When this whole journey started last month, there were sixteen teams standing in the chase. The top seeds in both conferences are still standing, which anybody who has followed basketball could have predicted. The other two teams are a bit of a surprise. Toronto hasn't seen this deep a run ion the playoffs ever, and Oklahoma City pulled off a huge upset to get here. Seven games in each conference will determine who gets to face off for the right to play for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Enough talk, lets rock. Here's how the conference finals are going to go down.
First up, we go to the Eastern Conference. Its the top seeded Cleveland Cavaliers taking on the 2nd seeded Toronto Raptors. For the 2nd year in a row, the Cavaliers are playing in the Eastern Conference Finals. They got here by sweeping Detroit in the opening round and then sweeping Atlanta in the 2nd round. Cleveland has now made the Eastern Conference Finals for the fourth time in franchise history, going 3-1 in said series. Cleveland is now 92-84 lifetime in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors are playing in their first ever Eastern Conference Finals. They got here by beating Indiana in seven games, following that up with a seven game series win over Miami. Toronto has never played in the Eastern Conference Finals before. They are 30-40 lifetime in the playoffs. This is the first meeting in the playoffs between the Cavaliers and Raptors. Toronto took two of the three meetings between the teams during the regular season.
Here are the dates and times of every game in this series:
May 17 8:30 PM Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
May 19 8:30 PM Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
May 21 8:30 PM Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
May 23 8:30 PM Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
May 25 8:30 PM Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers* Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
May 27 8:30 PM Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors* Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario
May 29 8:30 PM Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers* Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland comes into this series very well rested, having swept both of their previous two rounds. While Toronto has had to go the distance in both of their opening rounds. Here's how we see the series going down
Pick
Solly: Cavaliers in 5
Steve: Cavaliers in 5
3rd Mic Dan: Cavs in 6
Moving to the Western Conference Finals, its the top seeded Golden State Warriors taking on the 3rd seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. Golden State has made it back to the Western Conference Finals for the 2nd straight year. They got here by dispatching Houston in five in the opening round, following that up with a five game series win over Portland. This marks the 3rd time since 1975, and the 2nd year in a row, that the Warriors are playing in the West Finals. Golden State is now 75-70 all time in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City got here by taking out Dallas in five in the opening round, following that up with a six game series win over San Antonio. Oklahoma City is playing in the Western Conference Finals for 2nd time in three years and the 4th time in the last six seasons. The Thunder are now 47-37 lifetime in the playoffs. This is the third meeting in the playoffs between the Warriors and Thunder, with both teams tied at one a piece (Both previous meetings where when the Thunder were still known as the Seattle SuperSonics). Golden State won all three meetings between these teams during the regular season.
Here's the dates and times for every game in this series:
May 16 9:00 PM Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
May 18 9:00 PM Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
May 22 8:00 PM Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
May 24 9:00 PM Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
May 26 9:00 PM Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors* Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
May 28 9:00 PM Golden State Warriors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder* Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
May 30 9:00 PM Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Golden State Warriors* Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
When the post season started, everybody expected it to be a Warriors-Spurs Western Conference Finals. Somebody forgot to tell the Thunder that. Here's how we see this series going down.
Pick
Solly: Warriors in 7
Steve: Warriors in 6
3rd Mic Dan: Warriors in 6
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