Four games — every one of them featuring a team up 3-1 in a best-of-seven series.
Tuesday night could see four series close out in the NBA playoffs.
Not likely.
We’re not sure who, but someone will push the series forward to a Game 6. One team will lose some days off to rest. That said, we will see closeouts. We are going to see what some call a “Gentlemen’s Sweep” (a team could have won in four but took its foot off the gas and let the other team win a game). We are going to see playoff series set.
Here is a quick look at each of Tuesday’s games, in order of potential Game 6s being forced.
Boston at Atlanta, Celtics up 3-1: This series may have been decided way back in Game 2, when Boston won on the road without Rajon Rondo while Josh Smith got hurt for Atlanta. In Tuesday’s Game 5 back at home Al Horford and Marvin Williams will move into the starting lineup for the Hawks, and they will have Josh Smith. Boston will play all of its key guys, despite some injuries — Paul Pierce’s knee and Avery Bradley’s shoulder in particular. Boston has simply executed better in this series, looking stronger each game, but expect a more desperate Hawks team at home. Joe Johnson wants to take more shots and he is capable of getting hot. Jeff Teague has been good and could outplay Rondo for a night. Atlanta has been to the second round the last couple years and will not roll over. Boston is going to have to work to earn the extra rest that comes with no Game 6.
Denver at Los Angeles, Lakers up 3-1: Denver knows the model to win — run the Lakers into the ground with a scattered, up-tempo game — but the Lakers have largely resisted playing along. Los Angeles has turned their wins into a traditional half-court basketball games and used their superior size and skill up front with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol to get the victories. Well, that plus that Kobe Bryant guy is pretty good. The Lakers should close this out at home, but they have yet to really fire on all cylinders for any game and would you really be shocked if they had one of their “mental vacation” games tonight? Neither would I.
Philadelphia at Chicago, 76ers up 3-1: Again we have a young team trying to get a road close out win in the playoffs, something that they will learn is not easy to do. But the Bulls are just so banged up — Derrick Rose is out with his knee injury and Joakim Noah is a game-time decision, he shot without a brace on his sprained ankle during shootaround Tuesday, but he likely will not go and even if he does he’s not going to be 100 percent. Chicago has guys like Luol Deng who could take over for a game, but Philly is finding its groove from early in the season when they were surprising everyone. Spencer Hawes has always been key to their offense — he can stretch the defense and his passing skills move the ball side-to-side for Philly, getting better looks. He’s found his game again. Expect Philly to close it out.
Orlando at Indiana, Pacers up 3-1: In Game 1 Orlando came out with playoff intensity and Indiana came out like a wide-eyed young team that had never really been there before. Midway through Game 2 Indiana woke up and said, “wait, they don’t have Dwight Howard, we should be beating these guys” and it has gone that way ever since. Orlando plays hard, Stan Van Gundy knows how to coach. But in the end Indy has Roy Hibbert, David West and Danny Granger and talent wins out in this league. The Pacers will close this out.
