kevin Love chipped in with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Barring the biggest upset in NBA history, the Celtics will be gone in no more than five games, leaving the Cavaliers to wait for the winner of the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks. Chicago took a 1-0 series lead on Saturday, beating up on Milwaukee at the United Center, 103-91. Jimmy Butler, fully healed from his elbow injury toward the end of the regular season, was the high-scorer with 25 points while Derrick Rose added 23 points and seven assists.
Milwaukee is better than Boston, but the Bulls would need a complete lapse in focus or some ill-timed injuries to keep them from advancing to the second round. With Chicago finally healthy and looking like a team with a mission on its mind, the Bucks are going to be hard-pressed to win even two games, left alone four.
The stage is set for a star-fueled semifinals in the East. It will be the only matchup in the conference that matters all year lone. None of the first-round series have even an ounce of sizzle, and with no disrespect intended to the Altanta Hawks, the viewership won’t spike because Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver and Al Horford take the floor. Atlanta is a fun team, but it does not move the needle because most still don’t believe it can make a serious run to the Finals.
The NBA is the only season in which most casual observers can tell who a contender is and who the pretenders are by the time we hit Christmas. From there, we are all waiting for the regular season to play out so a bunch of bottom-feeding teams can fight for the No. 8 seed, only to be plowed over in four games by the conference’s best. When Chicago and Cleveland meet, the Cavaliers will be favored but nobody would be stunned if the Bulls walk away victorious.
It took until late April, but the East is finally about to produce something truly worth watching. Love, Irving and James against Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol, Noah and Rose. Let’s get it on.
