Warriors rolling, Hawks done
The Golden State Warriors have caught a bit of heat in some circles because they barely beat the Houston Rockets at ORACLE Arena in Games 1 and 2 of the NBA’s Western Conference Finals. All of that criticism is insanity. Golden State is sitting pretty, up 2-0 in the best-of-7 series.
The Warriors only have to split at Toyota Center to come back to ORACLE with a chance to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 1975. Golden State is currently the odds-on favorite to win the Larry O’Brien trophy, getting a 1/3 number from Vegas Insider.
With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the perimeter, the Warriors have perhaps the best shooting backcourt in the history of the league. Few players in the league get hotter, quicker, helping to stake Golden State to a comfortable lead over the Rockets. However, Houston has been able to hang around on the road, a place where Golden State has only lost three games throughout the post and regular season. If the Rockets can step up an get energized from the home crowd, it could become a series again.
Ultimately, the Warriors are in terrific shape. If Golden State can find a way to limit James Harden and get some solid contributions from guys like Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes, this series will be over sooner than later. The Warriors have a chance to finish off the Rockets in short order, getting them a nice rest before facing the Cleveland Cavaliers or Atlanta Hawks in the Finals.
Hawks on the brink
The Atlanta Hawks are done. After losing the first two games of the Eastern Conference Finals at home against Cleveland, the Hawks face the unenviable task of beating LeBron James in four of the next five games, with three coming at Quicken Loans Arena.
Look, Atlanta has enjoyed a tremendous campaign. Nobody thought the Hawks would win 60 games this season and reach the conference finals. Most expected Atlanta to be a playoff team that could maybe win a round, then get blown out by either the Cavaliers or Chicago Bulls.
For the Hawks, the main goal right now is to avoid being swept. Win a game on the road, get back to Atlanta and hold serve in Game 5, and then go in swinging like a wild man for Game 6. Odds are, the Hawks will be bounced before that Game 6, but Al Horford and Paul Millsap must lead the way to a victory or two.
At the end of the day, the Cavaliers and Warriors will meet in the NBA Finals. The only question is how long it takes for both to reach their destinations. It sets up for a fantastic series, with both teams boasting incredible star power.
