Well, that certainly didn’t go as planned. Sure, the top four seeds in the NBA playoffs have advanced to the Conference Finals, but it was still pretty crazy to see the L.A. Clippers actually blow a 3-1 lead and fall to the Rockets. That is what happened, though, and if it wasn’t clear already, it’s probably beyond obvious that these aren’t your normal NBA playoffs.

The defending champion Spurs are gone, the Cavs are somehow still alive sans Kevin Love and 3-1 holes aren’t guarantees. It’s crazy, and with the Cavs shooting for their first ever title and the Warriors and Hawks looking for their first NBA Finals win since before 1976 each, things could get a whole lot crazier.

Let’s break things down a bit on our way to round three, as we take a look at the new 2015 NBA Finals odds:

Golden State Warriors (Favorite to win at 1/2)

Golden State is the top overall seed and they just drew a Rockets team that looks to be over-matched. Not only did they sweep (4-0) these Rockets during the regular season, but they have home court advantage (lost three games all year at Oracle Arena) and have the league’s MVP. The odds say Golden State wins it all (probably over Cleveland), and we think they at least get to the Finals.

Cleveland Cavaliers (14/5)

It’s all about LeBron James. The Cavs are getting timely help from random bench guys, but without Kevin Love they’re really hard to trust. The playoffs aren’t always about trust, though. Sometimes it’s just about being better than the field. The Cavs just might be.

Houston Rockets (10/1)

Houston survived a real scare versus the Clippers, so that ability to storm back from a 3-1 hole has to be seen as formidable. That’s probably why they have the third best NBA odds to win it all. They also have serious star power via James Harden and Dwight Howard. I don’t think that gets them to the Finals, but I also didn’t think they’d beat the Clippers.

Atlanta Hawks (13/1)

Atlanta is a great team and they can play extremely well at both ends. They just aren’t this elite team some want them to be. Being a great team in a bad Eastern Conference isn’t saying much, and neither is barely getting past a Cavs squad without Kevin Love. They might get to the NBA Finals, but they’re not winning it all.

The Sleeper: Rockets

It’s really hard to completely bet against Houston. They showed serious grit and have the stars and depth to make a real run. Going into Golden State and emerging as the Western Conference champs seems unlikely, but if there is an upset brewing in these playoffs still, they’re behind it.

Our Favorite: Cavs

Who else? The NBA playoffs are an annoying beast that tend to almost always be entertaining to start, but in the end are extremely predictable. Despite all the fuss we saw, where are we – starting at all four of the top seeds. Big shocker there.

LeBron James seems like a man possessed, the Hawks aren’t nearly as elite as their regular season run suggests and if the Spurs aren’t on the other side, it’s anyone’s game. With the Cavs on the hunt for their first ever title, the odds grow increasingly likely that King James makes it happen. I know, we hate it, too.

Best Bet: Hawks

While the Cavs will somehow inevitably win this darn thing, the Hawks have to be the betting man’s choice here. They have the best odds to play with and a first glance suggests they’re the better shot over the Rockets. Atlanta does have home court advantage and plays a team style of ball that can lead to a title. Will they do it? Probably not, but they’re still the best bet, overall.

The Los Angeles Clippers have blown two straight chances at advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history. Will Sunday afternoon’s third crack at history finally be the charm? Doc Rivers and co. will certainly have to hope so, as the Clippers blew a 19-point lead at home in game six and now head into Houston to try to take down the Rockets on the road.

Logic says the Clips may be in some serious trouble, as they’re on the road and have blown two games in a row with history on the line. Of course, of the two teams, L.A. has more experience in game sevens and just ousted the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in round one. Naturally, that series came down to an emphatic game seven, too. It even came down to the last shot of the series.

Los Angeles is battled tested and there’s something about the Rockets trying to win three games in a row that just seems improbable, but at this point neither conclusion feels impossible. With everything we’ve seen, it feels like all we can do is forget what we’ve already seen and judge these teams for one game, straight up. With that, let’s break down the final matchup of round two and see who advances to the Western Conference Finals:

Editor’s note: We now stand at 40-18 through these playoffs.

Los Angeles Clippers (3) @ Houston Rockets (2) on ABC at 3:30 pm ET

There are two things to consider here. The Clippers displayed offensive dominance for most of this series and took a 3-1 lead. Their inability to close this series is just as telling, though, while Houston’s benched showed up in a big way in game six. The Rockets were dead and buried, yet they stormed back on the road and forced a huge game seven back on their home court.

The kicker? None of it happened due to James Harden (played one minute in the fourth quarter) and Dwight Howard (zero points in the final period). That’s impressive when you look at Houston’s bench, as Corey Brewer and Josh Smith both went nuts to close that game, but if their star players – who play the majority of the game – had little to do with it, it’s a bit skewed. It still makes the Rockets dangerous, but it was a comeback that seemed to come by accident.

That being said, it’s going to be awfully hard for the Clippers to go on the road and win such a big game. Then again, they survived not clinching their first round series and ended up winning that series. Houston also just won a massive road game, too, so logic suggests the Clippers could do the very same thing. Houston winning a third straight game is tough any way you look at it, as well.

All of that aside, the meat and potatoes of this matchup is two-fold: Houston’s defense is awful and they usually wear their emotions on their sleeve. You could also throw in the impact of both benches, as the Clippers bench was awesome in the first few games, and that table has completely turned. The story should be James Harden erupting or a battle of hack-aJordan or hack-a-Dwight. It should even be about Blake Griffin dominating or Chris Paul willing his Clippers to another round. But in reality, it’s going to be about the bench. If we look at this series, Houston’s bench really truly showed up for one game, and we’ve seen some really good play out of L.A. roles players for at least three games.

Ultimately, though, it doesn’t matter how you think the Clippers can win. This is about two very good teams playing for a big prize – to get one series away from the NBA Finals. It’s also about proof in the pudding, as the Clips are 3-0 in game seven situations with their current group and they appear to have come a long way in terms of mental toughness. That, and winning three straight games against anyone in the NBA is awfully hard to do. I go forward with caution, but something tells me these Clippers won’t be denied and the third time will be the charm.

Pick: Clippers 109, Rockets 104

There was sound logic to picking the Bulls in Chicago and the Clippers in Los Angeles on Thursday night. Although reason probably should have prevailed, it surely did not. The Bulls fell flat in a 21-point drubbing and L.A. suffered one of the worst NBA playoff collapses I personally have ever seen. That moves the Cleveland Cavaliers on to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they wait for the winner of tonight’s Hawks/Wizards series. Los Angeles, on the other hand, has to travel back to Houston, where they hope to regroup and take down the Rockets so they can face the winner of tonight’s Warriors/Grizzlies series.

One series ended last night and another went to a game seven, and we could see either of those fates take place in both of tonight’s series. The question is, which is more likely for both sides? Let’s take a close look at both matchups and hand out our NBA picks (0-2 last night, 39-17 for the playoffs) for Friday, 5/15/2015:

Golden State Warriors (1) @ Memphis Grizzlies (5)

Golden State took full control of this series recently, as they won two in a row to push themselves one win from reaching the Western Conference Finals. The series shifting back to Memphis is a little problematic, but the Grizz have been on their heels lately and the Warriors are going to be looking for the knockout punch. I expect Mike Conley, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol to give the Warriors hell, but the biggest key is going to be the impact (if any) that Tony Allen can give them. With Allen being a menace on the perimeter, the Grizzlies went up 2-1 in this series. With him out in game five and limited in game four (hamstring), Memphis just wasn’t the same. He’s expected to suit up tonight, but he’s an estimated “60%”.

I originally felt this would go the full seven games, but with Allen not quite himself, I’m pulling back from that. The Warriors are the favorite with a -5 line, so if you’re going ATS I think the Grizzlies are a fine pick at home, as I really can’t see them getting housed in such a huge game on their home floor. I like the Warriors straight up, though, and I’m not messing around with the Total thanks to how Memphis can be defensively.

Pick: Warriors 104, Grizz 101

Atlanta Hawks (1) @ Washington Wizards (5)

Atlanta survived a dangerous game five by the skin of their teeth, as big man Al Horford got a miracle rebound and put-back to win the game with just over a second to go. Before that happened, the Wizards looked like they had it in the bag after Paul Pierce drilled a clutch three-pointer and turned to the Hawks bench and shouted “series!”. It may have been, but now ATL has the edge going into game six. I fully expect this series to extend to seven games, simply because John Wall is back and this series has been so close. These teams continue to match up extremely well and do a great job at taking each other’s strengths away.

Marcin Gortat got his mojo back with the return of Wall, which brought the pick-and-roll back for him and the offense. The big question is whether or not the Hawks’ defense that showed up in game five will be the norm to close this series, or if their potent offense can return to form. I think it might in game seven, but Jeff Teague struggled badly last game and Dennis Schroder plays like a chicken with it’s head cut off at times. I think Atlanta’s point guards will be better at home in game seven, but I’m not sure I trust them on the road tonight. The Wiz are a solid pick straight up and against the spread (-2.5 favorites), so I like that action both ways. You can try the Total with them, but both teams can step up defensively so I’d rather not.

Pick: Wiz 101, Hawks 97

It turns out that picking #1 seeds on their home floor in a game five works out well for those conducting NBA betting. It did for you last night if you rolled with our NBA picks (2-0 last night, 39-15 for the playoffs), as the Warriors and Hawks both put their foot down in crucial game fives and took 3-2 series leads. Atlanta barely made it happen (won, 82-81), but a win is a win and both the Hawks and Warriors now have an 82% chance in winning their respective series.

Two teams can do exactly that tonight, as both the Clippers and Cavaliers hold 3-2 leads in their series and can wrap things up with a win tonight. Cleveland has to do it in Chicago, which may make their case tougher to sell, and L.A. gets to try to do it at the Staples Center. Los Angeles and Cleveland are in very different situations, though, as the Cavs still have a home game in game seven to fall back on, whereas the Clips would sulk all the way back to Houston with a loss tonight. In any event, let’s break down both matchups and see if you should be picking for either series to come to a close on Thursday night:

Cleveland Cavaliers (2) @ Chicago Bulls (3)

This series has been insanely close, as the only game that was decided by more than seven points was a game two in Cleveland that the Cavs absolutely had to win. Cleveland has been the better team over the last four games, as they’ve won three of those games and have been able to win defensive battles and offensive showdowns (if we can call them that). This series has largely been about defense and late-game execution, and somehow an under-manned Cavaliers squad has prevailed to this point. They have the edge all the way due to LeBron James playing out of his mind in spurts, while Kyrie Irving looked much better in game five (he’s banged up) than he did in the two games in Chicago.

Chicago wasn’t amazing at home during the regular season, but it’s really hard imagining them caving in such a huge game – especially in a series that has been so close (two buzzer-beaters). Pau Gasol returns tonight and even if he’s in limited fashion you have to think he gives them what they’ve been missing on offense. I thought this series was going the full seven games from the very beginning and with the Bulls at home tonight, it looks like it will. Expect huge efforts out of Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler and Joakim Noah as the Bulls stay alive.

Pick: Bulls 104, Cavs 99

Houston Rockets (2) @ Los Angeles Clippers (3)

Before this series started I was very worried about Houston’s ability to take the Clippers apart with their studly inside/outside duo. Then Kevin McHale fell in love with the hack-a-Jordan philosophy and the Rockets all forgot how to defend. Their bench also completely eroded, and you could tell the absence of guys like Patrick Beverley and Donatas Motiejunas was pretty well felt. Then came game five, where Houston’s studs played out of their mind, the team actually played some defense and Trevor Ariza played awesome for the second game in a row.

Los Angeles also regressed to the mean when it came to their bench, as Jamal Crawford and Austin Rivers gave them nothing, they were forced to give the ineffective Spencer Hawes actual run and J.J. Redick was lifeless in the starting lineup. That will happen when you’re in Houston and the prideful Rockets finally play a good, complete game. Logic suggests that was Houston’s last stand, however, as teams down 3-1 in the NBA Playoffs simply don’t survive. Exactly eight teams have done it, and based on what we’ve seen, I’m not sure the Rockets have what it takes to be one of those teams. That being said, the Clippers might be a good team to do it against, as they’ve had some pretty bad collapses in games in recent memory. Of course, if L.A. was going to cave, I would think it would have come against the Spurs in round one.

L.A. is about to make history with a win tonight, as they could advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time ever. That’s a pretty big deal and I doubt Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are going to take that lightly. Houston hasn’t won in L.A. in this series and obviously if they do tonight they’ll have the Clippers right where they want them in Houston in a huge game seven. With so much on the line, though, I don’t think it comes to that.

Pick: Clippers 109, Rockets 106

LeBron James was huge once again for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but this time he was great all game, instead of just the final seconds. His stellar play led to a big game five win at home, and suddenly the under-manned Cavs are up 3-2 and will have a chance to win their second round series against the Chicago Bulls in game six. The Houston Rockets got big performances out of their studs, too, as James Harden and Dwight Howard stepped up at home and kept the Clippers from moving on to the Western Conference Finals. Instead, they will also get a game six as their series shifts back to L.A.

We called both of those games to go 2-0 last night (37-15 during the playoffs) via our NBA picks and we get two more chances to help you win cash via NBA betting on Wednesday night. Tonight the two top-seeded teams go back to work, as the Hawks and Warriors play host as they try to take a 3-2 series lead. Let’s break down both matchups and see if the favorites can escape with the win:

Washington Wizards (5) @ Atlanta Hawks (1)

This has been an unbelievably close series, and the 2-2 tie probably sums that up about as good as anything else. Washington is absolutely still a threat to win tonight and pull off the overall upset in round two, but winning in Atlanta is no easy task and John Wall is set to again be out or severely limited. Unless we get a whiff of Wall playing (and not being restricted in any manner), it’s hard to feel great about the Wiz winning their second road game in this series. They did just that in game one, but this is a Wizards team that was just 17-24 away from home during the regular season, while the Hawks have lost just seven home games all year.

Philips Arena will be rocking tonight and after seeing Paul Millsap destroy last game at full strength (he was sick in a game three loss), it’s tough to bet against Atlanta. I also don’t think Kyle Korver will stay quiet for long. He was weak on the road the past two games, but has been far stronger on his home floor on the year. If he can have a big game, the Hawks’ offense should thrive.

Pick: Hawks 104, Wiz 101

Memphis Grizzlies (5) @ Golden State Warriors (1)

Memphis won two straight games and held Golden State in check (90 and 89 points in back to back games) and suddenly everyone was bailing on the West’s top-seeded team. Golden State didn’t look amazing in those games, but they’re still an extremely balanced team that can turn it on both ways and won 67 games during the regular season. The best version of themselves showed up in a huge game four in Memphis, where Stephen Curry went off for 33 points and the Warriors played blistering defense. Now the series is back at the Oracle Arena, where the Warriors have lost just three games all season.

Memphis certainly has the defense and tenacity to pull off another shocker, but it feels like Curry figured them out last game and may be going for the knockout punch tonight. The crazy thing for these Warriors, too, is they’ve won twice without getting a true blowout game out of either Klay Thompson or Draymond Green yet. I think they both play well tonight as Golden State jumps out to an early lead and holds on for the 3-2 advantage going into game six.

Pick: Warriors 108, Grizz 102

Order was restored in the NBA on Monday night, as the two #1 seeds took over and won their game four matchups to tie their series up, 2-2. We probably all needed that for our sanity, as the Hawks and Warriors both going into dreaded 3-1 holes wasn’t something we could have withstood. Our daily NBA picks may not have braved that storm, either, but we’re now sitting on a solid 35-15 mark and headed into another two-game schedule on Tuesday.

It doesn’t get any easier to pick games on Tuesday, as the Cavaliers and Bulls fight for the right to go up 3-2 and the Clippers try to eliminate the Rockets in Houston. Let’s break down both matchups and see which way our picks should lean for Tuesday, 5/12/2015:

Chicago Bulls (3) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (2)

This series has been impossible to call, and I don’t even remember getting a single game right. However, it’s gotten a little easier now that we’re tied up and Cleveland has the momentum back heading into their own backyard. Kyrie Irving is banged up and Kevin Love still isn’t here, but Chicago isn’t healthy either with Pau Gasol and Taj Gibson both ailing. The Cavs have looked good enough in the past three games to make me think they can still take this series, and they should at least take care of business at home tonight. This series is probably headed for a full seven games, but LeBron James has gotten more aggressive with each passing game. That’s a bad thing for the Bulls.

Pick: Cavs 104, Bulls 102

Los Angeles Clippers (3) @ Houston Rockets (2)

Los Angeles has completely dismantled the Rockets throughout this series. From ill-fated hack-a-Jordan strategies to just plain bad defense, the Rockets have been behind the eight ball from the beginning and even in the one game they’ve won, L.A. still put up 109 points. Houston’s defense has eroded away to nothingness in this series, while their bench has also been inconsistent. While it looks like they’re toast in this series (and they are), I feel a strong performance out of James Harden and Dwight Howard coming. This one is at home and the Rockets will want to delay the inevitable in front of their fans. I think they can do that tonight. Regardless of your gut here, tonight is obviously a great night to chase the Total.

Pick: Rockets 106, Clippers 101

This past weekend was probably unkind to anyone conducting any NBA betting. We wouldn’t personally know since we took a step away from our daily NBA picks (33-15 in the playoffs) for the past two days. It’s just as well, though, as we had been on a minor slide and we’re not so sure we would have picked the weekend’s games how they went.

We’re back to start a new week of NBA playoff action, though, and we’ve got our barrings straight. Two games hit the docket on Monday night, and as confident as we feel about our picks, it’s definitely worth noting that the way these series have gone gives way to some serious craziness in the very near future. In other words, it’s the two #1 seeds in separate conferences on display, and a strong argument can be made that both lose huge game four’s tonight. Let’s break down both matchups to see if that’s the case:

Atlanta Hawks (1) @ Washington Wizards (5)

Atlanta has been going back and forth in this series, as Washington has proven to be quite a handful, even with John Wall out the last two games. On paper, Wall’s wrist injury and absence puts the Wiz is a big hole and should give the Hawks a major edge. Unfortunately, Atlanta has not played it’s best basketball and has actually gotten out-player at their own game by the Wizards. This same thing happened temporarily in round one against the Nets, and eventually the Hawks woke up to close out the series with two very solid games.

Offensively, Atlanta’s not doing so bad. They dropped in 106 points in their game two win and got another 101 in game three before being knocked out by a last-second bank-three by Paul Pierce. Had that lucky shot not banked in, that game could have been headed for OT and the tone of this game four could be vastly different. Perhaps it’s a good thing it’s not, though, as the Hawks now have to go into Washington again with their backs against the wall. The same happened when their series with the Nets was tied 2-2, so I expect to see some of the very best Atlanta Hawks basketball on Monday night.

Jeff Teague is the key here, as he needs to find a way to be more efficient offensively, while also taking Ramon Sessions and/or Wall out of their game. After him, ATL needs more consistency out of Kyle Korver (he didn’t show up in game three) and Al Horford’s defense needs to be as tenacious as ever. Washington will push hard to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, but in the end I still like the top-seeded Hawks to even things up as things shift back to Atlanta.

Pick: Hawks 107, Wiz 101

Golden State Warriors (1) @ Memphis Grizzlies

This series has gone exactly how Warriors fans probably feared it could, as the Grizz’ propensity to slow things down and control the tempo has led to them limiting the Warriors somewhat in game one (101 points) and completely stifling them (89 and 90 points) in the last two outings. It’s truly worth wondering if the Warriors would be in an 0-3 hole if Mike Conley had been in this series from the starts (facial fractures). Memphis has lulled the Warriors to sleep with excellent defense and killer offense inside, where Golden State has shown to be at their weakest.

While everything seems to be piling on Golden State, one major aspect that hasn’t gone their way yet could suddenly show up – their shooting. The notion “live by the jumper, die by the jumper” has something to it, but we’re talking about a team that won 67 games playing this way, and was especially unbeatable at home. Their confidence has taken a minor hit, but the Warriors still have to know that all they need to do is steal one win in Memphis and then just hold serve at home, like they always do.

Doing so will involve Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson finally finding their shots, while we also need to see something out of Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut, who both have been fairly quiet in this series. David Lee could also provide a much-needed spark off the bench, especially with Marreese Speights sitting this one out. Golden State is on the road and facing some adversity, but they’re not the top seed for nothing. A loss tonight would put them in a borderline inescapable hole, so the smart money is on the Warriors showing up and showing Memphis they’re not going to be an easy out.

Pick: Warriors 105, Grizz 97

The NBA playoffs can get a bit tricky, as Friday night’s games clearly showed us. Derrick Rose hit a bank-three in to beat the Cavaliers in Chicago to go up 2-1, while a 75% healthy Chris Paul helped the Clippers demolish the visiting Rockets in L.A.

We learned three very important things last night. They are, in order of importance, that these playoffs are growing increasingly unpredictable, that the Rockets can’t play any defense and we have no idea what Cavaliers or Bulls team will show up on any given night. Rose usually stinks one one day’s rest and he went nuts, while J.J. Redick somehow successfully defended one of the game’s best pure scorers.

It’s crazy, but someone has to pick the games. We carry out 33-15 record into Saturday trying to make things right:

Atlanta Hawks (1) @ Washington Wizards (5)

Atlanta lost their power in a game one loss, but made sure to stop the bleeding in a nice game two win. Tonight they look to take back full control of this series, and that should happen with John Wall (wrist/hand fractures) almost surely out. Washington will undoubtedly be deflated knowing that Wall might be out of this series for good, while the Hawks are still the deeper and more balanced squad. Marcin Gortat shrank last game and if Bradley Beal and Paul Pierce aren’t hitting from outside early, this one could get ugly.

Pick: Hawks 106, Wiz 98

Golden State Warriors (1) @ Memphis Grizzlies (4)

Mike Conley showed in game two that he won’t let an eye fracture derail him or the Grizz, so it’s up to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to send Memphis off the tracks, themselves. That certainly won’t be easy for many reasons, but it’ll be that much harder if Golden State forgets it’s shot like they did last game. Memphis has them beat inside and defensively, overall, but if the Warriors can get their mojo back offensively, they’re the aggressor and the more talented squad. I expect that happens tonight, otherwise the league’s best team could suddenly be in serious danger of letting this series slip out of their hands. Look for a big game out of the Splash Brothers in a close Warriors win.

Pick: Warriors 104, Grizzlies 101

The NBA returns on Friday night after a one-day absence, as the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers both take it to the road in attempt to go up 2-1 in their second round series. Houston dropped game one to the Los Angeles Clippers before winning game two, and will have to wait to see if they will face Chris Paul for the first time in L.A. tonight. Cleveland followed a similar formula, as they lost game one and won game two easily, and will finally get suspended shooting guard J.R. Smith back for game three.

The stage is set, but which teams gain the advantage by going up, 2-1? We’ve done a solid job so far in the playoffs (33-13) and aim for a sweep as Friday’s action sets off. Join us as we break down and pick tonight’s NBA action:

Cleveland Cavaliers (2) @ Chicago Bulls (3)

In game one the Bulls showed how they can dominate an under-manned Cavs squad at both ends of the court. In game two, Cleveland showed it’s resolve. Game three will be key due to offering up a winner with an obvious 2-1 edge when it’s all said and done, but it really should set the tone for the series. J.R. Smith’s return might be huge, as the Cavs head into a hostile environment to try to show that game two is going to be the norm in this heated series.

There is a real, raw rivalry here, and these teams seem to truly hate each other. After seeing the Cavs rise up without both Kevin Love and Smith in their last game, getting Smith back could be a huge asset going forward. Cleveland’s switch to slide Tristan Thompson into the starting lineup was also key, and that figures to help their overall defense the rest of the way, provided it sticks. Iman Shumpert might sit this one out with a groin issue, but I like Cleveland’s momentum and the extra offensive spark Smith provides. This is starting to look like a series that can go the distance, but for the moment the Cavs may hold the power. It will be up to Derrick Rose and co. to take it away from them. However, given how weak Rose is off of one day’s rest, I can’t buy him over-powering LeBron James and co. in game three.

Pick: Cavs 106, Bulls 102

Houston Rockets (2) @ Los Angeles Clippers (3)

Game three in this series likely comes down to the health of Chris Paul. First, is he going to play? Secondly, is he going to be himself? Even a Paul at 75% is worth starting, but if Paul can’t defend or has to hold himself back offensively, it could present problems. The good news is that he won’t have to force the issue too much, as Blake Griffin is playing out of his mind and L.A. actually has been getting solid play out of their role players and bench lately. The Clippers are also at home and after winning a game in Houston, have the upper hand at the moment.

That being said, I can’t see the Clippers winning a second game without Paul. He absolutely has to play to help slow down Houston’s momentum. The Rockets did an insanely good job at getting to the line in game two (64 free throws!) and while you can blame the refs to a degree, that type of aggressiveness usually wins out in post-season play. They won’t get all the same calls on the road, but if you combine Houston’s ability to get to the line with another no-show from Paul, and the Clippers could be looking at a loss. If Paul suits up, he’ll need to be magical yet again to get L.A. the win. I’m pulling for the Clips, but Paul’s status is too shaky and the Rockets are too good to bet against with uncertainties of this magnitude.

Pick: Rockets 111, Clippers 107

The Washington Wizards’ bid to upset the East’s top-seeded Atlanta Hawks in their second round series just got a little more difficult. Per reports, Wizards star point guard John Wall suffered multiple non-displaced fractures in his left wrist and hand in game one and could be in jeopardy of missing time on the court.

Washington already had held Wall out of game two (which the Wizards lost) as a precaution. Wall’s left wrist and hand injuries didn’t keep him from closing a game one win, but he later experienced major soreness and swelling and was kept out of the second game of the series. After undergoing several examinations by a handful of experts, it was revealed that Wall’s wrist injury was much more serious than anyone originally thought.

There was initially hope that Wall could return for game three, when the series shifts back to D.C. However, Wall is now set to continue consultation with more physicians to determine an exact course of action. Depending on what Wall and the doctors decide, it could mark the end of the star point guard’s playoff run.

Wall has been borderline sensational up until hurting his wrist, as he helped the Wizards earn a 4-0 sweep over the Toronto Raptors in round one, as well as the massive game one win in Atlanta to get round two going. Unfortunately, a Wizards team that was suddenly looking like a real contender to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals, may have a tough time keeping their heads above water in this series.

Ramon Sessions started in place of Wall in game two and performed quite well, but a Wizards team without Wall just isn’t the same. Washington will have to get as much as they can out of Sessions if he’s forced to start a second straight game, while even more pressure will be placed on their other star players – Bradley Beal, Paul Pierce and Marcin Gortat.

Should Wall fail to return in these playoffs, Washington would no longer be a smart bet to advance.