The two best teams in the East this season square off in what promises to be an EPIC Conference Finals, with the #1-seeded Atlanta Hawks set to do battle with the #2-seeded Cleveland Cavs. Here's our list of 10 bold predictions for the Hawks vs. Cavs Eastern Conference Finals.
1. LeBron's Gonna LeBron...Times Two
If you thought James was determined during the Miami Heat's championship runs, just wait to watch the hundreds of YouTube highlight reels dedicated to his quest to lifting his home state to the NBA Finals.
2. We'll Have Another Injury...
We're not happy to say this, but we're taking the over for hospital visits in these injury-laden playoffs.
3. Matthew Dellavedova Will Have A Steph Curry-Esque Game
Just you watch. He's confident and coming into his own in these playoffs. He may not get the minutes to put up Curry's pinball scoring numbers, but he'll go off in one of these games.
4. Dennis Schroder's Gonna Start A Fight
The Hawks already got busted for tasking Kent Bazemore with slapping John Wall's injured his hand. His mouth's gonna tick off Cleveland somewhere in thise series.
5. JR Smith Is Going To Be Suspended...Again
The mercurial Cavs swingman has a reputation. He's also gonna love getting physical with a blue-collar Hawks team with a chip on its shoulder. That's gonna lead to some contact, maybe with a chirping Schroder and likely of the intentional variety. Adam Silver will be watching, nodding to himself.
6. Paul Millsap Is Gonna Shoot 55% From The Field
Millsap's the prototypical stretch four and that's gonna give the Cavs fits from the perimeter on in. Atlanta's gonna keep feeding him and the shooting stroke he showed in flashes during the Washington series is going to hit overdrive.
7. Cavs Will Fall Down 2-0...
...and there will be panic in the streets. No worry.
8. Cleveland Will Win The Next Two Games And Take Game 5 To Overtime
LeBron goes full King in Games 3 & 4, averaging 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in a reminder game that he's just that dang good. He'll bring it again in Game 5, but a key aggravation of an injury and a DeMarre Carroll/Jeff Teague heat check in Hotlanta will help the Hawks edge their way to a Game 5 victory.
However, from there...
9. Kyrie Irving's Gonna Have His Jordan Flu Game
Let's set the hypothetical scenario -- Cavs down three games to two in front of a rocking Quicken Loans Arena. Irving tweaks his knee in Game 5 in a heartbreaking overtime loss in the ATL. A hobbled Irving goes BEAST mode to stave off elimination, hitting a breathtaking array of off-kilter jumpers and bounding to the hoop like a pogo stick.
Finally...
10. Cleveland Advances In Seven To Face The Warriors
Whoever the Golden State Warriors draw in the Western Conference Finals, it seems preordained that they're headed to the grand stage of the NBA Finals. The Cavs will join them with a blowout game-seven victory, turning a five-point halftime lead into a 22-point statement of a massacre.
And we'll have a June Classic for the ages and the only NBA Finals that can truly cap off this insane playoff stretch.
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