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Two more series remain in the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs, as Sunday offers up two more epic game seven finishes. Saturday night did much the same, showcasing an amazing three game seven conclusions.
Sunday won’t be much different, as the West’s top-seeded San Antonio Spurs cap round one by hosting the feisty eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks. The night gets started with an equally intense battle from the East, with the Canada-based Toronto Raptors hosting the Brooklyn Nets.
Just three series in the entire first round of the playoffs didn’t go the the seventh and final game of the maximum allowed in a series, with Sunday’s two contests putting the finishing touches on a chaotic and highly entertaining kick off round to the NBA Playoffs.
Let’s break down these final two contests of round one and see if we can’t correctly predict the winners:
Brooklyn Nets (6) @ Toronto Raptors (3) – 1:00 PM ET
Toronto had the Nets up against the ropes going into game six, but couldn’t seal the deal in Brooklyn. That brings the series back to Canada, where the Raptors got this series off to a rough 0-1 start.
Experience has kept the Nets in this series, while youth and athleticism is what has been working for them thus far. Even on the road, however, it’s tough to think that the veteran squad lead by Paul Pierce and Deron Williams will drop to a fledgling team in seven games. It could be a toss up, but one thing’s for sure; it’ll go down to the wire.
Pick: Nets 98, Raptors 97
Dallas Mavericks (8) @ San Antonio Spurs (1) – 3:30 PM ET
Dallas travels to San Antonio in the first round capper, where the Spurs have lost just 10 times all season, including their series with the Mavericks. Dallas has had an extremely difficult time containing Tiago Splitter inside, typically losing gamers where the Spurs dominate the paint.
If the Mavs are going to shock the world, their interior defense will need to border on decent, while Dirk Nowitzki will probably need to come out red hot. That’s an unlikely duo on the road in a huge game seven, however.
Pick: Spurs 97, Mavericks 89
