MENU
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
