Tuesday night’s NBA Playoff action was controversial, to be sure, but at least NBA fans got an exciting finish. The Oklahoma City Thunder beat all odds to storm back and take a 3-2 series lead over the Clippers. The next time the two teams face off, OKC could finish L.A. off.

Tonight offers more series-ending potential, as both the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs have a chance at moving on to round three of the playoffs. Their respective opponents, the Nets and Blazers, showed terrific life in game four, but could be ready to submit in game five.

Let’s break down both matchups and see if either team facing elimination has a chance to keep their series alive:

Brooklyn Nets (5) @ Miami Heat (2) – 7:00 PM ET

Brooklyn has played spirited basketball at home the last two games, which is worth noting considering they didn’t bother to show up in the first two meetings of this series in Miami. Unfortunately, a very close, hard fought game four ended with the Heat taking a 3-1 series lead. With their backs against the wall in Miami, it’s unlikely the Nets prolong this series.

Pick: Heat 95, Nets 90

Portland Trail Blazers (5) @ San Antonio Spurs (1) – 9:30 PM ET

Portland was supposed to lie down and take a sweep like men, but instead they fought back and beat the Spurs in an elimination game. It was nice to see some fight in the Blazers, but it took a fantastic effort to get the job done, while the Spurs came out looking uninterested.

Consider San Antonio awoken after slipping up in game four. They’ll bounce back and make the necessary adjustments to close out this series.

Pick: Spurs 105, Blazers 94

The Arizona Cardinals are moving on from running back Ryan Williams. In a cost cutting move, the often injured Williams was released, according to Darren Urban via Twitter.

Many had speculated that Williams would get one last shot to crack Arizona’s backfield rotation now that he’s fully healthy, but Urban pointed out that a depth chart ascension was unlikely.

Williams’ didn’t have scary competition to compete with in 2014, as recently signed veteran Jonathan Dwyer doesn’t hold a candle to Williams’ athleticism and potential, while second-year back Stepfan Taylor is a slow plodder.

However, Williams has struggled mightily to stay healthy ever since entering the league and despite being healthy in 2013, didn’t show the coaching staff enough to earn the right to have a single carry last season.

Williams’ NFL problems stem from a disastrous rookie season that ended in the preseason due to a ruptured patellar tendon. Williams missed the entire 2011 season and admittedly was never the same. However, Williams did make a full physical recovery, but later said he wasn’t mentally right following the devastating injury.

The after effects of the knee injury caused Williams to be tentative and negatively impacted his production. It was a shoulder injury that sent him on injured reserve in 2012, though, leaving him with just 58 career carries and a paltry 2.8 yards per carry to his name.

While Williams certainly was a bust in Arizona and faces a fairly long road to finding himself with a big offensive role anywhere else again, he’s just 24 and by all accounts is as healthy as he’s been since he entered the league. Blessed with a terrific blend of size, speed and power, Williams still has the ability and upside on paper to warrant someone taking a chance on him. Look for him to latch on with someone else for preseason action as he tries to continue his playing career.

The Indiana Pacers were almost a complete waste of a number one seed, as they struggled their way to a game seven and series win over the eight seeded Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs. Just four games later, and they look like a serious threat to reach the NBA Finals again.

Roy Hibbert has come alive and Paul George has rediscovered his scoring touch, suddenly putting Indy one win away from reaching the Eastern Conference finals. The Washington Wizards had many thinking upset after a dominant win in game one, but have failed to rise to the occasion.

Tuesday brings another intense battle between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers, as well, so let’s break both of these contests down and pick a winner:

Washington Wizards (5) @ Indiana Pacers (1) – 7:00 PM ET

Paul George had been quiet through the first three games of this series, but seemed to get his mojo back with a 39-point outburst in Indiana’s game four win. The series is back in Indy now, and with little life being shown out of the Wizards on their own court the past two games, the Pacers should look to put the finishing touches on a 4-1 series win.

Washington isn’t hopeless here, as they played extremely well in game one and played well enough to win in game two, but they probably need an elite game out of point guard John Wall. Wall has had a very mediocre showing in this series, and really hasn’t shown up since a dominant performance in the first game. Look for the Pacers to keep him under wraps as they have been doing as they get the win.

Pick: Pacers 89, Wizards 85

Los Angeles Clippers (3) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (3) – 9:30 PM ET

The Clippers should be in a 3-1 hole right now, but Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook says his team “relaxed” in game four, allowing the Clips to keep this a tight series. The series shifts back to OKC, though, where both prior games were fairly one-sided.

These teams are pretty well matched, but the Thunder seem to hold the upper hand, overall. It will take a mighty effort from Blake Griffin for L.A. to come in and earn the road win. It’s just hard to see the deadly duo of Kevin Durant and Westbrook coming up lame in a huge game five on their home court.

Pick: Thunder 103, Clippers 101

The St. Louis Rams shocked the world when they drafted openly gay defensive end Michael Sam in the seventh round in the 2014 NFL Draft. Sam immediately became the first openly gay player in NFL history, while the pick was followed by some negativity via social media, as well with doubts over whether or not Sam would have a realistic chance to make the Rams’ final roster.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, it isn’t a lock, and if he does it surely won’t be easy. With the Rams expecting to carry roughly eight to nine defensive linemen, Sam could easily end up being one of the final cuts.

Stud pass rushers Robert Quinn and Chris Long are clearly safe, as are defensive tackles Michael Brockers and Aaron Donald. The team is also said to be high on Kendall Langford, while Alex Carrington, William Hayes and Eugene Sims are all expected to lock down jobs before Sam.

If the Rams leave it at eight bodies on the d-line, Sam could soon be looking for work. If they keep one extra, he would have a shot, but would still face competition in the likes of Jermelle Cudjo and Matt Conrath.

Sam slid in the draft due to average athleticism and speed, as well as a lack of versatility. A strict defensive end in a 4-3 system, Sam is likely going to struggle to get around tackles in the NFL and doesn’t possess the natural strength to bull rush them consistently, either.

While he faces long odds to make the Rams’ final roster due to their insane depth, he could be helped out by some timely injuries. And even if he doesn’t make the Rams, Sam could still up his game and impress enough in camp and hopefully preseason to earn him another look elsewhere.

The Portland Trail Blazers had people talking with an impressive (and highly entertaining) 4-2 first round series win over the Houston Rockets. The San Antonio Spurs had people talking, too, after barely dispatching the bottom-seeded Dallas Mavericks in round one, as well.

For two very different reasons, these talented Western Conference squads were under the microscope entering round two of the 2014 NBA Playoffs. Only one responded.

San Antonio has largely dominated Portland en route to a 3-0 series lead, as the Blazers simply don’t have the defense or depth to hang with the defending Western Conference champs.

The Spurs will look to put the finishing touches on a clean sweep tonight, while the series between the Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat could turn into a dogfight if the Nets can even things up at 2-2.

Let’s see how both contests might unfold as we make tonight’s NBA playoff picks:

Miami Heat (2) @ Brooklyn Nets (6) – 8:00 PM ET

The Nets still had some life left in them in game three, as they pushed away a potential sweep by the Heat and proved why they had Miami’s number four times during the regular season.

Paul Pierce and Brooklyn’s vets hadn’t showed up through the first two games, but they have their confidence back and are at home again. If they’re going to give the Heat a real fight, it starts by evening the series here tonight. It’s a long shot, but the Nets just might be able to pull it off if their defense can show up for the second game in a row.

Pick: Nets 98, Heat 95

San Antonio Spurs (1) @ Portland Trail Blazers (5) – 10:30 PM ET

There has been nothing in the first three games to suggest a dramatic turnaround for the Blazers. Their star players have run hot and cold, their defense has been atrocious and the Spurs are flat out on another level right now. It would take a lot for Portland to even muster up one win tonight, and they already seem out of gas.

The aging Spurs would be wise to get this series over with so they can prepare for the tough battle that awaits next round with either the Clippers or Thunder, as well.

Pick: Spurs 107, Blazers 99

The Brooklyn Nets finally decided to make it a series when they stole game three at home against the Miami Heat on Saturday night. The Portland Trail Blazers couldn’t do the same at home against the San Antonio Spurs. Instead, the Nets have a shot at evening things up in game four, while the Spurs will bring the broom out as they aim to sweep Portland on Monday.

There are still some games to play before then, though, as the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers both hope to avoid 3-1 holes on Sunday. The Wizards host the East’s top-seeded Indiana Pacers in game four on Sunday afternoon, while the Clippers welcome the Thunder back to L.A. after a tough game three loss on their home court just two days ago.

Let’s break both games down to see if the Wizards and Clippers can spice up these series by bringing them to 2-2 ties, or if they’ll fall into 3-1 holes:

Indiana Pacers (1) @ Washington Wizards (5) – 3:30 PM ET

Indiana has won the past two games thanks to a complete revival of center Roy Hibbert, who has come alive on offense. Hibbert’s amazing spark on the offensive end has led to the Pacers playing even harder on defense, which led to a franchise record low in points for the Wizards in game three.

Indiana looks to be on a mission right now, and it will probably take an insane shooting night for the Wiz to fend off a 3-1 hole.

Pick: Pacers 97, Wizards 88

Oklahoma City Thunder (2) @ Los Angeles Clippers (3) – 8:00 PM ET

OKC and L.A. have battled through a couple of intense matchups, their game three contest probably taking the cake so far in this series. With that said, these teams are pretty evenly matched and this series is still slated to be a toss up. Considering OKC has won two straight and the Clippers have their backs against the wall on their own court, now seems like a good time for Chris Paul to go off. Look for L.A. to even this one back up at two games apiece.

Pick: Clippers 107, Thunder 102

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers gave us a barn burner worthy of being part of these 2014 NBA Playoffs. To this point, few second round games can say the same.

With that said, Saturday night offers up some promise, as the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs have to head to Brooklyn and Portland, respectively. The change in scenery could potentially increase the competition of both series, which have started out 2-0 in favor of the Heat and Spurs.

The Nets and Trail Blazers might have something to say about a potential sweep when it comes to their home court. Let’s break both games down and see if either team can steal a win and keep these series competitive:

Miami Heat (2) @ Brooklyn Nets (6) – 8:00 PM ET

Brooklyn obviously has a shot at catching their breath and stealing a win at home here in game three, but it’s beyond clear the Heat are on a mission through the first two games. Kevin Garnett isn’t playing big enough down low, while Brooklyn simply has been unable to find their offense against a tough Miami defense.

Even when game two was close, the Nets couldn’t find a way to close the Heat out. Despite taking all four of their regular season meetings, the Nets really don’t look up to the challenge. They could still get the upset here and extend the series, but it’s not likely at this point. A Heat win in game three likely means a series sweep.

Pick: Heat 89, Nets 87

San Antonio Spurs (1) @ Portland Trail Blazers (5) – 10:30 PM ET

The Spurs have owned the Blazers through the first two games, as their bigs have dominated inside and their guards have shot the lights out. Portland hasn’t put up much of a fight, although they did hang closer with the Spurs early in game two than they did in game one.

Through two games, Portland can’t seem to get in sync, as stars Damian Lillard and LeMarcus Aldridge have been effective in one game each, but not yet in the same game together. That’s going to have to happen, or else the Blazers will keep looking over matches and inch closer to a series sweep. In reality, that might happen, anyways.

Pick: Spurs 101, Blazers 97

The only two NBA Playoff series currently tied at one game apiece will be broken on Friday night, setting up a 2-1 lead for one lucky team and a nerve-wracking game four for the other. The Indiana Pacers leave the comfort of their own home to take on the Washington Wizards in the first such game, while the Oklahoma City Thunder travel to Los Angeles to battle the Clippers in the night’s capper.

Roy Hibbert came alive in the biggest way in Indy’s second game, pouring out 28 random points as the Pacers barely avoided an 0-2 hole. On the flip-side, the L.A. big men came up way too small in their second game against the Thunder, while Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook posted identical near-triple double lines in a win to even their series.

These are two very interesting series that could truly go either way. Let’s break down both of tonight’s games as we try to come away with a winner for each contest:

Indiana Pacers (1) @ Washington Wizards – 8:00 PM ET

We can’t bank on Roy Hibbert suddenly being an elite offensive force on a consistent basis (or even a decent one) – and neither can the Pacers. That means Paul George may have to step up with his best game of the series if the East’s top seed is going to escape with a 2-1 series lead.

While it’s certainly possible, it’s hard to bet on the Pacers these days. They struggled mightily against the Hawks, and really haven’t been all that impressive in two games against the Wizards. Washington is more athletic and hungrier and now they’re at home. That’s a bad recipe for Indiana.

Pick: Wizards 89, Pacers 87

Oklahoma City Thunder (2) @ Los Angeles Clippers (3) – 10:30 PM ET

Do the Clippers really have a chance at winning this series, or was their one game blowout win just one big, major tease? The way Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook played in game, two, it’s starting to look like the latter.

Still, the Clippers head back home and they do still have way more talent in the paint than the Thunder. It’s going to come down to toughness and execution down low. If Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan can show up, the Clips should work their way to a 2-1 series advantage.

Pick: Clippers 105, Thunder 101

The second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs has lacked the excitement and intensity of the first round. Heading into game two for the Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets, that will have to change if they hope for their series against the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat to last much longer.

Both teams got blown out by their respective opponents in their first meeting, and will head back to Texas and Florida to try to stave off dreaded 0-2 starts.

The Blazers simply looked out of their league against the Spurs, while the Nets didn’t look like a team that went 4-0 against the Heat during the regular season at all.

We know things can change dramatically in the playoffs, though, so let’s break both match ups down and try to pick a winner for Thursday’s NBA Playoff action:

Brooklyn Nets (6) @ Miami Heat (2) – 7:00 PM ET

All of the regular season meetings went down to the wire, yet the first meeting between these two teams in the playoffs resulted in a Miami blowout win. It was more than just a statement game for the Heat, who have the youth and athleticism to over power the Nets if they can remain focused.

Nets head coach Jason Kidd is sure to make adjustments and we can bank on the Brooklyn vets playing more minutes after sitting down the stretch in game one. However, it’s still in Miami and the Heat look like they’re on a mission.

Pick: Heat 96, Nets 92

Portland Trail Blazers (5) @ San Antonio Spurs (1) – 9:30 PM ET

Portland was simply over matched in their game one showdown with the Spurs, as Tony Parker and co. struck early with a 10-2 lead and never looked back. Parker dropped a game high 33 points, while the Spurs dug into their bench to get stellar play from the likes of Marco Belinelli and Aron Baynes.

No, you read that right – Aron Baynes dropped 10 points and seven boards as the clearly deeper and more well rounded Spurs took care of business in emphatic fashion. Damian Lillard was woefully off in game one, and will need to step up his game for the Blazers to hang around. Ultimately, Portland is a younger, less experienced version of the Dallas Mavericks, who the Spurs just ousted in a full seven game series. Portland doesn’t have the mental toughness to go in and get a road win in San Antonio just yet, though.

Pick: Spurs 104, Blazers 95

The 2014 NFL Draft gets underway on Thursday night, with pure chaos ready to ensue. The Houston Texans sit atop the 32 teams waiting to land an impact player on day one of the three-day event, but have been rumored to be highly interested in trading down.

While the Texans very well could get their king’s ransom and trade down, predicting the draft day trades is a fruitless endeavour. After all, the St. Louis Rams at the two spot are also heavily rumored to be interested in trading down, while numerous other top-10 teams could change their draft spot before the top-10 picks are done.

With that said, it’s still worth giving it a shot at predicting how the top-10 picks unfold. Those picks are likely where all the draft’s biggest names will resides when the night ends, including all of the drama of Jadeveon Clowney, Johnny Manziel and others.

In preparation for a surely epic night, let’s mock the first 10 picks of the 2014 NFL Draft. We’ll leave the trades for the NFL GM’s:

1.Houston Texans – Jadeveon Clowney, DE/OLB, South Carolina

Clowney is the best player available, so if Houston doesn’t get the exact trade package they desire, they’ll have no qualms about taking him first overall.

2. St. Louis Rams – Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn

The Rams need a stud offensive tackle more than anything, and Robinson has the most upside of any tackle in the draft. They also will look to trade down, but unless a deal blows their socks off, they’ll be completely content with this selection.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Khalil Mack, DE/OLB, Buffalo

The Jaguars could go for Johnny Manziel or Sammy Watkins here, but they need to keep building up their defense. Mack is an insanely athletic and versatile defender that they have to have.

4. Cleveland Browns – Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

A receiving corps of Josh Gordon and Watkins is nasty, although the Browns will also consider a stud tackle or a quarterback here.

5. Oakland Raiders – Mike Evans, WR, Texas A&M

Oakland will also consider taking simply the best available player, but they reportedly love Evans and they don’t really yet have a difference-making wide receiver. Now they do.

6. Atlanta Falcons – Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M

Atlanta needs to protect Matt Ryan better, so they’ll be ecstatic if a stud left tackle like Matthews slides to them. He doesn’t have the upside of Robinson, but he’s actually more NFL-ready and the safer prospect, overall.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M

Heeeeere’s Johnny! Manziel is a special talent that is routinely disrespected, but the Bucs see ticket sales and long-term upside. Their current quarterback situation looking forward isn’t the best, so he fills a need.

8. Minnesota Vikings – C.J. Mosley, ILB, Alabama

Minnesota has been tied to Aaron Donald or a quarterback, but Mosley fills a greater need at inside linebacker. He’s a slight reach but he’s a quarterback of the defense that defensive-minded head coach Mike Zimmer will love to have.

9. Buffalo Bills – Eric Ebron, TE, North Carolina

If no stud tackle slides to Buffalo, this pick will likely come down to a defensive end like Anthony Barr or an offensive weapon. Ebron can help them more right now, so he’ll be the pick.

10. Detroit Lions – Justin Gilbert, CB, Oklahoma State

The most athletic and explosive corner in the draft rounds out the top-10, as Detroit finally gets a true stud corner to help their shaky pass defense. A wide receiver is also in play, but with the top two off the board, Gilbert looks to be locked in here.