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Photo Credit: Dave Abel/Toronto Sun
We all thought the Eastern Conference would come down to the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat, with the other six teams just being lucky enough to not be the worst of the worst. However, the Pacers are a mess and are down 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks, the Chicago Bulls are down 2-0 to the Washington Wizards, and the Brooklyn Nets are tied at one win apiece with the Toronto Raptors. It has now become a youth vs. experience battle and it looks like youth might win after all.
The NBA odds are that the Miami Heat will come out on top and head to their fourth straight NBA Finals appearance. However, it is very possible that they will have to go through teams like the Wizards and Hawks to get there. While these team may not pose a true threat to the defending champion, they do have enough talent to make it interesting.
The Wizards are the probably the most talented team besides the Miami Heat playing in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Many thought they would be bounced by the Chicago Bulls in the first round, but after winning the first two games in Chicago, the Wizards are riding high. The Bulls have a good team, but they are exhausted, especially Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah. Chicago’s offense runs through Noah despite him being a defensive player first. This has finally caught up to them and the Wizards’ big men Nene and Marcin Gortat have been exploiting Noah’s tired legs.
As for the Hawks advancing, it will have as much to do with the emergence of Jeff Teague as it will the incredible decline of Roy Hibbert. The Pacers big man just looks lost out there. He is unable to make any type of shot, even a layup and it is messing with his confidence and affecting everyone’s play on the court. The Raptors may not make it out of the first round, but it is clear they will not go down without a fight. Toronto is making Brooklyn battle on both sides of the ball. Tonight’s game three in Brooklyn will be a huge momentum game.
