1st Round Record: 6-2
Overall Record: 6-2
Western Conference:
#1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. #5 Houston Rockets
I know a lot of people think that the Rockets will give the Lakers problems I do not. This version of the Rockets are no longer 1st round virgins, but they beat an inexperience and young Portland Trail Blazers team by brute force, but that won't happen with the Lakers. They will try to get under the Lakers skin and make it into a dogfight, but it simply will not happen. The Lakers are too skilled of a team from top to bottom to be bothered by the Rockets.
4-1 Lakers#2 Denver Nuggets vs. #6 Dallas MavericksThe Mavericks took out an old San Antonio team, but handling Denver will be a whole different story. Chauncey Billups have given the Nuggets a ton of confidence and in a way I believe they would prefer to play the Mavericks over the Spurs because the Mavericks still have a reputation of being soft. As long as the Nuggets keep up their hot shooting they should win a fairly competitive series.
4-2 Nuggets
Eastern Conference:
#1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #4 Atlanta HawksI don't think Cleveland will sweep the Hawks. One game the Hawks will explode for an outstanding performance, but they aren't very consistent which will be their downfall against Cleveland. Lebron has just been named the NBA MVP, but you know he has a singular goal in mind and that is winning the NBA Championship. He will make sure to make short work of the Hawks.
4-1 Cavaliers#2 Boston Celtics vs. #3 Orlando MagicI am going to be honest I like this Boston team more than I did last year team. This team is broken down, injured and on it's last leg, but would you bet against them in a game 7 against anybody right now? I love those types of underdog teams. All signs point to Orlando knocking the Celtics out. They are younger, fresher and healthier and add on to that the Celtics just went through the longest 7 game series in the history of the NBA should be easy for the Magic right? Wrong. Celtics are mentally stronger and hungrier than the Magic and will somehow pull it out in another classic series.
4-3 Celtics