J-Speaks: 2018 Eastern and Western Conference Finals Preview

The 2017-18 NBA campaign began with the defending NBA champions from the “Bay Area” and the three-time defending Eastern Conference Champions from “The Land” taking on their biggest challengers in their respective conferences in the boys from “Clutch City” and the boys from “Beantown” on Oct. 17, 2017. Those same four squadrons for the second postseason in a row will meet for the right to represent their respective conferences in The NBA Finals near the close of this month. Here is the J-Speaks 2018 Eastern and Western Conference Finals Preview.

Eastern Conference 

(1)   Boston Celtics versus (4) Cleveland Cavaliers

Season Series: Cavs won 2-1

For two of the past three postseasons, the Boston Celtics have been on the losing end to the Cavs, falling in a four-game sweep in the First-Round in 2015 and then losing in the so-called gentleman’s sweep 4-1 in the Conference Finals a season ago. The third entanglement was supposed to bring some poetic justice to conclude the East portion of the 2018 postseason with a former Cavs All-Star guard being dealt to the biggest rival to the Cavs and specifically the four-time MVP that he no longer wanted to play alongside. This would have also been the opportunity for the All-Star lead guard the Cavs acquired in exchange for said former Cavs lead guard for payback to the team that traded him the moment they could land a 25-year-old All-Star guard. A lot has changed, and those principles players will not be involved, but that four-time MVP will, and he and his team after a rough seven-game tilt in the opening round to the 2018 playoffs are poised to make the postseason for the fourth consecutive season. 

For the Celtics, who finished as the No. 2 Seed in the East with a 55-27 marked entered the postseason without lead guard Kyrie Irving, whose season ended in March with his third surgery on his left knee. The C’s other big off-season acquisition in fellow All-Star Gordon Hayward was lost minutes in the team’s season-opener ironically enough at the Cavs with a gruesome ankle injury. 

Many predicted with those key losses the Celtics would struggle to just get out of the opening round versus the No. 7 Seeded Milwaukee Bucks. They not only got pasted the Bucks in seven games, but they defeated the star heavy and upcoming No. 3 Seeded Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the Conference Semifinals. 

How did head coach Brad Stevens’ squad do it? The young quartet of rookie Jayson Tatum, second-year guard Jaylen Brown and third-year guard Terry Rozier and fourth-year guard Marcus Smart rose their games to very high levels, while getting solid play and veteran leadership from Al Horford and Marcus Morris.

For seven straight games going back to Game 6 of the First-Round versus the Bucks, Tatum has scored 20 points or more for seven straight games, which was tied with Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell for second-most by a rookie all-time. 

Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was Lew Alcindor with the Bucks as a rookie back in 1970 registered 10 straight games in the postseason of 20-plus points, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Hall of Fame center of the San Antonio Spurs David Robinson was third on this list with six games of 20-plus points as a rookie in the 1990 postseason.

In the Game 5 clinching, that the Celtics won versus the Sixers 114-112 on Wednesday night, Tatum had 25 points on 8 for 15 shooting and 9 for 11 from the free throw line. 

“So many people after Gordon got hurt, and Kyrie, Smart went down and [Daniel] Theis nobody expected us to go to the Eastern Conference Finals,” Tatum said during his postgame presser after the win. “So, it just continue to prove people wrong and have fun while were doing it.”

Rozier, who had started the season as Irving’s understudy and became the starting lead guard when the prior mentioned third knee surgery cut the All-Star’s season short has really stepped in the playoffs to where he rose his numbers from 5.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists in last year to 18.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists, on 39.6 percent from three-point range. 

To bring Rozier’s stellar play into full context, he has registered 69 assists and just 16 turnovers through the first two rounds of the 2018 postseason.  

Last season, Brown the No. 3 overall pick in 2016 draft had a limited role in the Celtics run to the Eastern Conference Finals averaging just 5.0 points and 2.1 boards on 21.7 percent from three-point range. This postseason, the 22-year-old has averaged 16.9 points and 4.8 rebounds on 41.5 percent from three-point range. 

He was shelved for the first game of the Semis because of an injured hamstring he sustained in Game 7 versus the Bucks on Apr. 30. After playing okay in Games 2, 3 and 4 where he scored 13, 16 and eight points respectably, Brown finished the series strong with 24 points, on 10 for 13 shooting including hitting three triples. 

As good as the core of the Celtics future has been, they are not one step closer to The Finals without the steady grit, toughness, leadership, and steadiness of Horford, Smart and starting center Aron Baynes. 

His averages of 17.0 points, a team-leading 8.7 rebounds on 57.8 percent from the field and 36.0 from three-point range do not tell the whole story of how big the 11-year veteran Horford has been for the C’s in these playoffs. He has recorded five double-doubles so far this postseason and in Game 3 at the Sixers, Horford may three huge plays in the win that gave them a commanding 3-0 series lead last Saturday afternoon. 

He made the go-ahead basket late in overtime that gave the Celtics a 99-98 lead, and he sealed the 101-98 win with two free throws that came after he stole an inbound pass from Sixers’ rookie guard Ben Simmons and was fouled by All-Star center Joel Embiid. 

After missing the start of the playoffs recovering from a thumb injury he sustained back in the regular season, Smart has played big with his timely shot making on offense and his solid play on the defensive end in guarding some of the best perimeter players of the Bucks and Sixers. 

The Celtics will need even more high-level effort, energy and execution against a Cavs team led by a determined, focused, and energized LeBron James, who is looking to advance the No. 4 Seeded Cavs as mentioned to their fourth straight Finals trip and his eighth consecutive ticket overall going back to his time with the Miami Heat starting in 2011. 

The four-time league MVP has carried head coach Tyronn Lue’s squad, who went 50-32 during the regular season and won the Central Division for the fourth straight season along a very steep learning curve where they got passed the gritty No. 5 Seeded Indiana Pacers in the opening round in seven games and eventually put it all together sweeping the No. 1 overall Seeded Toronto Raptors for a second straight season 4-0 and beating them for the third straight postseason overall. 

To put into context how the Cavs have owned the Raptors in the postseason, going back to the 2016 Conference Finals, the Cavs have beaten the Raptors 10 straight times in the postseason, including five straight in the Raptors gym. Their 12-game postseason winning streaks against the Detroit Pistons, which started back in the 2007 Conference Finals and the Atlanta Hawks dating back to the 2009 Semis are tied for the Los Angeles Lakes dominance over the then Seattle Supersonics from 1980-89. 

How dominant has James been? Well the 15-year vet has averaged 34.3 points, 9.4 boards, nine assists, and 1.6 steals during the 2018 playoffs on 55.3 percent from the field. He has registered four games of 40 points or more; two of his 21 career postseason triple-doubles have come during this postseason and has hit two game winners, with the latest being an off-balance runner off the glass from the left in Game 3 last Saturday night that downed the Raptors for a 105-103 win to put them up a commanding 3-0 in the series.

That capped a 38-point night on 14 for 26 shooting and 9 for 11 from the charity stripe. In the Cavs 128-93 clinching win in Game 4 on Monday night, James had 29 points with 11 assists, eight boards and two steals, on 12 for 19 from the field.

On top of that, dating back to last postseason, James has registered 17 consecutive games with at least 20 points with five boards and five assists. That beat his previous mark of 11 straight, which is tied with the great Michael Jordan and is one short of the ten registered by future Hall of Famer and five-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant.  

As good as James has been, the Cavs like the Celtics are not back in the Conference Finals without the stellar play of his teammates.

The supporting cast, who many have called the weakest James has had in his second stint with the Cavs got off to a rough start in these playoffs, but All-Star Kevin Love, sharp shooters Kyle Korver and JR Smith, Tristan Thompson, Jeff Green, and the Feb. 8 trade deadline acquisitions George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, and Larry Nance, Jr. have really come on as this postseason has progressed. 

After barely playing the first six games of the opening round against the Pacers totaling just three points and six boards, Thompson was magnificent in the 105-101 win in Game 7 with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Hill after missing 3 ½ games of the series with back spasms had 11 points and six boards off the bench, going 9 for 11 from the foul line, playing 19 for the 24 minutes in the second half. 

James in that winner take all contest back on Apr. 29 had a game-high 45 points with eight boards, seven assists and four steals on 16 for 25 shooting and 11 for 15 from the free throw line. 

In the four-game sweep in the Semis against the Raptors, it was Love, Korver and Smith who took centerstage alongside James. 

In stealing Game 1 back on May 1 113-112 in overtime, James had a triple-double with 26 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds with two block shots, but went just 12 for 30 from the field, including 1 for 8 from three-point range and he called his performance after the win, “probably one of my worst performances of the season.” 

His teammates picked up the slack for a tired James as Korver who had 19 points and hit the go-ahead three-pointer in overtime after the Cavs never led in regulation. Smith had 20 points going 5 for 6 from three-point range. Thompson had his second straight postseason double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds off the bench while Green had 16 points. 

In the Cavs resounding 128-110 win in Game 2 where James dominated with 43 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds on 19 for 28 shooting, Love was magnificent with 31 points and 11 rebounds on 11 for 21 shooting. Smith had 15 points, while Green contributed 14 points off the bench, going 4 for 6 from three-point range. Hill added 13 points. 

To bring into context the kind of offensive production the Cavs got in the Semis versus the Raptors, Korver and Smith shot a combined 24 for 38, 63.2 percent from three-point range. 

Over the final three games of the series, Love averaged 24.7 points and 11 rebounds on 54.2 percent shooting.

In a series that had many possible plot and subtexts, the narrative going into the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals is King James versus the likely up-and-comers to his throne. 

In last season’s series James averaged 29.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.2 steals in five games. In their three matchups during the regular season, James averaged 24.0 points, 10.3 boards and 8.3 assists. 

“I think there one of the most well coached team[s] in our league,” James said about the C’s late this past week. “How great they are out of timeouts, late clock situations as well, no matter who’s on the floor, and no matter whose played for them. He [Brad Stevens] can put guys in position to succeed and get the most out of whose ever been in their lineup for the past few years.”

The Raptors used the length of rookie forward OG Anunoby and forward Pascal Siakam on James, but that did not work, and they were especially off the mark when James beat both on his full court runner at the horn that clinched Game 3. 

Brown and Tatum will get their shots to guard James at the start, and Morris and Smart will get their chance as well. That said, they will also have to keep an eye on the likes of Smith, Korver, Hill, and possibly Clarkson and Hood on the perimeter. 

“He’s been doing this for a long time,” Smart said after the Game 5 clincher versus the Sixers on Wednesday. “He’s, if not the greatest, one of the greatest to do it. What better way than to go up and compete against a guy that’s [going to have] statues and things like that.”

Rozier echoed those same thoughts by saying about the Celtics being underdogs against the Cavs, “We’d rather [everyone] count us out. We don’t want anybody on our side now. We’re doing good and we play better when our back is against the wall.” 

The other thing that the Celtics will have to do if they have any chance to pull the upset is to win the first two games at home, where they are a perfect 7-0 at TD Garden so far in the 2018 NBA Playoffs. In the six prior wins, the C’s averaged 110.3 points on 47 percent from the floor, 41 percent from three-point range on 24 assists. They have done a complete 180 on the road where they lost four of their first five tries, scoring an average of 94.6 points on 41 percent from the field, 31 percent from three-point range and registering only 18.4 assists. 

The C's also have to shoot the ball better from distance to have a chance against the Cavs. In their three-game set against the Cavs during the regular season, the C’s shot just 30 for 106, 28.3 percent from three-point range. 

Considering how the Celtics began this season, the fact that they are even in position to make it to The NBA Finals is a victory in of itself. This run has more than made a statement to the rest of the NBA that they will be a force to be reckoned with, starting next season when Irving and Hayward get back. Even if they bring their best effort in this series, which they will, their chances of beating the Cavs and a determined LeBron James, who is looking to win his 24^th East playoff series in succession and punch his ticket to his eighth straight Finals is a very tall order. Even with home court advantage.

Series prediction: Cavaliers in six games.

Western Conference

(1)   Houston Rockets versus (2) Golden State Warriors

      Season series: Rockets won 2-1

In the Golden State Warriors rise to where they have won two championships in the past three seasons, one team that they have gone through on that journey has been the Houston Rockets who they defeated 4-1 in the 2015 Western Conference Finals and then 4-1 in the First-Round one postseason later. After the moves the Rockets made this off-season acquiring a nine-time All-Star at the lead guard spot to join the presumptive MVP and the addition of some defensive minded players who can also shoot the ball well from distance, the Rockets are ready to take on the four-time defending Western Conference and two-time NBA champion Warriors and knock them of the West throne. 

The Rockets rise to a franchise record 65 wins and the No. 1 Seed in the regular season began with the acquisition back in the summer of Chris Paul to join James Harden and that combination has worked very well both in the regular season and in the first two rounds of the playoffs where they have taken down the No. 8 Seeded Minnesota Timberwolves and the No. 5 Seeded Utah Jazz. 

Last season, the Rockets season ended with a thud as they were taken down in the Semis by the San Antonio Spurs in six games and in that series clinching win in Game 6 Harden had just 10 points on 2 for 11 from the field. 

It was days after that loss Harden got in contact with Paul and talked with him about joining the Rockets. 

That began the start of a solid working relationship that has manifested itself on the hardwood in the regular season and in the postseason where both are the top scorers at 28.5 by Harden and 21.8 by Paul respectably. 

As good as those two have been, the emergence of starting center Clint Capela, who has averaged 14.4 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks during playoffs, on 63.4 percent from the field. 

To put how important Capela's contributions on both ends of the floor, when he, Harden and Paul have been in the lineup, the Rockets combined in the regular season and postseason have gone 50-5.

When you talk about the Rockets the past few seasons, the way they score offensively always comes to mind, especially from three-point range. While Harden and Paul are big parts of the head coach Mike DAntoni team’s ability to make shots from distance, top reserve Eric Gordon, starting forwards Trevor Ariza and PJ Tucker, Gerald Green and Luc Mbah a Moute are big parts of that as well. 

During the regular season, the Rockets were No. 1 in three-pointers made at 15.3 and in attempts at 42.3. While they have kept that up during the postseason ranking No. 1 makes from distance at 14.1 and in attempts at 39.9, there have been times where the Rockets ability to make shots from distance has been rough. 

It is that reason the Rockets became a more defensive minded team during the regular season and during the postseason, which is the other reason the Rockets brought in Tucker, Paul and Mbah a Moute. 

In the Rockets Game 3 win at the T’Wolves 119-100, the Rockets scored 50 points in the third quarter, one shy of tying a playoff record for points in a quarter. Harden and Paul had 22 and Paul had 15 of those 50 points respectably in the period. Harden finished with 36 points on the night, while Paul had 25. 

As a team the Rockets made 16 of their 43 tries from three-point range, with Harden making five triples and Gordon, who had 18 points off the bench had four makes from distance.

In that same period the Rockets scored 50, they held the T’Wolves to 20 points in the third after giving up 49 in the opening half. 

In Games 3 and 4 of the Semis in Utah’s own building, they held the Jazz to 92 and 87 points respectably. 

In the Game 3 triumph, the Rockets took control of by holding the Jazz to 22 and 18 points respectably in the first and second quarters. The Jazz were held to 41.7 percent shooing in the 113-92 loss, committing 16 turnovers for 19 Rockets points. 

In Game 4, the Rockets taking a 3-1 lead via a 100-87 win held the Jazz to 38.6 percent shooting on the night and forced 17 turnovers for 17 points. 

Paul had 27 points on the night with 12 rebounds and six assists, while Harden had 24 points and Capela had 12 points, 15 rebounds, six block shots and two steals. 

In the Game 5 clinching 112-102 win on Tuesday night, Paul who was playing in his 86^th career playoff game scored 20 of his playoff career-high 41 points in the fourth quarter, including 12 of the Rockets final 15 points. He also had 10 assists and seven rebounds, on 13 for 22 from the field, including 8 for 10 from three-point range.

While Harden struggled scoring just 18 points on 7 for 22 shooting and Capela struggled with foul trouble to score just five points with four boards in 31 minutes, while contributing five blocks, Tucker had 19 points on 5 for 7 from three-point range with six rebounds and three blocks.

Everything the Rockets have done during the season was to be in the best position to take down the Warriors who they beat in two of their three meetings during the regular season. 

After a January victory over their hated West rivals Capela said that the Rockets were superior to the defending champs and that he was very for this tilt where the Rockets will hold home court advantage.

“I’m real excited,” Capela said after the Rockets 116-108 win versus the Warriors on Jan. 20. “This (Warriors) team is going to be hard, it’s going to be a fight. There’s going to be a lot of adjustments after every game. It’s going to be a chess game. Of course, we’re going to be ready. They’ve been to The Finals three straight years. So, we’re excited. Everybody’s excited about it. I’m sure all the NBA fans are excited about it, too.”

After 10 losses their final 17 games to close the season, the Warriors, who finished 58-24 during the regular season, seven games behind the Rockets in the West standings entered the 2018 Playoffs with questions for the first time in their four-year run as a truly great team under head coach Steve Kerr. 

They were entering the postseason for the first time without home court advantage throughout the West Playoffs. If that were not enough, two-time league MVP Stephen Curry was on the shelf to start the postseason with a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee. 

Even without Curry, the Warriors still had three All-Stars leading the way in Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and last season’s Finals MVP in 2014 league MVP Kevin Durant. 

The Warriors also had in toe a proven supporting cast in David West, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Quin Cook, JaVale McGee, Kevon Looney, ZaZa Pachulia and Nick Young. 

In the opening round, they took down the five-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, the No. 7 minus All-Star Kawhi Leonard and head coach Gregg Popovich the final three games of the series due to the sudden passing of his wife. 

After winning Game 1 of the Semis 123-101 versus the hot No. 6 Seeded New Orleans Pelicans, who swept the No. 3 Seeded Portland Trail Blazers 4-0 in the opening round, Curry returned to the lineup after a five-week absence scoring 28 points in 27 minutes off the bench. 

He entered the game at the 4:20 mark of the first quarter to a rousing ovation from the Oracle Arena crowd and just 11 seconds into the game made a three-pointer from the left wing and helped the Warriors win Game 2 121-116. 

After dropping Game 3 at the Pelicans 119-100 to see their series lead cut to 2-1, the Warriors got back on track in Game 4 118-92 back on Sunday afternoon to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. 

The Warriors so-called “Hamptons Five” lineup of Green, Iguodala, Durant, Curry and Thompson scored 88 of the team’s points and defensively held the Pelicans on their home floor to 36.4 percent shooting as well as to 4 for 26 from three-point range. 

In the Game 5 clinching 113-104 win, four of the “Hamptons Five” scored in double figures with Curry leading the way with 28 points with eight assists and seven rebounds. Durant had 24 points with seven assists, six rebounds and two steals, while Thompson had 23 points on 10 for 22 shooting. Green nearly had a triple-double with 19 points, 14 boards, nine assists, with three steals and two block shots. 

The contest turned in the Warriors favor in the third quarter when they outscored the Pelicans 36-19 after halftime as they equaled the Chicago Bulls 15-game home postseason winning streak of 15 games that dates back from Apr. 27, 1990-May 21, 1991. 

This has been the most anticipated postseason matchup for a Conference Finals in a long time. Not only do we have the No. 1 scoring team during the regular season in the Rockets against the No. 2 scoring team in the Warriors, who also can knock down three-pointers at an alarming rate. 

We have two teams that totally respect one another in terms of the fact that one can dominate the other at a moments notice. 

In their three games during the regular season, the Rockets averaged 116.3 points per game on 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from distance. They held the high scoring defending champs in those three games to 98.8 points on 44 percent from the floor and 33 percent from three-point range. 

We have a proven champion in the Warriors, against a Rocket team that wants what the Warriors have, a Larry O’Brien Trophy. 

“Obviously we know what’s ahead of us,” Mbah a Moute said earlier this week about the tilt with the Warriors. “That’s the champs. It’s going to be a tough task. You better be ready. But we have what we need. We’ve been that way all season. We’re ready. They have to be ready for us as well. I think we showed all season we match up well with them. 

For the defending champion Warriors, a matchup like this is something they live for and are as confident as you can be. To them losing in the regular season to the Rockets and not having the No. 1 Seed in the West for the first time in four seasons does not phase them and Green said as much after the Game 5 clinching win versus the Pelicans to TNT’s David Aldridge. 

“At the end of the, everyone can say what they want to say the games got to be played. So, it’s going to be an exciting series, very good ball club. We’re looking forward to it.” 

Green put some major emphasis on what he said to Aldridge during his postgame presser when ESPN’s Chris Haynes asked about the tilt with the Rockets who talked throughout this season wanting them in the postseason at some point saying, “We’d won two championships in three years. We not about to talk about to run off talking about how bad we want to play somebody. We want to win another championship, and it don’t matter who’s in the way of that. If you in the way of that, then you happen to be in the way.” 

“It don’t matter to us who we play. However, we got them. Alright, let’s get it. Let’s do it now. We got a goal, and who’s ever in the way of that goal, then we got to see you. You got to see us.” 

Green attitude is the reflection of the kind of approach a championship team like the Warriors has against an opponent that wants what they have. That they are the team to beat, but they are very wary of the Rockets and what they are capable of. 

“I like where we are. Our guys have rings. That’s a good position to be in,” Coach Kerr said to reporters on Wednesday. 

“We’re going to go in here knowing we’re the defending champs, knowing we got a couple of championships here the last few years. Let’s go get another one. It’s a nice feeling to have and to go into a series with.” 

The other thing the Warriors have going into this series is knowing who they are, and that they can adjust very quickly to their opponent. As good as the Warriors are offensively, they understand that playing defense is just as important as is playing as a cohesive unit on both ends of the court. 

To bring those points into context, they are 4-0 when they have hold their opponent under 100 points in this postseason. During the regular season, the Warriors were No. 1 in assists per game at 29.3 and counting the regular season, the defending champion Warriors are 39-5 when they register 30-plus assists in a game. 

If one of the Warriors All-Star main offensive trio of Curry, Thompson and Durant has an off night at the offensive end, they have other places to turn and as mentioned can manufacture offense from their defense. 

On the Rockets side for them to win this series, they will need their dynamic backcourt of Paul and Harden to play well, not only to keep the Warriors’ backcourt of Curry and Thompson on their toes defensively, but the Rockets aside from maybe Gordon really do not have a third consistent scoring option that can strike a match and score 30 points or more if needed. The scoring averages of 24.5 and 21.7 points by Harden and Paul respectably against the Warriors during the regular season will have to be higher, especially by Harden. 

Even with two of the finest passers in the game in Harden and Paul, the Rockets during the regular season averaged just 21.5 assists per game, which was tied for 26^th in the league. If the Rockets do not incorporate some consistent ball movement in the Conference Finals, that will make it easier for the Warriors to control them to some extent defensively.

The Rockets this season have taken more pride in playing consistent defense. Being able to bring consistent focus and execution to that end of the floor will determine if they can take down the defending champions. 

Being able to hold Curry and Durant, who led the Warriors in scoring against the Rockets with 23.3 and 23.0 points respectably to those numbers will be no easy task for the Rockets. 

One thing is for sure, the Rockets are excited for this chance and no one is more excited than Coach D’Antoni, who will be coaching in his first Western Conference Finals since 2006 when he was the head man on the Phoenix Suns sideline, where his lead guard was two-time league MVP Steve Nash.

“It’s not easy to get to the ‘Final Four,’ the last four teams and its exciting,” D’Antoni, whose team lost in the 2006 Conference Finals versus the Dallas Mavericks and future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki in seven games. “I’m just as excited today as I was in Phoenix.” 

D’Antoni added that this time around as compared to 12 years ago that he will go into this Conference Finals tilt with Harden, who he said is the best offensive player he’s ever coached and a team that as mentioned earlier has made playing defense an emphasis. 

When it comes to what is at stake for him personally about reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in his coaching career, D’Antoni said this past week it’s about just getting to The Finals. 

“That’s what’s at stake. It’s great competition. We’d love to beat the defending champions. We know that they’ve done it the last four years or whatever how long their reign is. It’s going to be very difficult, but this is fun.”  

As excited as Coach D’Antoni is to be back in the Conference Finals, his lead guard in Paul had played in 85 career playoff games prior to Game 5 of the Semis against the Jazz, the most by a player in NBA postseason history before his first appearance in the round prior to The NBA Finals. His 10 assists on the night snapped a 12-game streak in the postseason where he did not record 10 assists or more, the longest streak of his career. He joined Michael Jordan as the only players in postseason history to have a 40-plus point, 10-assist game in a playoff clincher. 

“It’s just fun,” Paul, whose 20 points in the final period on Tuesday night was a career-high for any quarter regular season or the postseason said after the win. “It’s not about the points or anything like that. It’s about the process and I think for us its about how we built it too. Starting with this summer and all the conversations, and the talks and all of us know there’s never any malicious feeling towards each other. It’s all to try to win and that’s what’s been fun about this is just trying to build it.” 

They have the home court advantage. Their star backcourt as mentioned has played very well together. Their a talented offensive team that has played just as consistently at the defensive end thanks to the off-season additions. The question now is can the No. 1 Seeded Rockets with home court advantage take that confidence and swagger and knock the defending champion Warriors, who have taken a measured approach to the 2017-18 regular season and have flipped that proverbial postseason switch to make a run at a second straight NBA crown. 

Series prediction: Warriors in seven games.

These four teams, the Celtics, Cavaliers, Warriors and Rockets got the 2017-18 NBA campaign started and now will compete for a chance to be in the NBA Finals. It all gets underway with Game 1 the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in Boston, MA on ABC. The first game of the Western Conference Finals begins on Monday night from Houston, TX at 9 p.m. on TNT. 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 5/7/18 8:30 p.m. Game 4 Eastern Conference Semifinals Toronto Raptors versus Cleveland Cavaliers on TNT, presented by Hulu with Ian Eagle, Brent Barry, and Allie LaForce; 5/8/18 8 p.m. Game 5 Western Conference Semifinals Utah Jazz versus Houston Rockets on TNT, presented by Hulu with Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller and Kristen Ledlow; 5/8/18 10:30 p.m. Game 5 Western Conference Semifinals New Orleans Pelicans versus Golden State Warriors on TNT, presented by Hulu with Marv Albert, Chris Webber and David Aldridge; 5/9/18 www.nba.com article, “Series Preview: Long-awaited Matchup Arrives For Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors,” by Sekou Smith; 5/9/18 8 p.m. TNT’s “NBA Tip-Off,” presented by Autotrader with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal; 5/9/18 1 a.m. edition of “Inside the NBA,” presented by Kia on TNT with Casey Stern, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal; 5/10/18 www.nba.com article, “Series Preview: Young Boston Celtics Look to Stop LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers,” by Steve Aschburner; 5/10/18 7 a.m. edition of NBATV’s “Gametime,” with Casey Stern, Steve Smith and Derek Fisher; 5/10/18 10:30 p.m. edition of “Inside the NBA,” presented by Kia on TNT with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal; 5/11/18 www.nba.com article, “Kerr: Golden State Warriors ‘definitely threatened’ by Houston Rockets,” from Twitter and media reports; www.espn.com/nba/standings; www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/schedule/_/name/bos/boston-celtics;  www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/schedule/_/name/cle/cleveland-cavaliers; www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/schedule/_/name/gs/golden-state-warriors; www.espn.com/nba/team/stats/schedule/_/name/hou/houston-rockets; www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/1966/lebron-james; www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/3449/kevin-love; www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4065648/jayson-tatum; www.espn.com/nba/player/gamedlog/_/id/3074752/terry-rozier; www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/3213/al-horford; www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/2990992/marcus-smart; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Cleveland_Cavaliers_seasons.