Remember when the Boston Celtics were considered in trouble in the opening round? Remember when it seemed like a lock that we would see the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals? A lot can change in just over a week and once again we have a slightly different outlook of what to expect in this year’s NBA final four. However, the end game remains the same with the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers on pace to reach the NBA Finals for the third year in a row. Here is a look at the NBA top-five power rankings for this week.
1. Golden State Warriors
Last Week: 1
NBA Championship Odds: -300
Utah’s tough defense was no match for Golden State in the opening game of its second round series. After a week off, the Warriors cruised to a 106-94 win over the Jazz. Stephen Curry scored 22 points in three quarters of action while Kevin Durant and Draymond Green scored 17 each. Golden State’s offense has been lights out early on in games and for the most part they have had their playoff contests locked up by the time the fourth quarter gets underway. The Warriors are clearly the top title contender and on pace for another showdown with Cleveland in the NBA Finals.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
Last Week: 2
NBA Championship Odds: +200
The Cavaliers came out on top of the most closely contested four-game sweep in NBA playoff history when they beat the Indiana Pacers in the first round. Their matchup with the Toronto Raptors hasn’t been nearly as close. Cleveland followed up an 11-point win in the opener of their second round series with a 22-point win in game two. While their average margin of victory isn’t quite as large as it was after the first two games against Toronto in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals there is no doubt they seem to be playing on another level. The Cavaliers understand what it will take to beat Golden State in the NBA Finals. The focus and urgency they are playing with right now has them on track to be ready to defend their title on the biggest stage.
3. Houston Rockets
Last Week: 3
NBA Championship Odds: +1500
If there was one team that could stop the rematch between Golden State and Cleveland it might be Houston. The Rockets earned a split in San Antonio and return home looking to take a commanding 3-1 series lead against the Spurs. Consistency at the offensive end of the floor will be the key to beating San Antonio and it showed in game one of that series. James Harden was held to 20 points in that victory but Trevor Ariza scored 23, Clint Capela had 20 and Ryan Anderson scored 14. Houston shot 44-percent on 50 three-point attempts in the win compared to just 32.4-percent on 34 attempts in their game two loss. The Rockets have the weapons to make some serious noise but first they need to take care of business against the Spurs at home.
4. Boston Celtics
Last Week: 5
NBA Championship Odds: +1000
Boston has strung together six straight wins after going down 0-2 to the Chicago Bulls in the first round. The Celtics offense put on a show in the first two games of their second round series with the Washington Wizards, averaging 126.0 points per game in a pair of wins. Isaiah Thomas put up a game-high 53 points in game two and is clearly public enemy number one for the Wizards. As long as Thomas continues to produce at such a high level, Boston will be tough to stop. Washington’s defense has been a sore spot and head coach Brad Stevens has clearly outcoached his counterpart through two games. The Wizards will hope that home advantage can provide a spark but right now it looks like it’s the Celtics that will tangle with Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals.
5. San Antonio Spurs
Last Week: 4
NBA Championship Odds: +1200
The Spurs might have won game two against the Rockets but they still settled for a split at home and took an even bigger blow losing Tony Parker. Parker was carried off the court with what appeared to be a serious leg injury and that is bad news for San Antonio. The Spurs are already thin at the guard position and it will be even more difficult to keep up with the Rockets without the veteran. On the bright side, San Antonio did a much better job defensively in game two, holding Houston to just 96 points. The Spurs held the Rockets to 11-for-34 on three-point attempts in game two. That will be an important element for them going forward in the series. San Antonio was bumped one spot down to five on this list following the split at home. However, as we have seen in the past with this list, a lot can change in one week.
Bet on all of the big NBA games this week at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest NBA betting lines right here.
