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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder

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May 15, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
7:00 PM Chicago Bulls Miami Heat Heat
9:30 PM Memphis Grizzlies Oklahoma City Thunder Thunder

The reigning Western Conference Champion Oklahoma City Thunder will try to avoid elimination when they host the Memphis Grizzlies in today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day. The Thunder, who trail the Grizzlies 3-1 heading into Game 5, have to protect their home court if they hope to keep their postseason run—and hopes of another conference championship—alive.

Oklahoma City, who has participated in the last two Western Conference finals, has to find a way to win three in a row against the Grizzlies if it hopes to reach the conference finals for a third straight season. The first four games of this series have been decided by a total of 20 points and the Thunder have been in each of them until the final moments. Each game has been a one-possession game in the final 90 seconds. If a few late-game possessions had gone in Oklahoma City’s favor, it is quite possible that it could be the Thunder, instead of the Grizzlies, holding a 3-1 series lead.

But more often than not in this series, it has been the Grizzlies making plays in the closing moments. To put it simply, Memphis has found a way to win three games to Oklahoma City’s one. The Grizzlies have battled and fought the Thunder until the final buzzer and have earned their 3-1 series lead. If Memphis wants to end this series tonight, and advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history, the Grizzlies will have to show the same fight and resolve that has put them in this position.

A series is not over until a team wins four games, and with tonight’s game being played in Oklahoma City, where the crowd will be raucous from start to finish and the Thunder will literally be fighting for their playoff lives, Memphis will have a battle on its hands. If the Grizzlies want to get that fourth win and close out this series, they will have to survive a battle that will likely be like no other they have ever faced before.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
New York Knicks 82 Indiana Pacers 93 Pacers Pacers
Golden State Warriors 91 San Antonio Spurs 109 Spurs Spurs

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 2-0
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 43-19

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls

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May 13, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
7:00 PM Miami Heat Chicago Bulls Heat
9:30 PM Oklahoma City Thunder Memphis Grizzlies Grizzlies

The Miami Heat will try to take a commanding 3-1 lead over the Chicago Bulls in today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day. The Heat, who surrendered home-court advantage when they lost Game 1, 93-86, last Monday, regained that advantage with a 104-94 Game 3 victory in Chicago on Friday night. If the Heat can get another win in Chicago tonight, they would head home to Miami with an opportunity to close the series out in Wednesday night’s Game 5.

The Heat are the only team that has not suffered a loss on the road this postseason. Given the fact that they have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, the Heat will be a very difficult team to beat in a seven-game series if they continue to pick up wins on the road. Miami, who has not lost a road game during the playoffs since Game 1 of last season’s NBA Finals in Oklahoma City, will try to extend its postseason road winning streak to an impressive five games.

The Bulls have put together a couple of streaks of their own. Which, unfortunately for them, are likely to be extended tonight.

According to Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, forward Luol Deng and guard Kirk Hinrich, who have missed five and six consecutive games, respectively, are “most likely out” again tonight. Even without these two starters, the Bulls—like they have all season long—will continue to compete and find a way to give themselves a chance to win this game. But with the minutes piling up on the other Bulls, Miami’s ability to score the ball—and Chicago’s relative lack thereof—it will be difficult, though not impossible, for the Bulls to avoid dropping their third consecutive game at home this postseason.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
San Antonio Spurs 87 Golden State Warriors 97 Spurs Warriors

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 0-1
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 39-19

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: San Antonio Spurs at Golden State Warriors

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May 10, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
8:00 PM Miami Heat Chicago Bulls Heat
10:30 PM San Antonio Spurs Golden State Warriors Warriors

The Golden State Warriors earned an all-important split and snatched home-court advantage from the San Antonio Spurs with a 100-91 victory in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinals matchup. It was the Warriors’ first road win over the Spurs in over 16 years. Now that they have snapped their 30-game road losing streak to San Antonio, the Warriors will try to maintain home-court advantage with a victory in today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day.

Golden State won all three of its home games against the Denver Nuggets in the first round and will be looking to improve its record at Oracle Arena to a perfect 4-0 this postseason with a win tonight. The Warriors, who would be up 2-0 in this series, were it not for their epic collapse in Game 1, won both of their home games against the Spurs during the regular season.

San Antonio has struggled to keep Golden State’s shooters in check through the first two games of this series. The Warriors, who led the NBA in three-point shooting percentage during the regular season at 40.3 percent, are shooting a league-best 40.7 percent from beyond the three-point arc this postseason. And with Klay Thompson, after a phenomenal eight-for-nine three-point shooting performance in Game 2, shooting 60 percent from that distance in this series, Golden State has improved that number to 41.5 percent through two games of this Western Conference semifinal.

In addition to shooting the ball extremely well from the perimeter, the Warriors are getting the job done on the defensive side of the ball as well. They have held the Spurs under 45 percent from the floor in each of the first two games and the Warriors are outshooting San Antonio 48.3 percent to 41.8 percent for the series. Golden State is also beating the Spurs on the boards. The Warriors won the rebounding battle in each of the first two games and are outrebounding San Antonio for the series, 105-93.

If Golden State can outrebound and outshoot—particularly from three-point land—the Spurs again tonight, the Warriors will likely maintain home-court advantage and take a 2-1 series lead.

Wednesday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
Chicago Bulls 78 Miami Heat 115 Heat Heat
Golden State Warriors 100 San Antonio Spurs 91 Spurs Warriors

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Wednesday’s Games: 1-1
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 37-16

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat

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May 8, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
7:00 PM Chicago Bulls Miami Heat Heat
9:30 PM Golden State Warriors San Antonio Spurs Spurs

The Chicago Bulls imposed their will on the Miami Heat and snatched home-court advantage from the defending NBA champions with a 93-87 Game 1 victory in South Beach on Monday night. Including the playoffs, the Bulls have now won nine of their last 17 contests against LeBron James and the Heat. With a split and home-court advantage already in hand, the Bulls will have an opportunity to put some real pressure on James and the Heat with a victory in today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day.

The Bulls opened this Eastern Conference semifinals matchup strong defensively. Chicago limited Miami, who scored an NBA high 110.3 points per 100 possessions during the regular season, to just 15 first-quarter points. Chicago’s defense, which held James to just two points in the first half, was solid for the entire contest and forced the Heat to shoot a frigid 39.7 percent from the field.

But it was the way that Chicago finished the game offensively that really made the difference. The Bulls, who outscored the Heat 35-24 in the final stanza, closed the game with a flurry. Led by Nate Robinson, Chicago went on a 10-0 run in the final 2 minutes to turn a three-point deficit into a seven-point victory. Robinson broke an 86-86 tie with a 19-foot jumper at the 1:17 mark and capped off his game-high 27-point performance by scoring the game’s final seven points.

The Heat will need to start and finish tonight’s game much better than they started and finished Game 1 if they want to avoid falling into a 2-0 deficit. The Bulls will compete with intensity and grit for the full 48 minutes and beyond if necessary. If Miami wants to give itself a chance to tie this series at one game apiece and head to Chicago with an opportunity to regain home-court advantage with a victory in Game 3, the Heat will have to match Chicago’s intensity and grit from the opening tip to the final buzzer.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
Indiana Pacers 79 New York Knicks 105 Knicks Knicks
Memphis Grizzlies 99 Oklahoma City Thunder 93 Grizzlies Grizzlies

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 2-0
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 36-15

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2013 NBA Playoffs Game of the Day: Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat

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May 6, 2013

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Today’s Games (All times are Eastern):

 

Time (ET) Visitor Home Prediction
7:00 PM Chicago Bulls Miami Heat Heat
9:30 PM Golden State Warriors San Antonio Spurs Spurs

After a week of rest, the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat will return to the court in today’s NBA Playoff Game of the Day against the Chicago Bulls. The Heat, who easily swept their first-round opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks, in four straight games, did not know who they would match up against in the second round until Saturday night—after the Chicago Bulls won Game 7 of their first-round series with the Brooklyn Nets. Tonight, these rivals will open their second-round series with one team well-rested and the other still recovering from a grueling seven-game series that took two weeks to complete.

One day after receiving his fourth NBA Most Valuable Player Award, LeBron James will try to help Miami earn its ninth consecutive postseason game and move to a perfect 5-0 in the 2013 NBA Playoffs. The Miami fans, who have not seen their Heat play at AmericanAirlines Arena since Game 2 of the first round two weeks ago, will certainly give James and the Heat a warm round of applause before the game tips off.

The Heat, who have not lost a playoff game on their home floor since a 94-90 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of last season’s Eastern Conference finals, have done a great job of protecting their home court all season long. Miami was an impressive 37-4 at home during the regular season. However, one of those losses did come to these Chicago Bulls.

In fact, the Bulls beat the Heat twice during the regular season, and Chicago has won eight of the 16 meetings between the teams, including the playoffs, since James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in South Beach.

Despite being hurt and battered after a long drawn out seven-game series and coming into Game 1 with just one day of rest, the Bulls will battle and fight—and the Heat know it.

“It’s going to be hard-fought,” Miami forward Shane Battier said. “It’s going to be physical. It’s going to be emotional.”

And if the Heat, after a week-long rest, open the game with any rust at all, they just might have to battle and fight harder than Battier expects to protect their home-court advantage.

Yesterday’s Results:

 

Visitor Home Prediction Result
Memphis Grizzlies 91 Oklahoma City Thunder 93 Grizzlies Thunder
Indiana Pacers 102 New York Knicks 95 Knicks Pacers

Random NBA Fan’s Record in Yesterday’s Games: 0-2
Random NBA Fan’s Record for the Playoffs: 33-14

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