NBA Playoffs (after 5 games)

East

Cavs 4-0 Pistons
Done. Cavs were better, Pistons played hard but they're a year away from making a big noise in the East. For the Cavs this was probably the perfect 1st round match: a hard working, not good enough team to focus the mind and organize the game plan, while providing plenty of time to watch the Hawks and Celtics beat up on each other.

Raptors 3-2 Pacers
Man, the Raptors stepped in some lucky shit in the 4th quarter of Game Five. Not sure what happened, really, the Pacers just lost themselves at the wrong time and let it slip away. The previous three quarters were classic playoff Raptors: not knocking down shots, getting frustrated on D. The message is still the same: whenever Kyle Lowry starts knocking down shots, the Raptors should easily get by the outmanned Pacers. Paul George is a great player and the Pacers aren't a bad team but the Raptors should be able to outscore them. I expect the Raptors to come out gambling in Game Six and finish the series.

Heat 2-3 Hornets
Heat....in the first two games they scored more than anyone thought possible. Since then, they've struggled to get any consistent scoring from anyone. They were plagued by foul trouble in the two games back in Charlotte but that isn't what happened in Game Five. They just didn't score. The really troubling part is that Kemba Walker didn't even play particularly well, it was a solid team effort with contributions from just about everybody. The Hornets jumped on the Heat early and even though the Heat came back and seemed to control the game, they could not separate from the Hornets, who hit some big 3's down the stretch. (Side note: Jeremy Lin has a $2.2m player option this summer, if I were Lin's agent, I'd think he could get a much better deal, whether from Charlotte and elsewhere. (Suddenly thinking he'd look good in Utah Jazz uni)) Now I'm thinking the Hornets will take it in Game Six.

Hawks 3-2 Celtics
The Hawks started slow in Game Five but the Celtics couldn't break away from them and by the end, it was Hawks in a landslide. The Celtics without Avery Bradley have that weird problem of too many players: the rotation is clogged, no one's terrible but no one's good enough. Isiah tweaked his ankle but I doubt it's serious. Hate to go against the Celtics at home but I think Millsap comes strong and leads the Hawks to a win in Game Six.

West

Warriors 4-1 Rockets
Done. The fact that Houston won a game is really one of the more surprising moments of the playoffs so far, don't ya think? Greatest team ever vs. the most disappointing team of the last few years, who did you think was gonna win?

Spurs 4-0 Grizzlies
Done. Grizz just never had a chance. (The fact that Mike Conley is making demands is one of those moments that should hearten the fans: this isn't some obnoxious athlete wanting more for himself, this is a team leader who wants to see more out of his franchise. He deserves whatever he wants, but I suspect he'll only get that from some other team)

Thunder 4-1 Mavs
Done. Personally, I think the Thunder embarassed themselves with how they played in this series: dude, you're better than the Mavs, just go out there and handle your business! Instead, they puffed their chests, picked fights, rang up technicals, and turned what should've been a walkover into a circus. If they think that'll help them beat the Spurs, I think they're mistaken. As for the Mavs, man, with Dirk, Zaza, D Lee, etc, they looked like a Romanian weightlifting team trying to run fast breaks out there, kinda laughable honestly.

Clippers 2-3 Blazers
After the Clippers lost Chris Paul (fluke broken hand) and Blake Griffin (severely bruised ego) for the rest of the playoffs, some commentators were fretting that this series would now go to seven games. Seven games? What? The Blazers are the 5th best team in the West, the Clippers without Paul and Griffin are certainly not the 4th best team any more. Who's gonna score the points for the Clippers? You think Pierce and Prigioni will just take up the slack? You crazy! Danny Manning's not walking through that door, folks. Eric Piatkowski's not walking through that door. I'm surprised Game Five was as close as it was (tied at the end of the 3rd quarter). Blazers in six now (hell, should win Game Six without any more effort than they gave in Game Five).